The Game Maker's Apprentice

by Habgood, Jacob

• ISBN13: 9781590596159
• ISBN10: 1590596153
• Edition: CD
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-07-26
• Publisher: Apress

Summary

The Game Maker's Apprentice shows you how to create 9 exciting games using the wildly popular Game Maker game creation tool. These cover a range of genres, including action, adventure and puzzle games - complete with professional quality sound effects and visuals. It also teaches you all you need to know about game design theory and includes practical examples of how this can be applied to making games that are more fun to play. The book also comes with a CD containing the Game Maker software and all the game projects that are created in the book - including a whole host of professional quality graphics and sound effects that you can use in your own games as you please!

Table of Contents

Foreword	xiv
About the Authors	xvi
About the Technical Reviewer	xvii
About the Illustrator	xviii
Acknowledgments	xix
Introduction	xx
PART 1 Getting Started
CHAPTER 1 Welcome to Game Maker	3	(6)
Installing the Software	3	(2)
Registration	5	(1)
The Global User Interface	6	(1)
Running a Game	6	(2)
How to Get More Information	8	(1)
What's Next?	8	(1)
CHAPTER 2 Your First Game: Devilishly Easy	9	(32)
Designing the Game: Evil Clutches	9	(1)
Sprites	10	(3)
Objects	13	(7)
The Boss Object	13	(1)
Events and Actions	14	(4)
The Dragon Object	18	(2)
Rooms	20	(2)
Save and Run	22	(2)
Instances and Objects	24	(1)
Demons, Baby Dragons, and Fireballs	24	(9)
The Fireball Object	24	(3)
The Demon Object	27	(3)
Summoning Demons	30	(1)
The Baby Dragon Object	31	(2)
Backgrounds and Sounds	33	(3)
A Background Image	33	(1)
Background Music	34	(1)
Sound Effects	35	(1)
Congratulations	36	(5)
PART 2 Action Games
CHAPTER 3 More Actions: A Galaxy of Possibilities	41	(24)
Designing the Game: Galactic Mail	41	(1)
Sprites and Sounds	42	(3)
Moons and Asteroids	45	(5)
Flying Around	50	(6)
Winning and Losing	56	(4)
An Explosion	56	(1)
Scores	57	(1)
Levels	58	(2)
Finishing Touches	60	(3)
A Title Screen	60	(1)
Winning the Game	61	(1)
Adding Some Visual Variety	62	(1)
Help Information	62	(1)
Congratulations	63	(2)
CHAPTER 4 Target the Player: It's Fun Being Squished	65	(20)
Designing the Game: Lazarus	65	(1)
An Animated Character	66	(6)
A Test Environment	72	(1)
Falling Boxes	73	(5)
Finishing Touches	78	(5)
No Way Out!	78	(1)
Adding a Goal	79	(1)
Starting a Level	80	(1)
Sounds, Backgrounds, and Help	81	(1)
Levels	82	(1)
Congratulations	83	(2)
CHAPTER 5 Game Design: Interactive Challenges	85	(16)
What Makes a Good Game?	85	(2)
Game Mechanics	86	(1)
Interactive Challenges	87	(1)
Game Genres	87	(1)
Challenges	88	(4)
Difficulty	88	(1)
Goals	89	(1)
Rewards	90	(2)
Subgoals	92	(1)
Interactivity	92	(4)
Choices and Control	93	(1)
Control Overload!	93	(1)
Unfair Punishment	94	(1)
Audio Feedback	95	(1)
Summary	96	(5)
PART 3 Level Design
CHAPTER 6 Inheriting Events: Mother of Pearl	101	(26)
Designing the Game: Super Rainbow Reef	101	(2)
A Game Framework	103	(4)
The Front-End	103	(3)
The Completion Screen	106	(1)
Bouncing Starfish	107	(6)
Biglegs	113	(3)
Parent Power	116	(1)
Lives	117	(3)
Blocks	120	(3)
Normal Blocks	120	(1)
Solid Blocks	120	(1)
Special Blocks	121	(2)
Polishing the Game	123	(3)
Sound Effects	123	(1)
Saving Games and Quitting	123	(1)
A Slower Start	124	(1)
Creating the Levels	125	(1)
Congratulations	126	(1)
CHAPTER 7 Maze Games: More Cute Things in Peril	127	(22)
Designing the Game: Koalabr8	127	(1)
The Basic Maze	128	(8)
The Game Framework	129	(2)
A Moving Character	131	(5)
Save the Koala	136	(1)
Creating Hazards	137	(3)
Tiles	140	(3)
Adding Additional Hazards	143	(4)
Locks and Switches	143	(1)
A Detonator	144	(1)
Rocks	145	(2)
Finishing the Game	147	(1)
Congratulations	148	(1)
CHAPTER 8 Game Design: Levels and Features	149	(20)
Selecting Features	149	(5)
Pie in the Sky	150	(1)
Do You Have That in Blue?	151	(1)
Starting an Arms Race	152	(1)
One-Trick Ponies	152	(1)
Emerging with More Than You Expected	153	(1)
Designing Levels	154	(6)
The Game Maker's Apprentice	155	(1)
Learning Curves	156	(2)
Difficulty Curves	158	(2)
Saving the Day	160	(1)
Applying It All	160	(3)
Features	160	(1)
Emerging Springs	161	(1)
Training Missions	161	(1)
Dividing Levels	162	(1)
Summary	163	(6)
PART 4 Multiplayer Games
CHAPTER 9 Cooperative Games: Flying Planes	169	(22)
Designing the Game: Wingman Sam	169	(1)
Variables and Properties	170	(3)
The Illusion of Motion	173	(1)
Flying Planes	174	(2)
Enemies and Weapons	176	(3)
Dealing with Damage	179	(3)
Time Lines	182	(2)
More Enemies	184	(2)
End Boss	186	(2)
Finishing Touches	188	(1)
Congratulations	189	(2)
CHAPTER 10 Competitive Games: Playing Fair with Tanks	191	(20)
Designing the Game: Tank War	191	(1)
Playing with Tanks	192	(3)
Firing Shells	195	(4)
Secondary Weapons	199	(6)
Views	205	(5)
Congratulations	210	(1)
CHAPTER 11 Game Design: Balance in Multiplayer Games	211	(14)
Competition and Cooperation	211	(3)
Independent Competition	211	(1)
Dependent Competition	212	(1)
Independent Cooperation	213	(1)
Dependent Cooperation	213	(1)
Mix and Match	213	(1)
Balanced Beginnings	214	(4)
Equivalent Characters	214	(1)
Balancing Differences	214	(4)
Balanced Choice	218	(2)
Weighting Choices	218	(1)
Cyclic Relationships	218	(2)
Balanced Computer Opponents	220	(1)
Artificial Stupidity	220	(1)
Summary	221	(4)
PART 5 Enemies and Intelligence
CHAPTER 12 GML: Become a Programmer	225	(20)
Hello World	226	(2)
Variables	228	(2)
Functions	230	(2)
Conditional Statements	232	(2)
Repeating Things	234	(3)
Arrays	237	(2)
Dealing with Other Instances	239	(1)
Scripts As Functions	240	(2)
Debugging Programs	242	(2)
Congratulations	244	(1)
CHAPTER 13 Clever Computers: Playing Tic-Tac-Toe	245	(14)
Designing the Game: Tic-Tac-Toe	245	(1)
The Playing Field	246	(5)
Let the Computer Play	251	(3)
A Clever Computer Opponent	254	(2)
Adaptive Gameplay	256	(1)
Congratulations	257	(2)
CHAPTER 14 Intelligent Behavior: Animating the Dead	259	(32)
Designing the Game: Pyramid Panic	259	(1)
The Basic Framework	260	(3)
Creating the Maze and the Explorer	263	(2)
Expanding Our Horizons	265	(2)
Reactive Behavior	267	(2)
Time for Treasure!	269	(1)
Movable Blocks	270	(1)
Rule-Based Behavior	271	(6)
Walking Around	273	(2)
Moving Toward the Explorer	275	(2)
Dealing with States	277	(7)
Scarabs	280	(4)
Let There Be Light	284	(5)
Looking to the Future	289	(2)
CHAPTER 15 Final Words	291	(6)
Creating Resources	291	(3)
Artwork: The GIMP	291	(1)
Music: Anvil Studio	292	(2)
Sound Effects: Audacity	294	(1)
The Game Maker Community	294	(2)
Note to Teachers	295	(1)
Good Luck	296	(1)
BIBLIOGRAPHY	297	(2)
INDEX	299