Course Overview

From PRSWiki

Summary: In this topic you will find a short overview of the Globaloria Game Design and Development course, tools and curriculum.

What We Will Do in the Course

1. Use the Wiki-based Curriculum to learn Game Design and Development.
2. Post and share our Assignments and Games on the Wiki to get feedback and help each other learn.
3. Write in our Blogs to reflect on the game making process, gaming, Flash, and other subjects of interest to the community.
4. Use the MyGLife Resources website, with all its Resources, Tutorials, and Game Examples.
5. Collaborate with each other and with Game Development experts using the wiki "Talk" tabs, message boards on social profiles, G-Chat, and Skype.
6. Develop original game concepts from idea to paper prototype to game demo.
7. Publish our final Flash games in the Game Gallery.

Topic Assignments

The course consists of three Curriculum Units: Getting Started, Game Design, and Game Development.

Each Unit contains a set of Topics. Each Topic page contains Assignments that will help you to learn Flash and create an original game.

Getting Started Unit

Getting Started is a very short orientation unit that introduces you to the course structure, helps you to set up your own Profile and Blog, and presents your rights and responsibilities as a member of this online learning community.

1. Course Overview - (This page!) An introduction to the course, the tools you'll use and what you'll accomplish.
2. Create Your Profile - Get started by creating your Wiki account and designing a cool, personalized User Profile page.
3. Create Your Blog - Learn how to create a blog at Blogger.com.
4. Participation Guidelines - Review and discuss the basic safety and etiquette guidelines for using this wiki and social network.

Game Design Unit

In the Game Design unit you will come up with and design a game about an educational topic or social issue. Using the Flash you are learning, you will create an interactive demo about your game concept. This unit focuses on creating a highly visual, narrative presentation with simple interactivity.

Game Design Topics:

1. Playing to Learn: Play and review games from the perspective of a Game Designer.
2. Choosing a Topic: Identify a specific learning topic to explore. Select a game genre, and begin researching your content.
3. Mini Game Project: Build your own 'mini game' in Flash to learn the primary elements that make up a typical 2D, arcade-style.
4. Imagining Your Game: Write your game idea in Flash and create your first Flash movie using Flash text tools.
5. Paper Prototyping: Create a paper prototype for your game idea and learn how to playtest an interactive project.
6. Planning Your Game: Create a detailed game design plan.
7. Drawing in Flash: Use the Flash drawing tools to draw the scenes from your paper prototype in Flash.
8. Adding Navigation: Make interactive buttons in Flash that to navigate between your game scenes.
9. Adding Animation: Create Flash animations to make your game characters move.
10. Adding Sound: Import and add sounds effects to your game demo.
11. Adding Interaction: Add interaction to your game with keyboard controlled movement.
12. Assembling Your Demo: Combine scenes created by different people into a single Flash file.
13. Presenting Your Demo: It’s time to show off your game idea! Learn how to present your game demo professionally.

Game Development Unit

In the Game Development unit, you will take your game demo and develop it into a complete, playable game. You'll finalize your artwork, refine your game idea, and complete your code. You may choose to add more scenes or features than your design originally called for, or you may have to cut back on your original plans.

No two games are exactly alike, so you will develop a customized Development Plan based on the specific features of your game.

As part of this unit, you can pick and choose from the library of ActionScript tutorials. You don't need to learn them all, only the ones that apply to your game.

Game Development Topics

1. Development Plan: Plan the development of your game: what you need to create, and what you need to learn.
2. Intro to ActionScript: A brief introduction to Flash ActionScript 2.0
3. Programming Practices: Learn proper coding practice and coding in the main timeline.
4. Learning from Others: Work with other students' source files.
5. Finding Solutions:Search the web for information and solutions for implementing your game functionality.
6. Testing and Debugging: Playtest (debug) your game and then find and fix any "bugs" or errors.
7. Publishing Your Game: Set up Your Game page and submit your game to be published on MyGLife.org.

ActionScript Tutorials

This is a library of game coding resources that you can refer to and learn from as you build your game.

1. Navigating the Timeline: Control the way the user navigates through the game timeline.
2. Pseudocode and Commented Code: Make notes to yourself that will help you start coding.
3. Moving on a Path: Use motion guides to animate a character along a line.
4. Special Effects: Add cool special effects to text and graphics.
5. Scrolling Background: Learn how to make a scrolling background that gives the illusion of moving through a scene.
6. Score Keeping: Add score keeping functionality to your game.
7. Collision Detection: Detect when two objects collide or occupy the same space at the same time.
8. Preloader: Add an animation to the beginning of your game that shows what percent of the file has loaded.
9. Sound Effects: Learn to control and manipulate sound in ActionScript.
10. Timer: Add a timer with ActionScript.
11. Character Effects: Change a character's appearance, create fade effects and more.
12. Drag and Drop: Learn how to drag and drop a movie clip using the mouse and ActionScript.
13. Platforms: Add platforms to your game and have a character jump on them.
14. Running, Jumping, etc.: Change character behavior/actions (make them run, jump, climb) with ActionScript.
15. Coding "Enemies": Move and control your game "enemies" with ActionScript.