Flash (Game) programming

[rhoenix]

I was recently introduced to the Flash web-based games DragonFable and MechQuest by Nitram and Tev, and even play them semi-regularly still. However, in playing both, there are many little things that I think I would do differently. So, given a rare flash of insight, I decided I'd like to try learning Flash, and trying to see if I could indeed do better.

My programming background now is a semi-casual relationship with PHP and SQL, with longer experience with HTML and CSS. I am currently planning on getting a used copy of Adobe Flash CS3, and several books to get me started, with the end project result being a polished, finished Flash-based RPG.

So, I ask for any and all advice freely given, and give my thanks in advance for it. Moreover, I have the following questions:

• Are there any good books or websites you'd recommend to assist me with this? This Amazon wishlist is a collection of all the books I was looking at buying, though I'd like to narrow that list down, if possible.
• Is there any overwhelmingly good reason I should save up and buy Adobe Flash CS4 in November, instead of just getting Flash CS3 used now?
• I'd like to build this game with the intent that content be added over time. Are there any special considerations I'd need to make conceptually or otherwise when designing and programming this game with the above in mind?

My thanks in advance for your thoughts or advice.

[Destructionator XV]

Is there any particular reason why you want to use Flash rather than a different platform? There are plenty of other options that don't cost anything, among other advantages.

[rhoenix]

Is there any particular reason why you want to use Flash rather than a different platform? There are plenty of other options that don't cost anything, among other advantages.

Merely because of the free-form graphics nature of it allows me to craft an interface more easily, and that can be used more accessably.

Do you have any alternate suggestions? I suppose doing it all in html & php would be feasible, but the on-screen animation would be...lackluster at best.

[Destructionator XV]

Merely because of the free-form graphics nature of it allows me to craft an interface more easily, and that can be used more accessably.

What kind of interface are you going to do?

Do you have any alternate suggestions?

You could always write it as a regular desktop app; it would be much more flexible than anything you could do in a browser and will probably be simpler code too.

Using a wrapper I wrote around SDL and OpenGL, I can make Windows/Linux games with quite a bit of ease. Here I wrote a Pong game in about 100 lines of code using it:
http://www.sveit.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2051

When I get some free time, I can see about packaging the code and writing up a tutorial and some docs if you are interested in going the desktop route.

I suppose doing it all in html & php would be feasible, but the on-screen animation would be...lackluster at best.

Eeeek. Flash would almost certainly beat that out for game interactivity.

[rhoenix]

What kind of interface are you going to do?

Well, I'm doing a couple possible sketches, which will be revised more as I learn more about the client-side stuff with Flash as well as server-side stuff. Right now though, I'm thinking a nice, polished interfaced that looks video-gamey without being clumsy at all for a mouse or keyboard (this last is important).

You could always write it as a regular desktop app; it would be much more flexible than anything you could do in a browser and will probably be simpler code too.

Using a wrapper I wrote around SDL and OpenGL, I can make Windows/Linux games with quite a bit of ease. Here I wrote a Pong game in about 100 lines of code using it:
http://www.sveit.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2051

When I get some free time, I can see about packaging the code and writing up a tutorial and some docs if you are interested in going the desktop route.

While I'd appreciate it, making it cross-platform would be a requirement, which would be annoying to localize with just me. Flash seems better for the time being, as the DragonFable folks have done some very interesting things with it.

Eeeek. Flash would almost certainly beat that out for game interactivity.

As well as localization.

[Destructionator XV]

While I'd appreciate it, making it cross-platform would be a requirement, which would be annoying to localize with just me.

Windows and Linux cross-platformness with a desktop is dead easy, and adding the Mac to that list should be also easy (though I haven't done it personally since I don't use Mac).

Flash seems better for the time being, as the DragonFable folks have done some very interesting things with it.

Yeah, it would definitely work.

As well as localization.

I really don't think they'll be much of a benefit here - it should be just as easy either way.

[rhoenix]

Windows and Linux cross-platformness with a desktop is dead easy, and adding the Mac to that list should be also easy (though I haven't done it personally since I don't use Mac).

Huh. That might change things a bit. However, despite Flash being more trouble initially, its cross-platformness without needing special considerations is still attractive to me, as nothing would need to be installed.

I really don't think they'll be much of a benefit here - it should be just as easy either way.

Well, that does offer an alternative. Thank you for letting me know. What sort of graphics and game engine would we be looking at here, then? About on par with something open-source like Battle for Wesnoth, or something a bit more high-tech on graphics?

Also, the other problem is that I suck horribly at graphics.

[Destructionator XV]

However, despite Flash being more trouble initially, its cross-platformness without needing special considerations is still attractive to me, as nothing would need to be installed.

Nothing really needs to be installed with a desktop app either - just unzip it and run it in place. Yes, it is a download, but it isn't really an installation.

Thank you for letting me know. What sort of graphics and game engine would we be looking at here, then?

The engine I wrote does primarily 2d tiled sprites: you load up images and draw them at various points on the screen. There are also lines, rectangles, triangles, boxes, etc., you can draw, but the main fanciness comes from drawing the pictures on screen.

Also, the other problem is that I suck horribly at graphics.

Heh, me too.