Post by Gor4k on Aug 19, 2011 19:45:55 GMT -8
Welcome to the world of game development. Playing games can be a lot of fun, but
you’re about to discover why making them is so much better!
Chapter 1
---
Welcome to Game Maker
If you’re looking for an enjoyable way to learn how to make games, then this is the tutorial for you. You don’t need a degree in computer science and you won’t have to read a book the size of a telephone directory—everything you need is right here. As long as you can use Windows without breaking into a cold sweat, you have all the qualifications you need to start making your own games. In the chapters ahead, I’ll show you how to make nine complete
games and pass on some of my hard-earned professional experience in game design along the way. Already, you are just two chapters away from completing your first game and have taken your first step along the path of being a professional game creator!
Every trade has its tools, and every tradesman knows how to choose the right tool for the job. In this tutorial we will be creating all the games using a software tool for Windows called Game Maker. Game Maker is ideal for learning game development as it allows you to start making games without having to study a completely new language. This makes the whole learning experience a lot easier and allows you to concentrate on creating great game designs rather than getting bogged down with the technicalities of programming. Nonetheless, programming languages can offer many advantages to experienced users and so Game Maker
also includes its own language, which is there for you to discover when you feel ready to use it.
Installing the Software
You can’t begin making the games in this tutorial until you have the Game Maker software installed on your PC. You’ll find the install program here along with a number of other useful tools: www.mediafire.com/?55mwdhz43dcizvs.
Game Maker should start automatically once the installation has completed. You can also launch it directly from the Windows Start menu or by double-clicking the Game Maker icon on your desktop. The first time you run Game Maker on a new computer, you will be asked if you want to run the program in Advanced mode. Click No as it will be easier to stick with the Simple mode for the time being—we’ll show you how to switch to Advanced mode later on.
The Global User Interface
If everything has gone according to plan, then you should now be looking at the image below:
This is Game Maker’s main window.
We’ll describe the user interface in more detail in the next lesson, but for the moment just notice that there’s a standard-looking menu and toolbar at the top of the screen, and a folder tree on the left-hand side. This tree is where we will add all the different game resources that are used to make Game Maker games. More about resources later, but first let’s make sure Game Maker is working properly by running a simple game.
Running a Game
Loading and running a game that has been created using Game Maker couldn’t be simpler. Just complete the following instructions.
1. Click the File menu and select Open from the drop-down menu. This will bring up the standard Windows file requester.
2. Navigate to the location you installed Game Maker and locate the Examples folder within. Find the Street Racing example game. Select this file and click Open.
It may not seem as if anything has changed, but if you look carefully, there are now plus signs in front of the different folders on the left-hand side. Clicking these plus signs will open up the folders to show the resources that they contain.
Let’s run the game. Don’t expect too much, though; this is just a simple demo to check whether Game Maker works correctly on your machine. Click the green play button on the toolbar. The Game Maker window should disappear and the example game should open.
Press the Esc key to end the game.
If something went wrong (for example, you got an error message or you didn’t hear the music), then try reinstalling Game Maker.
You can now close Game Maker by choosing Exit from the File menu.
How to Get More Information
This tutorial will show you how to make some cool games with Game Maker, but it is not a complete manual for everything that Game Maker can do. Fortunately, the Game Maker help file contains all the facts, and you can access it at any time through the program’s Help menu or the Windows Start menu.
You are also strongly advised to check out the official Game Maker website at
www.yoyogames.com. Here you’ll find lots of games that
have been created with it—as well as additional resources and documents. The website also gives you access to the Game Maker user forum. This is a very active forum and a great place to get help from other users or just to exchange ideas and games.
What’s Next?
Now that the boring stuff is out of the way, so I think it’s about time we made our first game. You’re probably thinking your first game will be pretty dull—something stupid, perhaps? Not likely!
Get ready for the next great tutorial on Monday!
you’re about to discover why making them is so much better!
Chapter 1
---
Welcome to Game Maker
If you’re looking for an enjoyable way to learn how to make games, then this is the tutorial for you. You don’t need a degree in computer science and you won’t have to read a book the size of a telephone directory—everything you need is right here. As long as you can use Windows without breaking into a cold sweat, you have all the qualifications you need to start making your own games. In the chapters ahead, I’ll show you how to make nine complete
games and pass on some of my hard-earned professional experience in game design along the way. Already, you are just two chapters away from completing your first game and have taken your first step along the path of being a professional game creator!
Every trade has its tools, and every tradesman knows how to choose the right tool for the job. In this tutorial we will be creating all the games using a software tool for Windows called Game Maker. Game Maker is ideal for learning game development as it allows you to start making games without having to study a completely new language. This makes the whole learning experience a lot easier and allows you to concentrate on creating great game designs rather than getting bogged down with the technicalities of programming. Nonetheless, programming languages can offer many advantages to experienced users and so Game Maker
also includes its own language, which is there for you to discover when you feel ready to use it.
Installing the Software
You can’t begin making the games in this tutorial until you have the Game Maker software installed on your PC. You’ll find the install program here along with a number of other useful tools: www.mediafire.com/?55mwdhz43dcizvs.
Game Maker should start automatically once the installation has completed. You can also launch it directly from the Windows Start menu or by double-clicking the Game Maker icon on your desktop. The first time you run Game Maker on a new computer, you will be asked if you want to run the program in Advanced mode. Click No as it will be easier to stick with the Simple mode for the time being—we’ll show you how to switch to Advanced mode later on.
The Global User Interface
If everything has gone according to plan, then you should now be looking at the image below:
This is Game Maker’s main window.
We’ll describe the user interface in more detail in the next lesson, but for the moment just notice that there’s a standard-looking menu and toolbar at the top of the screen, and a folder tree on the left-hand side. This tree is where we will add all the different game resources that are used to make Game Maker games. More about resources later, but first let’s make sure Game Maker is working properly by running a simple game.
Running a Game
Loading and running a game that has been created using Game Maker couldn’t be simpler. Just complete the following instructions.
1. Click the File menu and select Open from the drop-down menu. This will bring up the standard Windows file requester.
2. Navigate to the location you installed Game Maker and locate the Examples folder within. Find the Street Racing example game. Select this file and click Open.
It may not seem as if anything has changed, but if you look carefully, there are now plus signs in front of the different folders on the left-hand side. Clicking these plus signs will open up the folders to show the resources that they contain.
Let’s run the game. Don’t expect too much, though; this is just a simple demo to check whether Game Maker works correctly on your machine. Click the green play button on the toolbar. The Game Maker window should disappear and the example game should open.
Press the Esc key to end the game.
If something went wrong (for example, you got an error message or you didn’t hear the music), then try reinstalling Game Maker.
You can now close Game Maker by choosing Exit from the File menu.
How to Get More Information
This tutorial will show you how to make some cool games with Game Maker, but it is not a complete manual for everything that Game Maker can do. Fortunately, the Game Maker help file contains all the facts, and you can access it at any time through the program’s Help menu or the Windows Start menu.
You are also strongly advised to check out the official Game Maker website at
www.yoyogames.com. Here you’ll find lots of games that
have been created with it—as well as additional resources and documents. The website also gives you access to the Game Maker user forum. This is a very active forum and a great place to get help from other users or just to exchange ideas and games.
What’s Next?
Now that the boring stuff is out of the way, so I think it’s about time we made our first game. You’re probably thinking your first game will be pretty dull—something stupid, perhaps? Not likely!
Get ready for the next great tutorial on Monday!