Mentioned websites (Will open in a new tab)
When making a piece for a project for example a game, many
people would first try to create parts of it themself using tweens and such.
However this has proven to be messier and results in a larger file size in
comparison to doing the same thing, but using code instead. Creating scenes and
animations with code is perhaps more difficult to pick up and learn how to do,
however using code to do animations and events is much more ‘lightweight’.
Meaning that it reduces the overall file size, it also decreases the number of
frames you use and can make the file more organised. Flash also has different
plugins that can be used, for example Box2D is physics based engine which can
be used in games and interactive applications. There are a lot and a huge range
of plugins to choose from. Some cost money and some are free, but because of
the availability the internet has given us, there is a much larger resource of
plugins, tutorials and other such useful resources available to us.
NewGrounds.com is a popular and
well known website which is home to a vast array of different Medias, from art
work to full games. This site is known as a hub for Flash games and movies. Flash
games are very popular because they can normally be played in a web browser
window, embedded into the website. Running flash applications in a browser
require the user to have the Flash plugin installed, while most people who
avidly use a computer and the internet this is not a problem as they will most
likely already have it installed, because many other common and popular
applications use Flash player. However there is still a demographic of people
who do not use Flash or cannot view it. This is to be taken into to
consideration when designing a Flash app; people using older versions of Flash
player, less able computers, slow internet connection and possibly
disabilities, this is because the internet has given a wide access to a great
variety of demographics and thus more things are needed to be taken into
consideration when making something to be used by a vast amount of people.
When coding things within action
script and Flash it is a common convention to use Camel humping or Camel Casing,
this is where you write a word/phrase then another but with a capitol, for
example “gotoAndStop”. Camel casing exists outside coding and has done for a
long time. The name is fairly self-explanatory but still, it is called this because
the uppercase letters look somewhat like that of a camel’s humps. Doing this
not only for pieces of code but instance names too can neaten things up. It can
easily become a habit when naming other things too. As well as using camel
casing to neaten up code people also use “Comments”. These are parts of the
code that will be ignored, often used to simply comment throughout the code
structure with helpful reminders and notes. This hugely helps when more than
one person is working on a piece of code as it can be used to explain what is
happening.
A main point of a video game is
the interactivity of it from the user. Some games have little interaction and
are very linear, whereas some are open world and allow the user to explore on
their own and do as they please. Simply because of the nature of Flash based
games, many are small linear worlds. However there are open world Flash games,
such as Realm of the Mad God, a MMO-RPG game made in Flash and available on the
Chrome webstore. This is a great example of how indie games have become very
popular and because of the internet the ability to publish a product has become
much easier, especially with companies such as Steam. Allowing people to vote
for games they approve and like to be published and purchased via steam.
Removing the need for publishing companies and essentially, making it easier
for things to be published.
Games and applications are made
for many different reasons for example an individual could make a product out
of boredom or because they were commissioned to do so. There is a key
difference between the styles of outcome for each of these scenarios, if
someone made a game for themselves it would be a very personal project and it
would definitely show in the outcome. However if they were to make something
for someone else and to a specification and brief it would not be anywhere near
as personal as before. Some games have been made for a company to act as
advertising. For example Coca Cola’s stretchy hand application/game was very
popular and went viral. This was obviously made to advertise, not as a personal
project somebody made. Whereas a game such as ‘Time fcuk’ from one of the
creators of Super Meat Boy, he explained the meaning behind the game and the
relevance it had with his childhood. This is an example of a very personal
project. When planning a game, depending on the genre and type, for example if
a game is being made for a larger audience and for a company, a lot more
thought and planning could go into it for the sake of the company they are
developing/working for. However equal amount of planning could go into a
smaller project, if somebody releases a bad game, they are going to be known
for it and it is their reputation on the line.
Upon thinking about platforms for
flash games, you normally think of web browser although that is the main
platform there are plenty of standalone games and games on mobile devices.
(Even some published through Steam). Touching on games for mobile, they use its
own version of Flash, Flash Lite. Flash CS6 now has the ability to output to
AIR for Windows, iOS and Android, making it much easier to create applications
across multiple Medias and platforms.
When planning a game several
things should be taken into consideration are documents which display the flow
of the game, and how any in game mechanics will work for example crafting or
how a player would navigate and use a menu. If the game involves characters
then some form of storyline is normally required to further immerse the player
into the game and to feel more involved with the game world. The graphic style
of a game is also important as it can determine whether people will play the
game or not. If a game is visually unappealing some people will not play it
because of that. To make a visually appealing game time needs to be taken into
looking at other art styles used in video games. A very iconic game for its
visuals is Borderlands, the game was based around a comic book like environment
and the art style really sold it. Other games such as Cyrsis and Crysis 2 have
incredibly high quality visuals, often known for having a high system
requirement list, the visuals themselves actually known for being very
realistic yet futuristic. Sounds are also a key part of any interactive
application because it directly communications with the user and gives them
feedback and responds to their actions. Sounds can also immerse the player into
the game world more by using ambient sounds and music which, when done right
can help the game immensely. Having high quality sounds for interactions is
also important, having low quality and bad sounds for something will put users
off and make them not want to continue or do that certain action again.
From analysing and looking at other games you can easily create
a list of things that really make the game what it is, be it an amazing
soundtrack to beautiful visuals every game has a stand out point. From
discovering this you can now look at games in more depth and identify the work
that has been put into it. From this, you can also respect indie games and
Flash games more, every game takes time and effort to make and the more time
put in the more it shows.
(Like the logo? it's the most recent one I've come up with, ignore the grey, blogger hates transparency.)
