Game creationism--Part I

Hello Anyone,

It's been a while since I've posted anything, but keep in mind that doesn't mean I'm not working. I've been particularly busy with the intention of helping complete the Adventure WV game, which is still in progress.

If you're clueless as to what I'm talking about here's a little history--I am taking a Flash gaming class at the Marshall University Community and Technical College. The game is part of a group effort and focuses on WV's many tourism attributes. For now, my class is creating two games and setting up an interface which will allow users to play the games OR learn more about "adventure" areas. I am responsible for creating the interface which will host these games, and allow users to read and watch videos and slideshows associated with these areas. I am also creating preloaders for the interface and games.

If you are reading this, you may be interested in the game creation process. So...let me explain some of the key aspects of game creation, and address some of the difficulties we are having as a class. My objective here is to offer some guidance to anyone or any group planning to create a game.

Some tips:

1) First, have a clear objective--make a prototype.

As a class, I feel we struggled to get the game off the ground early because everyone may have had a different vision of our final product and goals. Once we etched out a game prototype, things began to come together.

2) Divvy up the responsibilities, but monitor progress, struggles.

My group divided responsibilities into categories, like Animation, Sound, Background, Interface, Research, etc. This is a good approach as long as individuals occasionally communicate about their progress. I feel our group has mostly worked in isolation and this has prevented us from meeting time demands and achieving a signature style.

Also, while responsibilities should be divided based on the talents of individuals, do not overwhelm a single member, and allow the chain of responsibility to sway. If you monitor group progress as a whole, you can make changes to the chain of command as needed.

3) To the individual: Find your way of learning and learn the essentials

First, use all available resources. There are many ways to learn Flash--many many resources exist. I would guess that most of you have access to different tools to help you learn Flash (books, videos, online tutorials, some are free, some are not, etc.). I spent the first half of the game creation process going through various tutorials, each unique in their own way. My recommendation is to learn how you know to learn best. That's right...find the one that's right for you.

FYI: learning Flash does not happen over night...and like with anything else, it's good to get the basics down first. But, once you find a good resource it can really help to exploit it for all it is worth.

That's it for now. I feel like I've written a term paper and you're probably tired of reading...and ready to create your own game. Good luck!