Katatafisch needs someone to teach him basic actionscript

[Katatafisch]

hey guys, i want to apply to a university that teaches game design and i have to apply with some sort of homework and games are possible to hand in.
i googled a bit for some code tutorials to make a platform game, but the problem is, i dont want to take code and paste it into the thing i do, i want to understand it, most of the tutorials i found just give numerous codes, some lines of texts "this adds movement" or so, or dont match the way i want to work, i dont want to work with blocks or so, i want to work with my own graphics, add them and integrate them
therefore it would be cool if there is someone who could teach me a bit about actionscript, or at least is willing to be there if i have questions or dont know how to continue...
im not too stupid(maybe only a little), i programmed a bit before(but only with a really old program) and had mathematics as a major, but i do ask alot of questions till i know everything i think i need to know XD (maybe i shouldnt say that already)

so if there is someone, who wants to help me learning to code flashgames, or at least to code some simple ones with actionscript 2.0 or 3.0 i have flash professional cs3, so no software related problems ^^

i would be really thankful, if somebody helps me

greetings, your katatafisch

okay i just checked the old forum's actionscript stuff, there is really good stuff there, but i dont have the time to learn everything, he has ome parts there, would be kind, if somebody could offer some help if i have questions and for the main and really basics...im such a noob to as

[Pieter]

As an alternative to using Flash, I know there's Construct and Game Maker, those are supposed to be fairly easy. Dealing with more advanced actionscript while having no scripting knowledge doesn't seem like a good idea imo. Ofcourse you can learn it, but it will probably take some time for everything to sink in.

[Rvd]

oo lets learn together i've been thinking about actionscript for years now but after 3 failed attempts i wanna give it another try.  the syntax part , the language itself is the most challenging i dealt with.   reasoning and the logic behind it is kinda easier.

[brettamatowski]

Let's get through this "Great Depression" together!

...I really want to learn too. 

[adzy-2k6]

I would help you all, since i have gotten past the majority of learning the principles behind it (im still not 100% efficient, but know the principles behind classes, arrays objects, etc). As for suntax, i only know the basics (i think enough to make a simple game atleast. Can see how to make complex games, but might not know the best code for it). Well, I suppose im in too . Anyway, it might take a while to learn the code, so... when do you need this done for (and which AS you learning)

[brettamatowski]

Which AS is easier to learn, or the best for making platforms, interactive movement, etc.?

[adzy-2k6]

Im not sure which is easier, ive only learnt AS3. Some people say 2 is easier, while otehrs say 3 makes more sense. Do some research and see if you can figure out which is better

[Jaehl]

Yeah, AS3 definitely makes a lot more sense, and is stricter than AS2 (plus it runs faster). I'd definitely go with AS3, as AS2 lets you go get away with stuff that you really shouldn't be doing.

As for teaching ActionScript, I'd love to help, but I've got too much on my plate atm (exams, blah blah blah), BUT I've got no problem helping out if you get stuck anywhere or something, or just want some questions answered.

But yeah, AS3 is better.

[Rvd]

Let's get through this "Great Depression" together!

...I really want to learn too. 

awesome! so we have a 3 man class so far and 2 guys to run to incase we have questions. 

also most of us here seem to wanna learn actionscript for games.  i had run into some tutorials online that are game specific but perhaps learning actionscript in general would be a wiser approach in the longer run right?

so after my failed attempts maybe now i can get ti down esp. with help around. 

[Katatafisch]

woohoo, learning with others makes alot more fun, than doing it alone
i decided to better just go with illustrations for the application so far, since i will hand it in on tuesday :S...

this will be great, i always wanted to learn to code...i think for the beginnings the threads in the old forums have alot of basics in them, so for the start it could be good to browse there...ill do it if i find the time...maybe you guys have better suggestions what to learn right from the start?!
is actionscript actually similar to other programming languages?! lol stupid question actually, since i only want to use programming for private use, coz in my professional life i would try to concentrate only on the graphics but i guess understanding the whole graphics integrating and programming process could be a great help to settle up the right working process

so when do we start? i can start on monday, the 15th...any advices on how to start? shall i try to get up a game right from the start, or first do basic, simple things...how would they look like?

lol so many questions XD

[Cel]

You can't start making a game right away like that. You need to understand the fundamentals of programing.

Start off by learning about Conditions, Loops and Variables. This is enough to get you started on procedural programming, so you should be able to make a Pacman at this point. Then if you still want to continue, learn about Classes, Inheritance, Events, Re usability, Design Patterns, and the list goes on... This will allow you to write better, more efficient and sophisticated code.

Like the others said before me, if you got specific questions, feel free to ask.

P.S, definitely AS3.

[adzy-2k6]

Well, when/how do you guys want to start this? I havnt programmed a full game before, but have a very good idea (looking at examples and planning out what would need to happen for certain events). Another thing, i learnt a lot of coding from the AS3 game programming university book. It requires a basic idea of programming before hand (the knowlege of variables etc), but is quite helpfull. Would you guys rather do this by learning while building a simple example, or through small tasks or something. im a beginner at this, but i  think i know enough to build a simpla game if i plan out my code well enough before hand.

[brettamatowski]

Ok, a few questions.

Can someone tell me what goes into the basics of actionscript when making a character for a platformer move.

Example:

• Walk
• Jump
• Jump/Attack
• Attack

I just want to know what code goes into each symbol.
If I make different animations nested into symbols for each action, what is the code and logic for each one?

Please help...much appreciation.

[adzy-2k6]

the code is simple, unfortunately your arranging it in a weird way. It is not efficient to nest the code inside a particular movie clip and write code for each character/object. it is much better to write it in a class file and call the functions inside the game. Ill have to make an example to show what i mean. Walking though is as simple as moving the character by a certain amount, testing for collisions and correcting the position. Ill write some code tommorrow, its too late for me to get into it for now. Also, actually jumping streight into motion is a bit difficult, you would be better off making simple programs that can add variables and trace into the output windo, then make it write it into the game, learning how to place instances using code (or learn to use the code to scan for objects and add them to an array if needed, so you can place the instances and the program will auto matically do what it needs to do). Ny1 fancy trying one of those ideas suggested on the old forum, where each week we actually have a new topic relating to a specific element of the game (sort of like the potatosack project on the old forum, somewhere in the animation/illustration topics). Starting with basic elements of action script, moving onto physics, etc ?

[Jaehl]

Ny1 fancy trying one of those ideas suggested on the old forum, where each week we actually have a new topic relating to a specific element of the game (sort of like the potatosack project on the old forum, somewhere in the animation/illustration topics). Starting with basic elements of action script, moving onto physics, etc ?

Yeah, I might have a crack at that after my exams