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II. Learning How to Create Game Maker Games
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II. Learning How to Create Game Maker Games
by Jerry Lee Ford
Getting Started with Game Maker
Copyright
Dedication
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Introduction
Why Game Maker?
Who Should Read This Book?
What You Need to Begin
Conventions Used in This Book
I. Game Maker Basics
1. Introducing Game Maker
Computer Game Development Is Serious Business
Getting to Know Game Maker
Game Maker Uncovered
Game Maker’s Integrated Development Environment
Game Maker’s Game Engine
DirectX
The Game Maker Language (GML)
Game Maker’s Unique Drag-and-Drop Approach
Two-Dimensional Versus Three-Dimensional Game Development
Getting Started with Game Maker
Downloading Game Maker
Installing Game Maker
Simple Versus Advanced Mode
Purchasing Game Maker Pro
Creating Games with Game Maker
Joining Game Maker’s Global Community
Sharing Your Games with the World
Signing Up with the Game Maker Website
Loading and Running a Sample Game
Summary
2. Getting Comfortable with the Game Maker IDE
Exploring the Game Maker IDE
Access Menu Commands
Working with Game Maker’s Toolbar
Keeping an Eye on Project Resources
The Main Work Area
Working with Project Resources
Creating Sprites
Creating Sounds
Creating Paths
Creating Fonts
Creating Timelines
Creating Objects
Creating Rooms
Creating Backgrounds
Creating Scripts
Outlining Game Information
Specifying Global Game Settings
Enhancing Game Maker’s Capabilities
Accessing Game Maker’s Help Files
Configuring Game Maker Preferences
Summary
3. A Big Picture Overview of How Things Work
Big Picture Time
Understanding Objects
Setting Object Properties
Configuring Objects to React to Events
Adding Actions to Objects
Controlling Object Movement
Actions that Affect Objects, Sprites, Sounds, and Rooms
Controlling Game Timing, Restarts, and Resources
Adding Actions that Control Object Execution
Keeping Score and Managing Player Lives and Health
Creating Special Effects and Playing Music CDs
Drawing Shapes, Sprites, and Text
Putting Everything Together
Step 1—Defining Sprites Used by the Demo
Step 2—Defining the Game’s Sound Effect
Step 3—Configuring the Game’s Background
Step 4—Defining Ball and Wall Objects
Step 5—Adding a Room to the Game and Configuring Room Properties
Step 6—Developing Program Logic for the Ball Object
Running the Demo Program
Summary
II. Learning How to Create Game Maker Games
4. Super Pong—Your First Game
Essential Game Resources
Representing Objects with Sprites
Loading an External Sprite File
Creating and Modifying Graphic Images
Creating Sprites from Strips
Editing Graphic Images
Setting Sprite Properties
Getting Creative with Sound
Setting the Mood with Backgrounds
Creating Levels and Game Worlds Using Rooms
Adding Objects to Rooms
Configuring Room Settings
Working with Tile Sets
Adding a Background
Specifying Different Views
Creating the Super Pong Game
Step 1—Creating the Game’s Sprites
Step 2—Creating Sounds
Step 3—Adding a Background
Step 4—Adding a Font
Step 5—Defining the Game’s Objects
Creating the ball object
Creating the right paddle object
Creating the left paddle object
Creating the wall object
Creating the right goal object
Creating the left goal object
Creating the controller object
Step 6—Developing Object Program Logic
Adding programming logic to the obj_ball object
Adding programming logic to the obj_rightpaddle object
Adding programming logic to the obj_leftpaddle object
Adding programming logic to the obj_controller object
Step 7—Creating a Room
Summary
5. Skybuster—A Breakout Game
Focusing on Good Game Design
Designing Your Game
Take Care When Designing Levels
Creating Challenging Games
Creating Clear Goals and Objectives
Make Sure Player Choices Count
Rewarding the Player for Deeds Well Done
Always Include the Expected
It’s Time to Break Some Blocks
Step 1—Defining the Game’s Sprites
Step 2—Creating Sounds
Step 3—Setting the Mood with a Good Background
Step 4—Creating Rooms to Play In
Step 5—Defining and Programming Objects
Creating the ball object
Creating the paddle object
Creating the wall object
Creating the red brick object
Creating the green brick object
Creating the controller object
Creating the obj_miss object
Summary
6. Tank Battle—A Two-Player Competitive Game
Adding a Few Bells and Whistles to Your Games
Disabling the Escape Key
Adding Game Cheats
Displaying Your Own Splash Screen
Modifying Game Maker’s Progress Bar
Running Games in Full-Screen Mode
Letting Players Save Game State
Displaying Game Information
Creating Standalone Games
Adding Custom Icons to Your Games
Creating the Tank Battle Game
Step 1—Creating the Game’s Sprites
Step 2—Adding Sound
Step 4—Adding a Font
Step 5—Creating and Programming Objects
Programming the blue tank object
Programming the red tank object
Programming the blue bullet object
Programming the red bullet object
Programming the controller object
Step 6—Creating Different Levels in Which to Play
Wrapping Things Up
Adding Game Information
Tank Battle
Configuring Global Game Settings
Summary
7. Alien Attack—A Cooperative Two-Player Game
Developing Front Ends and Back Ends
Adding a Front End to Your Games
Developing Background and Graphic Files
Creating Front-End Button Controls
Turning a Room into a Front End
Adding Program Logic to the Front End’s Controls
Programming the Start Button
Programming the Help Button
Programming the Exit Button
Adding a Back End to Your Games
Creating Graphics and Associated Objects
Adding the Requisite Programming Logic
Creating the Alien Attack Game
Step 1—Adding the Game’s Sprites
Creating the Sprite for Player 1’s Jet
Creating the Sprite for Player 2’s Jet
Creating the Red Alien Ship
Creating the Blue Alien Ship
Creating the Green Alien Ship
Creating a Bullet
Creating an Animated Explosion
Creating the Control Panel
Step 2—Creating the Game’s Sounds
Step 3—Adding a Background to the Game
Step 4—Creating a New Font
Step 5—Creating the Game’s Objects
Step 6—Creating the Game’s Rooms
Adding a Front-End Room
Creating a Room in Which to Play
Adding a Back-End Roo
Step 7—Developing Object Programming Logic
Creating a Parent Object for the Jets
Programming Player 1’s Jet
Programming Player 2’s Jet
Programming the Red Alien Ship
Programming the Blue Alien Ship
Programming the Green Alien Ship
Programming the Jet’s Bullet Object
Programming the Alien Ship’s Bullet Object
Programming an Explosion Object
Programming the Special Controller Object
Summary
III. Enhancing Your Games Through Programming
8. Enhancing Games with GML
Publishing Your Games
Registering with YoYo Games
Publishing Your Games
Introducing the Game Maker Language
Working with Game Maker’s Scripts Menu
Getting Comfortable with the Code Editor
Creating Game Maker Scripts
Integrating GML into Your Games
Creating and Executing Scripts
Adding GML Code to Events
Executing GML Code to Rooms
Adding GML Expressions to Actions
Configuring Game Maker’s Code Editor
Specifying Code Editor Operations
Modifying Code Statement Color-Coding
Summary
9. GML Scripting—Part 1
Working with Game Data
Embedding Data within Code Statements
Working with Numbers and Strings
Storing Data in Variables
Creating Variables
Managing Variable Scope
Defining Instance Variables
Defining Global Variables
Defining Local Variables
Game Maker’s Special Variables
Working with Data That Does Not Change
Managing Collections of Data
Creating Arrays
Populating Arrays with Data
Retrieving Data from Arrays
Evaluating Options Using Conditional Logic
Introducing the if Statement
if Statement Syntax
Single Line if Statements
if Statement Code Blocks
Setting Up Alternative Courses of Actions
Nesting if Statements within One Another
Comparing One Value Against a Series of Matching Values
Comparing Values Using Relational Operators
Crunching Numbers
Commenting GML Code
Summary
10. GML Scripting—Part 2
Taking Advantage of the Power of Loops
Setting Up a do ... until Loop
Working with the repeat Loop
Processing Data with the for Loop
Working with while Loops
Altering Loop Execution
Breaking Out of Loops Early
Skipping a Single Iteration
Exiting Loops and Scripts
Using Scripts as Functions
Passing Arguments to Scripts for Processing
Processing Argument Input
Returning a Result from a Script
Retrieving Data Returned by Scripts
Terminating Script Execution
Building a Script Library
Summary
11. Arachnid Attack!
Troubleshooting Problems with Your Games
Identifying IDE Errors
Dealing with Different Types of Errors
Avoiding Syntax Errors
Preventing Logical Errors
Coping with Runtime Errors
Monitoring Game Execution
Watching Expressions
Monitoring Object Instance and Variable Values
Executing Code Statements
Creating Arachnid Attack!
Step 1—Creating the Game’s Sprites
Step 2—Add the Game’s Sounds
Step 3—Creating a New Font
Step 4—Creating the Game’s Objects
Step 5—Creating the Game’s Rooms
Adding a Room for the Game’s Front End
Adding a Room in which to Play the Game
Step 6—Developing Object Programming Logic
Creating the Game’s GML Scripts
Assembling the Rest of the Game’s Programming Logic
Adding Actions to the obj_bug_parent Object
Adding Actions to the obj_beetle Object
Adding Actions to the obj_player Object
Adding Actions to the obj_player_bullet Object
Adding Actions to the obj_invader_bullet Object
Adding Actions to the obj_controller Object
Adding Actions to the obj_parent_block Object
Adding Actions to the obj_wasp Object
Adding Actions to the obj_start Object
Adding Actions to the obj_scores Object
Adding Actions to the obj_help Object
Adding Actions to the obj_quit Object
Step 7—Adding Finishing Touches
Welcome to Arachnid Attack!
Summary
A. Guide to Bonus Material on the Companion Website
Using the Book’s Source Code
Additional Material
B. What’s Next?
Locating Game Maker Resources Online
The YoYo Games Website
The Game Maker Forums
Gamer Maker’s Wikipedia Page
Game Maker Technology Magazine
The Gamer Maker Language Wikipedia Page
Margaret Meijers Game Maker Site
Finding Inspiration on YouTube
Free Game Maker Tutorials & Game Maker Help Wiki
Recommended Reading
C. Glossary
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3. A Big Picture Overview of How Things Work
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4. Super Pong—Your First Game
Part II. Learning How to Create Game Maker Games
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