Dumb question about platform games

[mcgarrett]

I have some basic Flash knowledge, and would like to brush up on my ActionScript and start learning how to make some basic games.

I almost pulled the trigger on this book, ActionScript 3.0 Game Programming University, until I read the following snippet from this review:

Chapter 11 is a Platform Game. You control a character, you run and jump, collect a couple of items, land on a few baddies heads and try to find the exit. It's a very simple game and this is a tiny chapter overall in the book - which I found surprising given that platform games are generally extremely complex when done properly. This isn't really done properly and reads like filler to me. The levels are built entirely within the Flash IDE, block by block. Each block is then 'read' by the AS so a rudimentary collision system can be constructed. The hero and baddies are inserted and that's pretty much it. The jumping of the hero is particularly bad, the collision is also a little suspect. I imagine a younger wannabe Flash game developer would love to create a Flash Mario affair, but sadly this goes about it in entirely the wrong way. You get a platform game at the end of the chapter, sure, but it isn't a very good one.

Can someone explain what he means here, or if he's just full of hot air? I figure if I'm going to take the time to learn, I may as well get it right the first time. The game may be played here.

[ImprisonedPride]

http://www.tonypa.pri.ee/ Has a much more in-depth tutorial for tile based platform games (which is what the author was referring to). Following along with tony's tutorials will help you get started making platformers.

[tonypa]

The "art-based" platform games like the one from the book are good start to learn Flash and actionscript. However, they are difficult to expand with new features. Since they use hitTest method to detect collisions, it will always be unreliable. It might be good idea to try build one art-based platform game to understand its limitations (I did it too) and why tile-based game is in the end better approach.

[mcgarrett]

The "art-based" platform games like the one from the book are good start to learn Flash and actionscript. However, they are difficult to expand with new features. Since they use hitTest method to detect collisions, it will always be unreliable. It might be good idea to try build one art-based platform game to understand its limitations (I did it too) and why tile-based game is in the end better approach.

Got it. And tile-based means using arrays to store the levels as opposed to actually laying them out in Flash. I may still snag that book and give it a whirl, I'm sure I'd learn alot. And it seems to be one of the few game books to focus on AS3 at the moment.

Thanks.

[Sauceofallevils]

Also check out Strille's method.

Demo:
http://www.strille.net/works/misc/platform_demo/

Tutorial:
http://www.strille.net/tutorials/part1_scrolling.php

[tonypa]

And tile-based means using arrays to store the levels as opposed to actually laying them out in Flash.

Its not just how you store the levels. Flash IDE can be really good level editor and I have used it in many tile based games to draw the levels.