Are there any pre-made fla/as files to build your game on?

The flash game I'm almost finished with, I completely built from scratch. I didn't use any code from other people at all. Allthough it was good to build some experience, I'd like to use other people's code now to work more efficiently.
I was wondering if there are any files for basic menu's and game loops, etc. Stuff that basically every game needs. Because my menu Class and game loop work pretty awkwardly, because I didn't have any experience.

So do you know some basic code/fla files to build games with?

Thank you

Check out the tutorials here in Flashkit

TUTORIALS

Maybe some path finding classes or something?

Personally I just started getting into using my own custom classes alot more, that was I can reuse them for games.

Also, myself, I like to start from scratch with games, that way it seems to be easier for yourself since you know just how everything works.

http://flixel.org/

I do believe creating your own stuff is better...I always use my custom scripts......all devs have their own approaches, and hence it's better you follow your own methods.

this should help you get started with flixel, good luck.

http://evolutionlive.blogspot.com/20...shdevelop.html

Are there any other libraries like flixel, or is flixel the best choice?

The best libraries are the ones you write yourself. That's always been my way of thinking. Never throw a random class file away; you'll never know when it will come in handy. If I can't write it myself, how am I going to effectively use a template someone else gives me? I guess I've never trusted other people's code to perform at the efficiency I expect of my own written code.

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Originally Posted by ImprisonedPride

The best libraries are the ones you write yourself.

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indeed

Apart from box2D, PaperVision, Away3D, TweenLite etc.

I really don't subscribe to this "Do it all yourself" point of view. My feelings are that there are better coders out there who have written something I need to write myself, why lose that time re-inventing the wheel ?

You don't need to know every word in the English language to write a book, so why do you need to know how to write a physics engine to have physics in your game ?

Squize.

I think you're speaking too purely from a business standpoint. What I meant is that I typically write any kind of class once and then I recycle the code in other projects. Basically for the learning experience. If you know how the physics work you can always expand on it later. You gotta know English before you can write it.

well to me, code libraries / classes, and a game framework, are different things! Also who says we have to reinvent the wheel if we aren't using a game framework? You create your first few games yourself, and you have yourself your own set of classes and framework to reuse!

using frameworks isn't necessarily any faster, cause whatever the framework, you will have to adapt yourself to it, then also, you don't get the entire freedom you can with your custom coded classes! Yes there are powerful "wheels" out there, but you don't need to get the entire car for that......

And if we were to get into the debate, the framework is better coded than you could....well in the world of programming there is always some better piece of code than your current one, so instead of binding yourself to a framework....learn and upgrade your own framework!

"I think you're speaking too purely from a business standpoint."

Not really, although that is a factor in what I wrote.

Even if it's just your hobby making games, and you never intend to make a penny ever, then surely using pre-made solutions which enable much quicker development is better than hand-rolling your own solutions, as it means you can complete the game quicker and move onto the next one.

As a game developer you learn far more by completing a game from start to finish than by writing your own ( For example ) 3D engine .

"well to me, code libraries / classes, and a game framework, are different things!"

Me too!

I'm not advocating using a framework, my reply was to "The best libraries are the ones you write yourself."
In the majority of cases that's true, but there's no need to turn your back on 3rd party code when it's out there and proven.

There's almost a snobbery about using a 100% your own code, that it means more if you do, it's more special.
I personally don't agree with that, nor do I agree that the best advice to give to someone is to "Code it all yourself".

Squize.

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Originally Posted by Squize

As a game developer you learn far more by completing a game from start to finish than by writing your own ( For example ) 3D engine .
Squize.

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I agree. I think i'll use box2d in the future, that looks promising. Tweenlite will probably also solve some of my problems. (can i let an object float around a point in a watery fashion with Tweenlite?)

Do you have any other suggestions?

Clearly I wasn't endorsing script-kiddie tendencies here. I was simply saying that from my personal experience, "hand-rolling" all my own code generates a higher level of satisfaction. Saying "I wrote this particle/3d/physics engine myself" makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but that's not to say I've never opened up someone else's code! I don't own any legitimate AS3 documentation; Google is my tutor. I've only learned everything I know being lead by example. The stipulation here is that when I get the "EUREKA!" feeling, it's because I saw an example and wrote my own version, rather than simply copying and pasting it into my code.

Although it probably goes to show why I've not completed many games but have the understanding of most of the complex theories and systematic approaches in game design. I would probably change my opinion from a business standpoint. I can't see any company (gyw included) honestly giving a rip if the code was pieced together from Google so long as the client is happy and the check clears the bank.

"I can't see any company (gyw included) honestly giving a rip if the code was pieced together from Google so long as the client is happy and the check clears the bank."

I think most developers take a pride in there work slightly more than you implied there (gyw included).

If you're a game developer your objective is to create games. That should always be the end result.
If anyone who counts themselves as a game developer is not actually producing games, then that's like an author failing to write a story, no matter how much knowledge they may pick up on the way.

It's all well and good honing your skills, but if you're not producing an end result then it's self defeating.
Using 3rd part code enables you to actually achieve the aim of being a game developer. It's not cheating or taking a short cut, it's an enabler.

Squize.

By making your own wheel you get the knowledgment that you can use on other impredictible problems of the future

Sometimes the code of others will not solve the problem,however if you know how the stuff works you can pre calculate some parts, cut others and make it work

Now lemme go back to unity

Productivity matters most, but it is for the sake of productivity, that we should understand the codes before using them.... understanding the code doesn't mean one has to write every word of it on his own, but should have enough knowledge to modify it, without breaking it! And knowledge is mostly gained by trying yourself. Sure you can open a library, go through the code, and understand it.....but that means you just understood that particular piece of code, not the problems that could arise when writing that code( which the author has obviously solved earlier), neither can you think of other logical approaches to that code. You are practically binding yourself to someone else s way of thinking...


We all use libraries and like box2d and pv3d, cause writing those huge stuff on our own will take all eternity..... but if we use those blindly, and get a hitch just when we are about to finish....we will have to cross our fingers and hope some angel drops the right code in our hands, if not, the project is doomed, and so is the marvelous boost to productivity.

I'm not saying using 3rd party code is a cure for all ills, there are often issues with it where it doesn't do what you'd expect, but in the majority of cases it's a lot lot quicker and easier, and therefore better to recommend to people than suggesting they code it themselves [ So they'll learn ].

As a smaller example, take for instance a png encoder. Yes you could read up on the png format, figure out how to port the compression routine, convert that all to a byteArray ready for sending to the sever for saving etc.
Yep, at the end of it you'll know all about the png format, great. Our you could use 3rd party code and just have it working in under an hour.

Maybe this shows why there are so few games actually produced on this forum, and why so many people who do actually release games have all but left.

Squize.

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Originally Posted by Squize

I'm not saying using 3rd party code is a cure for all ills, there are often issues with it where it doesn't do what you'd expect, but in the majority of cases it's a lot lot quicker and easier, and therefore better to recommend to people than suggesting they code it themselves [ So they'll learn ].

As a smaller example, take for instance a png encoder. Yes you could read up on the png format, figure out how to port the compression routine, convert that all to a byteArray ready for sending to the sever for saving etc.
Yep, at the end of it you'll know all about the png format, great. Our you could use 3rd party code and just have it working in under an hour.

Maybe this shows why there are so few games actually produced on this forum, and why so many people who do actually release games have all but left.

Squize.

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I agree with you. Do you think flixel is a good base for games? I'm kind of confused by it, and i don't know if i should invest my time in it.

I think it's great that the developer released his source code to Flixel.

But having looked at it, I would definitely not recommend it as something for a beginner to pattern his or her projects on. It looks like a package that has evolved over time with various features tacked on wherever it was easiest to implement them. Consequently, the code is not well organized and doesn't use many practices a beginner would benefit from following.

Specific problems:
Functions or classes that should be broken up into smaller, single purpose functions. For example, the main game loop is hundreds of lines long.
No use of exception handling.
No interfaces.

I think it's fine to look at how the developer handled certain tasks, but it would be a huge mistake to go in with the idea that this is the best way (or even a good way) to structure your game.

Maybe look at PushButtonEngine?

justkevin´s and squize´s messages speak a clear message.
I think its the wisest thing for a designer/developer to check out various open source projects so he knows what is available and what makes sense to use or what should be (re)done from the ground up.
I think as designer/ developer one should make up one´s mind what is it that one wants to do/achieve right now.
Is it learning how to do some particular thing or is it working on something way bigger that uses that particular thing.
Its always good to have in depth knowledge about how the nitty gritty core part of something in particular works but no use if you want to work on something way bigger and the small tidbit part you are working on (for which there are several open source or commercial solutions already) is taking up all your time so you never get to work on the actual thing you want to work on.
Since we´re in the game dev forum here to a degree its also a decision whether you see yourself as game engine developer or game designer.
A few years back i saw myself as core engine developer, i´d enjoy tweaking and tweaking over code side things to get things running in flash flash is just not supposed to handle.
Or code yet another tile or super tiles engine or work on another physics engine variation.
With flash, since it doesn´t come with game focussed stuff out of the box and also introduced a new language ( variation) or other thingsoffering or enforcing a different workflow every 1-2 versions i think many of us here are used to redo and redo those smaller parts making up big games.

Meanwhile, unless i´m convinced i can do a better version than an existing one in not too much time i think it would be a waste of time to re and reinvent the wheel while, you know, i could make real nice cars with em instead.

justkevin is right though, one of the things that can lead to issues with commercial or open source middleware/framework stuff is often that it is sometimes not ideal for your workflow at all or not done in a good technology or language or coding way and again hence is either not performing well or is unintuitive to use or hard to extend so yeah, before you decide for using one type of thing (like let´s say tweening framework, physics, 3d or entire game engine or framework) you should google some for the related keywords and check out at least the more named options for a few hours to pick the one that´s a good one in your eyes.

Another typical issue especially with open source can be that you don´t mind the credit or license terms well, like iot can happen you use something that was open source and didn´t mind that the author put a notice somewhere that its not allowed to be used for commercial purposes or whatever, so yeah, you should watch out for that, but asd long as you do you should be fine.

Overall i think its almost funny that in a community which was about helping each other for a long time its even questioned that one should use what is offered as help.