Flash Games Studio Book

If you're into online gaming and have developed your ActionScript skills beyond the point where creating a realistic impression of a bouncing ball gives you a deep inner glow, then Flash Games Studio could be just what you need. This book takes you deep into the realm of Flash game design and provides the knowledge to take you further than the Pong, Space Invaders and Asteroids clones that are the staples of most online gaming sites.The introductory chapters cover aspects of Flash fundamental to games design--optimising games graphics, built-in objects, and event handling--and it's not until chapter five that you get started on producing a playable game. Instant gratification is not the name of the game. If you like to see results fast and would rather have a working version of Moon Lander than a working knowledge of structured real-time programming Gary Rosenzweig's Macromedia Flash 5 ActionScript for Fun and Games may suit you better.Otherwise, David Doull's Platform Game Construction Kit, Igor Choromanski's chapter on Artificial Intelligence and Glen Rhodes' four chapters on Flash 3-D programming will provide you with the skills to create your own games from scratch, rather than a formula prescription for what's already been done. Which is not to say that you won't find games such as Pong and Tic-Tac-Toe, just that they are included to illustrate an approach or develop a technique rather than as an end in themselves.There's no CD, but all of the ActionScript examples can be downloaded from their Web site. --Ken McMahonRead More