Basic Actionscript

So… i just learned that im a complete idiot. Yes its true. I am trying to make a game which i cannot even dream to make at my current level of understanding of actionscript. An example im not really sure about ints/booleans/arrays/loops/etc/etc… so im wondering if anyone can guide me to some very basic tutorials… currently i am looking at:
http://www.untoldentertainment.com/blog/flash-and-actionscript-911/
but that doesnt go basic enough for me… :( thanks in advance for all the help

Go to Michael James William’s avoider game tutorial and read everything about the Avoider game tutorial. Read carefully. This tutorial has been translated into several languages, it is that good. If this cannot help you, I do not know what will. Love, jasonjie88

Before you do much more I STRONGLY urge you learn AS3 instead of AS2 if you are learning the latter. It may seem hard but in the long run it’s going to:
- Save you time
- Lag 10x less (if used properly.)
- Be more sensible.

There are always lots of us in the GDR (search it) that will be willing to help you, and you can check out some of my tutorials over here

oh ya i didnt tell u… im trying to learn as3… :P

Best bet would be to get the book Essential Actionscript 3.0.

Here are some online resources, but they are by far not as good as the book is:
http://active.tutsplus.com/sessions/as3-101/
http://tv.adobe.com/show/actionscript-11-with-doug-winnie/

The second one is from Adobe, so it work’s with the Flash IDE.
However, it is not recommended to use the IDE if you want to learn coding.
Go for some Code Editor to concentrate on pure Actionscript.
You can still learn from the videos because they also explain Actionscript, just filter out the IDE specific things.

FlashDevelop is free and very good.
http://www.flashdevelop.org/wikidocs/index.php?title=Installation

Just to clarify something. Good programmer doesn’t mean good game developer. You can make a great game using only gotoAndStop(); actions. Look for some tutorials to get you started. I recommend trying to make a platformer. Start simple.
Good Luck,

- SC

An example im not really sure about ints/booleans/arrays/loops/etc/etc…

That’s like saying “I’m not really good at English. Like vowels, consonants, verbs, adjectives, etc.”

If you’ve had any kind of math instruction ever you should know what an int is. It’s a whole number; positive and negative natural numbers.

Boolean is simply True or False.

An array is a list of items, like a shopping list.

Loops do things….many many times.

Originally posted by Shadow_Craver:

You can make a great game using only gotoAndStop(); actions. Look for some tutorials to get you started. I recommend trying to make a platformer. Start simple.

I bet you $100 you can’t make a good platformer using only gotoAndStop().

Maybe not a good/functional platformer, but you could definitely make a game with it.

Originally posted by Shadow_Craver:

I recommend trying to make a platformer. Start simple.

That’s a contradiction. Did you actually read the first post?
He doesn’t know loops, arrays, etc. and you recommend a platformer?

Well, you recommended “trying” one, and that’s all gulz will end up doing, because he will not finish it.
A platformer is not simple.

Originally posted by Shadow_Craver:

I recommend trying to make a platformer. Start simple.

- SC

LOL I’m about to finish my first real game, a fairly elaborate shooter, and I still don’t think I’m ready to try making a platformer. Back when my biggest accomplishment was making an idle game with timeline code and drawn-in-flash symbols, I couldn’t even imagine trying to tackle a platformer.

For the OP, an avoider game or a simple shooter really is the way to go—not platformers.

Okay well I know in as2 i used a ‘number’ instead of ‘int’ are they the same things and alright thx so far guys! I’m just gonna learn lots of as3 and I have a game in mind already…

Yeah, platform games are surprisingly hard, they require a fairly full physics model, dynamic in game entities, collision detection (and good collision detection if you don’t want 1000 messages about how frustrating it is), asset creation and a storyline. Shooters are probably the easiest way into game development, and maybe tower defence.

Making a good platformer is hard.

A platform games requires more functions than any other game just for simple movement mechanics. Of course, if you’re building on a unique and original concept, you may need from a few extra functions to a lot of new functions. And of course you will also need to optimize as well, else people will think your game is not boring, but it’s slow. Which sucks.

Originally posted by gulzaibthegreat1:

Okay well I know in as2 i used a ‘number’ instead of ‘int’ are they the same things

Please do some research before you mindlessly ask.
There’s a documentation of As3 that includes a big bunch of code (and examples explaining it!)
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/FlashPlatform/reference/actionscript/3/index.html

From there, you can find everything you need:
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/FlashPlatform/reference/actionscript/3/Number.html
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/FlashPlatform/reference/actionscript/3/int.html

Originally posted by gulzaibthegreat1:

Okay well I know in as2 i used a ‘number’ instead of ‘int’ are they the same things and alright thx so far guys! I’m just gonna learn lots of as3 and I have a game in mind already…

Number is actually Float, not Int.

Making a GOOD platformer is hard. But the OP says he’s new to flash, no need to make it that good. He could even change the y of the char to simulate gravity (i know, horrible idea, but I’m just pointing out that it doesn’t need to be perfect since the OP is inexperienced).