Just thought I’d get the ball rolling here with a little FAQ :) If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post here. I don’t claim to be an authority on this, but it seems worthwhile to have a topic like this here. **What is Shoot!?** Shoot! is a simple side-scrolling shooter made in Flash – a reasonable first challenge for a budding game developer to make. **Ok, but what are the Shootorials?** The Shootorials are where the real work happens! They show you, step by step, how to create your own game just like Shoot!, starting with downloading Flash and finishing with a slick user interface. Only the first three shootorials are released at the moment, but the remaining 6 are coming soon! **Where do I find the shootorials?** You’ll find the shootorials (along with some other cool stuff, eventually) at the Kongregate Labs page: [www.kongregate.com/labs](http://www.kongregate.com/labs) **I already have a version of Flash, but it’s not CS3. Do I still need to download the free trial?** If your version is older than Flash MX 2004 (which is over five years old now), you will need to download CS3, as versions before that do not support ActionScript 2.0. If you have something more recent, then it is your choice – but be warned that the interface will likely be different to that demonstrated in the shootorials. **What’s this contest stuff I see on the page? Can I win real money?** You certainly can! All you need to do is make a game by following the shootorials, and then upload it to Kongregate by following the instructions that will be posted. – Full rules and regulations can be found [here.](http://www.kongregate.com/pages/driving-creativity-contest) **What’s this about a free trial? Do I have to pay money to create games?** Adobe Flash comes with a 30-day free trial. If you want to use it after that, you have to buy the software – which can be quite expensive. If you’re still keen on creating games, then there are some free alternatives – check the stickied threads in the [Programming](http://www.kongregate.com/forums/4) forum for more details and help on using them. Most of the free tools have a steeper learning curve than Adobe Flash, but are just as powerful and easy to use (or even easier!) once you know your way around. **Ok, so I’ve followed the tutorials, made my game, and discovered that I really like programming! Where do I go to do some more?** It’s good to see talented people keen to get involved in making games :) The best place to start would probably be some beginner tutorials – You can use Google to find some yourself, or if you’re really stuck, just ask in the forums, after making sure you’ve put in an honest effort to find the answer yourself. Lastly, don’t be put off if you find it “hard” – If programming were as easy as walking in the park, people wouldn’t get paid for doing it ;) The key to success is sticking with it, even when it gets tough (this applies to anything in life). Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help – we won’t bite (too hard)! Good luck, and have fun.

Question: can it only be made in CS3?

The shootorials are ActionScript 2.0, so the code examples will be usable in anything that supports it (from MX 2004 onwards). However, some of the interface examples are likely to be CS3-specific.

Ooh interesting… Still don’t get why there need be a forum seperate for this, and a seperate colour scheme. Btw I love the submit comment box here :D \<3

Crap. I’m not eligible for entering the contest because I have uploaded game earlier. I would have already scrapped all your entries. ;) Let the best win, and I HOPE author actually attempts to add something extra instead of only the basic stuff told in tutorials. I’m not for playing five thousand only-different-in-graphics entries.

> Ooh interesting… Still don’t get why there need be a forum seperate for this, and a seperate colour scheme. Because Richard’s/richpixel’s art is amazing and we needed it to be displayed more. Also because this is a really cool, unique thing and we want it to be visually denoted as such. To clarify on the FAQs a bit (which thanks Jabor! :D) the contest is not for who can best follow the shootorials to a t and produce a Shoot clone. We absolutely want you to use them to help jumpstart your developer career (they really are amazing teaching tools) but you are more than welcome to add all the creativity you have into your game :)

Go Rich :D!!! As for me I’ve had enough of making sidescrolling shooters from when I started Flash. I won’t join this D:

Does it have to be a side scrolling shooter?…or can we make any type of flash game

I was looking for a Shoot! style game for a project I’m working on. Super Mario gets his Fireballs, so I need to make Chuck Norris his Shotgun, and thus the codes! BTW: where are the Shootorials at? I can’t wait to start working on this! I want my last Kong project to be epic.

All Labs stuff is here: [http://www.kongregate.com/pages/kongregate-labs](http://www.kongregate.com/pages/kongregate-labs) The navigation link is under the developer tab, and then the Labs link.

[http://www.kongregate.com/labs](http://www.kongregate.com/labs) works too

what is this place?

Hmmm, is team-made/multiple-person-made-game game (collab) accepted?

Matoking – yes collabs are fine, as long as you don’t get jmtb02 or someone to secretly make your game for you…

Jabor, this FAQ is nice. I’ve wanted to make some games for a while now but never got round to it. This is a perfect motivation for me, thanks Kong Lab! On top of that, the game I had in mind was a shooter as well! Now all I have to do is learn the stuff…hmm… With regards to the special colour scheme I think its cool and makes it stand out. I just discovered Labs and I thought “ZOMGWTF is this?”

So, are the only rules for eligibility that you have not submitted a game? I never submitted a game, but I’m not a beginning programmer. Could I still submit one, or would that be sort of like cheating?

Sticky yay. Now people will look towards Jabor… Or whatever.

Why are these tutorials in AS2? I looked at one for 10 seconds then ran screaming. Flash game programming should be object oriented with AS3, not hacked with AS2. \>.\<

AS2 is the most simple, easiest to start with.

I agree. While AS2 is much slower, it is a lot easier to learn and understand when you are first coming into programming, because you do not have to deal with classes, and can get the basics of ActionScript down first.

Hedonic – we’ll be providing both AS3 and AS2 versions of the Shoot game, so more advanced programmers can use the AS3 version for the contests. We had to pick one for the tutorials though, and decided to make things more newbie-friendly to start with AS2.

> so more advanced programmers can use the AS3 version for the contests. WTF! First you state that only new developers can upload for the contest, then you make it in AS3 just so “more advanced” developers, in other words those who have much experience get chance to make use of an AS3 version to get a better chance at the contest. I just find it wrong, not letting previous uploaders upload for this, but then implying with an AS3 version, that experienced developers new to here to do it.

As well as attracting people new to programming, Kongregate is likely also looking at attracting people who already develop in another programming language to Flash development. Such people would likely find it easier conceptually to switch to another object-oriented language, rather than AS2.

Either way it jsut seems a tad stupid, how you can have a super expirianced programmer, come here and make a real great game in one day, and win the contest, thus discouraging ligitimate beginners.

I’m glad it’s AS2 not AS3… means I don’t have to learn haXe. :)