asking for help and pointers in the general direction

[AZmoon]

Ok, hear me out.

I'm in collage now and have been assinged to a 12 week project. My project is to design a game in flash. Now this is a problem for me as I have absoulty NO experience in flash. (other then playing movies <_<) I've looked thru several sites and looked at several tutorials but they are either too advanced (I never touched flash) or dont seem to be what I need to know.

So I am posting here and asking for help and pointers in the general direction. This does seem like me beign lazy ("omg u noob go use search buttan") But I am also searching thru and reading tutorials.

[Crismo]

First step is deciding on what kind of game you want to make.
Reflect on what your strengths are in reflection to game development.
Are you a good artist; go for a kind of game where the game play really benefits from amazing artwork.
Grate story teller? Then do something that is based on these kinds of skills.
Programmer? Then go for something that creates game play through diversity and challenge.

Ass for the rest of the development cycle I am sure I can help.
Just get started on the fundamentals. Create a storyboard for your game etc..

BTW what kind of college course is this fore (level etc) ?

[ros]

I know its old but try and get an old copy of Practical Web Projects issue 21 'Flash games' Ifind learning flash hard as a newbie myself but this has been quite helpful. Also it will give you an idea of what game you want to do. It comes with a cd but I think I have an older version of MX as I cant open all the files. Have you tried the jigsaw on this site tutiorial 63?

this will also give you some ideas there are really cool games to play
http://www.ferryhalim.com/orisinal/

[AZmoon]

Yeah I didnt put much details in my first post, my bad.
I'm taking a general diploma in IT and my specilasation track was in digital entertainment. So I get stuck doing a game in flash.
I have a deacent java background so the actually coding is not an issue, more of I dont know where the codes go, and all the keywords so on and so forth.

My game is going to be a shooter (have to be a "intructional" game for the army) on the m-16 and the m203 grenade launcher.
I've read afew tutorals but they seem more geared to the movie director.

:edit, o yeah I'm being a horrid person and posting for help here because I need to present "something" in 2 weeks time, so kinda scrambling for help =p:
Still looking around, thanks for posting.

[AZmoon]

Are there any flash API documentatio?
I'm seening methods(or functions, meh too used to java) which I dont understand, so I was wondering if there are any API for flash.

[oldnewbie]

http://search.atomz.com/search/?sp-advanced=1&sp-q=api&B1=search&sp-a=00040c2f-sp00000000&sp-w-control=1;

[AZmoon]

The search didnt quite give me all I wanted, but it help me. Thanks

I ask this because I was looking thru tutorials (http://www.actionscript.org/tutorials/beginner/games_in_flash/index.shtml) and it mentioned "movieclip method hitTest(). " So I was wondering what other methods are there in flash, all the keywords, blah blah blah.

Also, just to add on. Does anyone have a flash which deals with basic tragetory?

I learn more by looking at other people's work and understanding them, so links to sample flashes will be greatly appricated.

[rippazinc]

let me ask you...do you want to LEARN flash, or do you want to "learn" flash? i can put something together for u if that's what u want...

[AZmoon]

well, I find I learn the fastest by looking at other people's work.

I just like something that will help me figure out what kind of coding I need to do.
The game I am suppoesed to do is a training mission for M.16 on the shooting range. (for the pda so the cursor moves by key presses) I have a vauge idea of what codes I need but I have problems knowing where to put them and all. (I have no knowlage of flash. sorta)

It's not that I am saying "omg i r noob help me kode noe!" (tho that would be nice :D ) Just something to help me figure out how flash works (where the codes go ect)

[Crismo]

Get a book or just get some tutorials of the net (there are loads of tutorials on actionscript.org). For a 12 week project this must be regarded as the minimum of expected effort on your part.

[AZmoon]

Get a book or just get some tutorials of the net (there are loads of tutorials on actionscript.org). For a 12 week project this must be regarded as the minimum of expected effort on your part.
I am already looking through tutorals, I am just posting here to see if I can find anything or anyone that can help me. I'm not just asking for help, I'm also searching on my own.

And the whole 12 week project effort part is screwed because, by today I'm already supposed to show a static demo for my m-16. We were given no training at all in flash and were expected to improve on the previous batch's work. (but the previous batch's work was so crap that their ex-supervisor recomended we just start all over again. So I got two twelve week projects to complete)


anyway, right now I am trying to code something to simulate breathing effect (the cursor moves around) and what I've done so far is to make the x/y cordinates change by a random number. However I've put it in the onEnterFrame and so its being constantly called and ends up like the shooter took 12 cups of coffee. Is there anyway to set delays?
Also, is there anyway to make the swaying in a figure of 8?