Customer Reviews

Macromedia Flash MX Game Design Demystified

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am always skeptical about Computer Game Programming books because they usually offer very little new information or information that couldn't easily been found via Google.

But as I flipped through the book in the bookstore, I discovered the veritable treasure trove of non-time-based collision routines (i.e. circle to circle and circle to line), practical descriptions of isometric representation and A*path-finding. The mathematical proof is presented for those mathematically inclined and for those "less rigerous" folks, the actionscript is included and explained.

The above stuff can easily be applied to other development environments (i.e. Lingo in Director, C++ in WildTangent) and that is the greatest value of this book. It's portability.

Of course, there are very specific Flash tips and hints around the limited computing power of Flash (i.e. design games to reduce collidable objects because the Flash Engine can't perform fast enough) which is valuable for those willing to learn from other's experience.

Also included on the CD-ROM are sample Flash applications like a crossword puzzle, a Multiplayer game (with included Jobe's company's multiuser server) and isometric sample game.

I almost wish to keep the book a secret because it is SO good but I believe Jobe deserves all the credit for delivering such a solid book so I highly recommend buying it!

This is a very interesting book from quite a number of angles. The book is strong on discussing Flash centred technique, good on algortihmic tradeoffs but possible a little limited in in its key example. It will definitely help Falsh developers do better. The author is honest about the limitations of Flash as a game developmnet tool. The bottom line is that Flash is good a tightly defined games where some tradeoff with real-time interaction is allowable, but don't expect tthe full functionality (or speed) of a conventional games engine. There is a wealth of useful information in the book. If you have any handle on programming and Actionscript you will gain a lot more by taking timeover this book. The coding is good, and the algorithms are actually meaningful and useful. The author is clear about strengths and limitations of his approach A very rare characteristic of games books.

I agree with the others that this is the most advanced flash game book without exception. The book is over 620+ pages with very little fluff and no novice turorials or hand holding.

If you have a firm grasp of Flash MX, Actionscripting and using Flash MX as a game platform you cannot do wrong with this book.

However if you are a beginner you will not find the typical basic tutorial sections that expert users loath as a waste of print. If you have not used Flash MX extensivly I reccomend purchasing one of the other titles that do the hand holding to get yourself up to speed before you invest in Flash MX Game Design Demystified.

Good book for the expert user, but not good at all for the beginner.

The layout of the book was very good, each section really seemed to blend into the next, building on the previous.

While I'm very familiar with Flash AS, I was happy to see the sections on trig, physics and collision detection! My maths are pretty rusty and these are areas that I always struggle with. Actually having *working code* to look at is invaluable.

The multi-user section was quite interesting too, with both basic chat and game examples. All the examples use ElectroServer as the backend, so there are some specifics which relate to that server only. However the ideas presented are applicable to any multi-user based game, regardless of the backend server.

Anyone looking for some insights to coding a game in flash MX would not go wrong in reading this book.

Well first off, im a pretty advanced user of Flash MX. However, there are many tough subjects that this book covers well. From front to back, I learned something new every chapter. New ideas of coding things and better practices. As long as you have used expert mode ActionScript in Flash, you should be fine with this advanced book. It really has all you need to know!

This is it! Just about any question you could ask about game programming with actionscript in Flash is here. Starting with a design and math primer (for those of us who didn't pay that much attention in math), this book covers gaming physics, tile-based worlds, isometric games, excellent collision detection and pathfinding algorithims like A*, artificial intelligence, creating graphics, playing with sound, multiplayer games (you'll have to decide which server is best for you), and a large number of sample games and tutorials to get you started. I have never read a more thourogh work on this subject in the past 5 years. This book is not really designed for the beginner, as the actionscript is quite advanced and will require knowledge of the basics. Knowing your way around Flash is essential. The sample code is clean and very clearly explained, and Mr. Makar's style of writing is very direct (and occasionally humorous). This book is a must-have for any Flash developer's personal library.

I love this book, though I would not use it as a textbook.

Jobe Makar proudly announces himself as a former physics major. Awesome! But intimidating to present-day students (mine, at least) who are weak in math.

He has beautiful chapters on (for instance) how to handle collision detection, isometric 2-1/2D game viewing, and artificial intelligence. His algorithms work. (With some qualifications, as I've tested them.) But the math is HEAVY.

One other drawback of this book is that it is based on an old version of ActionScript (version 1), which has changed drastically (version 3) since the book was published. When I use classroom demos based on this book, I have to "translate" them into ActionScript 3. Oh, do I wish that Makar would write an update!

So if you feel confident with math, and know your ActionScript well enough to do the updates - buy, read and use this book!

This is probably the most well planned Flash book I've ever read. From start to finish, the author takes you on a logical journey through the construction of a range of Flash games.

The first few chapters contain info on collision detection, physics and trigonometry that I wouldn't have thought of in a million years.

The book also contains very few errors which is testament to the comprehensive planning that has obviously gone into this book.

I highly recommend it all intermediate and advanced Flash users

I've purchased a number of Flash books (gaming or otherwise) and this is by far the best book I've purchased. I went from having a limited knowledge of actionscript to programming two completely different games within one month. And this knowledge is also useful in other aspects of Flash beyond gaming. Buy this book if you are serious about learning the deeper powers of Flash. Intermediate to Advanced users.

I'm a graphic designer with a little bit of scripting knowledge from director. I've made quite a few simple games in director and was looking to jump into actionscripting because of its web friendliness.

I understood everything for the first couple of chapters but from then on I got more and more confused. This book jumps in the deep end and unless you've got a good head for mathematics/programming I'm guessing that most people will find themselves lost.

If you're looking for books to help you learn actionscripting from the start. I would recommend buying 'Macromedia Flash MX ActionScripting: Advanced Training from the Source' and 'actionscript for flash mx' together, both of which I found to be excellent.