Ms Gold's Computer Science Classes at Marshfield High School

Game Maker Central

• Game Maker Tutorials

  • Tutorials are thanks to Margaret Meijers.
  • Link to Scoring and Lives Game Maker Tutorial

    Link how to Create Tiled Backgrounds for Platform Games - Game Maker Tutorial

    Link to Platform Games - Game Maker Tutorial

    Link to Laser Games

    Link to Monsters (how to make a monster beam a laser in the right direction)

    Link to Lesson on How X and Y Coordinates Work

    New How to Animate a Sprite - New

• Advanced Lessons

Drawing a Health Bar

1945 Scrolling Game Instructions

general Game Maker Information

• Open Game Maker
  • Sprites and Resources can be found on c:/ProgramFiles/GameMaker8/Sprites/Tutorial1
  • Save your games on H:/Basic/GameMaker/tutorial/
  • Your game name should be saved as yourFirstInitialLastNameGameName - Game Maker will attach a ".gmk" file extension to the end of your file. name. for example my game would be called vGoldTutorial1.gmk (DO NOT PUT SPACES IN YOUR FILENAME)
• When you have completed the assignment read the following two articles
  • Introduction to Game Maker: Introductory Reading, Do Game Maker Tutorial and in Tutorial don't Forget to click on the Assignment at the bottom of the screen
  • Read the Lesson on How X and Y Coordinates Work
• Go through each tutorial
  • How to make a Platform Game (This is the most important!)
  • http://goldclasses.com/basic/GameMaker/ScoringAndLives.htm
  • How to make Tiled Background
  • How to make Laser Games
  • How to make Monsters Move

 

Where to go for more help...

* Try the official Game Maker Community Forums

Where to find more sprites for your games:

* Download Resources from YoYo Games
* Try Sprites from gsarchives.net

Where to find sound effects and music for your games:

*http://www.a1freesoundeffects.com/
*http://www.freeplaymusic.com
*http://www.flashkit.com/loops/



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Game Maker Resources

• Sprites - Are pictures/images used to represent objects in a game. For example the picture of a Pac-Man is called a Sprite . Animated Sprites can be created by including a number of different images into one named Sprite.
• Objects - Are your basic operating units in Game Maker. They are what controls your game. Objects can be visible if a Sprite is associated with an Object or invisible with no associated Sprite.

 

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Designing a Game

Things to think about when designing a game

Create a document containing the following

Write a document in Word using full sentences that describes your game. Give your game a name, and save it on H:/Basic/GameMaker/Project1/FirstInitialLastNameGameName.doc. The document will include the following: -

• a description of how your game is played. For example if you use a mouse or key movements tell us what keys you use, and what they are used for.
• Describe your proposed Sprites/Objects, and explain their purpose in your game. For example, PacMan is to eat all the Dot Objects, and he losses lives when he hits a Green Monster. Pictures are always helpful here. Don't assume people know a game.
• Include any other material you think might be of interest to a fellow programmer reading your document.
• Save your document in H:/basic/GameMaker/Project1/YourDoc.doc

• The Game will include:
  • Include a letter to me called MsGold, and explain anything special you want to add to the game
  • Correct naming conventions (Sprites start with spr and Objects start with obj)
  • sound
  • background
  • at least one create event
  • at least 3 items from each tutorial (name the tutorials in the F1 help section of your game
  • game information (help) F1 Key
• Folder and Filename Rules

• All Files must be on the H: drive (the network drive.)
  • Your Document
  • Song Lyrics if appropriate
  • Your project needs to be in H:/Basic/GameMaker/Project1/firstInitialLastNameGameName.gmk
  • FirstInitialLastNameAppropriateGameName.gmk
  • FirstInitialLastNameAppropriateGameName.exe (Don't forget the .exe)
    No Spaces in Filenames

 

1. Write at least one paragragph a sentence that describes the overall premise of you game.
2. Write down the goal of the game. For example, is it for the palyer to go on an adventure and find a lost treasure or to race through a series of challenging levels and to overcome an ultimate foe at the game's final level?
3. Write down sub-goals - these are goals that the player must fulfill in each level to advance to the next level.
4. Describe the characters (objects) of the game
   1. their major characteristics (friend or foe) and features (how will they move -etc)
   2. Sounds they make
   3. How the object is controlled - i.e. keyboard or mouse
   4. How the object interacts with other objects - does it collide
5. Describe each room
   1. Which characters are associated with each room
   2. Special music associated with the room

As you design your levels, levels should progress from easy to increasingly difficult. The game play needs to balanced. You want to avoid making your game play too easy so that the player becomes bored with the game, but not too hard so the player becomes frustrated and gives up. This balance is achieved by pre-planning, practice, and user testing. Your goal should be to keep players of all skill levels challenged and entertained.

(From Getting Started with Game Maker by Jerry Lee Ford, Jr. Course Technology, Cengage Learning -taken from Chapter 5)

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Assessments for Game Maker Projects

1. First game maker project.

1. The Project will Include:
   1. Your Sales Pitch- I am the CEO of Computer High School Gaming Inc., and you have to write me a letter explaining why I should fund your game.
   2. A Specification Document

      Write a document in Word using full sentences that describes your game. Give your game a name, and save it on H:/Basic/GameMaker/Project1/FirstInitialLastNameNameOfCompany.doc. The document will include the following:

      • one paragraph that describes your game.-
      • a description of how your game is played. For example if you use a mouse or key movements tell us what keys you use, and what they are used for.
      • Describe your proposed Sprites/Objects, and explain their purpose in your game. For example, PacMan is to eat all the Dot Objects, and he losses lives when he hits a Green Monster. Pictures are always helpful here. Don't assume people know a game.
      • Include any other material you think might be of interest to a fellow programmer reading your document.
      • Save your document in H:/basic/GameMaker/Project1/FirstInitialLastNameNameOfCompany.doc

   3. The Game will include:
      • Somewhat true to your document. If not include a letter to me called MsGold, and explain what the plot of your game is.
      • Correct naming conventions (Sprites start with spr and Objects start with obj)
      • sound
      • background
      • at least one create event
      • at least 2 items from each tutorial
      • game information (help) F1 Key
4. Folder and Filename Rules
• All Files must be on the H: drive (the network drive.)
  • Your Document
  • Song Lyrics if appropriate
  • firstInitialLastNameGameName.gmk
  • firstInitialLastNameGameName.exe
• Your project needs to be in H:/Basic/GameMaker/Project1/firstInitialLastNameGameName.gmk
• No Spaces in Filenames

• I know information is redundant but it never hurts to go over rules several times.