Flash MX 2004 Games : Art to ActionScript

Flash MX 2004 Games
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moveX = 0;
_root.RightScore++;
The final stage of the game is saved as ‘Examples\Chapter01\Pingpong05.fla’.
How to improve it
To finish the game there needs to be a beginning and an end. The beginning would give instructions
for key presses and the end would show the final score. In this simple example we will exclude
these details but you are encouraged to develop the game further to include these aspects as your
skills progress.
Playing against the computer
It would be nice if the player could compete with the computer. To achieve this one of the bats
could be under computer control, so the clip event for the bat would judge where the ball would
hit the bat and move the bat accordingly. Although this is a little complicated it should be within
your capabilities after completing Section 3 of this book. When the computer is in control it may
be impossible for the player to win. It is your job as a developer to set the skill level so a player is not
frustrated but is challenged. Setting the game play level so that a player is progressively challenged
as their skill level develops is one of the hardest aspects of game play development but one of the
most important.
Summary
This was a quick look at creating a Flash game; hopefully it gave you an overview. If you found
the code confusing then don’t worry, we will be going at a much slower pace in the later chapters
when looking at ActionScript. In principle, I want you to take away from this chapter an initial
awareness of the Flash interface, how to use some of the drawing tools, the use of symbols and
where to enter bits of ActionScript. As you progress through the book you will be encouraged
to enter your own code and develop the examples that you will find in later chapters. Nothing
improves your skill more than trying it out yourself. Practice really does make, if not perfect, then
at least much better.
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