Skip to main content

Awesome Game Creation

The first item I ordered on Half.Com was:
Awesome Game Creation: No Programming RequiredAwesome Game Creation : No Programming Required(2000)
This is a neat book. At the homeschool cooperative, one of the parents was a local college teacher. He decided to teach a version of his game course to the teens at the coop. As I was not working at that time, I asked to 'lurk' in the class. The teacher was happy to let me. I was glad he did. It was a good class. The book and the class teach you how to get started in creating games using these game building applications. The book covers a few different engines. The engines for the most part require no programming. You import graphics and audio, and drag-and-drop objects, then select options in different windows. In most cases there is some scripting you can do behind the scenes to improve your games. But the kids were able to come up with all sorts of shoting games, a modified driving game and even an adventure game. While Lev was not interest in the class, I told him about it. He got rather interested in it at home. I showed him how you can use the system with paint to create your own animated sprites. He surprised me with his first one - it was better than the one I tried to do for him!

I haven't touched the book in a while, since I've been working. We were over at the neighbor's house, and he mentioned that his son, a little older than Lev, was interested in game programming. So I loaned him the book. I think the boy is more interested in more advanced 3D game programming, but it is a good start.
There is also a 2002 version of the game creation book. Offhand, I can't tell you what difference there is.
I noticed that there appears to be a newer version on 3D game programming in the same series. It must be new, as there are no copies available on Half.Com at this time. Hm - and the publish year is 2004.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Hiking Blodgett Peak 12/25/2005

So Christmas day Sunday, but we don't do Christmas. And a day off Monday. No real plans until Sunday evening for Channukah. My toe finally feels well enough for a hike. Blodgett Peak has been calling to me for months - especially since I learned there was a geocache on top. So I get up a bit early - early for a day off from work - and head out for a hike. I don't know how far I'll get - but I want to at least get to the top of Blodgett Peak. I've got about 8 geocaches I can try for, depending on how I do. A couple are up in Pike National Forrest, past Blodgett Peak. It is slower going than I expected. I spend more time than I wanted looking for the first 4 geocaches - I only found 2 of them. The trail is Icy and muddy. It is not a great trail - it is not well prepared like the trail going up Pikes Peak. It is very easy to lose the trail - subtle paths seem to go off in many directions. In many places, the trail seems to go up very steep, loose gravel. Step...

1000 Greatest Movies

Found on Misanthropic-Tendencies From the NY Times - The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made I've highlighted the ones I've seen from the list. As it is a big list, I've set it to be hidden. I've added some favorite quotes to ones I've seen. Show/Hide the list below A À Nous la Liberté (1932) About Schmidt (2002) Absence of Malice (1981) Adam’s Rib (1949) Adaptation (2002) The Adjuster (1991) The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) Affliction (1998) The African Queen (1952) L’Age d’Or (1930, reviewed 1964) Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972, reviewed 1977) A.I. (2001) Airplane! (1980) "I picked the wrong week to give up sniffing glue" Aladdin (1992) "Poof! Whaddya want?" Alexander Nevsky (1939) Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1975) Alice’s Restaurant (1969) Aliens (1986) '...In space no one can hear you scream.' All About Eve (1950) All About My Mother (1999) All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) All That...

I Voted, Colorado

Voting is different here in Colorado than it was back on the East Coast. In New Jersey, and I remember it was the same basic things when my parents voted in New York, the voting was in a mechanical voting booth. You would go to a desk and sign the big book. The would give you a sheet of paper. You would take the paper over to a voting machine. An assistant would take the paper and put it somewhere on the side of the machine. You would pull a big mechanical handle that would close the curtain behind you. Then you would flip the levers to indicate your vote. After, you would push the big handle, which would record your vote, reset the levers and open the curtain. Here in Colorado, the beginning of the process is the same. You wait on line and sign the big book. I went with my wife, as she dropped her car off for service. At first she was going to vote before she dropped off her car. But she called me to tell me the line was an hour long. After I picked her up at the shop,...