Many gamers enjoy playing game after game and demanding more from the developers but have no idea how long it takes to create video games. Depending on the size of the project and the complexity of the implementation of its components, the production of one game can take several months or grow into years of hard work. So how to make a mobile game?
That is why developing video games is a titanic work that is even more difficult than making films. In this article, we will analyze all the stages of creating games in order so that you understand how this happens.
It all starts with the project manager having to come up with a goal for the future game. That is, if the team wants their brainchild to become mega-popular and collect a huge cash register, then it will take a long time to think about what kind of game it will be, why it can be bought, and, most importantly, how to plan tasks so that the project can be released on time, while at there is still demand for it.
At the first stage, the project manager must also decide on the genre. This is generally the foundation of every video game, which in the development process can acquire additions. However, completely changing the genre in the middle of the production process is stupid, it will be easier to start from scratch. Also, in the first stage, you need to decide on the setting. A setting is a kind of stylistics or virtual worlds to which a project belongs. For example, fantasy, sci-fi, steampunk, post-apocalyptic, anime, World War II, and many other options. Once the developers have set a goal, defined a genre and a setting, they can go further.
To build something, you need to be able to hold a tool in your hands. It is foolish to hammer in nails with a microscope when it is more convenient to use a hammer. The first game should be easy to implement. The game app development cost should be counted from start.
You need an idea. Who is the hero, what weapon, how the hero will develop from level to level, how many levels there will be, what is the goal of the hero, what control, how many levels, how many opponents, how the level begins and how it ends … The deeper it is worked out, the better you can imagine the structure of the game. Of course, later in the process of creation, you can change everything, but having in mind the structure of the game (or better on paper) it is much easier to make a development plan and act on it.
Speaking of the plan, it’s a very useful thing if you use it correctly. The more detailed the plan, the better. List all the elements to be done (draw and program). And from small to large, start to implement. It’s so nice to cross off what has already been done.
The code in mobile game development
Draw the structure of the game before writing the code. Try not to spend a lot of time optimizing code that is executed one-time (for example, when initializing a menu), but if the code is used frequently on an EventFrame or on a timer, optimize it.
Graphic arts
You can use both raster and vector graphics in flash. Using raster graphics is bad for file size, but good for performance when it comes to complex graphics.
On the contrary, using vector graphics is good for volume, but bad for performance, especially when there are a lot of small elements. We drew graphics directly into Flash.
Tip – Flash automatically compresses raster graphics when publishing, so it’s better to configure the publishing parameters yourself, otherwise you can get low-quality graphics in the output.
To improve performance with vector graphics, it can be optimized (Modification => Shape => Optimization). It’s a good idea to use cacheAsBitmap = true, then your vector graphics won’t be redrawn every frame, which will also improve performance.
There are already a lot of drawing lessons here. But here are my five cents: For drawing, it is better to use a Wacom tablet, they are of course expensive, but you can order a used one. on e-bay. If there is no tablet, you can outline the contours of the drawing with the mouse and correct them directly in the flash. And don’t forget about Ctrl + Z.
Sound
How to create a mobile game? There are not many articles about sound. Audacity, a free music processing program, not only allows you to cut the sound in the right places, it has some very useful filters: noise removal, sound fade and fade in, and many others. The sounds for the game can be added either on the phone or directly on the laptop microphone.
Button sounds, this is the sound of hitting bamboo sticks, the sound of an explosion, this is the sound of a cowbell, etc.
Of course, if there is an opportunity it is better to hire a professional.
It is very convenient to manage sounds by creating a special class and use dispatchEvent to dispatch events to this class to play sounds.
With this class, it is convenient to use the mute / unmute buttons for channels. How much does it cost to make a game app? It’s always individual question.
