After being an active player and developer of this so called 'gaming community' -- I have come to realize there is a lot of confusion on the web as to exactly what it takes to make 'one of those games that you play on all those sites.' So here I go, hoping to clarify all of this crazy talk and confusion that exists in these curious minds.
To start off I want to make it very clear, there is no ONE online gaming community. There are a lot of them out there - you'll find games made by entire development teams that charge a pretty penny for their hard work, you'll find independent solo developers who let you play the games for free (and then wonder why they can't pay the bills), and then you'll find everything in between. If you haven't figured it out yet, we will be looking at the independent flash development side of the internet. So by now chances are that you've heard this Flash word a whole bunch of times. If you don't know what Flash is, read on, if you know exactly what Flash is you can skip the next paragraph.
The word Flash unfortunately does not refer to the badass super hero who can run at lightning speeds, instead, it refers to the software used to create the games you see on a regular basis at popular websites such as Kongregate, ArmorGames, Newgrounds, and the million other gaming portals out there. Adobe Flash (Adobe is the company that owns Flash, along with Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, etc.) is the only software you need to make a Flash game. So as I said before, there is no single online gaming community - there are a bunch of them. What we are talking about is what I will constantly refer to as the 'Flash gaming community.'
Ok, so hopefully we are clear now. If you are reading this then you are interested in making Flash games. Now that we understand that, I'm going to finish off Part 1 of this series by doing a FAQ (frequently asked questions).
1. How do you make Flash games?
This is unfortunately the most asked question I find in reguards to the topic at hand. I say 'unfortunately' because I absolutely hate this question. If this question was Frankenstein, I'd be the mob outside the castle with a pitchfork and flaming stick of wood - that's how much I hate it. You really basically answer the question within the question - you make Flash games with Flash... duh! However, since it is asked so many times I cannot ignore it. So I'll instead break the question in to sub-questions to get us a better solution.
1.a What software do I need to make these games?
You need Adobe Flash. You can get a free trial (or just buy it) here.
1.b Do I need the latest version of Flash, or can I use an older version?
Technically you can use any version of Flash to create the .swf files you'll one day create. But because I want you to make good Flash games, I'm going to recommend getting Flash CS3 or later. The reason for this is very simple: These are the only versions of Flash in which you can use Actionscript 3.0, the programming language you'll be using to program your games.
1.c Do I need to know any programming languages? What is Actionscript?
If you have ever heard of C++, Java, PHP, HTML, etc. - those are all programming languages. Actionscript (or AS) is the programming language of Flash, and you have to know it in order to make your games work. There are currently 3 different versions of AS : AS1, AS2, and AS3. Yes, you can actually make games with any of these versions, however, I'm going to draw a line right now and tell you that I highly recommend and only use AS3. In fact, it is very unlikely that you'll ever read AS2 articles on this site. AS3 has a much cleaner syntax and is a whole crap-load faster than AS2. So just be a champ and go with Actionscript 3.0 if possible :D
note: Laid out simply: You need to get a copy of Adobe Flash and you need to learn Actionscript.
2. Where can I learn Actionscript 3.0?
My highest recommendation for learning AS3 would to go online and get a book or two. I've purchased 4 different books on Actionscript over the span of my life and they have all been very informative and helpful.
These are the two AS3 books I own:
There are also a lot of places online where you can find free tutorials. As time permits I'll hopefully write a few tutorials, which you can find here. I'll also put a bunch of links at the bottom of that page that'll direct you to other great websites that you should visit - there are a lot of helpful people out there. Also, you'll learn a lot about programming simply just by opening up the program and coding away - the more you do it the more you'll learn, simple as that.
3. How do I make a _________ game?
Hold on to your pants cowboy! It's not that easy. If you're ready to start learning how to make Flash games, then I'm assuming you probably have a game in mind. Well, unfortunately you have to learn the basics first. There are a lot of elements that collectively come together to create a flash game. So please understand, you will not open up your copy of Flash for the first time and create that 50 level Sci-Fi shooter you've been envisioning over the past 3 weeks. No - it will take some time and discipline if you hope to create something web worthy. That being said, there are a million different ways to start your game making adventure. I personally would recommend on starting with something small - getting the general idea of how the process works, and then grow from there.
4. Is it hard to make a game?
I don't like the word hard, so I'll say this: It is a moderately intense (but fun) process to make a Flash game. Like I said before, it can really depend on what game your hoping to make. For me, it would be incredibly easy to make a game like Pong, but quite a challenge to make a multiplayer RPG. You'll just have to learn how to pace yourself, the more you do it the easier it will get. Your first game will most likely not be 'good' - but more importantly it will be a start, and sometimes a starting point is all that you need to begin your journey.
5. How long does it take to make a game?
Games can take anywhere from 2 weeks to more than a year. Same story as above, the more you program - the faster you get. The smaller the game - the easier it is to complete.
Ok well this article has gotten quite long, hopefully you made it all the way through it without having to take a breather. If you have any questions post them in the forum by following the 'Comments' button below and I'll try to help you out as much as possible. In my next article I'll talk about using Flash as a game development tool and the advantages and disadvantages that come with it.