My First Game

Course Overview- Approach Outlined

Dr N.’s first-course outline and discussion of the overall approach. In this video course, we help you to create your First Game Experience. There are 7 videos in this course.

Video#1 – Create Sprites, and Custom Blocks

Follow step by step. Use two tabs in your browser. Go back and forth.

  1. Create Sprites, Name them. All have individual scripts, costumes & Sounds
  2. Make Setup custom block for every sprite. Include size, location, show
  3. Habit of continually test what you have built.
  4. Draw Barriers in Paint editor.  Similar to other paint editors.
  5. Make 2 additional backdrops —ran out of Time and Tries.

You only learn if you explore yourself!.  Just “spectating” won’t work!

Video#2 – Forever Loop Setup

Start animating Fox sprite.

  1. Build Forever Loop for Fox
  2. Make Custom “Move” block
  3. Build code for arrow key controls (for the Fox) Test it.
  4. Make “isTouchBarrier” custom block.  Use sensing block for the code.
  5. Add sound to play when barrier hit.  TEST IT

You only learn if you explore yourself!.  Just “spectating” won’t work!

Video#3 – Touch Star Code Animation

  1. Make “isTouchStar” custom block.
  2. Build code.  Use sensing block “if touching sprite”
  3. Get another sound (Cheer!)
  4. TEST
  5. Tell Star it has been hit by sending message.
  6. Work on Star script (When receive message!

You only learn if you explore yourself!.  Just “spectating” won’t work!

Video#4 – Variables, and Add Reset

  1. Introduce Variables so can keep score, time left, tries left.
  2. Build (very common) “reset” custom block.
  3. Replace setup block by reset in some script.
  4. TEST
  5. Add blocks to detriment tries left if fox hits barrier.

You only learn if you explore yourself!.  Just “spectating” won’t work!

Video#5 – Make Countdown Timer

Start to add game controls and constraints.

  1. Build Count down timer in the stage script.
  2. Initialize stage to “Barrier” background.
  3. Switch backdrop when time runs out.
  4. Add stop block fro control area.

You only learn if you explore yourself!.  Just “spectating” won’t work!

Video#6 – Build Number Of Tries

How Operators block work, Why needed. Adding some complexity but in an organized way.

  1. Build code for Tries Left.
  2. Make custom block “anyTriesLeft”. Use it every time through the Forever loop.
  3. Use blocks from Operations
  4. Sound engine take time stop can happen before it plays.

You only learn if you explore yourself!.  Just “spectating” won’t work!

Video#7 – Wait Blocks, Review, and Warnings

Last video. Wrap things up and suggest improvements and extensions.

  1. Animate the Star sprite
  2. Add color initialization
  3. Add “Triumph” sound
  4. Review & improvement suggestions

You only learn if you explore yourself!.  Just “spectating” won’t work!