[game_edu] Suggestions for HS Game Design Software

[Anthony Hart-Jones]

   If Game Maker is working for you, I might also recommend Stencyl.  It 
work in a similar way, but has a couple of features that Game Maker 
doesn't and is free as well.  One of the best things about Stencyl for 
me would be StencylForge, an online resource library (access to which is 
included in the program).

   Using these pre-compiled art-assets and scripts, a very simple game 
could be made in maybe half an hour.  Some of those scripts are basic 
things like bindings for movement keys, 'stomp' enemies (as Mario does) 
or dying when falling into a pit.  They let you skip the 'reinventing 
the wheel' stage by giving you functionality that everyone else is using 
anyway.  The best bit of this is that the code editor allows you to 
tweak these scripts in a very simple drag-and-drop interface or even to 
open the raw script (which looks a lot like Action Script to my 
untrained eye) in a text-editor.

   There are issues with using it in an academic environment, not least 
of all the risk of a student forgetting to give correct attribution, but 
you'll find that with any program where users can share code online.  
Right now, it will output Flash games, but they were talking about 
exporting to HTML5 too.

   You can pick a copy up or learn more about it at 
http://www.stencyl.com/ and decide if it looks useful.  I'm not sure it 
is the right answer for you, but it's certainly an option to consider.

  - Anthony

On 11/10/11 23:21, Coach Payne wrote:

> Hi Folks:

>

> Quick question - I'm developing a mini-term introduction to Game 

> Design course at a high school.  In a course I taught in a prior 

> school, a one-semester block course (90 minutes/day, 5 days/week), 

> students used Alice, Scratch, Python, Ruby, and Game Maker to make 

> games.  The favorites were Game Maker and Scratch.  I'd be interested 

> in what the professional community might suggest.  I've used Ian 

> Schreiber's material for a lot of my resource material.  An idea of 

> what I've done in the past may be found 

> at http://dpsgaming.wikispaces.com/ .

>

> Second question - when I lived near the Research Triangle, I was able 

> to talk directly to game development professionals, and attended 

> events in the area.  The area to which I've relocated seems to have a 

> dearth of game developers.  I'd love to develop a relationship with 

> people who REALLY make games, even at a distance.  I've had 

> Skype-conferences in the past with West Coast developers, during which 

> time the students would ask questions and interact with developers. 

>  As a side note, the school where I'm currently teaching is an 

> independent girls' school, but the minicourse would also include boys 

> from their adjacent school.  I might be interested in developing this 

> into a larger, perhaps year-long course at both schools, should I 

> develop an interest in the idea.  I'm a physics teacher, but I taught 

> computer science for many years.  (I'd love to teach Game Development 

> with C++ or Java, but that's not going to happen in a miniterm!)

>

> Thanks.  I really would appreciate suggestions!

>

> Charlie Payne, M.Ed.

> Teacher of Physics

> St. Catherine's School

> Richmond, VA

>

>

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