f13.net

I figured since I have my other thread going where I'm developing some flash games, I should mention this here in case anyone is interested, but doesn't know where to start.

Kongregate just released "Kongregate Labs" which you can read about here: http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/10/14/kongregate-teaches-its-users-how-to-make-flash-games/

It's a series of tutorials created by a good friend of mine, Richard Foster. The idea here is to introduce Flash development to Flash gamers, in well-written, bite sized chunks that allow them to progress and make a rudimentary game after 8 tutorials. Kong provides the art and sound, you just follow the directions and write the code, and learn what it all means.

As a promotion for the tutorials, Kong is giving away a total of $550 to three new developers who make great games based on the tutorials. One major thing that keeps people from Flash development is the cost of the software, but many folks don't realize the Adobe offers trials for most of their software -- including Flash. So Kong has provided links and directions to get the free 30 day trial. And it's not particularly difficult to acquire the full version for the bargain basement price of free.

Link (http://www.kongregate.com/pages/kongregate-labs)

I cannot possibly program a game in 30 days.  The pressure!

You would be surprised!

It's died down quite a bit, but there used to be a monthly "game in a day" competition over at GarageGames forums--you and your team had 24 hours over a weekend to make a game. Some pretty amazing stuff came out of there, and many of the prototypes evolved into either full games, or the game mechanic basis for inclusion in other ones.

It really can be done!

Also, since communities are fucking rad, some dude already translated the first two tutorials to be used with free SWF development tools here: http://www.kongregate.com/forums/11/topics/23746

I love free labor.

Oh, I know that it can be done.  Just not by me, not at this time.  I don't have a team, for one thing, and I'm not a programmer, for another.  I considered prototyping my idea in something I know, like Perl, but I decided, primarily, that was dumb and secondarily I could use this as a motivation to learn a real language.  Problem is that work facts keep pushing out hobby facts... yesterday I figured out how to do something new with backint despite the dearth of instructive examples, and on the way out of the building I saw someone I know but I still cannot remember his damn name.

Damijin, do you ever get on MSN or anything? Do want to talk to you about a few things.