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Gain the skills required to create fun and compelling games using GameMaker: Studio, and its GML programming language. In this full-color book you´ll learn 24 practical programming elements that are important when creating any game. Each section includes an introduction to a new programming element, some examples, a worksheet, and mini projects to allow you to test your new knowledge. After completing all elements, you will put into action what you have learned in a classic arcade style game.
In Practical GameMaker: Studio , you will create a fully featured game, with guidance and in color, using version 1.4. After each section you´ll see how you´ll apply what you´ve learned to the final game, and discover additional projects to try. These mini projects include a separate scoring guide, and a working example for each, which is useful if you´re using this book in an educational environment. Similarly, the book also contains a number of assignments, which you may include as part of any associated coursework in your classes.
What You Will Learn

Use GameMaker: Studio and GameMaker Language (GML) to create games

Work with GML variables, conditionals, drawing, keyport I/O, objects, and events

Create GML sprites, health/lives, alarms, collisions, and rooms

Improve your game with GML backgrounds, sound and music, splash screens and menus, and effects<
Include GML random and AI movements in your game

Use GML loops, arrays, ds_lists, paths, and scripts
Who This Book Is For
Experienced game developers new to GameMaker or for those with at least some prior exposure or experience with GameMaker: Studio but who are new to GML.

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0. Introduction
1. Variables 2. Conditionals 3. Drawing 4. Drawing Continued 5. Keyboard Input & Simple Movement 6. Objects & Events 7. Sprites 8. Health, Lives & Score 9. Mouse 10. Alarms 11. Collisions 12. Rooms 13. Backgrounds 14. Sounds & Music 15. Splash Screens & Menu 16. Random 17. More Movement (Basic AI) 18. INI Files 19. Effects 20. Loops 21. Arrays 22. ds_lists 23. Paths 24. Scripts 25. Hints & Tips 26. Creating A Game - Outline 27 . Creating A Game -Sprites 28. Creating A Game -Sounds 29. Creating A Game -Backgrounds 30. Creating A Game -Paths 31. Creating A Game -Scripts 32. Creating A Game -Fonts 33. Creating A Game -Objects - Introduction 34. Creating A Game -Parent Objects 35. Creating A Game -Objects 36. Creating A Game -Rooms 37. Progress Sheet 38. Marking Guide 39. End Of Project Assignment 40. End Of Project Test

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Ben Tyers is an expert GameMaker: Studio user, developer, coder, expert and IT trainer.  He has authored a number of small books on GameMaker for game application developers and runs a popular GameMaker resources web site.

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