Simple android game development framework

[chrestomanci]

My Son, who is nearly 8, wants to create a computer game, preferably for his android tablet.

Naturally he wants me to do all the programming, while he does the level design.

This is not totally unreasonable as in my day job, I am a computer programmer. The snag is I mostly back end stuff in perl for websites. I have no experience in writing apps of any sort of mobile device, and I have not written anything in Java for years.

My son's idea for the game is a sort of shoot 'em up with zombies on a spaceship, with an end of level boss on each level

I am a bit sceptical that it will be possible to create very much that is original, but I think that it ought to be possible to produce something either by finding a framework were only minimal code needs to be written, or by finding an open source game that can be adapted by modifying the image assets and the like.

Can anyone suggest a suitable framework, existing game, book or other resource that will help me on this quest?

I have already found the beginning-android-games book and website, and there are a number of resources out there on You-Tube.

[TheAnimus]

Ok, so because he is 8, and this is a tablet, I'm going to recommend Touch Develop. It's a thing from Microsoft Research, it's great. If you two sit down and work on the Flappy Bird clone tutorial, in less than an hour you will have some form of flappy bird clone working, in a few hours the complete game cloned.

Then you can focus on learning to change logic, change the 'sprites' (images) etc.

https://www.touchdevelop.com/

Edit: Hell I bet anyone could make it work: https://www.touchdevelop.com/app/#hu...ngbirdtutorial

[elziko]

Googling 'Begin Programming: Build Your First Mobile Game' (I'm unable to post a link) will lead you to a free online course run by Future Learn and Reading University that provides a very simple start to Android game programming.

It starts at the beginning of June.

[chrestomanci]

Googling 'Begin Programming: Build Your First Mobile Game' (I'm unable to post a link) will lead you to a free online course run by Future Learn and Reading University that provides a very simple start to Android game programming.

Do you mean this course: https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/begin-programming

It certainly looks interesting. Thank you.

[directhex]

Unity.

Unity Unity Unity Unity.

Unity.

[TheAnimus]

Do you mean this course: https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/begin-programming

It certainly looks interesting. Thank you.

I agree that the course (actually one of my old mentors is heavily involved in it) is a good idea, but the kids 8.

Unity.

Unity Unity Unity Unity.

Unity.

8 Year old.....

8 Year old.....

8 Year old.....

8 Year old.....

Think back to what we used when we were that age, I'll wager it was a BASIC, or maybe even something drag n droppy, like Click n Play / Click n Create or even just Powerpoint style, maybe Logo or a flow chart based thing such as RM Logicator.

These things will be good for when the kid progresses, and hits the limitations, but not for a first start. 8 year olds also tend not to have the best attention span, so you want something with instant feedback. For now, that means standing on the shoulders of giants, just using glue rather than making their own glitter so to speak.

Touchdevelop has some advantages over Blocky, in that you can start with the flowchart esq style, but then evolve into a simple text language, but it uses a 'concept keyboard' (now that's a term I thought died in the 80s!) think intelisense, but rather than being a drop down box, is a contextual based input keyboard. This is perfect for teaching.

It allows you to learn to ride with stabilisers, then take them off, then finally learn how the bicycle is built altogether. There will be a time an a place for things like Unity, but an 8 year old just starting out isn't it.

[DanceswithUnix]

But it sounds like the 8 year old isn't interested in programming, what he wants is a level editor and his dad to do any coding.

[chrestomanci]

But it sounds like the 8 year old isn't interested in programming, what he wants is a level editor and his dad to do any coding.

True, but dad would prefer that the 8 year old learnt something useful, and has limited time to write loads of code in an unfamiliar environment.

[DanceswithUnix]

True, but dad would prefer that the 8 year old learnt something useful, and has limited time to write loads of code in an unfamiliar environment.

Sounds familiar, which I think is why my kids starting at that age mostly did 2D stuff in Scratch. I think they are pretty much outgrown it now (they are 10 and 12yrs old), but drawing and animating sprites kept them interested for a couple of years. It has basic collision detection, along the lines of "if touched green on the background".

Also good for quick scripted animations using timed events for moving sprites and triggering recorded bits of voice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99jx8lfRens

My son always wanted to write his own Mario Kart style game, but I never found a good platform for the limited time I had to help.

[TheAnimus]

Doing a simple 'top down' ala GTA1 style in TouchDevelop would certainly be possible. It's got growth to let people do far more advanced stuff than Scratch lets you easily do. But doing 3d in either would be painful, hell doing 3d IS painful!

http://www.clickteam.com/ might also be of interest to you if they are wanting to do things beyond the simple toolsets.

[lumireleon]

some interesting topic, am learning java at the moment.