I'm writing a book... again.

Posted by Astryl on Aug. 20, 2010, 3:39 a.m.

Not that any of you here would know, but I was the author of the now canceled book "The Game Maker 8 Cookbook".

I stopped writing after the deadlines for the book started clashing with my college assignment deadlines (They only gave me 2 weeks to write a chapter, complete with examples and code)…

One of the reviewers mentioned that it was a pity that the book was canceled, due to it's more technical nature (It wasn't a beginners guide.)

Now that I've passed my first assignment for college and have some valuable time on my hands, I'm starting to write another book, but on my own terms.

I'm dropping the 'cookbook' style, and adopting a more linear type of book that has several 'sections' that are outlined like this:

1. Top-down Games

2. Platformers

3. 3D Games

4. Completing your games.

Section 1 will cover the basics of Game Maker, and teach the reader how to make sprites (No bundled resources here) and try to give a good first impression of Game Maker. (Not easy).

Section 2 will introduce the more advanced ideas to the reader, such as surfaces, and preparing them for Section 3, which deals with basic 3D games. However, with the 3D games I don't want the reader to think that a generic FPS is the only possibility, and so will introduce a 3D platformer instead (A conversion of the project made in Section 2 into a deeper environment).

Finally, Section 4 will cover the various ways of rounding off a game into a final release, including the creation of custom message boxes, HUD's for various situations, help-screens, etc. I'm still working on the complete structure, but so far, it looks promising.

As for the book I was working on, there's an entry in The Game Maker Blog about it's cancellation here.

Hopefully I'll get somewhere with this book. And I'd appreciate a firm telling off if I start thinking of quitting. [:p]

Comments

Astryl 14 years ago

It's still around. A whole five chapters. But I'm rewriting those to fit the new book.

Cesar 14 years ago

Toast 14 years ago

Leyenda 14 years ago

How do you plan to distribute the book? Hard copy/retail? Internet download? Dropped from helicopter?

Astryl 14 years ago

What's likely to happen is I'll have to send the book to my former publisher (According to the terms of Contract). They publish in both digital and hard-copy form.

Otherwise… Helicopter sounds good.

death 14 years ago

hmm gotta love spam. the fact this site allows videos in people's blog comments is beyond me… in what circumstance would it be necessary to put a video in a blog comment? unless it's a video comment but why would that be necessary?

anyway i'm glad to here your working on a book again xD but there are a lot of unfinished things you haven't gotten to =P do you think you can finish this without getting side-tracked? (speaking of side-tracked… i haven't worked on s$$$ lately…)

Juju 14 years ago

I thought those videos were funny therefore the ability to post a video in a comment is justified in my opinion.

Lapixx 14 years ago

In addition to Juju's comment, I don't see any spam here.

Castypher 14 years ago

Deathzero, this isn't a forum. It's a community site, therefore the rules are completely different from a forum's. The blog's comments are just as important as the blog itself, and the comments are what continue to feed the discussion.

Astryl 14 years ago

Deathzero, don't worry about it.

I consider it funny, not insulting/spam.