Platform Beginnings: An Idea with Legs - The Game Maker's Companion: Game Development - page 14

Figure 2-1. A quick concept sketch of the Fishpod character, which resembles a modern-day Mudskipper
This first example game is designed as both a refresher in drag-and-drop programming as
well as an illustration of some of the problems involved in creating platform games. We assume
that you're already familiar with the Game Maker interface and already have Advanced Mode
enabled (under the File menu). If you're a bit rusty, then this example should bring you back up-
to-speed, but all the examples in this topic assume that you have had previous experience of
drag-and-drop programming in Game Maker. If you haven't, then we strongly suggest you read
our previous book ( The Game Maker's Apprentice ) first.
So we'll start this game with a short design description. This topic covers game designs in a
lot more detail in a later example, but for the time being, we'll stick to a very simple explanation
of the idea:
You play the role of Fishpod: a sea creature whose life is threatened by the eruption of an
underwater volcano. He is forced to flee the sulfurous, boiling waters that he once called
home, for the relative safety of nearby caves. Unused to surviving on land, he must
navigate his way through a series of perilous underground tunnels in order to find his
way to a new home. To stay alive, he must learn how to make the most of his primitive
limbs in order to avoid lava flows and poisonous pansies.
The left and right arrow keys will move Fishpod horizontally to the left or right, and
the space bar will make him leap diagonally upwards in the direction he is facing.
Fishpod can stand, walk, and jump on horizontal rock platforms, but will
automatically fall down the screen when he is not supported by one. If Fishpod comes
into contact with any of the hazards or goes off the edge of the screen, then he dies and is
sent back to the beginning of the level.
From this simple description, we can get an idea of the resources we will need to create our
game: a Fishpod character, rock platforms, lava flows, and poisonous pansies. However, we can
be a bit more specific about the Fishpod character as the description says he will need to stand,
walk, jump, and fall, which will require four different sprites. He will also need to do all of these
things either facing left or right, so we'll actually need eight Fishpod sprites in total.