Topics

1

Paid Work / Wanted: JavaScript/TypeScript Developer with HTML5 Framework Experience

« on: July 02, 2020, 02:32:46 am »

Highwood Educational Consulting and Development is Seeking a junior JavaScript/TypeScript developer  for a period of approximately 4 to 5 months, to commence mid to late July 2020. Must have experience developing interactive products with HTML5 canvas – experience with a popular framework such as PhaserJS or PixiJS would be an advantage. Experience testing on multiple devices, including all major desktop and mobile operating systems (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android etc) is required. An understanding of Dependency Injection would also be advantageous, but not absolutely essential. The suitable candidate will have a portfolio of related work to demonstrate knowledge and expertise. The possibility exists of further work for the right candidate. To apply, please email CV, cover letter and/or portfolio link to: richardsneyd@hotmail.com.

Many thanks!
Richard  Sneyd
Head of Software Development
Highwood Education

2

Shared Resources / Make HTML5 Games Responsive to Browser Window + Maintain Aspect Ratio (Easy)

« on: October 18, 2016, 02:58:07 am »

I recently wrote a javascript to make HTML5 exported games responsive to the browser window. This means that it will adjust to fit onto the screen for Mobile and Desktop, whatever the screen dimensions, so you can avoid clipping on lower resolution devices, for instance. To use it:

• Just download the attached file, called responsive.js
• Build your game for HTML5, then extract the contents of the generated zip file
• Copy and paste responsive.js into the parent directory, beside index.html
• Open index.html, and find the closing body tag, it looks like this:

  </body>

  . Then, insert this line just before it, so it looks like this:
  

  <script type="text/javascript" src="responsive.js"></script>
  </body>
• Save your changes, and open the index file in your browser (may have to use localhost, opening in Firefox directly seems to work fine though). Try resizing the browser window to see the effect, you should see the game canvas (window) scaling up and down, while maintaining the original aspect ratio, so that it is never being clipped horizontally or vertically. 

Enjoy!

3

Teaching with Stencyl / Official Stencyl Exams and Certificate Programs - Plus Free Courseware!

« on: May 09, 2016, 01:29:17 am »

IAI and Stencyl LLC would like to announce the launch of an official Stencyl exam and certification program. We invite all organizations, schools and school systems running or considering running Stencyl based game design and game programming classes to  adopt this exam. Individual Stencyl users are also encouraged to sign up and acquire official recognition and certification for their Stencyl skills. Please feel free to do so no matter your skill level, as the bundled courseware covers everything you need to know. Comprehensive courseware is available free of charge to all schools and teachers who adopt the program, through our learning portal. Access is granted to individual learners, teachers and their students after an exam has been booked in advance: http://courseware.stencylexam.com

Testing and Certification Process
The exam is fully integrated into the learning website, so you can opt to take the test as soon as you are ready to do so, once you have nominated a supervisor. If you are taking the exam as part of a class, your teacher is your designated supervisor,  please do not proceed with the exam until they instruct you to do so.
Exam Cost
All exams are charged at the rate of $45 per test, per student. For example, if you had a class of 20 students taking the Stencyl Game Design Specialist exam in one of the April or November testing windows, the total cost would be $900. You will receive complete access to the comprehensive courseware on our learning portal once a exam has been booked. Payments can be made easily through Paypal on the automated booking system on the exam website: http://stencylexam.com/order/. If you are an individual, you can register simply and instantly on the course landing pages through the links below, using PayPal (which also accepts Credit Card payments). The booking page mentioned about is for bulk seat purchasing only.

Available Exams
Individuals seeking certification can register directly on the course page for the appropriate exam, by clicking one of the links below. If you are seeking to register a class or group (bulk registration), please visit our bulk booking page. The available exams are:

•     Stencyl Game Design Specialist. To prepare, please cover modules 1,2 and 3 on the learning portal.
•   Stencyl Game Programming Specialist. To prepare, please complete modules 1,2 and 4 on the learning portal.
•   Stencyl Game Design Expert (Available Q3 2017). To take this exam, a learner must first have passed the Stencyl Game Design Specialist exam. To prepare, please complete module 5.
• Stencyl Game Programming Expert (Available Q3 2017). To take this exam, a learner must have first have passed the Stencyl Game Design Specialist exam. To prepare, please complete module 6.

Please visit www.stencylexam.com for more information. If you would like to enquire for your class or school, feel free to post a question here, or use the contact form on the exam website.

Richard Sneyd,
Instructional Director,
Interactive Assessment Institute
 www.stencylexam.com
   

4

Teaching with Stencyl / Stencyl vs Construct 2: An Explanatory Video

« on: March 25, 2016, 04:49:46 am »

I've seen a lot of questions posted by a lot of newcomers on a lot of game dev forums down through the years, asking questions to the effect of 'which is bhttp://community.stencyl.com/Smileys/aaron/shocked.gifetter, Stencyl or Construct 2'. Many of my own students on Udemy have asked similar questions. So I decided to put together an explanatory video, giving  my professional experience and personal opinion on how the two software programs ultimately compare (pisst. Stencyl comes off pretty well). It's here on YouTube, it might help some of you out if you don't quite understand the key differences: https://youtu.be/Hsji9oQrPw4

Edit: I've also just published a blog post on the same subject, which goes into a little more detail.

Those of you who are teaching Stencyl classes may feel free to use it with students to pose similar questions. Post any questions you may have here or on the destination page!

5

Teaching with Stencyl / New Stencyl Course: Just $1 For 24 Hours (Save $98)

« on: February 13, 2016, 02:07:33 am »

Hi guys,

I've just launched a new Stencyl course on Udemy, Develop A Vertical Shoot'em Up Game for Android and iOS, and I'm giving it away for just $1 for the next 24 hours (Save $98) in order to build the student base, gather useful feedback, reward loyal customers, and build social proof (ratings and reviews). Here's the link with the discount attached:

https://www.udemy.com/develop-a-vertical-shootem-up-game-for-android-and-ios-stencyl-free/?couponCode=1FOR24HRS

Please enjoy, but remember, this offer is valid for 24 hours only.

Richard

6

Journals / Astrochimp: Ditched in Space (Early WIP for Steam)

« on: August 10, 2015, 08:33:29 am »

In Astrochimp: Ditched in Space You are a chimpanzee astronaut (astrochimp) who is unexpectedly marooned and left for dead by the rest of his crew after an undisclosed incident occurred back at base camp on a mysterious comet hurtling through space, which is rich in rare and valuable ores, but which was assumed by Expedion Corp. to have been completely devoid of all forms of life... The first development clip is now up:  https://youtu.be/OeLbOKe6h-U

Visual Style/Theme
We're going for an eerie, yet vivid and cartoonish art style with a painterly twist. As you can see I'm using a navy-purplish color scheme to convey a vague sense of jeopardy and foreboding. The landscape, especially at the start of the game, is cold, harsh and barren, yet not without it's beauty. this is how the game is looking at present:

Gameplay

Having been left behind (or, ditched) on comet 471P, with only your spacesuit and a handy little anti-gravity ray gun (provided by Expedion Corp. for the transport of your extremely high mass cargo) you must find a way to traverse this unforgiving terrain, spanning over 60 levels all of which are packed with unique environments and challenges, using your short-burst jetpack and and the anti-gravity ray gun you got from Expedion Corp. Oh, and think you're alone up there? That's nice...

More coming on this soon, in the meantime, please follow us here and help us make this the best game it can be!

7

Teaching with Stencyl / Digital-Tutors: Stencyl Training Course Launched!

« on: August 06, 2015, 08:03:14 am »

Hello all Stencylers,

I'm very happy to share that, after a bit of hard graft and a few all-nighters,  I and the Digital-Tutors team have just published the first DT Stencyl training course on DigitalTutors.com (also on their sister website pluralsight.com), and you can check it out here:
http://www.digitaltutors.com/tutorial/2215-Creating-a-Cross-Platform-2D-Game-in-Stencyl
And here is the stamped final render from Digital-Tutors, showcasing the essence of the training:

This is just an other development which proves how well the Stencyl tool, and community itself, have evolved over the past few years, with more and more of the big boys coming to realize that this is a serious game engine, on a rapid upward trajectory. I'm proud to be part of it, and as always, I hope this training aids many new and intermediate Stencyl users in learning how to develop their own future 2D game masterpieces with Stencyl!

If you have any questions etc please feel free! 

Richard
CyberMyth Games

8

Paid Work / For Hire: Expert Stencyl Developer

« on: August 01, 2015, 04:48:32 am »

To all interested parties,

I am an expert game developer, having established my own game development studio, through which I have published successful games to both mobile and desktop platforms using Stencyl. I am also a published author on the subject (Stencyl Essentials, Packt Publishing), and have created two immensely popular video courses on Stencyl game development.

Edit
Please be advised that I am now available on www.upwork.com for hire to help you with your projects. Since I am new to the site, I will be available for hire as either a tutor or a freelancer on your game projects for just $20 p/h, which is much lower than my usual fee (when you're new to a site like Upwork, it's hard to get the first few jobs without any social proof, the price will go up in a  while when I have a few jobs under my belt, so now is the right time to hire me  ).

I work very fast, so you get a lot for that. If you're looking for some help with a project, just post a job with a clear description of the problem, search for my name (Richard Sneyd)  in the freelancer database, and invite me to the job, then I can take care of the rest. Here's a link to my profile:

http://www.upwork.com/o/profiles/users/_~012b5221c0e4fb2fee/

Looking forward to working with you on Upwork! I can provide a number of services, such as:

• Stencyl tutoring/assistance/training
• Haxe and OpenFL  coding and/or tutoring (if you're trying to learn to language and Framework at the core of the Stencyl engine, I can help)
• Bug resolution and troubleshooting (help you fix your broken games)
• Develop entire games from scratch (it's better if you post this kind of job for a fixed fee, rather than for an hourly rate)
• Do all your programming for you, using your art
• Provide artwork for you, if you are a confident programmer

Feel free to post about it on this thread too, just a nudge to let me know you're posting a job for me. If you're unsure as to whether or not I can help you with any particular issue, feel free to email me at richard@cybermythstudios.com.


Kind Regards,
Richard Sneyd
CyberMyth Games

9

Teaching with Stencyl / Stencyl Training Bundle StackSocial ($30)

« on: July 21, 2015, 08:42:45 am »

I thought I should share with the community that StackSocial are running a special Stencyl Training Bundle deal, where you can get both the intro (Create Your First Computer Game with Stencyl) and advanced (Design and Develop Advanced Computer Games with Stencyl) courses for just $30 total. That's an overall saving of $218! The deal is only available for 7 days starting today, and will likely never be repeated. Here's the link:

https://stacksocial.com/sales/stencyl-game-developer-mini-bundle

Those of you who get it, please enjoy!

10

Stencyl Essentials / Re: Promo Codes and Coupons (Stencyl Essentials, Stencyl Courses etc...)

« on: June 19, 2015, 02:27:23 am »

This thread is for sharing promo codes and discounts related to Stencyl Essentials (EDIT: Feel free to post coupons for the courses too, though, as you may find these online for Create your First Computer Game with Stencyl, or Design and Develop Advanced Computer Games with Stencyl, and wish to share them) So if you find a promo/discount for either the eBook or paperback formats of Stencyl Essentials, please share them here with the community, so that all can benefit. I have one coming on Monday from the Packt marketing team, which I will post then, but for now, you can use this method to get 80% off the eBook:
 

• Follow this link, and complete the survey by Packt Publishing - http://bit.ly/1LjRzWg
  
• When you're finished, Packt will provide you with an 80% discount. WOO-HOO! Go to the Stencyl Essentials page on the Packt Websitehttp://www.amazon.com/Stencyl-Essentials-Richard-Sneyd/dp/1784399450 and use the coupon!

Edit: I just received a 30% discount code from the marketing team at Packt for both the paperback and PDF versions of Stencyl Essentials:  code: STES30 (Expires July 31st 2015).

If you have any others, please feel free to post them below 

Thanks so much!

11

Stencyl Essentials / Book REVIEWS!!

« on: June 19, 2015, 02:18:18 am »

Hi guys,

I'm putting up this sticky as a reminder/request to anyone who has already read Stencyl Essentials to please take some time to go over to Amazon and post a review, if at all possible. Just as an FYI, you don't even necessarily have to have purchased the book on Amazon to post a review, the only prerequisite is that you have purchased at least 1 item from Amazon at some point in the past. Here's the link:
http://www.amazon.com/Stencyl-Essentials-Richard-Sneyd/dp/1784399450

We all know the saying that 'a rising tide lifts all boats'; the first Stencyl book benefited from this principle, and reciprocally, exposed Stencyl to new users, which helps to grow the community/user base, and in turn, that benefits all of us. This can also be said of my video courses on Udemy, DigitalTutors.com etc. So, if you've enjoyed Stencyl Essentials, please take the a few moments to share that experience!
 
I'd also like to request that if you happen to spot any minor typos/faults/errata that  I and the Packt team may have missed in the text, please share them with me here on this thread, and we'll get right on it.

Thanks in advance!

12

Stencyl Essentials / Stencyl Essentials: 2nd Stencyl Book Out Now!

« on: May 03, 2015, 11:37:08 am »

I'm very excited to announce to the Stencyl community that I have completed work on Stencyl Essentials, and that is has been published by Packt Publishing and is now available in digital and paperback formats from Amazon, Google Play etc. along with the Packt website itself.
 
It has not been written as a replacement for Learning Stencyl 3.x Game Development: Beginner's Guide, by Innes Borkwood, which is an excellent reference material for Stencyl game development, written by a very competent Stencyl user. Rather, the purpose of the book is to provide a fast paced text, targeting those with basic computer skills and/or some computer science/computer programming experience. It cuts out a lot of the ancillary content which would usually have to be covered in a beginners guide, speeding up the learning experience for Stencyl-centric topics. It has also been designed to function as a handy reference work for teachers working with Stencyl in the classroom.

Hence, Stencyl essentials is best suited to people who are either:

• new to Stencyl, but not completely new to programming, or
• have been using stencyl for a short while, and perhaps even read the Beginners Guide, but want to learn some more sophisticated programming techniques (Stencyl Essentials will teach this)

Some of the key takeaways for the reader are:

• Modifying the shipped behaviors to fit your own custom requirements
• Writing your own behaviors from scratch, and working with the various event types
• Writing custom events and utilizing them extensively to create smarter, and more readable code
• Writing custom blocks, which accept parameters to perform various functions
• Using attributes, and game attributes, in all kinds of clever and useful ways
• Writing and utilizing complex conditional logic
• Building detailed level  geometry using tilesets
• Designing control systems that suit both Desktop and Mobile targets (PC, Mac, Linus, iOS and Android)

It was a great pleasure for me to write a book on the wonderful Stencyl game engine, and it is my sincerest hope that this work will aid many more students, hobbyists, educators and developers in learning (or, teaching) game development.

For more information about the book as well as purchasing options, please visit us at CMG Academy on the following page: http://cmgacademy.com/stencyl-essentials/

Richard Sneyd
CMG Academy

13

Chit-Chat / RE: Advanced Game Development & Design with Stencyl - Just $13 for First 25

« on: July 25, 2014, 12:00:39 am »

Some of you will have already taken Create your First Computer Game with Stencyl, the intro course I published last year. I would like to announce the release of my new course Advanced Computer Game Development & Design with Stencyl! It is specifically meant for those at beginner or intermediate levels with Stencyl and game development in general. The whole ethos of the course is to help you get to the point where you can create an entire game, not just a prototype, and then publish it to the various platforms Stencyl supports:

https://www.udemy.com/advanced-cross-platform-computer-game-development-design-with-stencyl/

To celebrate the launch, I'm giving the course away to 25 stencyl users for just $13! Just enter the coupon code: cheapaschips

As well as learning to use Stencyl at an expert level (advanced use of logic blocks etc), by the end of the course you'll be able to write basic haxe code, and work with advanced features like 3rd party extensions etc. Non-technical subjects like design theory and marketing are also covered, stuff you need to know if you're going to be a successful game developer.

The course contains 9+ hours of content and about 50 lectures at time of writing. This will at least double in the coming weeks.

Well stencylers, what are your thoughts?

14

Windows / Mac / Flash / HTML5 / Mudslide Cowboy on DESURA for Windows

« on: May 29, 2014, 03:06:39 am »

Hey!

We're very excited to share that Mudslide Cowboy is now available for purchase at a very reasonable price on Desura.com, check out the page here:
http://www.desura.com/games/mudslide-cowboy

Thanks and best wishes for CyberMyth!

Richard

15

Windows / Mac / Flash / HTML5 / Mudslide Cowboy - Now on Google Play!

« on: January 11, 2014, 03:00:06 pm »

 - NOW AVAILABLE ON GOOGLE PLAY!!


Mudslide Cowboy is the title of our latest game, which has just recently gone live on Google Play, and is free to download:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cybermythgames.mudslidecowboy


Here are some pics!








Mudslide Cowboy is about a man with a whip, a lasso & a dream. A dream to become the worlds greatest & most successful mudslide cowboy. For the uninitiated (that’s you), mudslide cowboying is the honourable profession of riding large logs down the sides of mountains where there is, or has recently been, a mudslide, in the hopes of recovering unearthed treasures like silver, gold & precious stones. A mudslide cowboy also has the option of saving people who have been buried under the mood with his trusty lasso. Or not. It’s totally your call. Be careful about running over people though, you might lose respect with the capricious town folk. They get kinda angsty when you disregard the sanctity of life. They’re funny like that.

As you rocket down the mountain, guiding Mudslide Cowboy around with your finger (or cursor, for desktop users), you will encounter all kinds of wealthful wonders. Gathering these can be a lot of fun. There will be hazards too, though! Whip those logs, rocks & bushes out of your way by tapping (or clicking) them. Mudslide Cowboy will automatically know whether to use the whip or the lasso, depending on what you click. So tap away! Whipping rocks will sometimes reveal gold or silver, which you will then gather (it pays to whip things, is basically what I’m saying here). Each level is unique, with it’s own set of challenges & rewards.

Mudslide Cowboy is now available for download from the Google Play store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cybermythgames.mudslidecowboy

I'd like to take the opportunity to thank the Stencyl team and everyone else who is working hard to make Stencyl all it can be, what an awesome tool!

Please, please, please try the game and let me know if it bugs out on your device, we're putting a lot of work into optimising now that it's live on the marketplace, which, as many of you well know, is no simple task when your targeting Android, due to the shear various in devices & OS versions.

Of course, a decent rating and review would be bril, if you should feel so inclined! 

Many thanks to all from CyberMyth Games!