

Build an HTML5 game in 30 minutes - crabasa
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/scriptjunkie/gg189187

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AlexC04
Ahhh... it's an article about using IMPACT Engine. I should have known we
weren't going to get collisions in a 30 minute web-tutorial :)

I've been stuck for a week on pixel level collisions in HTML5 (though to be
fair, my day job has taken enough of my attention that I've not had proper
time to focus on it).

I've saved this for later... I'm hoping to get a chance to look at collisions
again this weekend ... but in the meantime, if any Gurus stumble through here:
[http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5750541/trouble-with-
perf...](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5750541/trouble-with-perfect-
pixel-collisions-with-canvas-in-html5) there's still a few points up on stack
for it!

Oh maybe I should set a bounty! :) Who wants some sweet delicious stack-
overflow points ? :)

~~~
dpcan
Impact is only $99. If you spend a week working on something, wouldn't it have
been worth it just to buy Impact? I'm all for the learning process, but if you
are trying to get to a final product, then sometimes it's about finding the
right tools for the job.

~~~
AlexC04
You're right. I'm 100% beside you on the value for time spent, but as you've
mentioned there's also the 'learning value' that comes form building it from
the ground up. (Think of how much I'd have to spend to learn it in a
University course seen another way, I'm actually saving a few thousand!).

Going with an engine also carries with it the weight of engine choice as well.
Your investment is in learning how to do it from within that engine - versus -
knowing how it's done at the 'raw-guts' level.

There is likely a point at which I'll be better off cutting and moving across
to an engine. (Though with the dozens of engines available deciding that
IMPACT is the right one to go with isn't quite clear cut, for example, there's
the ISOGENIC engine on its way, <https://github.com/bebraw/jswiki/wiki/Game-
Engines> is the list on GitHub)

What about Rocket Engine? Maybe I should wait for that? What about Unity3d? Or
Flash? Cocos2D (on github, widely used, BSD license)

I'm honestly not trying to be facetious - but these are actual problems that
run through my head when trying to decide. So I suppose maybe I got so stuck
in the 'analysis paralysis' phase on the picking an engine phase and decided
to look through what I could figure out on my own.

Each puzzle brought with it a single interesting question
(<http://chesser.ca/jsSprite> shows the order, beware step 12 it has crashed
many weaker computers).

There's also a number of interesting 'next steps' I'd like to try to figure
out in a semi-assisted state (like on my own, but I get to ask experts when
I've gotten really stuck). I'm really kind of excited about getting to look at
something called 'quad-trees'

And then there's all the setting up NODE.JS and WEBSOCKETS for adding multiple
mobs to the screen at once.

It's less about the finished product than it is about building valuable full-
stack developer skills. With node specifically, I'm going to have to build an
AWS instance and set up the brains of my operation... not to mention sending
the correct data back and forth! (i'm getting a little giddy thinking about
it).

Placed in a broader context - I'm employed full time doing other stuff and
would love one day to ship a working project - but at this phase am not
totally ready to rely on 'magic functions'.

If it's possible to give a short answer after all of that, you're 100% right &
I agree 100% ... and I'm doing it the hard way because I'm a stubborn, dorky
nerd (but my lights don't go out if I miss the ship-date).

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dstein
It's strange seeing this on Microsoft's website considering their multi-decade
campaign to prevent web-based games and applications from becoming mainstream.

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empika
Wow, I bet Dominic has seen some good sales figures from that article! I
bought the Impact library a couple of months ago and it's great :) ..yet to
build anything worthwhile in it though :(

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crabasa
@dstein Things couldn't have changed more. We're giving away $40k in prizes to
people building the coolest gaming and music experiences in HTML5 right now:
<http://www.beautyoftheweb.com/dev/unplugged> (closes May 8)

