Overview

This book is the 3rd volume in the Quickstart series of Android Games Practical Programming. With practical tips, illustrations, diagrams, and images, this book walks you through the basics of game programming and gives you exactly what you need to get started with an action game project Ozman Quest from scratch. There is also an online Apphex Forums (apphex.com) for the book that you can go to, to download the code projects, ask questions and look for technical support. Our support team is always there so you can get help directly from the community. What This Book Covers? Unit 1, Fundamentals, starts with the basics of Android programming. You'll gain extensive knowledge of the underlying terms and concepts commonly used in Android programming, such as Activity, Thread, Handler, Context, View, Surface View, App Manifest, App Resources, Screen Density, and System Permissions. Unit 2, Project Framework, discusses the storyline and framework of the game Ozman Quest built for this book. You'll be able to write the main thread and game view for your app. Meanwhile, you'll learn how to produce fade-in/fade-out and slide-in/slide-out animations to offer smooth transitions between contents or views. Unit 3, Sprites and Objects, elaborates the basic implementation process of creating sprites, major characters, weapons, powerups, and other objects. This unit also covers the fundamentals of Canvas Coordinate System in game programming. Unit 4, Animation, introduces the foundations of game animation. You'll learn how to produce smooth animations of objects (sprites) using Bitmap sheets or separate PNG images. Unit 5, Artificial Intelligence, begins by introducing the basics of artificial intelligence in game programming. You'll learn how to implement A* (A-star) as well as Alert/Non-alert pathfinding algorithms for Android. This unit also covers the implementation process of collision detection between objects. Unit 6, Maps, explores the basics of tiles, layers, maps, and the design process that surrounds these terms. You'll be able to easily make game maps by using a WYSIWYG based 4D array of map data. Unit 7, SQLite Database, describes the foundations of integrating SQLite database into Android apps. You'll learn how to write a customized database handler to interact with the SQLite database, and how to implement CRUD (Create, Read, Update, and Delete) operations on the SQLite database. Unit 8, Achievements and Leaderboards, discusses the basic steps on how to implement Google Play achievement and leaderboard features within your app. This unit also shows you how to build a scoring system within your app. Who This Book Is For? This book is for aspiring programmers and artists trying to get into the game industry quickly and looking for a practical guide to kick start their projects. It assumes a passable understanding of Java, including how to write classes and handle basic inheritance structures.

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9781502422095

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Fred Yang is the lead developer at Micbots (micbots.com), a Vancouver based game studio that produces fun and attractive mobile games on market for all to enjoy. So far the released titles include Sokoban Deluxe, Lost Warrior, Crocodile Island, Ozman Quest, Temple of Arceus, and Nezeh Series. Fred is also a mentor for aspiring programmers and artists who are interested in breaking into the game industry.

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