Game Maker Apprentice (and similar) chat thread

[TunnelRhino]

Here are the questions I have for the book named Game Maker Apprentice.


#1: Are the images, sounds, music etc. that comes on the CD (Compact Disc) of the book named Game Maker Apprentice permitted to be used in public games, public videos etc. or no?


#2: Does Game Maker Apprentice book teach people how to make a Super Metroid game?


#3: Does Game Maker Apprentice book come with Game Maker 7.0 Lite Edition?

 

[HayManMarc]

1. Not sure.
2. No.
3. Not sure, but don't think so.
4. This book, though it touches on some core concepts, is very outdated and no longer recommended.

 

[FrostyCat]

1. Consult the Readme at the beginning of the book, and on the CD if there is one. Chances are they are licensed for personal use only.
2. Not directly, but if it covers platformers then a Super Metroid game is just an extension of that. Don't look for exact copy-and-paste help, adapt it from smaller pieces.
3. Earlier versions of the book come with 6.1, which won't run on anything past Windows XP. And 7.0 is no longer available.

Unless you're interested in its history or GM memorabilia, you shouldn't be asking about Apprentice from a practical standpoint. That book is well past its prime.

 

[dannyjenn]

If you're interested in it, maybe see if your local library has a copy? (They have it near where I live, and I checked it out not too long ago. And it's as FrostyCat says, the book is very outdated. Don't try using it for learning GameMaker, as many features have changed (GameMaker's interface is now entirely different, and much of the functions/variables now have different names). But the book does have a few nuggets when it comes to game design. I especially like the part where

Spoiler

it reveals who the Game Maker's "apprentice" is, lol

. But even some of the general game design stuff is a little outdated at this point.)

If you need some free graphics for practice projects, try SpriteLib (I believe it's completely free... it doesn't have a whole lot of sprites, but has a good sampling and at least enough to get you started.). Come to think of it, I think that some of GameMaker's old sprites came from SpriteLib. (But don't quote me on that)

And for free music and sounds, you could try freesound.org (some of it's completely free, but other stuff has restrictions, so make sure to check each file's license separately).

 

[Yal]

The book is incredibly outdated and most of its knowledge is obsolete at this point. You could save yourself time and headaches watching Shaun Spalding's or GMWolf's tutorial series instead.

#2: Does Game Maker Apprentice book teach people how to make a Super Metroid game?

You could always buy my SoulsVania Engine and have everything you need to make a metroidvania in Game Maker without needing to learn how to make it yourself~