Flash and Gaming Engines

Designing a game in Flash opens a whole window of interactive and dynamic opportunities within the game, but more functionality can be added to the game by using engines. An engine is an additional API code that's loaded into Flash with the project, giving you additional functionality depending on which engine you use. Engines will be based around improving areas of Flash such as 3D, Physics and creating games. Popular engines include PushButton, Citrus Engine and Box2D all with varying features and advantages.



For 'Little I.T. Guy' the Citrus Engine has been considered and various tests are being done to see the viability of using the framework and what advantages it gives the project. The Citrus engine is written in Flash Develop or alternate software such as FlashBuilder, with less of the coding work being done visually and more of it being done like HTML or C+ where a project has to be published before its seen after typing the code independently. Citrus's main features include integration with Box2D, another engine which adds more functionality to objects such as better movement and interaction,  easy design of levels using classes and lots of pre-made features such as coins and achievements collection. Citrus itself is an overall gaming engine but has a preferred use of making platform games.

Other engines such as the Flixel engine have a different range of features and which engine is chosen depends on the overall project aims. Flixel includes features such as collisions, split screen, saving and loading and easy UI creation.

A few concepts are being worked on to see if using the Citrus Engine is the right direction for the 'Little I.T. Guy' before the primary coding and production begins.