Getting used to code free game development

Not too long ago I began a games design course to formalise and extend my knowledge and skill in this area of interactive media. The interactive media of my earlier career has evolved over the last decade into what I recognise are two distinct areas. While web design has been around for longer than that, it's earlier "1.0" incarnation was barely able to support what might be termed "interactive media", which back then was pretty much the sole domain of CD ROMs. With the development of Broadband, faster computers, and browser technology, what used to be delivered on CD or DVD is now easily obtained online - so that now interactive media = web design (to a great degree). The other direction of the interactive media industry then, still delivered on hard media, is Games. Since I know web design and Flash fluently, I decided to make the move in the direction of game.

The introductory part of the course, like many courses, assumes little or no knowledge. So we are using Yoyo's Game Maker as the initial authoring tool to learn basic development concepts. Powerful though Game Maker is, I do find the "code free" development slightly frustrating. I finally find myself at the other end of the ladder than I was 13 years ago. Back then I would have given anything to be able to build games, or any complex interactive media, without having to write a line of code. Since then I have got down to it and learned a great deal of ActionScript and such like over the years, and now find the coding aspect logical and sensible. Now I am forced to use a GUI to drag icons around to make "code" I find it frustrating, but am getting used to it.

Take this example for instance:

The visual equivalent took a bit more thought to drag together, than the ActionScript based syntax I am now used to. It's partly because of being unfamiliar with where to look for the draggable items, and partly because it would just be quicker to type.

I laugh to myself because now I finally understand what my coding whiz brother, and others like him, were thinking when I took delight in code free authoring environments all those years ago. They found them slow in comparison to coding by hand. And now... so do I.

Does this mean I have arrived?

Meanwhile, I am getting used to Game Maker, and I understand I am able to code by hand if I want to so I am happy to recommend this excellent product. Tally ho!