Postmortem: Adam Jones Productions’ Word Builder: Pro

Introduction

Adam Jones Productions announced the release of a new game, Word Builder: Pro. This sequel to the popular Word Builder game was developed with the intent to build upon the design that made the original game fun, while at the same time adding a few key features for added gameplay complexity.

The Learning Curve

The programmer working on this project was a graduate student named Jamie. Having not previously worked in ActionScript 3.0 it was necessary for him to pick up the Flash IDE and FlashDevelop for this project.

There was a deadline that needed to be met, so Jamie had to learn three development environments on the fly during development of Word Builder: Pro. There was a bit of a learning curve as the syntax for AS3 is strikingly different from C++ and XNA. Actionscript as a system is much more restrictive in what it allows a programmer to do, a difficult adaptation for a trained programmer. Additionally, the Flash IDE was designed primarily for artists; presenting another barrier to understanding for a programmer.

Conversions Between IDEs

When taking the code from the Flash IDE version of Word Builder and importing it to the FlashDevelop environment a number of problems arose. Several of the original commands written for WB used the Flash IDE’s built in functionality, something that doesn’t exist in the FlashDevelop environment. As a result these basic functions had to be rewritten for the new studio, many of which appeared at multiple levels in the code.

Another issue came when exporting assets in the form of SWC files. Jamie, being new to the Flash IDE, needed time to explore why there was trouble with exported SWC files which were being sent incorrectly. During development slow time Jamie came up and took the time to learn how to properly convert SWC files. Once done Jamie received the assets for Word Builder: Pro and was able to import them quickly and efficiently

Art Assets

Previous Flash games under the AJP logo featured art work done by the company’s artist, who has a knack for using gradients with a sleek look that give WBP a more modernized feel. Even though the artist was capable and had a solid art style, complications in his workflow delayed delivery of art assets. In the end, the art assets were delivered after the game had all main functionality coded. Integration proceeded from there unhindered.

Utilizing the Framework

It is important to remember that whenever building a project using a development framework to use it from start to finish. Early development of WBP was started without the framework and then migrated into it. The functionality did not mesh smoothly. These were simple problems that would have been avoided had the entire project been built with the framework from the beginning; a valuable lesson learned.

Conclusion

Overall, Jamie had to deal with the learning curve of AS3.0 while developing WBP, but the game was completed before its deadline. The game is available on Mochi Games and will soon be released on Facebook through the Mindjolt Application.

Links

• Word Builder: Pro
• Adam Jones Productions' Web Page
• Adam Jones Producutions' Blog

The Intern Experience

Adam Jones Productions is dedicated to the career development of recent and future graduates who want to focus on game development. Interns at AJP are tasked with “start to finish” project tasks that build a deeper understanding of development process flow as well as granting them the ability to have professional published credits on their resumes. Since its inception the program has been enriching for participating interns and the company alike.

Any prospective interns must have the drive and motivation to work in an empowered work environment. A common phrase is “Attitude over Aptitude”. A strong work ethic, desire to succeed, and openness to learn new things are all requirements. Specific duties for interns are varied and based on their desired career tracts. There are internships for Software Programmers, Server / DB Programmers, Interface artists, Audio engineers, and Testing / QA.

Software Programmers

The bulk of interns express interest in the Software Programming internship. AJP makes heavy use of Flash and Actionscript for the majority of its game programming tasks. An understanding of Object Oriented Programming is the foundation of this field, and is required. While knowledge of the Flash SDK and Actionscript are useful, they can be learned as part of the internship. The course teaches how to integrate the Flex SDK into solutions like the FlashDevelop kit and the Adobe Flash environment with the objective of programming a fully monetized flash game from start to finish. The intern would be working closely with experienced staff members and utilizing the libraries and solutions they have developed.

In addition the company utilizes server and database programmers as well. The server schema AJP uses to manage its databases for social games is taught to interns who then go start to finish creating mock-ups of web and social games that utilize the AJP framework. These are then tied into Flash front ends, demonstrating a complete implementation of a client server setup. Interns who perform well in this course are primed to be added to the AJP permanent staff as social game developers.

Audio Engineers

There is always a place for sound experts with a passion for their trade. Interns interested in this tract should have a strong ear for music and sound effects and understand their application to games. Music composition is a great opportunity for any music artist interested in having their talents featured in the company’s web products. Musical talent is useful but not necessary. The solutions used by AJP are Sony Acid Pro and Audacity, though individual artists may work in other environments as preferred. Recording equipment is provided by the company to record new sounds, mix them, and convert them to the preferred file format.

User Interface Artist

The discipline of visually organizing on-screen elements is known as UI Art. Artists interested in this field of work should be comfortable working in Adobe Illustrator. Because the company produces all of its front-end products in Flash, vector formatted assets are the requirement. If an artist is comfortable using Flash studio’s built in draw tools that is also acceptable. UI Artists are very helpful in helping the designer give form and definition to a game project and are utilized at every stage of the process from start to finish.

Quality Assurance Testers

Testing is critical in ensuring a quality and bug free product is released. QA testing is the ground floor that most game developers use to enter the larger game companies. QA is as much an art as a science; and the process requires a great attention to detail, basic knowledge of programming, and the ability to think outside the box. Forms and formats are provided but the best performance in this area is finding the unseen exploits, bugs, and cheats in the games. As well input is collected on improvements and feature additions that will make the game better and more solid.


As a rule interns are treated as professionals, not students. Instructions are issued, tools provided, and performance expected. The intern is treated like any other member of the team and expected to perform to spec and deadline as appropriate. Anyone who feels they are equal to the challenge should contact AJP and inquire more.

Welcome to AJP

To all the readers out there allow me to introduce you to the Adam Jones Productions Blogspot. The purpose of this blog is to promote the AJP name along with all the projects that are developed under it. A little what we do at AJP is that we develop web and social games for people to play and enjoy at their leisure. At this moment we have several Flash game titles that have been released. We are going to continue to develop more games. Most of the games we have developed have been mostly in word based puzzle games and a few in a casino style. Several of our games have already been published on the Mindjolt Games website. Below this entry there are links provided to the games that we have published. Be sure to visit this blog often to watch for development updates on our upcoming titles.

Published AJP Games:

• Word Builder: Letters
  


• Word Drop


• Word Drop 2


• Poker Drop


• Knight's Tale


• Sandbagz Medieval

Post by:

Andrew C. Dieppa

Public Relations & QA Administrator

Adam Jones Productions