Comments on: Why I Can’t Use Flash for Game Development http://gbgames.com/blog/2008/04/why-i-cant-use-flash-for-game-development/ An Indie Game Developer's somewhat interesting thoughts Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:27:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: &nbsp Online Development Platforms » GBGames - Thoughts on Indie Game Development http://gbgames.com/blog/2008/04/why-i-cant-use-flash-for-game-development/comment-page-1/#comment-57270 &nbsp Online Development Platforms » GBGames - Thoughts on Indie Game Development Wed, 06 Aug 2008 16:00:51 +0000 http://gbgames.com/blog/2008/04/why-i-cant-use-flash-for-game-development/#comment-57270 [...] few months back, I wrote about how I couldn’t use Flash for game development, mostly because of the poor Gnu/Linux support. The comments to that post have since made me rethink [...] [...] few months back, I wrote about how I couldn’t use Flash for game development, mostly because of the poor Gnu/Linux support. The comments to that post have since made me rethink [...]

]]> By: GBGames http://gbgames.com/blog/2008/04/why-i-cant-use-flash-for-game-development/comment-page-1/#comment-56153 GBGames Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:09:33 +0000 http://gbgames.com/blog/2008/04/why-i-cant-use-flash-for-game-development/#comment-56153 Thanks for the comments, Mike! I saw Flex Builder Linux, but it is a plugin for Eclipse, which doesn't help those of us who don't use Eclipse. Still, there is the Flex Compiler Shell at http://labs.adobe.com/wiki/index.php/Flex_Compiler_Shell which should be useful. Then again, I watched the Flex Builder video, and I can see how using a full IDE can be helpful. Thanks for the comments, Mike! I saw Flex Builder Linux, but it is a plugin for Eclipse, which doesn’t help those of us who don’t use Eclipse. Still, there is the Flex Compiler Shell at http://labs.adobe.com/wiki/index.php/Flex_Compiler_Shell which should be useful.

Then again, I watched the Flex Builder video, and I can see how using a full IDE can be helpful.

]]> By: Mike http://gbgames.com/blog/2008/04/why-i-cant-use-flash-for-game-development/comment-page-1/#comment-56152 Mike Fri, 11 Apr 2008 02:13:38 +0000 http://gbgames.com/blog/2008/04/why-i-cant-use-flash-for-game-development/#comment-56152 To the guy who's wondering if there's an environment for Flash programming on Linux: Flex, MTASC and haXe. http://osflash.org/linux http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/flex/flexbuilder_linux/ The hate you all feel is due to poor programming on the part of developers. They test on Windows and Mac and it passes through to their production web site. They are coding Flash on tight deadlines. Install the Flexbuilder 3 trial and help make us Flash developers more aware of problems on Linux. Also, don't hate on Flash because of ads. If there were a better platform for ads than Flash, you would be hating it. If security is a concern, rest easy because security is a major concern as Adobe advances the platform. Bottom line: Flash apps are a pleasure to use when they benefit from careful planning, which should include thorough IA. To the guy who’s wondering if there’s an environment for Flash programming on Linux: Flex, MTASC and haXe.

http://osflash.org/linux
http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/flex/flexbuilder_linux/

The hate you all feel is due to poor programming on the part of developers. They test on Windows and Mac and it passes through to their production web site. They are coding Flash on tight deadlines.

Install the Flexbuilder 3 trial and help make us Flash developers more aware of problems on Linux.

Also, don’t hate on Flash because of ads. If there were a better platform for ads than Flash, you would be hating it. If security is a concern, rest easy because security is a major concern as Adobe advances the platform.

Bottom line: Flash apps are a pleasure to use when they benefit from careful planning, which should include thorough IA.

]]> By: remi http://gbgames.com/blog/2008/04/why-i-cant-use-flash-for-game-development/comment-page-1/#comment-56151 remi Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:34:51 +0000 http://gbgames.com/blog/2008/04/why-i-cant-use-flash-for-game-development/#comment-56151 i SO feel you. whenever i see Flash in a firefox tab, i close it as soon as possible, so it doesn't crash. whenever it crashes, either all Flash stops working until i restart X ... or i'm forced to restart X because the crashed Flash image is stuck on my desktop and won't go away ... (this only ever happens on my amd64 machine, tho ... flash craps out sometimes on my x86, but hardly ever ... sometimes it just makes firefox freeze for a sec) that said ... we've got Flash elements on most of our sites, where i work, and i've been working on learning some ActionScript so i can make our designer's Flash elements more dynamic and integrated with our websites. i've got a funny love / hate relationship with Flash. mostly hate ... i think Flash is totally abused on most websites that use it, but it's *awesome* for video, supplementary website navs/widgets, and games. i SO feel you.

whenever i see Flash in a firefox tab, i close it as soon as possible, so it doesn’t crash. whenever it crashes, either all Flash stops working until i restart X … or i’m forced to restart X because the crashed Flash image is stuck on my desktop and won’t go away … (this only ever happens on my amd64 machine, tho … flash craps out sometimes on my x86, but hardly ever … sometimes it just makes firefox freeze for a sec)

that said … we’ve got Flash elements on most of our sites, where i work, and i’ve been working on learning some ActionScript so i can make our designer’s Flash elements more dynamic and integrated with our websites.

i’ve got a funny love / hate relationship with Flash. mostly hate … i think Flash is totally abused on most websites that use it, but it’s *awesome* for video, supplementary website navs/widgets, and games.

]]> By: tracyanne http://gbgames.com/blog/2008/04/why-i-cant-use-flash-for-game-development/comment-page-1/#comment-56150 tracyanne Thu, 10 Apr 2008 05:28:52 +0000 http://gbgames.com/blog/2008/04/why-i-cant-use-flash-for-game-development/#comment-56150 Interesting. I never have problems with Flash and Firefox on My Mandriva based computers. It just works. Interesting. I never have problems with Flash and Firefox on My Mandriva based computers. It just works.

]]> By: salparadise http://gbgames.com/blog/2008/04/why-i-cant-use-flash-for-game-development/comment-page-1/#comment-56149 salparadise Thu, 10 Apr 2008 05:00:59 +0000 http://gbgames.com/blog/2008/04/why-i-cant-use-flash-for-game-development/#comment-56149 I have lots of problems with flash on firefox on OSX too. Processor running at near 100% for one youtube movie and if I have several pages open with flash adverts then it gets silly. In the end I had to install flashblock to regain any kind of usability. I think this is partly to do with the way the Mac handles graphics (from some half read, barely remembered article on such things) and partly to do with flash. I also use Linux a lot and found that periodically flash would cause problems there too. But for the occasional youtube visit I find flash to be irritating and ugly. At least flashblock offers some control. I have lots of problems with flash on firefox on OSX too. Processor running at near 100% for one youtube movie and if I have several pages open with flash adverts then it gets silly. In the end I had to install flashblock to regain any kind of usability.
I think this is partly to do with the way the Mac handles graphics (from some half read, barely remembered article on such things) and partly to do with flash.
I also use Linux a lot and found that periodically flash would cause problems there too.
But for the occasional youtube visit I find flash to be irritating and ugly. At least flashblock offers some control.

]]> By: GBGames http://gbgames.com/blog/2008/04/why-i-cant-use-flash-for-game-development/comment-page-1/#comment-56148 GBGames Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:31:22 +0000 http://gbgames.com/blog/2008/04/why-i-cant-use-flash-for-game-development/#comment-56148 Troy, if my goal is to create games for everyone, including MYSELF, then having poor support for Linux-based systems is not an option. Now, it is obvious that many people have seen Flash run stable, and judging by the comments, I am rethinking my position on Flash because of it, but my goal has always been to make more games available for GNU/Linux users. That isn't to say that this isn't a serious business. This isn't charity work. I'm not talking about making games for GNU/Linux to the exclusion of everyone else. But I am also not talking about making Windows games and porting to GNU/Linux and Mac as an afterthought. My games will allow as many people as possible the chance to play in their preferred environment. It is the same reason why I can't even bother to look at Unity. But again, if Flash support is so much better than my experience has shown, then I need to rethink my position and do some more research. I agree that Flash seems to be the best platform for development and distribution, but if it doesn't work properly on GNU/Linux, it won't work properly for me, and why would I spend my time making games for other people to play that I can't play myself? Troy, if my goal is to create games for everyone, including MYSELF, then having poor support for Linux-based systems is not an option.

Now, it is obvious that many people have seen Flash run stable, and judging by the comments, I am rethinking my position on Flash because of it, but my goal has always been to make more games available for GNU/Linux users. That isn’t to say that this isn’t a serious business. This isn’t charity work. I’m not talking about making games for GNU/Linux to the exclusion of everyone else. But I am also not talking about making Windows games and porting to GNU/Linux and Mac as an afterthought. My games will allow as many people as possible the chance to play in their preferred environment.

It is the same reason why I can’t even bother to look at Unity.

But again, if Flash support is so much better than my experience has shown, then I need to rethink my position and do some more research. I agree that Flash seems to be the best platform for development and distribution, but if it doesn’t work properly on GNU/Linux, it won’t work properly for me, and why would I spend my time making games for other people to play that I can’t play myself?

]]> By: Penguin Pete http://gbgames.com/blog/2008/04/why-i-cant-use-flash-for-game-development/comment-page-1/#comment-56147 Penguin Pete Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:11:41 +0000 http://gbgames.com/blog/2008/04/why-i-cant-use-flash-for-game-development/#comment-56147 I can well believe that you're having problems on Ubuntu, but I would just like to point out that Flash runs flawlessly on most Linux distros I've tried it on. I tend more to Slackware and Red Hat/Fedora/Mandriva, and for Debian distros I go the opposite way from Ubuntu and pick something like grml. Flash is one of the first things I test on a new system. I've also been developing Flash quite a lot and have been urging the Linux community to embrace it. With <a href="http://www.swftools.org/" rel="nofollow">SWFTools</a> and the swfc compiler for development, and the GNU Gnash project for playing, I believe that Flash effectively now belongs to open source. Adobe who? There's nowhere to go from here but up. Now that we have open source projects encompassing Flash, we'll have the last few bugs sorted out before long. I can well believe that you’re having problems on Ubuntu, but I would just like to point out that Flash runs flawlessly on most Linux distros I’ve tried it on. I tend more to Slackware and Red Hat/Fedora/Mandriva, and for Debian distros I go the opposite way from Ubuntu and pick something like grml. Flash is one of the first things I test on a new system.

I’ve also been developing Flash quite a lot and have been urging the Linux community to embrace it. With SWFTools and the swfc compiler for development, and the GNU Gnash project for playing, I believe that Flash effectively now belongs to open source. Adobe who?

There’s nowhere to go from here but up. Now that we have open source projects encompassing Flash, we’ll have the last few bugs sorted out before long.

]]> By: AQOne http://gbgames.com/blog/2008/04/why-i-cant-use-flash-for-game-development/comment-page-1/#comment-56145 AQOne Wed, 09 Apr 2008 22:24:43 +0000 http://gbgames.com/blog/2008/04/why-i-cant-use-flash-for-game-development/#comment-56145 I've used the flash plugin in Firefox with Ubuntu without any issues for months now. I’ve used the flash plugin in Firefox with Ubuntu without any issues for months now.

]]> By: Troy Gilbert http://gbgames.com/blog/2008/04/why-i-cant-use-flash-for-game-development/comment-page-1/#comment-56144 Troy Gilbert Wed, 09 Apr 2008 21:36:52 +0000 http://gbgames.com/blog/2008/04/why-i-cant-use-flash-for-game-development/#comment-56144 So, are you saying that Flash isn't the right platform for you to use to develop games for yourself, as a hobbyist? Or Flash isn't the right platform for you to use to develop games for others, as a professional? If its the former, then rock on... use whatever platform best suits you. In fact, if you're developing just for yourself, go native and use something a bit beefier so you can really play. If its the latter, then your arguments are simply short-sighted. Poor Ubuntu support means that Flash is "not that ubiquitous"? How many folks in your audience will be running Ubuntu? How many in the larger casual game playing market? Less than 1%. It'd be like designing your website for those users who run IE4 on a 640x480, 16-color display. Actually, that may be a *bigger* percentage of the audience... ;) Flash is the best platform for developing and *distributing* casual games, without debate. If your aims are different than that, then Flash might not be the best fit. So, are you saying that Flash isn’t the right platform for you to use to develop games for yourself, as a hobbyist? Or Flash isn’t the right platform for you to use to develop games for others, as a professional?

If its the former, then rock on… use whatever platform best suits you. In fact, if you’re developing just for yourself, go native and use something a bit beefier so you can really play.

If its the latter, then your arguments are simply short-sighted. Poor Ubuntu support means that Flash is “not that ubiquitous”? How many folks in your audience will be running Ubuntu? How many in the larger casual game playing market? Less than 1%. It’d be like designing your website for those users who run IE4 on a 640×480, 16-color display. Actually, that may be a *bigger* percentage of the audience… ;)

Flash is the best platform for developing and *distributing* casual games, without debate. If your aims are different than that, then Flash might not be the best fit.

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