Game Maker Q&A + Tips Thread

[bennelsey]

I noticed a few people here are using Game Maker for their games, so I figured I can contribute to RaNGE by sharing my experience
*I've been using it since GM5 and now I have GM Studio ( comes after GM 8 )
I'm not really an active member tho so I dunno how many people actually finished their game maker-made games

Anyway, I'm here to answer Game Maker-related questions
nothing too advanced tho, and I can't help with choosing extensions to use in your game

So other than that intro, why the sudden interest to help people?
I want more Touhou games, that is all

I also know stuff about GM! Can I answer questions in this thread?
Definitely! Everyone has their own life so people might need to wait a while before I can answer their questions

What kinds of games can Game Maker make again?
Pretty much any game, but remember that Game Maker is "relatively slow" compared to programming in native languages - that means you won't be able to make a Halo 3 game at 120 fps with it.

What about vertical scrolling shooters like the official Touhou games, can GM make them?
Yes, but like I said it'll be limited in comparison - "normal" PCs will have trouble maintaining 60fps when there are 4 thousand bullets on screen even when coding really efficiently. Might want to use danmakufu instead if you want to make those kinds of games.

How do i do feature X ?
Yep, those are the kinds of questions i'm expecting to find in this thread. I'll try to the best of my ability to answer them.

Can you make my game for me?
No, lol. I'll only answer questions and maybe help out with code snippets here and there

So If I learn GM, I'll be able to make awesome games?
Yep you *can*, but seriously tho - programming isn't everything when making games
There's still images, music, and design to worry about.
Don't worry about doing all of those yourself, it's usually better to have other people help you make your game - but it'll need dedication from the entire team to finish the game you guys are making.
When working solo, you'll need the determination of an entire team to finish a game that you can fully call your own
(not directly ripping images and music from other games)

Why so many questions in the first post?
Just to cut down all the unnecessary "What is GM?" questions and go straight to the "How do i make my game" / "Is this possible" questions.
But ok i admit i got overboard there, go ask some questions for me to answer ^^

Second post in this thread will have the compilation of Game Maker tips which will grow over time

[bennelsey]

General tips for learning how to make games with Game Maker:
1. Small, specific tutorials are your friends. Tutorials on how to shoot a bullet will teach you more than tutorials on how to make a platformer game.
2. Game Maker Language is your friend. The drag&drop icons are great and all, but you won't be able to make anything satisfyingly fun with them unless if the game itself is really simple
3. The manual has *everything*. Everything related to the Game Maker Language at least.
4. You don't need previous programming experience to make games with GM, but it does help
5. Keep the games you want to make in a "manageable" size, only as much as your experience can handle
6. Finish your game. Three words, very deep meaning. This is because to "finish" a game, you'll need to learn how to make menus, interfaces, and winning conditions. Experience in each of which will help you make everything else so your next game will be better.