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  XNA Xtreme 101 - Volume 3  
   

In this, the closing volume of the XNA Xtreme 101 series, we take a look at some key techniques and topics that you'll need in order to push your programming skills to their maximum potential. From there, you start to really strike out and become a game developer as you are given thorough design specs and construction techniques for a variety of game engines!

The key educational element of this volume is that the viewer is given a much greater degree of freedom over their coding process. With so much programming knowledge gained in Volumes I and II, this third volume does considerably less hand-holding, instead focusing on new topics that have not been covered, and giving discussions on how these new concepts can be worked into existing knowledge to create the final game. Put simply, this volume contains fewer examples coded in their entirety, opting instead for teaching you new skill sets and showing you how they can be implemented to create each new game.

For this reason, it is recommended that newcomers to the programming world start with Volumes I and II!

If you'd like to see a list form of the topics covered in Volume III, please see below!

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Learn through a series of fun projects or create your own variations
Memory Master
Memory Master is a game in which a series of floating circular pucks bounce around the screen, flashing in a particular pattern. The player then repeats this pattern using a series of corresponding button presses. The challenge comes from the fact that while the pattern remains consistent and constantly expands, the pucks themselves are freely floating about the screen and bouncing off of each other.

For the completion of the Memory Master game, we begin by focusing on new features that the engine will have to handle, namely the code to cause the pucks to bounce off of one another. This circle-to-circle bounce code is constructed through the creation of a simple application that allows you to fill a screen full of circles that bounce off of the walls and off of one another.

Once the bounce code is in place, the only remaining feature is the creation of a system that generates random sequence, allowing each random sequence to be played back over time. This is handled through the creation of a second simple application that creates random patterns of four colored arrows.

With these two applications complete, the user has everything they need in order to employ the skills established in Volumes I and II, and thereby complete the Memory Master game.

Battle Blocks
Battle Blocks is a game that pays homage to classic arcade games of yore. The player controls a rectangular paddle that bounces a ball into a stack of bricks, thereby destroying and eventually clearing the level of those bricks.

The code for Battle Blocks requires that the game know how to handle collision and bounce in such a way that the location at which the ball strikes the paddle will affect the direction of the bounce. To accomplish this, a special system is designed that allows a ball to bounce off of a square, with the system being aware of which side of the square that was struck. Once this established, the system is enhanced to allow collision and bounce with any rectangle.

The final new element is covered is creating a series of boxes that are aware of collisions from the ball objects. These collisions are then used to destroy those boxes; a key element for gameplay.

Laser Bike
A game that has seen a variety of incarnations throughout gaming history, and one that was a key element in a major motion picture of the early '80s, Laser Bikes puts the player in control of a digital motorbike that leaves a laser trail behind it. The object of the game is to steer through the level, avoiding the laser walls of both your bike and that of your opponent, all while trying to force your adversary to crash.

For this game, it is the laser walls that pose the initial challenge. You will see how this problem is handled using a grid-based system to divide up the playing field. This allows the game to shade in those areas through which a bike has already passed, and thereby draw the walls trailing off the bikes. This system also allows for special textures to be used in areas where the bike changes direction, allowing the overall graphical effect to remain smooth.

Once the wall drawing system is in place, the videos also cover the creation of an interpolation system which allows the bike to appear to smoothly move through the level, despite the fact that it is internally considered to move directly from one grid point to another. This is also the first game in which multiplayer support is fully discussed and integrated, allowing the player to pit their skills against a friend!

Space Fighter
Space Fighter is your quintessential classic top-down scrolling shooter game! This incarnation of a tried-and-true recipe for fun includes animated sprites, a robust weapon system, and a hierarchical ship construction system, which allows ships to be assembled from multiple destroyable pieces!

Being the final game in the XNA Xtreme 101 series, this game gets a little bit of extra attention in the videos, and rightly so with so many engine additions! The first topic that is handled is the creation of an animated sprite class, allowing for frame-based animation for ships, weapons, explosions, etc. From there, we show you how you can establish a per-pixel collision detection system for accurate response to weapons fire. From there, you'll see how to bridge the gap between these two systems by enhancing the collision system to allow for per-pixel collisions on animated sprites!

The video also covers the creation of the star field effect which will play along the background during gameplay. However, rather than rely on user-generated textures, we demonstrate how this star field can be handled procedurally, allowing for the field to be edited via a series of parameters.

For gameplay to be at its best, the game will need a variety of different weapons. Here we lay the groundwork for a flexible weapon system that allows the programmer to implement a near limitless array of different weapon types! The weapon system itself is comprised of two components: A firing action and a sequencing system. The firing action provides the ability for projectiles or other types of damage-causing objects to be spawned. The separate sequencing system allows for variable timing of these firing actions. With the two systems in place, the weapons system is ready to accept sprite-based projectiles, hit-scan weapons, mass or radius-based damage weapons, and more!

Xbox 360 Publishing
With all of our games finally covered, it's time to focus on one of the final concepts of the XNA Xtreme 101 class: How to play your creations on your Xbox 360! This task is covered through in-depth on-screen examples, showing you exactly how to go about joining the XNA Creator's Club, how to get Visual Studio connected to your Xbox 360, and how to get your games running on the console! Best of all, we show you how you can share a codebase between the PC project and the Xbox 360 project, essentially porting your PC game to the 360! The upshot to this is that you can play the games you have designed for the PC on your Xbox 360 console, while still retaining PC playability. The setup also allows for changes to the Xbox version to affect the PC version, and vice versa.

Topics List for XNA Xtreme 101 Volume III
Programming Concepts covered in Volume III
  • Structs
  • Arrays (declaration, usage, looping and multidimensional)
  • Delegates
  • Events

Game Engine Topics
  • Circle-circle bounce (memory master)
  • Circle-rectangle bounce (battle blocks)
  • Sprite ejection
  • Rotational and vector math for look-at target and directional rotation
  • Grid based trail generation and collision
  • Procedural texture generation: starfield generator
  • 2D Camera creation
  • Hierarchical translation (parented game objects)
  • Multiplayer support
  • Sprite animation
  • Per-pixel collision detection
  • Animated per-pixel collision detection
  • Robust weapon systems

XNA Framework Topics
  • Audio handling
  • Texture manipulation

Xbox 360 Publishing Topics
  • Joining the XNA Creator's Club
  • Xbox 360 and Visual Studio setup for game deployment
  • Porting existing projects
  • Creating a shared code base between Windows and 360 projects

Try before you buy - amazing special offer

Preview clips of content from XNA Xtreme 101 for FREE!

Would you like a preview to see just what you are getting with 'XNA Xtreme 101 - Volume 3'?

We've provided clips from some of the lessons, so you can try before you buy.

These clips will give you a taste of the high level of quality and detail you'll find in the rest of the course. Please remember that these selections are just clips from the videos that make up Volume 3.


Select A Video
Video Title
Structs And Arrays



Memory Master



Battle Blocks



Laser Bikes



Space Fighter


 

Sounds Great! - but I still have questions...

What makes 'XNA Xtreme 101' different from other training videos?

With the advent of XNA, a whole new world has been opened to proficient developers or first-time coders. Never before has the ability to develop games that can be played on a console been available to the Average Joe. And, never before has there been such a comprehensive, in-depth, and user-friendly training program capable of taking someone from completely new to programming to creating their very own games which can then be played on an Xbox 360 or PC. 'XNA Xtreme 101' was conceived to do exactly that. Moreover, it is designed to keep the information flowing in a smooth, easy-to-understand manner that is engaging and highly entertaining! You won't have to worry about boring monotonous lecture material; the instructors keep everything upbeat and on-target, whether you're talking about high-level design or lower-level implementation! Plus, there is nowhere on the planet where you can get this level of professional-quality education for anywhere near this price!

Are there any prerequisites for watching this content?

The only prerequisite for XNA Xtreme 101 is that you know how to use your computer. Nothing else is assumed of the viewer. The lectures introduce you to programming using C# and XNA from the ground up, and any past experience you may have with programming is simply a bonus.

What hardware or software do I need to complete this class?

You NEED the following:

  • A computer with the Windows operating system that supports Visual C# 2005 Express and is capable of running our VTMs.
  • A copy of Visual C# 2005 Express. Don’t worry, it’s free.
  • The XviD codec installed.
  • A stable Internet connection, preferably broadband.

The following prerequisites are optional, based on which game assets you want to create yourself, and whether you want to play the game on an Xbox 360.



  • Some sort of paint software
  • Sound recording/editing software
  • Xbox 360 Controller for your PC (This is not required, but HIGHLY recommended)
  • An Xbox 360 with hard drive and subscription to the Creator’s Club

Will these DVDs play on a standalone DVD player?

No, the content will not play on a regular DVD player, it is intended for use in a PC that has a DVD-ROM drive.

What codec is needed to view the files?

You may view the video files with the XviD codec, which can be downloaded for free from www.xvid.org.

I heard that the videos are watermarked. Can you explain what this means?

In order to protect our content from illegal distribution and to safeguard your investment, we have implemented a video watermark system. The faint video watermark is on some of the videos, and will contain your name and address. The information on the watermarks will be used as evidence should the videos be illegally distributed.

Do you accept payment through PayPal?

Yes, we do, but only your account must be verified through PayPal and your shipping address must be confirmed. The only forms of payment we accept are credit card and PayPal.

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Your DVD's must be custom encoded at our facilities to include your personal watermark. This process can take anywhere from 1 to 5 business days to complete, though most orders are shipped within 48 hours.

Why is shipping so high for the US?

Shipping in the US is approximately $15. This as a production and shipping fee, helping to cover not only the actual shipment, but also the process of encoding, burning, and printing.

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We only ship to the verified billing address. If other arrangements for shipping are required, we will need to verify the new location. This verification process is in place for your security, and for the security of our content.


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