Create your own Virtual World – Step2

Welcome to second step for creating your own Virtual World. Last week we created our character, this week we will create the background for our room. My goal is to show you how to create a very simple virtual world with Flash.

Step 2 – Rooms

Every virtual world has a collection of rooms.

I prefer rooms that do not scroll and allow players to see the horizon. The horizon allows the players to see the entire world, and encourages the player to explore. When creating a room consider the following:

• Keep the center of the room open so players can move around.
• Keep players away from the edges.

Considering we are creating a virtual world for Rubber Ducks a bathtub would make an excellent room

Let’s get to work!

Your room includes three key movie clips:

• Background – The artwork behind your characters
• Foreground – The artwork in front of your characters
• Block – The area characters cannot walk

1. Open Flash and create a new file.
2. Create an empty Movie Clip and name it “background”
3. Now position the “background” on your stage (0,0)
4. Start drawing your background!
5. Create another empty Movie Clip and name it “foreground”
6. Now position the “foreground” on your stage (0,0)
7. Start drawing your foreground!
8. Create another empty Movie Clip and name it “block”
9. Now position the “block” on your stage (0,0)
10. Start drawing where your characters CANNOT walk.

Download the FLA Source

Next week: We will use Actionscript to load the room and the character.