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Currently I'm planning to run the Asteroids successor on the Java Virtual Machine, while writing the code in Scala (because that's the language I'm fluent in).

I have looked at different options, like using one of the various OpenGL bindings or using Java2D.

Having looked at some frameworks it seems that they either are targeted at 3D development or jump-and-run style games.

Are there any useful frameworks or should I try to combine libraries from different origins and roll my own "framework"?

Are other frameworks/tools like Flash/Flex vastly superior, so that learning a new language/platform would only be a minor drawback compared to huge benefits?

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migrated from stackoverflow.com Apr 23 '11 at 9:06

2 Answers

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Flash has better penetration (everyone has the Flash plugin...), provides better tools for gaming (several 2d and 3d gaming engines like Flixel, PushButton, Alternativa, Away3d, Fisix) as well as better tools for creating graphics (Flash IDE, Vector based graphics). And to top it all off, you can port it to any mobile device using Air (iOS, Android, Playbook, Win7 in the works).

Flash gaming is a fairly big part of Flash in itself. It's been around forever. Very good community support as well.

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Oh, and don't use Flex. It's for RIA, not games. – J_A_X Apr 21 '11 at 14:36
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"Flex" is a vague term that Adobe made purposely inexact. You could mean the Flex Builder, in which case yeah don't bother with that. You could also mean an application designed through MXML, in which case yeah that's mostly for rich internet applications. However I tend to use Flex to refer to the free compiler that doesn't require the Flash IDE, in which case that's a great way to develop web games. – jhocking Apr 21 '11 at 15:28
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@jhocking, Adobe has rectified that with Flash Builder which came out Mar. 2010. Flex now only refers to the framework sdk. – J_A_X Apr 21 '11 at 15:51
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what other two? Flex is only the framework. Nobody references 'Flex' for the 'free compiler'. – J_A_X Apr 21 '11 at 16:16
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Well the point I'm getting at is that your comment "don't use flex" could be misleading to poor soc here. If you instead said "don't use the flex framework because that's for RIA, but do download the Flex SDK for developing your game" then I'll happily go through deleting all my comments regarding Flex. – jhocking Apr 21 '11 at 16:27
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Assuming you want to deliver to a web audience, if you actually want people to be able to play your game, Flash will give you the furthest reach.

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I want to implement a multi-player functionality for LANs, will Flash allow that? Additionally, I will either have to buy that Adobe package or have to finish it withinn the trial period, right? – soc Apr 21 '11 at 14:22
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@soc You do not need to buy any adobe package to create swf files or write actionscript. Flex compiler : free. FlashDevelop : free. This is all you need. As for multiplayer over a lan, I haven't done that variety of multiplayer before. I've used Flash Media Server to act as a thin server that refereed between two clients before, but there are other options for servers that are free. You have me curious now... – scriptocalypse Apr 21 '11 at 15:08
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Multiplayer functionality just needs to be coded in. Not a problem. There are certain servers specially made for it though like SmartFoxServer. You don't have to buy the adobe tools, if you're on Windows there's a free Actionscript IDE called FlashDevelop – J_A_X Apr 21 '11 at 15:09
Mhh, running Linux only here :-/ – soc Apr 21 '11 at 15:47

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