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	Design Before you start to make a game, it is important to decide on a design. A film cannot be made without a script, and a building cannot be made without plans. The same applies to computer games. First you must decide on a theme. Where is the game set, what characters will be in the game, and what will they do? Next you must decide on a point of view. Flash is very good for creating 2D games. Common points of view in a 2D game include: Top-down: A birds-eye view of what is happening. Side-on: The action is viewed from the side of the character(s). This type of design was very popular in the late 1980's and early 1990's. First Person: The action is viewed as though the player were looking through the eyes of a character. The objects on screen may be resized to give a simple 3D effect. Third Person: The action is viewed as though the player were looking from behind the main character. A simple 3D effect may be achieved, similar to the First Person view. Once you have considered the view point, you must next decide what the main character will do. Will they walk, run, swim, fly, shoot, etc. Which controls will be used? Remember most people will be using a combination of mouse and keyboard, and that some people have only 1 mouse button. With all of these considered, you must now work on the concept art. This can range from simple sketches of where everything will appear on screen, to detailed level layouts and even full colour drawings. When you have settled on a look and feel, it is time to begin work on the game itself. Using the documents in our Resources section, you can begin to work on the player controlled character(s). Start with the controls needed to move them before adding extra features such as jumping or attacking. There will be more on this page next week.