How do I learn Flash Game Development?

Question

I'm currently a PHP programmer and one of my childhood dreams is to create a game.

The problem is I don't know Flash. I'm not great at drawing stuff or even artistic. I could program a little with JavaScript and I could consider myself intermediate with JQuery.

Question

How do I get started with Flash Game development? What books do I read first?

The type of game is a side scroller about an Indiana Jones type of character and the setting is on the jungle with trees and snakes and a lot of animals.

Answer 1

You might be better off using a JavaScript game engine. With the adoption of HTML5 technologies in major browsers, these are becoming increasingly popular (and mature).

This will be easier for you if you already know some JavaScript (although actionscript is very similar). In addition, the skills you master creating the game will help you in other fields since a standards-based HTML5 game will use the same technologies necessary for web development and any development that uses web standards as a platform.

Effect Games, an example game engine. (consult google for a more complete list ;) )

Answer 2

Flash is a poor programming interface, it is only really good to create your animations, which you can export to a compiled SWC. So, do your programming in another tool, like Flashbuilder (go pure AS projects, not Flex).

You'll want to use a library, I haven't used any engines for platformer-games like indiana jones. So I can't tell which are any good.