What you'll learn:
- Understand the basics of programming
- How to use Lua
- Utilize the core features of LÖVE
- Find and use open-source software
- Incorporate additional editors and tools
- Create your own games!
Whether you're a newcomer to the world of programming or an experienced developer seeking to expand your skillset, LÖVE (also known as Love2D) is a game engine that offers an incredible opportunity to dive into game development. Utilizing the user-friendly Lua scripting language, LÖVE empowers you to bring your game ideas to life.
Join this project-based course and unleash your creativity as we explore the fundamental concepts of programming and their application in game development.
No prior technical knowledge is required for this course, except for being capable of using the basic functionality of your computer and the ability to download and install programs. We'll guide you through each step, making it accessible to everyone.
Together, we'll build three captivating games, gradually increasing the complexity with each project. Through this hands-on experience, you'll gain a solid foundation in programming video games. Equipped with a deep understanding of LÖVE's capabilities, you'll be ready to forge your own path and craft unique games that captivate audiences.
Our journey begins by delving into Lua programming basics, covering essential topics such as variables, conditional statements, loops, functions, comments, and more. These principles are widely applicable across all programming languages, making this knowledge valuable beyond the scope of this course. For those already familiar with programming, we offer a convenient "syntax recap" section, specifically focusing on Lua syntax. You can quickly catch up on the language's specific nuances without revisiting every lecture.
Once we've established the programming foundation, we'll dive headfirst into utilizing LÖVE. Together, we'll create our games, starting with a straightforward Shooting Gallery, progressing to an engaging top-down shooter, and finally moving to a physics-based platformer.
Throughout the course, we'll explore an extensive array of game development concepts, which includes creating your main character, keyboard and mouse input, graphics rendering, enemy mechanics, collision detection, timers, randomness, RGB color schemes, physics simulation, animations, open-source software integration, Tiled map editor utilization, camera manipulation, sound effects, music implementation, score tracking, and data saving.
By actively coding alongside the lectures, the knowledge you acquire will better stick with you. As we progress, your programming and development skills will strengthen, empowering you to bring your own game ideas to fruition. With the ability to seamlessly incorporate these features, you'll be fully equipped to create captivating games of your own design.
Don't let your game ideas stay dormant—take the leap into game development with LÖVE and Lua programming. Join us on this exciting journey, and unleash your potential to shape unique gaming experiences!
