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General => Feedback => Topic started by: paulscode on October 11, 2012, 05:07:18 am

Title: Using jPCT-AE in my app training course
Post by: paulscode on October 11, 2012, 05:07:18 am
Hello, everyone, I haven't posted on here in a while (been busy with my other projects).  My latest project is to create a training course on how to write Android apps. It will be a complete training course with a course book, exercises, quizzes, test booklet, and answer key, as well as a companion website and support forum. It will be geared toward anyone who is interested in learning how to write professional Android apps, whether they have prior programming experience or not.

Each new topic will first be related to real-world concepts, so they can be understood more easily. Then those concepts will be applied to create a practical, interesting demo app for each subject. By the end of the course, the student will have created several of these demo apps, that they can show off to their friends or potential employers.

What I want to do for the final chapter of the course book (the ultimate goal of the course, if you will), is to teach the student how to write a simple 3D demo game, using jPCT-AE.  With that in mind, does anyone have any suggestions on what that demo game should be, and any suggestions of important points to make for the student in this chapter?

I've also set up a kickstarter campaign (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1114140022/mobile-android-development-beginner-to-professiona) to help fund the project, to cover the printing costs and compensate for the time I put into it.  Feel free to comment on there as well, if you have useful suggestions for the project.

(BTW, I don't mean this post to be a kickstarter ad -- I'll remove the above link if it is breaking the forum rules)
Title: Re: Using jPCT-AE in my app training course
Post by: paulscode on October 14, 2012, 07:04:02 pm
I'm thinking of doing a 3D pacman-clone for this section.  The good thing about this idea is that it could be done in 2D in an earlier chapter, then the chapter on jPCT-AE can focus on using the engine without worrying about the backbone components of the game.
Title: Re: Using jPCT-AE in my app training course
Post by: fireside on October 14, 2012, 07:37:45 pm
Good luck on that.  Looks like you have a ways to go to make the pledge amount. 
Title: Re: Using jPCT-AE in my app training course
Post by: paulscode on October 14, 2012, 07:58:48 pm
Yes, I wasn't sure how much enthusiasm it would generate, since there weren't any training course projects like it for comparison (and its my first kickstarter campaign). Its tracking about 50% of what I was shooting for.  I have a few more tricks up my sleeve to boost the support, but if it isn't successful I'll just break the project down into two smaller pieces: firstly an e-book project, to create the course book as an e-book (and a much smaller funding goal), then a second campaign a few months later for the remainder (tests, answer key, printing, etc).
Title: Re: Using jPCT-AE in my app training course
Post by: EgonOlsen on October 15, 2012, 04:09:39 pm
The good thing about this idea is that it could be done in 2D in an earlier chapter, then the chapter on jPCT-AE can focus on using the engine without worrying about the backbone components of the game.
That's a good idea IMHO. Even more because it teaches some MVC on the way.