Framework for web-based games?

[Sonja]

To make a web-based game, would one use something like jruby with javafx or java web start ? Or maybe IronRuby with Silverlight? Or HotRuby with Flash? I'm currently learning Ruby so I can eventually make some sort of web-based game.

Sonja

[shawn42]

I think it kind of depends on what kind of game you want to make. Are you thinking about just using ruby for the backend? Or is your whole game going to be on the client side in the browser, in which case... you should probably go learn flash.

Just my two cents.

[Sonja]

Well I was hoping I wouldn't have to learn Flash. Like, maybe I could use HotRuby or RubyJS or something. Or maybe I actually have to learn Flash.

[jacius]

I've been wishing for a long time of a way to use Ruby in a browser in place of JavaScript. But, it doesn't seem likely that will happen anytime soon, so we have to use stuff like RubyJS or HotRuby instead. Oh well.

In theory, you (or someone) could create a Ruby library that works with RubyJS to interface with a <canvas> element or SVG to do drawing, etc. It could be called RubygameJS.

[Sonja]

Maybe something like this http://github.com/jedediah/prettyscript can be used to make JS look and feel like Ruby.

[blue-wiz]

I know this is a bit late, but you could make an mmo with ruby on rails, websockets and gamequery. But you'd need to know javascript and ruby on rails for that and the people playing will need chrome or safari at this time! Maybe you could mix it with prettyscipt?

[Sonja]

In the end I decided to learn JavaScript and use it for most of my game. ("The right tool for the right job" yadda yadda) At some point I'll add Ajax to the game and server-side stuff in Ruby to make the game talk to the server to save data or whatever.

A very early prototype: http://kisa.ca/cc/

[cavygalaxy]

you should probably go learn flash.

but flash costs MUNNY!!!
$$$$$
seriously though, Adobe Flash, the only program capable of making dynamic flash games, costs 700 bux.

[shawn42]

You can develop flash with open source tools for free. Take a look at FlashPunk or Flixel.

[brandon]

Or instead of flash, how about HTML5? Some say they are rapidly becoming equally matched, as observed by this:

http://labs.codecomputerlove.com/FlashVsHtml5/