# AeThex Tutorials

Step-by-step guides to master AeThex Engine features.

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## Getting Started

### [Your First Game - Multiplayer Pong](FIRST_GAME_TUTORIAL.md) ⭐ START HERE
**Time:** 30 minutes | **Difficulty:** Beginner  
Build real-time multiplayer Pong with cloud saves. Learn the basics of AeThex's killer features.

**What you'll learn:**
- 3-line multiplayer setup
- Cloud save integration
- Room codes for easy matchmaking
- Studio IDE workflow

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## Tutorial Series

### Game Basics

#### 1. Single-Player Platformer (Coming Soon)
**Time:** 45 minutes | **Difficulty:** Beginner  
Classic platformer with jumping, enemies, and checkpoints.

**Features:**
- Player movement & physics
- Enemy AI
- Local saves
- Scene management

#### 2. Top-Down Shooter (Coming Soon)
**Time:** 60 minutes | **Difficulty:** Intermediate  
Action shooter with shooting mechanics and waves.

**Features:**
- Shooting & aiming
- Wave spawner system
- Health & damage
- Score tracking

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### Multiplayer Games

#### 3. Co-op Dungeon Crawler (Coming Soon)
**Time:** 90 minutes | **Difficulty:** Intermediate  
2-4 player dungeon exploration with loot and combat.

**Features:**
- Room-based multiplayer
- Player synchronization
- Shared progression
- Combat mechanics

#### 4. Battle Royale Basics (Coming Soon)
**Time:** 120 minutes | **Difficulty:** Advanced  
Create a mini battle royale with shrinking zones.

**Features:**
- Large player counts
- Zone mechanics
- Loot spawning
- Elimination tracking

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### Cloud Features

#### 5. User Authentication System (Coming Soon)
**Time:** 30 minutes | **Difficulty:** Beginner  
Add email, guest, and OAuth login to your game.

**Features:**
- Email/password auth
- Guest accounts
- Google OAuth
- User profiles

#### 6. Cloud Saves & Cross-Platform Play (Coming Soon)
**Time:** 45 minutes | **Difficulty:** Intermediate  
Build a game that syncs progress across devices.

**Features:**
- Save/load system
- Conflict resolution
- Auto-save
- Cross-device play

#### 7. Leaderboards & Rankings (Coming Soon)
**Time:** 30 minutes | **Difficulty:** Beginner  
Global and friend leaderboards for competitive games.

**Features:**
- Score submission
- Global rankings
- Friend filters
- Time periods (daily/weekly/all-time)

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### AI Integration

#### 8. In-Game AI Assistant (Coming Soon)
**Time:** 45 minutes | **Difficulty:** Intermediate  
Add an AI helper that gives hints and generates content.

**Features:**
- Context-aware hints
- Code generation
- NPC dialogue generation
- Quest suggestions

#### 9. AI-Powered NPCs (Coming Soon)
**Time:** 60 minutes | **Difficulty:** Advanced  
Create NPCs with dynamic dialogue using AI.

**Features:**
- Procedural dialogue
- Personality systems
- Context awareness
- Quest generation

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### Analytics & Monetization

#### 10. Player Analytics (Coming Soon)
**Time:** 30 minutes | **Difficulty:** Beginner  
Track player behavior and optimize your game.

**Features:**
- Event tracking
- Funnels
- Retention metrics
- Custom properties

#### 11. In-App Purchases (Coming Soon)
**Time:** 45 minutes | **Difficulty:** Intermediate  
Monetize with cosmetics and power-ups.

**Features:**
- Item shop
- Purchase flow
- Receipt validation
- Inventory system

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### Studio & Workflow

#### 12. Studio IDE Advanced Features (Coming Soon)
**Time:** 30 minutes | **Difficulty:** Intermediate  
Master the Studio IDE for faster development.

**Features:**
- Live reload
- Remote debugging
- Collaboration tools
- Asset hot-swapping

#### 13. Continuous Deployment (Coming Soon)
**Time:** 45 minutes | **Difficulty:** Advanced  
Auto-deploy to Steam, itch.io, and mobile stores.

**Features:**
- Build pipelines
- Multi-platform exports
- Version management
- Automated testing

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## Tutorial Structure

Each tutorial follows this format:

1. **Prerequisites** - What you need to know
2. **Setup** - Project initialization
3. **Core Mechanics** - Build the game
4. **AeThex Features** - Add cloud/multiplayer/AI
5. **Polish** - Effects, UI, audio
6. **Testing** - Play and debug
7. **Next Steps** - How to expand

**Time estimates** include:
- Following along typing code
- Testing at checkpoints
- Basic debugging

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## Quick Reference

### By Difficulty

**Beginner:**
- Multiplayer Pong ✅
- Single-Player Platformer
- User Authentication
- Player Analytics

**Intermediate:**
- Top-Down Shooter
- Co-op Dungeon Crawler
- Cloud Saves
- In-Game AI Assistant
- In-App Purchases
- Studio IDE Features

**Advanced:**
- Battle Royale Basics
- AI-Powered NPCs
- Continuous Deployment

### By Time

**Under 30 min:**
- Multiplayer Pong (30 min) ✅

**30-60 min:**
- Single-Player Platformer (45 min)
- User Authentication (30 min)
- Cloud Saves (45 min)
- Leaderboards (30 min)
- In-Game AI Assistant (45 min)
- Player Analytics (30 min)
- Studio IDE (30 min)

**60+ min:**
- Top-Down Shooter (60 min)
- Co-op Dungeon Crawler (90 min)
- Battle Royale (120 min)
- AI-Powered NPCs (60 min)
- In-App Purchases (45 min)
- Continuous Deployment (45 min)

### By Feature

**Multiplayer:**
- Multiplayer Pong ✅
- Co-op Dungeon Crawler
- Battle Royale Basics

**Cloud Services:**
- User Authentication
- Cloud Saves
- Leaderboards
- Player Analytics

**AI:**
- In-Game AI Assistant
- AI-Powered NPCs

**Monetization:**
- In-App Purchases

**Workflow:**
- Studio IDE Features
- Continuous Deployment

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## Contributing Tutorials

Want to write a tutorial? See [CONTRIBUTING.md](../../engine/CONTRIBUTING.md) for guidelines.

**Tutorial checklist:**
- ✅ Clear learning objectives
- ✅ Time estimate (tested)
- ✅ Prerequisites listed
- ✅ Working code samples
- ✅ Troubleshooting section
- ✅ Next steps suggestions

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## Getting Help

**Stuck on a tutorial?**
- Check the [API Reference](../API_REFERENCE.md)
- Review [GDScript Basics](../GDSCRIPT_BASICS.md)
- Ask in [Discord](https://discord.gg/aethex)
- Search [docs.aethex.io](https://docs.aethex.io)

**Found a bug in tutorial?**
- Report on [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/aethex/engine/issues)
- Include tutorial name and step number

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## Next Steps

After completing tutorials:
- Read [Architecture Overview](../ARCHITECTURE_OVERVIEW.md) *(coming soon)*
- Explore [Advanced Topics](../ADVANCED_TOPICS.md) *(coming soon)*
- Build your own game!
- Share in the [Community Showcase](https://aethex.io/showcase)

Happy building! 🚀