AGS Questionaire!

Started by kristofski, Sun 26/02/2006 17:48:53

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kristofski

Hey guys! I've made a questionaire for an essay I'm writing about the AGS community, I decided to post it here. You can copy and paste it into an email and answear it there, or simply peruse it on here. There are quite a few questions, but you can skip any ones that you can't think of anything to write for, or you just don't want to answer, though the more you write the more you'll be helping me. Most of the questions are open ended, which means they don't have a quantitive yes/no style answer. Feel free to write as much or as little as you want for these, feel free to ramble and go off the topic if you want. Type your answers into this document, change the title to your name/something different and email it back to me at gokristofski@hotmail.co.uk. Remember; I'm trying to find out what you think. There are no wrong answers. Thanks again!
Kristofski

Name:

Age:

Female/male:

1. How long have you been involved in the AGS community?

2. Why did you get involved in AGS?

3. How do you feel that the fact that AGS is a freeware programme affect the community that has built up around it?

4. How big a part does the AGS community play in your life?

5. Have you been involved in making any games using AGS? You may list them if you want

6. Answer these questions if you have been involved in making AGS games:


a. Were you interested in game design/programming before you started using AGS?

b. If no, do you feel that you would have got into game design without AGS?

c. Do you make games using other programmes, either freeware or not? How does the eperience differ?

d. Has AGS inspired you to try and take up game design professionally?


7. Do you feel that there is a gender divide in the AGS community?

8. Are you likely to feel differently about a game if you discover it's made by a female? In what way?

9. Do you feel that AGS makes it easier for females to get involved in computer game design? In what way?

10. Do you feel that there is a difference between the types of games created by males and females?

11. Any other comments?
wow, a blue car!

www.bluecanary.deviantart.com

DragonRose

Eh, why not.

Name: Forum Name- DragonRose. Real name- Chris McLeod

Age: 21

Female/male: Female

1. How long have you been involved in the AGS community?

Four years

2. Why did you get involved in AGS?

Someone asked me to help with a game as an artist, so I came here to find out what I was getting into.

3. How do you feel that the fact that AGS is a freeware programme affect the community that has built up around it?

One of the things that draw people to AGS is that you don't have to pay  to start working on a game. If you want to make a full game, you can get everything you need to do so for free. People don't like to pay for things. However, it has been proven several times that people would be quite willing to pay for AGS if they needed to.

4. How big a part does the AGS community play in your life?

Until this past year, quite a large part- checking the forums more than once a day, browsing around to various sites about people's games... now I check things once a month, if that.

5. Have you been involved in making any games using AGS? You may list them if you want

I've been a sounding board for people talking about their game ideas, and I've worked on a couple of my own games, but nothing I've ever really considered a full game.

6. Answer these questions if you have been involved in making AGS games:


a. Were you interested in game design/programming before you started using AGS?


Heck yes. I even tried to make my own games with HTML and BASIC. They weren't very good.

b. If no, do you feel that you would have got into game design without AGS?

I don't think I would have kept trying without AGS.

c. Do you make games using other programmes, either freeware or not? How does the eperience differ?

I attempted to make other games, as mentioned above. The difference is that with AGS I've got a community of people to ask for help if I'm stuck.

d. Has AGS inspired you to try and take up game design professionally?

For a while, yes. Then I discovered just how HARD this game making thing is!

7. Do you feel that there is a gender divide in the AGS community?

When I first joined, yes. Some people were actually shocked when they found out I was a girl. I can think of only one other girl in the community at that time.  Now, it doesn't really matter.  Girls and guys come and go, and no one really notices unless they did something memorable.

8. Are you likely to feel differently about a game if you discover it's made by a female? In what way?

I might feel a little bit of "you go, girl!" style pride. But I don't think the game will automatically be any different from a game made by a guy.

9. Do you feel that AGS makes it easier for females to get involved in computer game design? In what way?

AGS makes it easier for people of either gender to get involved in computer game design.  Gender doesn't play in to it.

10. Do you feel that there is a difference between the types of games created by males and females?

Nope. Unless someone tells me that a game is made by a guy or a girl, I can't tell.

11. Any other comments?

I like pie.
Sssshhhh!!! No sex please, we're British!!- Pumaman

Evil

Name: Forum â€" Evil, Real â€" Harry Day
Age: 16
Female/male: Male
1. How long have you been involved in the AGS community?
- I started tinkering with AGS about 5 years ago, but now I'm just here for the arts and DG.
2. Why did you get involved in AGS?
- LGM told me about it and I just kind of stuck around.
3. How do you feel that the fact that AGS is a freeware programme affect the community that has built up around it?
- Yes, very much so. I think that many of the great people that have come here have left because they were done with it in a sort. Like downloading a free game off the internet, you play it for awhile and delete it. But if you were to buy it, you feel inclined to play it and keep it around. Also some of the great, short lived AGSers wouldn't be around either.
4. How big a part does the AGS community play in your life?
- I check the boards three times a day. My internet life pretty much revolves around it even though I haven't really made a game or play many games.
5. Have you been involved in making any games using AGS? You may list them if you want.
- I've made a lot of art for games, but never got around to much of the scripting. Since v2.3 or something AGS changed pretty rapidly and I never got around to learning some of the new configurations.
6. Answer these questions if you have been involved in making AGS games: (I'll answer anyway)
a. Were you interested in game design/programming before you started using AGS?
- Yes, but never as interested as I am now. It was kind of a secret passion.
b. If no, do you feel that you would have got into game design without AGS?
-Ã,  Maybe.
c. Do you make games using other programmes, either freeware or not? How does the eperience differ?
- AGS is the cleanest program out there. It has a simple enough design for a n00bie, but if you're good with programming, you can do almost anything.
d. Has AGS inspired you to try and take up game design professionally?
- I've done more game inspired art pieces, a lot more CG art, but I won't take it up as a profession, I don't think.
7. Do you feel that there is a gender divide in the AGS community?
- It's not just the females that m0ds hits on. I'll leave it at that.
8. Are you likely to feel differently about a game if you discover it's made by a female? In what way?
- No. If it's good, and you're into the game, you don't even think about it.
9. Do you feel that AGS makes it easier for females to get involved in computer game design? In what way?
- No, it makes it easier for everyone. I think that because AGS is freeware it might allow some females to try their hand at it, but if they really wanted to make a game, they'd do it with or without AGS. Same goes for males.
10. Do you feel that there is a difference between the types of games created by males and females?
- Usually female games are pretty easy to pick out; female character, cartoonish style, light mood. The plots can differ, but most of the games feel the same.
11. Any other comments?
- I too, fancy myself some pie.

DanClarke

Name: Forum â€" Dan Clarke - Real: ...Dan Clarke
Age: 21
Female/male: Male

1. How long have you been involved in the AGS community?
- Summer 2004.

2. Why did you get involved in AGS?
- I wanted to make a graphic adventure game.

3. How do you feel that the fact that AGS is a freeware programme affect the community that has built up around it?
-It's a great community, a lot of very talented people here and some characters too.

4. How big a part does the AGS community play in your life?
- I'm on the net everyday, so i try and have a look whenever i'm on, but i'm very busy with other things atm, so i don't get to spend as much time on the forums as normal.

5. Have you been involved in making any games using AGS? You may list them if you want.
- I'm making my own, but it's taking a while, although i may have an announcement that will please people this week :)

6. Answer these questions if you have been involved in making AGS games: (I'll answer anyway)

a. Were you interested in game design/programming before you started using AGS?

- Definitely, it's my primary career choice for when i graduate.

b. If no, do you feel that you would have got into game design without AGS?

-  Most likely in some shape or form.

c. Do you make games using other programmes, either freeware or not? How does the eperience differ?

- Nope, and i dont have much experience with AGS either at this moment in time, so i cant really comment.

d. Has AGS inspired you to try and take up game design professionally?

- See (a)

7. Do you feel that there is a gender divide in the AGS community?

- Not really, but the ratio of males to females is pretty much a landslide anyway.

8. Are you likely to feel differently about a game if you discover it's made by a female? In what way?

- Not at all.

9. Do you feel that AGS makes it easier for females to get involved in computer game design? In what way?

- I'm not sure i understand the question, but from what i've heard AGS is pretty user friendly in mot aspects, so in theory it should be a good tool for anyone regardless of gender.

10. Do you feel that there is a difference between the types of games created by males and females?

- I don't think i;ve played enough AGS games, certainly not enough from both gender groups, to comment here.

11. Any other comments?

- All your base are belong to us.

Tuomas


Name: My name, as my nick indicates, is Tuomas Renvall

Age: Theres this indicator that says 18,93 years. So that'll be it.

Female/male: Male and proud of it

1. How long have you been involved in the AGS community?
Ã,  Ã,  I joined in the autumn of 2004, but that was mostly to ask about some things that I didn't understand about the tutorial. Then after I bought my own computer in the summer of 05, I have been much more of a regular visiter to the forums and the #AGS.

2. Why did you get involved in AGS?
Ã,  Ã,  Well probably the way we all do it, I loved the games I played, Zak, The big red adventure, and most of all MI1. Having played that I knew I wanted to make a game like it. I had been searching for a game construction program such as AGS for a while but I couldn't find any, basically because I didn't know any that was on sale and I had an amiga, so it was most unlikely to get one anyway. I heard my brothers friend was using one program, which wasn't that good. Then doing some serious googling a while later I stumbled upon AGS, and found out it was the same the guy had been using. Though he's never visited the forums and he doesn't know how to use it, so that's why he thought it wasn't that good.

3. How do you feel that the fact that AGS is a freeware programme affect the community that has built up around it?
Ã,  Ã,  Well I have this image in mind of a bunch of scarce posh people talking to each other about a program no-one cares to buy. Basically they would be saying that the program is superb, as it is, and they would be giving their games to each other. They might even be more eager to selling them, but I know that most of the people here would never have gotten here if the program wasn't freeware. I probably wouldn't have. I don't think that the way to raise someone's interest in something is to make him pay for it first. I think keeping this program a freeware and yet not publishing the source was a very clever move from CJ.

4. How big a part does the AGS community play in your life?
Ã,  Ã,  I don't want to say it's much, at least to those I know in real life. Some might think, that I spend all my time here, which is partly true. I usually have my computer open at days, and why not keep the browser open as well. So basically I have the window to the forums open all the time. And everytime I check my computer, whatever I'm doing with it, I tend to check if there's anything new on the forums. Most of times there is, and most of times it's something interesting that I want to be a part of and through what I learn something new. And I truly do learn things here, and I sometimes keep repeating them in real life. I even tell people, that this AGS forum I am on, we had this very interesting conversation etc.
Ã,  Ã, So I'd say, though I'm not tied up here, I really enjoy being here and as it doesn't really require time spent, I am logged in 7 hours a day min. But when I'm not home, I don't come to visit. I hardly use computer at all.

5. Have you been involved in making any games using AGS? You may list them if you want
Ã,  Ã, I am currently involved in the making of three excellent games, well 2 of them are great, the third is my own which I hope will be great too. I do not wish to let them out here, because I don't want to take any pre-credit on anything. Everyone'll see sooner or later if they wish.

6. Answer these questions if you have been involved in making AGS games:
Ã,  Ok, I will

a. Were you interested in game design/programming before you started using AGS?
Ã,  Ã, Programming? I have never been interested in it, sorry.

b. If no, do you feel that you would have got into game design without AGS?
Ã,  Ã, Never, it was AGS what I wanted to do. That had to include game design, so be it.

c. Do you make games using other programmes, either freeware or not? How does the experience differ?
Ã,  Ã, I don't, well I did one with RPGeditor, but it sucked :P

d. Has AGS inspired you to try and take up game design professionally?
Ã,  Ã, I can't say it has, I'm more into the artistic side of it.


7. Do you feel that there is a gender divide in the AGS community?
Ã,  Ã, Isn't there one everywhere? we have less women here, it's a fact, but not a surprise. And the fact that in such community every Ã, guy drools after every girl, isn't that everyday life? What I have experienced here is still, that though alas, we might have less women, people really don't behave differently with them. I say "with" here since some of us has seen each other at mittens or such. I think it's the openness we have and the fact that anything you write can be read by others, that makes us treat each other as friends not as different genders. I don't think people are drawing lines there between, nor is there any division between any two sides at that.

8. Are you likely to feel differently about a game if you discover it’s made by a female? In what way?
Ã,  Ã, I don't think sex has any effect on how you make adventure games, one any for that matter. It is mostly the artistic side of them that differs occasionally. I don't mean anything stereotypical, but I find it easier for a male to draw big breasts for a character than a woman, mote that this isn't a universal fact. But for the game, women make less because there are less to do them, but I don't see a difference anyhow.

9. Do you feel that AGS makes it easier for females to get involved in computer game design? In what way?
Ã,  Ã, I don't think easier is the correct word. I don't really see an obstacle that makes it harder to get in touch with these things. It's all a matter of interest, and if you are interested in computers I'm sure you'll at some point seek into computer stuff. what AGS does; it makes it easy for someone already involved in computers to get deeper into it, and to let you practice the interest in it and have fun while doing it. I don't think anyone here didn't want to make a game before they found AGS, I think they all had this little louse in their head hammering them with the idea of how interesting that game was you just played, if only you could do something like it.

10. Do you feel that there is a difference between the types of games created by males and females?
Ã,  Ã, As I said earlier, reading this probably answering very wrong, there is no difference in the game design, and only if you want to make one for the visual side.

11. Any other comments?
Ã,  Ã, I thought I'd hammer this here, just to save me some time and trouble. Your essay sure sounds interesting, what ever it's about anyway. Hope this helps you and hope my name gets into some big book that you will publish on this :D ;) Oh and sorry for the typos. I'ts too big a text for me to be spellchecking now :P

Helm

#5
Name: Telemachus Stavropoulos

Age: 21

Female/male: Sex

1. How long have you been involved in the AGS community?

About... I'm not sure... before 2000?

2. Why did you get involved in AGS?

I wanted to make my own Quest for Glory-type adventure games.

3. How do you feel that the fact that AGS is a freeware programme affect the community that has built up around it?

I have no opinions about the ags community.

4. How big a part does the AGS community play in your life?

I spend time with some of the people here in the summers, but I consider them friends and not 'community'. I'd say the AGS community itself doesn't have a strictly defined role in my life.

5. Have you been involved in making any games using AGS? You may list them if you want

I have. I've made three Snail Quest joke games, The Crown of Gold, a hour game named Pyramid, Sol, Gladiator Quest with Ghormak, Caverns with the help of Unilin. There's at least another orow game in me, maybe two. I don't think I'll ever attempt to make an adventure game of reasonable length ever again.

a. Were you interested in game design/programming before you started using AGS?

No. I was into role-playing games and designing and world-building in that sense, but no actual code for me until I encountered Displayspeech(ego, "lol!");

b. If no, do you feel that you would have got into game design without AGS?

Probably, attempting to do platform games like Flashback.

c. Do you make games using other programmes, either freeware or not? How does the eperience differ?

Barely can play around with Game Maker. Yes, it's very different because 'simple' adventure games are very easy to script and behave predictably once you iron out bugs. Other games have much more input and ongoing code and break a lot more than adventure games. Adventure games truly are the genre for artists-who-program-a-little rather than coders-who-do-a-little-art

d. Has AGS inspired you to try and take up game design professionally?

I uttered some such foolish notion once a few years ago. Inspiration did not turn into action.

7. Do you feel that there is a gender divide in the AGS community?

No.

8. Are you likely to feel differently about a game if you discover it's made by a female? In what way?

No. In none.

9. Do you feel that AGS makes it easier for females to get involved in computer game design? In what way?

Adventure games are story-driven and that usually means there'll be more girls attempting them than attempting a generic shooter game.

10. Do you feel that there is a difference between the types of games created by males and females?

Not particularily. Adventure games are very girly anyway.

11. Any other comments?
WINTERKILL

Haddas

Name: Rolf Gustav Alexander Haddas

Age: 17,91

Female/male: Male

1. How long have you been involved in the AGS community?
since before 10-08-2003, 12:52:00

2. Why did you get involved in AGS?
I've always loved adventure games and I found AGS when googling for adventure game creating software. I was inspired after playing Larry Vales II

3. How do you feel that the fact that AGS is a freeware programme affect the community that has built up around it?
It's been possible because of it. It allows for a larger amount of people to get involved. People with strict financial restrictions. People like me. More people equals more games and other community effort.

4. How big a part does the AGS community play in your life?
The forum is my homepage and the longest session I've been on #ags is 60 days.

5. Have you been involved in making any games using AGS? You may list them if you want
I've been "involved" in a few games, yes.
  - Cedric the life-boat DC
  - Princess Marian VII

6. Answer these questions if you have been involved in making AGS games:


a. Were you interested in game design/programming before you started using AGS?
Obviously

b. If no, do you feel that you would have got into game design without AGS?

c. Do you make games using other programmes, either freeware or not? How does the experience differ?
No.

d. Has AGS inspired you to try and take up game design professionally?
Not really. It's been a dream though.

7. Do you feel that there is a gender divide in the AGS community?
Absolutely not. This community is exceptionally diverse, and I'm proud of that.

8. Are you likely to feel differently about a game if you discover it's made by a female? In what way?
Yes. If it's been made by a female I feel pride for the community. Not to say that I dont feel that way about the games in general, but you see my point.

9. Do you feel that AGS makes it easier for females to get involved in computer game design? In what way?
Possibly. There's a lack of female gamers. ESPECIALLY game designers.

10. Do you feel that there is a difference between the types of games created by males and females?
I have felt that females generally tend to take the games they're making more seriously, and it shows in the quality.

11. Any other comments?
I like 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582097494459230781640628620
89986280348253421170679821480865132823066470938446095505822317253594081284811174502
84102701938521105559644622948954930381964428810975665933446128475648233786783165271
20190914564856692346034861045432664821339360726024914127372458700660631558817488152
0920962829254091715364367892590360011330530548820466521384146951941511

scotch

#7
Name: David Scott

Age: 20

Female/male: Male

1. How long have you been involved in the AGS community?
- Since September 2002

2. Why did you get involved in AGS?
- I wanted to make games, I had tried AC (the ancient DOS predecessor to AGS) but found it lacking... AGS seemed great, though.

3. How do you feel that the fact that AGS is a freeware programme affect the community that has built up around it?
- The community may never have got off its feet if AGS was commercial, it might have worked if it was something like Game Maker, pay to remove the splash screen, but otherwise I don't think many of the people who are here would have given it a go.

4. How big a part does the AGS community play in your life?
- A tragically large part, it pretty much is my life. I consider some AGSers real life friends (and make every effort to meet up with them once or twice a year), and AGS consumes a lot of my time, working with other people on games.

5. Have you been involved in making any games using AGS? You may list them if you want
- I've worked on 'Alien Rape Escape', 'Jon Stickman', various other things, and at the moment 'The Chronicles of Oswyn Rodgerick Throckmorton'.

6. Answer these questions if you have been involved in making AGS games:

a. Were you interested in game design/programming before you started using AGS?
- Certainly, ever since I got my first computer (c64) I've made games, maybe almost as much as I've played them. Ã, I learned art to make games, and I learned to code to make games.

b. If no, do you feel that you would have got into game design without AGS?
-

c. Do you make games using other programmes, either freeware or not? How does the eperience differ?
- I've used other game engines, such as Game Maker and Klik n Play, beginner languages like variations of BASIC, more serious languages like C++, and very high level languages like Python. Ã, They are all quite different to one another from a putting the game together point of view, but I tend to spend most time doing art work, which is a similar process whatever platform.
Although it's probably the thing I've spent most time working on projects with, AGS is actually pretty restrictive compared to everything else. Ã, The script language is gaining features that allow more complicated games to be coded more easily, and more useful parts of the engine are being opened up to the script for customisation, and so on, but it's still basically only suitable for certain types of adventure games in my opinion, just about every other engine beats it in this regard. Ã, That's not necessarily a bad thing; in other engines such as Game Maker you have a lot of freedom, but the price for that is the engine doing very little for you (Sludge seems to go more in this direction than AGS too), which means only an experienced programmer type person can make a game.
AGS's community isn't much founded on these programmer types. Ã, It also affects the types of games that get made, with all the set up for the game written for you, AGS doesn't disuade people from making small games that might seem a waste of time in other engines, where you have to write a load of code to set up the basics whatever size game you do.
I use AGS for all adventure game type things I want to make, and Python/C++ combined for everything else, currently. Seems like a waste of time trying to make non adventures in AGS, people try though... people that don't know anything that suits their purposes more, I guess.

d. Has AGS inspired you to try and take up game design professionally?

I've wanted to do that off and on since long before I used AGS... not really sure if it's a realistic thing to hope for, it still seems appealling, though.

7. Do you feel that there is a gender divide in the AGS community?
- A divide in what sense? I don't think the female members here are treated, or act any differently, but obviously there is a discrepancy in the number of males to females. Ã, Compared to game development in general I think I attract a lot of girls. I mean we. Ã, The females here do seem to have a slightly better success rate with making games, I'm not sure if that's true, just seems that way.

8. Are you likely to feel differently about a game if you discover it’s made by a female? In what way?
- Only if I really really thought about it, I might see how it affected how she wrote different characters... maybe... not really.

9. Do you feel that AGS makes it easier for females to get involved in computer game design? In what way?
- There do seem to be quite few women interested in programming (compare the number of females helping with code in the Tech Forums to the number of females posting in the critics lounge), so I guess not having to helps a little.

10. Do you feel that there is a difference between the types of games created by males and females?
- With AGS games, I haven't noticed that so far... with non AGS, well, there are few female games designers around.

11. Any other comments?
- No

voh

Name: Robin de Graaf
Age: 24
Female/male: Male

1. How long have you been involved in the AGS community?
I've been involved in the AGS community since... *checks profile* the summer of 2004, but I've known about it and worked with it first when it didn't have a windows version.

2. Why did you get involved in AGS?
I like adventure games and some of the games made with AGS just made me go "OMG", and I wanted to build a game myself, so here I am.

3. How do you feel that the fact that AGS is a freeware programme affect the community that has built up around it?
The community would not have been so helpful and friendly (as well as large) if it had been a commercial product. Because there's just not enough interest in paying money for something that isn't mindbogglingly amazing. AGS is very good for what it's meant for - and paying for something means it has to be - or seem - amazing to teh max. The people here are friendly and usually think alike - free program = free games = free help = free awesomeness.

4. How big a part does the AGS community play in your life?
Not too big, to be honest. I check the forums multiple times a day on days where I've got lots of spare time. If not, at least once.

5. Have you been involved in making any games using AGS? You may list them if you want
Not yet, no.

7. Do you feel that there is a gender divide in the AGS community?
No. Though there are more men than women, women are (afaik) seen as equal  and are welcome just as much as men are. I'd say that positive discrimination is sometimes an issue "Wow, a GIRL made this? AWESOME!", but that's it, really.

8. Are you likely to feel differently about a game if you discover it’s made by a female? In what way?
I'm usually very keen on seeing good games made by females. Why? Because the going assumption is that girls aren't really into gaming. Which is false, but it's always good to see more girl gamers and especially game designers.

9. Do you feel that AGS makes it easier for females to get involved in computer game design? In what way?
Nothing is stopping females to get into computer game design. Any freeware tool that doesn't have gender requirements offers the same options to females as AGS does.

10. Do you feel that there is a difference between the types of games created by males and females?
No. Cirque de Zale, for example, could have been made by a man and it wouldn't have surprised me. I think, to be honest, that girls usually spend a bit more time on the details, but otherwise it's all the same to me. In the end it's about the game - if it's good, it's good, no matter who made it.

11. Any other comments?
Not really :)
Still here.

Helm

Oh yeah I guess reverse-discrimination should be mentioned: when the women of the forum post inane bullshit or are overtly ignorant and opinionated about it, everybody seems to cut them slack just because they exist and they'd rather that than risk sausagefest.
WINTERKILL

AGA

Name: Berian Williams

Age: 20

Female/male: Male

1. How long have you been involved in the AGS community? I registered on the old forums on 01 August 2001. I'd been lurking on the forums awhile prior to that.

2. Why did you get involved in AGS? I'd played a few AGS-made games, and thought I'd like to try it myself.

3. How do you feel that the fact that AGS is a freeware programme affect the community that has built up around it? I think people respect Chris Jones a lot more because he does what he does, and devotes to much time to AGS and its community, for free, and in his own spare time.

4. How big a part does the AGS community play in your life? The forums not so much anymore, but I'm pretty much on IRC 24/7. There are a lot of people associated with AGS whom I consider friends.

5. Have you been involved in making any games using AGS? You may list them if you want

Reality-on-the-Norm: I Spy II
Alien Rape Escape
Reality-on-the-Norm: Dead Man's Political Party
Jon Stickman demo
The Lion's Den

I also helped Grundislav with ideas for the first few Ben Jordan games, beta tested various things, and have taken part in two ATC entries that will be finished... eventually.

6. Answer these questions if you have been involved in making AGS games:

a. Were you interested in game design/programming before you started using AGS? Not to a huge degree. I did have Klik 'n' Play as a kid, but I never really did much with it.

b. If no, do you feel that you would have got into game design without AGS?

c. Do you make games using other programmes, either freeware or not? How does the experience differ? No.

d. Has AGS inspired you to try and take up game design professionally? No. Professional games design is far too much like hard work.

7. Do you feel that there is a gender divide in the AGS community? Aside from the numbers difference, no.

8. Are you likely to feel differently about a game if you discover it's made by a female? In what way? No.

9. Do you feel that AGS makes it easier for females to get involved in computer game design? In what way? No. There's nothing stopping females from getting involved in games creation other than the lack of desire.

10. Do you feel that there is a difference between the types of games created by males and females? No.

11. Any other comments? Maybe.

Nikolas

Name: Nikolas Sideris
Age: 28
Female/male: Male

1. How long have you been involved in the AGS community?
since summer 2005 (that recent). But I have more than 1100 posts! ;D

2. Why did you get involved in AGS?
I like adventure games and want to write music for computer games. I would also like to design my own game, and I'm currently working on it.

3. How do you feel that the fact that AGS is a freeware programme affect the community that has built up around it?
This is one of the most wonderfull and helpful communities in the web. This is because AGS is free, probably.

4. How big a part does the AGS community play in your life?
Well I spent a lot of time in front of my computer, and since I have internet connectio nat home, I check quiet frequently the AGS Forums.

5. Have you been involved in making any games using AGS? You may list them if you want
I wrote music for "Hearts of Abraxas" and for "A Tale of Two Kingdoms" (WIP)

6. Answer these questions if you have been involved in making AGS games:

a. Were you interested in game design/programming before you started using AGS?

Yes. I have actually done four games using GW Basic (!)

b. If no, do you feel that you would have got into game design without AGS?
N/A

c. Do you make games using other programmes, either freeware or not? How does the experience differ?
No.

d. Has AGS inspired you to try and take up game design professionally? No. Professional games design is far too much like hard work.
Yes, but not for game design, but rather as a composer in computer games industry. I hope for the best...


7. Do you feel that there is a gender divide in the AGS community?
More men than women, I think

8. Are you likely to feel differently about a game if you discover it's made by a female? In what way?
The two females I have in mind (Ivy and Kinoko) have made wonderfull games, probably in the top 20 of my list. I don't feel different because they are women, but I do feel that their games were wonderfull.

9. Do you feel that AGS makes it easier for females to get involved in computer game design? In what way?
Nope.

10. Do you feel that there is a difference between the types of games created by males and females?
Nope.

11. Any other comments?
Nope.

LimpingFish

#12
Name: LimpingFish

Age: 29

Female/male: Aquatic.

1. How long have you been involved in the AGS community?
2 years.

2. Why did you get involved in AGS?
I...uh...like adventure games.

3. How do you feel that the fact that AGS is a freeware programme affect the community that has built up around it?
People DO like free stuff.

4. How big a part does the AGS community play in your life?
Internet life? Pretty big. Otherwise...sure, I'd say a big part.

5. Have you been involved in making any games using AGS? You may list them if you want
I'm working on my first.

6. Answer these questions if you have been involved in making AGS games:

a. Were you interested in game design/programming before you started using AGS?
Yes.

b. If no, do you feel that you would have got into game design without AGS?
See above.

c. Do you make games using other programmes, either freeware or not? How does the eperience differ?
I've tried a few game making programmes. AGS has proven the most user friendly.

d. Has AGS inspired you to try and take up game design professionally?
No. A whole different ball game.

7. Do you feel that there is a gender divide in the AGS community?
No.

8. Are you likely to feel differently about a game if you discover it's made by a female? In what way?
No.

9. Do you feel that AGS makes it easier for females to get involved in computer game design? In what way?
No. Well it depends really. I don't think AGS has anything special to offer female gamemakers over any other program, no. Or male gamemakers for that matter.

10. Do you feel that there is a difference between the types of games created by males and females?
No. Except maybe towards female characters.

11. Any other comments?
No.
Steam: LimpingFish
PSN: LFishRoller
XB: TheActualLimpingFish
Spotify: LimpingFish

biothlebop

#13
Name: biothlebop

Age: 20

Female/male: Male

1. How long have you been involved in the AGS community?

Around a month.

2. Why did you get involved in AGS?

Because I had a wow effect (kids experience things more intensely) from Monkey Island (and I was too scared to play
ROTT, DOOM etc.) when I was like nine years old.
The internet lead me to it, and I downloaded it.

3. How do you feel that the fact that AGS is a freeware programme affect the community that has built up around it?

It's all good. Before the Internet, there was no free lunch.

4. How big a part does the AGS community play in your life?

I check it now and then when I am on the computer. Quite big internet-wise considering it's the first forum I've
registered in.

5. Have you been involved in making any games using AGS? You may list them if you want

No. I am partly a perfectionist, but mostly I hate programming because it sucks and I suck at it.

6. Answer these questions if you have been involved in making AGS games:

a. Were you interested in game design/programming before you started using AGS?

Design: Yes. Programming: no. Did I mention that I hate programming? I love it when a program of mine works though.
I just hate it when it doesn't work for the two weeks and I spend figuring out why it doesn't work.

b. If no, do you feel that you would have got into game design without AGS?

Without any toolkit, using only C or something, I would rather have learnt to breakdance to the point that I could do Flares. I'd even have it written on my gravestone: He couln't program for shit, but he could get down!

c. Do you make games using other programmes, either freeware or not? How does the eperience differ?

Nope.

d. Has AGS inspired you to try and take up game design professionally?

I believe whatever you end up to do for a job, there is little to it that attracted you to it in the first place.
"A job is nothing but work" and I would never do anything as a profession that didn't involve interaction with other people
physically. My AGS experiences have been solely via the Internet. However I could work in game design
(designing generally, and commanding a hundred people to make me a car), but AGS has not inspired me to pursue it.

7. Do you feel that there is a gender divide in the AGS community?

If you mean that people are judged by their gender, no. More nerdy men here though than nerdy women.

8. Are you likely to feel differently about a game if you discover it's made by a female? In what way?

I played Circue de Zale, and when I found out it was made by a woman I was pleasantly surprised.

9. Do you feel that AGS makes it easier for females to get involved in computer game design? In what way?

Yes. You dont have to learn pointers and stuff to do a one-room game. I also hate programming.

10. Do you feel that there is a difference between the types of games created by males and females?

I have only played one adventure game that I know was made by a woman. I liked it.
I have on the other hand played a few adventure games made by men that I thought sucked (some ruled). This I believe was
more related to the fact that more effort was put in the one made by the female author and the male person was thirteen
or something. I always liked adventure games for their plots and especially nice graphics. I'm the type of person who skips
dialogue in Final Fantasy and couldn't give a crap when it's over or what happened. The graphics made me concentrate
for a while until I skip, and adventures are loaded with graphics. I have been thirteen once as well, and my pictures
from that time suck.

Between the types of games: I dont know much about games in general developed by women. Jane Jensen made adventures as
well as Roberta Williams, but the other profilic game figures I know are men (Wright,Miyamoto,Romero).

11. Any other comments?

I guess it could be interesting to make a essay of the battle of genders in Adventure game making. As I see it
the revolutionary and interesting thing behind AGS is not related to genders in any way. The internet is anonym enough
for anybody to pose as a man/woman or Tony Blair, and in my country, feminism is dead. There is no battle. There are
definately more hardcore nazis than sexists in Finland. Or they are more visible, so I see race as an greater issue.
There is also the issue of personal economy. It's probably a no-brainer, considering that you need a computer in the first
place, a connection and some reltion to adventures in the past to get interested. I'd guess most of the people here are
from middleclass families and up along the social ladder.

I believe fewer women are into game development because it still is so technical, and practically all technical areas
are infested with men. Gaming is just a matter of hooking them while they're young. Boys probably have a inclination to
tinker with computers (that's how I started) but girls haven't. If a girl does not have a room filled with barbie dolls but
a computer or a console, you'll have a greater chance that she grows up to like those things in the future. I wouldn't put
my future children in front of a computer however, I'd probably toss them out the door every chance I got and say go play
football or something so I could have some peace.

What makes AGS interesting is that it is free, most games made with it are free, and it extends well beyond making adventures
thanks to the forums. It is a creative outlet for music, writing and art, it brings together creative and like-minded people,
letting them discuss society and general matters, there is a low snob factor thanks to the constant flow of nOObs, but great
things are posted constantly. People are generally helpful, there is very little trolling and nonsense, I could ramble on
about how I love the spirit behind AGS. It all comes down to Citius, Altius, Fortius, people that want to do something amazing
and the community provides a launch pad for that (I haven't drawn anything in a while before I came here).
If communism would have ever worked, these people could have made it work.
Hell is like Tetris, make sure that you fit.

Kinoko

Name: Kinoko (Rebecca Clements)

Age: 23

Female/male: Female

1. How long have you been involved in the AGS community? Since about December 2003, I think.

2. Why did you get involved in AGS?
I had suddenly gotten the urge to try my hand at making an adventure game, and some friends pointed me in the direction of AGS.

3. How do you feel that the fact that AGS is a freeware programme affect the community that has built up around it?
Obviously, a huge amount. It creates a nice, friendly atmosphere where people don't feel pressured to produce to any particular level or to anyone's expectations but their own.

4. How big a part does the AGS community play in your life?
I check the site several times a day, so a huge amount. It's a part of my regular routine.

5. Have you been involved in making any games using AGS? You may list them if you want
Cirque de Zale was my first game. I'm now working on an RPG called Gift of Adora.

6. Answer these questions if you have been involved in making AGS games:

a. Were you interested in game design/programming before you started using AGS?

Not really.

b. If no, do you feel that you would have got into game design without AGS?
Yes, but probably not as much.

c. Do you make games using other programmes, either freeware or not? How does the experience differ?
Nope, I just use AGS for now.

d. Has AGS inspired you to try and take up game design professionally?
No. It would be nice though.

7. Do you feel that there is a gender divide in the AGS community?
Not at all. Most of the time, I forget what gender people are anyway.

8. Are you likely to feel differently about a game if you discover it's made by a female? In what way?
Not at all.

9. Do you feel that AGS makes it easier for females to get involved in computer game design? In what way?
I have no idea, I never thought about it. I don't know any other programs that might make it more difficult for women to get into game design so I don't know what to compare it to.

10. Do you feel that there is a difference between the types of games created by males and females?
Never noticed one.

11. Any other comments?
Can't think of any.

Grundislav

Name: Francisco Gonzalez

Age: 24

Female/male: Male

1. How long have you been involved in the AGS community?
Since March of 2001, and I've only got 484 posts!

2. Why did you get involved in AGS?
I wanted to make my own adventure game ever since I played Hugo's House of Horrors back in the early '90s.

3. How do you feel that the fact that AGS is a freeware programme affect the community that has built up around it?
Being free certainly draws more people to it, and the fact that one guy is responsible for such a program and actually listens to suggestions gives it a more home-y feeling.

4. How big a part does the AGS community play in your life?
A disgustingly large part.Ã,  I check the forums several times a day, and I think I have more friends in AGS than I do in real life.

5. Have you been involved in making any games using AGS? You may list them if you want
Yes.

6. Answer these questions if you have been involved in making AGS games:

a. Were you interested in game design/programming before you started using AGS?
I fooled around with Klik n Play for a little bit, and also with this thing called QuestMaker when I was younger, but nothing serious or good every resulted from those.

b. If no, do you feel that you would have got into game design without AGS?


c. Do you make games using other programmes, either freeware or not? How does the experience differ?
Nope.

d. Has AGS inspired you to try and take up game design professionally?
In theory it's a nice idea, but I wouldn't really want to do it for a living. It stops becoming fun when it's work.

7. Do you feel that there is a gender divide in the AGS community?
There's definitely more males, but aside from that, no.

8. Are you likely to feel differently about a game if you discover it's made by a female? In what way?
No.

9. Do you feel that AGS makes it easier for females to get involved in computer game design? In what way?
I think AGS makes it easier for anyone to get involved in game design, regardless of gender.

10. Do you feel that there is a difference between the types of games created by males and females?
I don't think so.

11. Any other comments?
Do I get a prize?

Gilbert

Name:
Gilbert Cheung

Age:
31

Female/male:
Male

1. How long have you been involved in the AGS community?
Since somewhere between 1997 or 1998 I think, that makes it about 7 to 8 years.

2. Why did you get involved in AGS?
I wasn't really involved in AC when I first joined, I just discovered AC because I was looking for DOS utilities (which CJ ahd created a brunch, together with AC), I wasn't really active until the community was about to build up one or two years later, since I saw potential in AC, it looked like fun creating games, and lots of good people.

3. How do you feel that the fact that AGS is a freeware programme affect the community that has built up around it?
Well I think it's a VERY important part to account for the large and strong community we are having now.Ã,  You don't need to pay $$$ to get a programme that's updated frequently with incredible features, you don't need to pay $$$ to make a game, you don't need to pay $$$ to make a large awesome game,Ã,  you don't need to pay $$$ to make a small crappy game, you don't even need to pay $$$ to make a commercial game! (Though there weren't many commercial games made with AGS so far.) It's also one important fact that people are willing to create geneoursly lots of supports, like the WIKI site, upload servers, well organised competitions, etc.

4. How big a part does the AGS community play in your life?
As big as it's 99% of my time involved to net forum surfing.

5. Have you been involved in making any games using AGS? You may list them if you want
Nothing worth mentioning really, yet.

6. Answer these questions if you have been involved in making AGS games:
a. Were you interested in game design/programming before you started using AGS?
b. If no, do you feel that you would have got into game design without AGS?
c. Do you make games using other programmes, either freeware or not? How does the eperience differ?
d. Has AGS inspired you to try and take up game design professionally?

Because of the answer to Q5, I'm too lazy to answer this one. :=

7. Do you feel that there is a gender divide in the AGS community?
Gender? What gender? Everyone here loves female mates.
Quote from: PestyAGS: Turning girls into lesbians since 1997.

8. Are you likely to feel differently about a game if you discover it's made by a female? In what way?
No. Refer to Q7.

9. Do you feel that AGS makes it easier for females to get involved in computer game design? In what way?
Yes. Refer to Q7.

10. Do you feel that there is a difference between the types of games created by males and females?
No. Refer to Q7.

11. Any other comments?
No. Refer to Q7.

Ghormak

#17
Name:Ã,  Andreas Slotte

Age: 22

Female/male: male

1. How long have you been involved in the AGS community?
2002? 2001? I really can't remember, I was lurking for a long time before I started posting.

2. Why did you get involved in AGS?
I played Scid's game Red Flagg and thought "wow, this works just like a Sierra game. Awesome".

3. How do you feel that the fact that AGS is a freeware programme affect the community that has built up around it?
I don't know, other than the obvious fact that more people use it now than if they had to pay for it.

4. How big a part does the AGS community play in your life?
I read the forums every day, and there are people here I'd like to think of as my friends.

5. Have you been involved in making any games using AGS? You may list them if you want
Yes, though not any real point and click adventures other than ones meant as jokes. Gladiator Quest is my favourite game I've contributed to significantly.

6. Answer these questions if you have been involved in making AGS games:


a. Were you interested in game design/programming before you started using AGS?
Oh yes, ever since the C64 my brother got when I was three!

c. Do you make games using other programmes, either freeware or not? How does the eperience differ?
I've dabbled with SDL and OpenGL in C++, and once school calms down a little I'm going to continue working on a rogue-like game I've wanted to do for some time now. It's different because it offers much more control and less limitations. When I made Moose Wars with AGS, I made it because I wanted to test the limits of AGS, and I had fun. I just added new feature after new feature as I came up with simple things to try.
When we made Gladiator Quest, I was just frustrated by the things that limited me, because we had a clear vision of what we wanted the game to be like.
I'll never again make a (complex) non-adventure in AGS.

d. Has AGS inspired you to try and take up game design professionally?
I would like to work as a game designer. But realistically, I don't see it happening. How many people really end up being astronauts, anyway?

7. Do you feel that there is a gender divide in the AGS community?
No.

8. Are you likely to feel differently about a game if you discover it’s made by a female? In what way?
No.

9. Do you feel that AGS makes it easier for females to get involved in computer game design? In what way?
It makes it easier for everyone.

10. Do you feel that there is a difference between the types of games created by males and females?
Looking at the games released so far, I wouldn't say there's much of a difference.

11. Any other comments?
About AGS? About females and AGS? About adventure games in general? I'll go with the last one:
Personally I'm getting slightly bored with the idea of point-and-click puzzle solving games we all came to AGS for, and am hoping that we'll soon enough see a new kind of adventure game that will make both adventure purists and FPS players shout out with glee in unison.
Achtung Franz! The comic

The Inquisitive Stranger

Oh, what the heck. I'm bored.

Name: www.deirdrakiai.com

Age: Twenty

Female/male: I like how "Female" is capitalized and "male" isn't. :)

1. How long have you been involved in the AGS community? I'm not really involved; I just lurk sporadically. I've been part of the general adventure game developing community since 1999-ish, though.

2. Why did you get involved in AGS? I didn't. I tried using the engine circa 2000 and didn't like it, so I used other engines to make my adventure games instead.

3. How do you feel that the fact that AGS is a freeware programme affect the community that has built up around it? I'm a bit confused with the phrasing of that sentence. Sure, AGS has a great community; however, that's not just because it's a freeware program.

4. How big a part does the AGS community play in your life? It's here to amuse me when I can't find people to bicker with on other adventure game development forums.

5. Have you been involved in making any games using AGS? You may list them if you want No, but I AM well-known for Cubert Badbone, P.I.

6. Answer these questions if you have been involved in making AGS games:

a. Were you interested in game design/programming before you started using AGS? Yup. I was interested in game design/programming even after I used AGS and didn't like it.

b. If no, do you feel that you would have got into game design without AGS? N/A

c. Do you make games using other programmes, either freeware or not? How does the eperience differ? I use SLUDGE for my adventure games, and the experience, well, involves a lot fewer drop-down menus and more scripting, I suppose. Before SLUDGE, I used AGAST, which was nice for a while but then didn't get updated for ages. I wrote a text adventure in C++ as well at some point, and since I plan on being a professional game developer, I'll certainly be using plenty more tools in the future.

d. Has AGS inspired you to try and take up game design professionally? No. Game design has been my passion even before knowing about AGS.

7. Do you feel that there is a gender divide in the AGS community? No more so than any other divide, I guess.

8. Are you likely to feel differently about a game if you discover it’s made by a female? In what way? Well, a good game made by a female gives me happy feelings of girl power, but a bad game doesn't become a good game in my eyes just because it's made by a girl.

9. Do you feel that AGS makes it easier for females to get involved in computer game design? In what way? If you're implying that the fact that AGS is easy to use makes it easier for women to design computer games, then I'm almost offended. If you're implying that adventure games are more appealing to women than, say, FPS games, well, generally speaking, that's sort of true. A passion for designing games can only manifest itself when one already has a passion for playing them, and if there exist more games that aren't blatantly testosterone-filled in nature, then sure, you might have more girls wanting to make games.

10. Do you feel that there is a difference between the types of games created by males and females? Not really. I'd say that some games have a masculine feel to them and some games have a feminine feel to them, but that doesn't necessarily have to do with who made the game.

11. Any other comments?

Quote from: Haddas on Sun 26/02/2006 21:47:48
I like 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582097494459230781640628620
89986280348253421170679821480865132823066470938446095505822317253594081284811174502
84102701938521105559644622948954930381964428810975665933446128475648233786783165271
20190914564856692346034861045432664821339360726024914127372458700660631558817488152
0920962829254091715364367892590360011330530548820466521384146951941511

Me too! And to think I had all of those decimal places memorized at some point...
Actually, I HAVE worked on a couple of finished games. They just weren't made in AGS.

Toefur

Dont know the point, but I'm kinda bored right now...

Name: Toefur

Age: 23

Female/male: I am He.

1. How long have you been involved in the AGS community? Christ. Since 2001 whe Greek Guy used to give me advice on girls?

2. Why did you get involved in AGS? I wanted to make the best adventure game ever!

3. How do you feel that the fact that AGS is a freeware programme affect the community that has built up around it? There would be three people here if it wasnt freeware. It would be CJ, CJ, and maybe CJ's Mother.

4. How big a part does the AGS community play in your life? Very important.

5. Have you been involved in making any games using AGS? You may list them if you want I prefer not to say the games I have previously released.

6. Answer these questions if you have been involved in making AGS games:


a. Were you interested in game design/programming before you started using AGS? Nope

b. If no, do you feel that you would have got into game design without AGS? Nope

c. Do you make games using other programmes, either freeware or not? How does the eperience differ? Nope!

d. Has AGS inspired you to try and take up game design professionally? Nope!


7. Do you feel that there is a gender divide in the AGS community? Not at all. In fact, less so than other game related communities.

8. Are you likely to feel differently about a game if you discover it's made by a female? In what way? Yes, I will hope that she has sexy Myspace style pictures in the game.

9. Do you feel that AGS makes it easier for females to get involved in computer game design? In what way? No more than it does for males.

10. Do you feel that there is a difference between the types of games created by males and females? Yes. Girls just make games about Barbie and stuff.

11. Any other comments? Thanks for giving me the opportunity to take part in youre questionairre.

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