MAGS 2008-08: Minigames

Started by Klaus, Fri 01/08/2008 11:56:44

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Klaus

What is MAGS?
MAGS is a monthly competition for all amateur adventure game makers. The idea is to use AGS to create a game in under a month, following the rules set by the previous winner.

For more information please visit the Official MAGS website.

Why should I enter MAGS?
We're not here to tell you that you should enter MAGS, but merely allow it as a creative opportunity to help you work to a deadline, improve your skills, and generally as a good kick-start for the new comers (a.k.a n00bies).

MAGS is the perfect opportunity to make a game, and the wonderful prize is to announce the next month's rules, and all competitors get the game placed on the MAGS website.

MAGS is meant to be fun and is aimed at everyone, despite their skill. If you have poor art skills work on graphics, and vice-versa, as the voting is based on "favourite" games, and not the most artistic, you may get help for the competiton, but should try not get anyone else to do any part of the game for you.

You are not allowed to (re)use material already created before this competition, you game must be completely new! An exception goes for sounds and music where you can also use free material that is available to the public.

Please do not just enter the competition with a rushed entry (a game created in just some hours or a few days)!

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Topic: Minigames

This month's guidelines were set by last month's winner Rocco:

"Minigames" - that's the only rule this month. All game types are allowed - can be Adventure, RPG, Arcade, whatever...

What does it mean?
Your game must contain a minigame which is connected to the gameplay somehow. That means it must effect the game in some way. We don't want a minigame as stand alone game! It must be a part of your main game.

So a minigame is a game within the main game. It usually has a different GUI and a different way to play.

For example a point-and-click adventure game could include an action scene at some place, or a riddle where you need to combine objects using a different GUI, or something that requires text input, or ...
These all are only examples - there are many other ways to include a minigame. But don't forget: The minigame must help the player character to go on in the main game. It should not just be an easter egg :-)

Some more mingame examples in commercial games:
The boxing sequence in Indy III
Sam and Max has some
Monkey Island II (long-spitting, affront fencing)
Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes (Dart game)
Largo Winch (Card game and some more)

You got the idea? That's all. Good luck.

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All games need to be in by August 25th.

Please post a download link of your game entry to this thread, best with a screenshot. Thanks and good luck.

JpSoft

I will join this month competition.

Jp

Ryan Timothy B

Perhaps I'll join this competition and Actually finish the game? (don't cross your fingers)

olafmoriarty

Are there any limits to how good or complex does the minigame have to be?

An example: I have a part of the game where the player has to guess an ATM pincode. I assume this could qualify as a minigame since it has a different GUI and it is a break from the point-and-click to do something different, but... The whole interactivity level consists of punching in a number, and if the player picks up the hints, the whole minigame is done in five seconds. Is that good enough to call it a minigame?

(Of course, I plan to have more than that one minigame, but I still would like to know if it qualifies or not.)

Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens

An ATM number panel is not a minigame unless the definition has really changed.  Minigames are things like punching people, throwing darts at a board, jumping bottles, sliding tile puzzles, that sort of thing.

olafmoriarty

#5
Okay, thanks. Good thing I have other minigames too, then. :-) I was seriously at an early stage thinking "perhaps this could a modern kind of ATM where the machine could tell you 'Well, I *could* ask for your pin code, but there's a better way to figure out if you're really you -- since you're an ARKANOID expert, you get to play a stage of Arkanoid on the ATM screen!' or something". Fortunately I gave up that idea because that would just have been too bizarre.

(It looks as if I'm actually participating this time. I'm not promising an entry, but I've spent more time working on this game in the last 36 hours than I have spent combined on all earlier attempts to make an AGS game, so hopefully I'll manage to finish something.)

EDIT: Dammit! No, I won't be able to finish my silly little entry this time.

Brad Newsom

Quote from: ProgZmax on Sun 03/08/2008 01:21:58
An ATM number panel is not a minigame unless the definition has really changed.  Minigames are things like punching people, throwing darts at a board, jumping bottles, sliding tile puzzles, that sort of thing.

Or in game design terms, its an obstacle. Mini games are usually skipable (well at least in most adventure games).

olafmoriarty

Quote from: Kadji-san (BradN) on Sun 03/08/2008 03:11:23
Or in game design terms, its an obstacle. Mini games are usually skipable (well at least in most adventure games).

Well, that will be a problem in this MAGS...

QuoteThe minigame must help the player character to go on in the main game. It should not just be an easter egg

nihilyst

Quote from: Kadji-san (BradN) on Sun 03/08/2008 03:11:23
Or in game design terms, its an obstacle. Mini games are usually skipable (well at least in most adventure games).

If it's implemented in a nonsensical Still Life fashion (like making cookies or starting up a crane through solving some weird lever combination puzzles, then yes. I hated this. But thinking of Full Throttle, the car-driving minigame was quite cool and made full sense. The bike battles were a bit annoying; no, not the battles themselves, just the slow driving. So, minigames can really help your game be more dynamic.

I really like to join; haven't made anything in AGS for a while, but I fear I just don't have the time.

Rocco

Quote from: Kadji-san (BradN) on Sun 03/08/2008 03:11:23
Or in game design terms, its an obstacle. Mini games are usually skipable (well at least in most adventure games).

Well i hate this kind of Minigames, which doesnt belong to the actual game, so this isnt allowed.
In this competition, the Minigame should make sense in relation to the actual game.


Example:

Your Maincharacter fails to open a door.
possible Minigames:
1.
The Character go to a gym, and lifts some wheigts with an easy waggle Minigame.
After that your Character is strong enough to pull the door out of the hinges.

2. The Character find a lockpick
Short lockpick minigame (Example - The Heist)

3. The character find a crowbar
Short minigame where the char, opens the window with the crowbar.

Brad Newsom

Quote from: Rocco on Sun 03/08/2008 10:43:33
Quote from: Kadji-san (BradN) on Sun 03/08/2008 03:11:23
Or in game design terms, its an obstacle. Mini games are usually skipable (well at least in most adventure games).

Well i hate this kind of Minigames, which doesnt belong to the actual game, so this isnt allowed.
In this competition, the Minigame should make sense in relation to the actual game.


Example:

Your Maincharacter fails to open a door.
possible Minigames:
1.
The Character go to a gym, and lifts some wheigts with an easy waggle Minigame.
After that your Character is strong enough to pull the door out of the hinges.

2. The Character find a lockpick
Short lockpick minigame (Example - The Heist)

3. The character find a crowbar
Short minigame where the char, opens the window with the crowbar.

Indeed. Kudos for those that offer various mini games all that occur through various possible solutions to an obstacle, instead of just one solution.


Also I'd like to make it clear on my previous statement. Obstacles and Mini Games are not the same.

Radiant

So...

anyone up for coding WarioWare in AGS?

Vince Twelve

Radiant, I so considered that at one point a few years ago!

Good topic, Rocco.  Looking forward to playing the entries.

paolo

#13
Quote from: ProgZmax on Sun 03/08/2008 01:21:58
An ATM number panel is not a minigame unless the definition has really changed.  Minigames are things like punching people, throwing darts at a board, jumping bottles, sliding tile puzzles, that sort of thing.

Funny you should say that... the game I am working on now (not for this competition) has one of these in it... I'm not going to say which. You'll have to wait and see!

EDIT: I've had a great idea for a minigame but unfortunately I don't have time to enter this month. Good luck to all the entrants.

Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens

I've got something cooking, I just don't know if I can get it ready in time for the deadline.

Ryan Timothy B

Same here, I need at the most 5 days.

With the forums being down for that lengthly period, it took me quite a while to learn how to program some of the stuff in my game.  I missed my search the forums feature :(.  Damn newbies I tell ya.

Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens

#16
Here we go. 

I proudly present a month's worth of steady effort,

LIMEY LIZARD:  WASTE WIZARD!





Limey Lizard is your average under-achieving waste worker trapped in a job he hates and avoids at every opportunity -- but his boss has plans to make him shape up, and with the help of PANDA, the ship's sarcastic computer personality, he might succeed!

Combat sarcasm!  Face certain death!  Club wasterats!  All this and a snappy theme tune awaits!


I've disabled some content like the playable intro to make you want to play the finished product more, which will have voices and quite a bit more to do!

Download it here, and don't forget to read the readme since the controls are a bit different (but rather user-friendly, I think).

Edit:  A quick minor bug fix for when you click the save button with an inventory item.  Thanks to Inkoddi for spotting it!

http://www.mediafire.com/?diczeqmy2zw


Let me know what final rating you get in the game.

Rocco

Quote from: Ryan Timothy on Sun 24/08/2008 19:06:04
Same here, I need at the most 5 days.
Now its the 6th day, are you entering yet?

Thank God, ProgZmax you saved this round with your entry.  :)
Looks very retro, with a decent gameplay.
I will comment it later, when i played through.

Klaus

#18
Quote from: Rocco on Sat 30/08/2008 10:57:37
Quote from: Ryan Timothy on Sun 24/08/2008 19:06:04
Same here, I need at the most 5 days.
Now its the 6th day, are you entering yet?
Actually about the same thing that I wanted to ask :)

We are already very, very late - so if no more entries are in within the next 12 hours from now (see timestamp of this message) there will be a winner by default.

Edit (12 hours later):
Time passed by without a new entry... and so we have a winner:

Congratulations and many thanks for entering the contest go to
ProgZmax and his game Limey Lizard:  Waste Wizard!

ElaineMc

Evaluation: Lazy!

Awww.

But, still, who can resist
Spoiler
a good game of whack-a-rat
[close]
?
1. Never make unnecessary noise.
2. Never use unnecessary light.
3. Never expect a rescue.
Outrider - Zombies exist. Deal with them.

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