One of A Kind (MAGS Edition) - MAGS Oct 09 Entry

[Crimson Wizard]

Encouraged by tzachs's example (and Tijne + Helme's example circa august '09), I decided to put my MAGS game here too. The game is second to my previous MAGS game, "The Deed", but it is, I guess, my first AGS game which could be actually considered completed (although I still had to cut out a good number of things from scenario because of lack of time). And I wish people to play and criticise it.

The game has "MAGS Edition" subtitle because I am planning to work on a longer version of this game in the (hopefully nearest) future (and thus it is an extra reason to know people's opinion of the shorter game).

Updated to version 1.2.1 (check download links below)
This game in AGS games database: http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/games.php?action=detail&id=1222


One of A Kind
(MAGS Edition)

Length: MAGS
Genre: Pseudobibleic quazisteampunk comedy
Parameters: 320x200, 16-bit colour


STORY

Can you imagine a realm, where everything seems a little bit wrong?
Wrong God...
wrong Deluge...
wrong prophet...
and the wrong Ark.

Yep. The God brought down his wrath and summoned Deluge. Only Noah and three of his sons: Shem, Ham and Japeth, - are to survive and carry one divine mission, which is to save the life and repopulate the Earth. But as Ark commences its journey across the global ocean, Noah's family finds out something dreadful.
There's a creature without a pair on the board!


ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Since game is loosely based on religious material and introduces bibleic characters in an unusual way, I hereby state that I have no intention to offend anyone's feelings. If you are actually offended, then I'm seriously sorry.


Screenshots:







Version 1.2.1:
http://www.mediafire.com/?lywathvp2jg

Mirror link
http://www.filehosting.org/file/details/70144/OneOfAKind_1_2_1.zip

Version 1.2:
http://www.mediafire.com/?dmbjytmand3

Mirror link
http://www.filehosting.org/file/details/69248/OneOfAKind_1_2.zip

Mirror link 2 (credits go to OneDollar):
http://www.onedollarproductions.co.uk/hosted/OneOfAKind_1_2.zip


RANDOM QUOTE

"Cannot we just do something really quickly before anyone noticed?"
Japeth


CREDITS
Story, scripting, art and music by me, Crimson Wizard.

Following tunes were used as a base for in-game music:
"Go down, Moses" by author unknown;
"Yellow Submarine" by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

Powered by AGS Engine 3.1.2.1074 © 2006-2009 Chris Jones.

More info can be found in the game's readme.

[Cogliostro]

Downloaded it and playing now.

In case no one ever mentioned it before, you have a wonderfully disturbed sense of humor.

[Crimson Wizard]

In case no one ever mentioned it before, you have a wonderfully disturbed sense of humor.

Eh, can you please elaborate? I am not sure is this good or rather not  :

In case you mean game is too eccentric, that's rather because I had a feeling it is too short and wanted to fill it with something... maybe I got over the edge, don't know.

[Dave Gilbert]

Hah.  For a minute I thought this was a "two of a kind" prequel.

[Cogliostro]

It's a good thing!

But I could use some help....

Spoiler

Because the calipers measure the size of the cistern I assume I need to machine something before I can get the first key.  Since I don't have any plans onwards to the next puzzle the laser beam.

I can block the beam with the mirror attached to the frame and the brain warns me to stop - of course.  Then I can look at the looking glasses and realize I'm being watched.  So I try to cover it with the violet cloth, but I need to attach it to the balloon.... AND GLUE DOESN'T WORK?!?!

Also, obviously I need the gramophone to stop the brain from hearing me.  When do I pick up a record?

[close]

Spoiler

Okay, just got the balloon to the ceiling.  Now back to that record....

[close]

[tzachs]

Hey Crimson, I was playing your game and it crashed...
This is the error message:

in "GlobalScript", line 75:
Error: Gui.X co-ordinates specified are out of range

it happened when

Spoiler

I'm looking at the key in the water thingy, and I moved my mouse towards the exit button

[close]

[Crimson Wizard]

@tzachs
I managed to reproduce it. Thanks for reporting, I'll try to fix it; but since it's rare I'll probably do this tomorrow. Can't work anymore today

Spoiler

Then I can look at the looking glasses and realize I'm being watched.  So I try to cover it with the violet cloth, but I need to attach it to the balloon.... AND GLUE DOESN'T WORK?!?!

[close]

That's my fault, I should have either allow this possibility or explain why it can be used.

Spoiler

Also, obviously I need the gramophone to stop the brain from hearing me.  When do I pick up a record?

[close]

The first question you should ask yourself is not

Spoiler

where to find a record

[close]

but

Spoiler

if there are brain's "eyes" in the room, can he has "ears" somewhere there too to interact with?

[close]

[SomeSickSelf]

I got a very similar error to tzachs (well, the same error message in a different place).  It happened when

Spoiler

I was in the library trying to close the glass tube GUI

[close]

As a side note I'm a bit stuck...

Spoiler

I'm in the library trying to get the key. I managed to remove the cap, hook up the bellows, get the ball out and remove the bolt, in that order, but I still can't get the key, and removing the blot doesn't seem to have changed anything.

[close]

Also, I'm quite glad you decided to finish this game, I've enjoyed it.

[Crimson Wizard]

As a side note I'm a bit stuck...

Spoiler

I'm in the library trying to get the key. I managed to remove the cap, hook up the bellows, get the ball out and remove the bolt, in that order, but I still can't get the key, and removing the blot doesn't seem to have changed anything.

[close]

Hints:
1)

Spoiler

Key is metal.

[close]

2)

Spoiler

You can't use magnet on its own, because your hand won't stick into the tube. This means you should use something which would allow you to lower it in the tube from above.

[close]

As for crash, it is a general bug that could happen anywhere in theory. I think I fixed it already, but I want to do little cosmetic changes to the game first before uploading new version.


EDIT: Ouch! I re-read what you wrote and there's actually a bug!

Spoiler

you shouldn't be able to set up bellows BEFORE removing the bolt, because bolt covers tube from below.

[close]

I'll fix that

[SomeSickSelf]

I could swear I tried that earlier and it didn't work.  I got it now though, so I guess I must have just been clicking the wrong hotspot by mistake.

That bug threw me off, I kept thinking maybe

Spoiler

removing the bolt was supposed to allow the bellows to blow stronger.

[close]

Maybe I should stop playing MAGS games for a while and go outside or something  .

[Cogliostro]

Trouble with the cistern

Spoiler

Okay, I have the wooden circle with glue on it.  Now what am I supposed to do to get the key out of the cistern?

BUG: I though I might need to pump air into the system so I went back to the glass tube and tried to pickup the bellows after I already had the key.  That locked up the game.

[close]

[Crimson Wizard]

@cogliostro, thanks for bug report, I'll check that (I am preparing new update right now.

Trouble with the cistern

Spoiler

Okay, I have the wooden circle with glue on it.  Now what am I supposed to do to get the key out of the cistern?

[close]

Spoiler

I though I might need to pump air into the system

[close]

You was thinking right way
1)

Spoiler

Pumping is the key

[close]

2)

Spoiler

You have a circle that matches cistern's openig diameter. Now you have to attach something that will allow you to push it down with more convenience.

[close]

3)

Spoiler

If you do not have anything appropriate for that right away, mayhap you can break some item in pieces to get new items

[close]

4)

Spoiler

milling machine can help again

[close]

[abstauber]

Finally! I've finished your game, but I wouldn't have done it without the spoilers.

Nice work. The puzzles around the brain have been really entertaining -  to be honest, in the same way as the "optaining the key" puzzles have been annoying


Again.... gotta love the brain  8)

[Crimson Wizard]

Again.... gotta love the brain  8)

Does it has something to do with your avatar?



Anyway, I updated the game:
http://www.filehosting.org/file/details/69248/OneOfAKind_1_2.zip

CHANGES FROM 1.1

Fixed rare general bug which caused crash if mouse is moved outside screen boundaries while some interaction was runing (cheers to tzachs for pointing out);
Fixed Library Tube puzzle where player could get it solved skipping one important step (thanks to SomeSickSelf for finding it);
Fixed an interaction that caused game to go into endless loop under certain conditions (credits to cogliostro for noticing);
Fixed one item interaction did not work vice-versa (using 'second' item on 'first' one);
Fixed walkable areas in few rooms;
Fixed character face wrong direction when entering the workshop from biology room and vice-versa;
Fixed character won't face door before opening it when standing very close;
Fixed items alignment on inventory window;
Added few more descriptive notes;

[Cogliostro]

I'm going to hide all my comments so I don't accidentally give anything away, but most of these comments are about bugs / problems.

Spoiler

BUGS:
1) I get the second key, get the DNA sample, get back to the ark, see the creature we created from the sample, and everyone talks.  It gets as far as Noah saying, "Oh crap!" and then it crashes.

2) It is possible to added the circle with glue to the broom handle but it is NOT possible to add the handle to the circle?

3) This is just a personal preference, but when I've used an item and don't need it again, I prefer it when it is used up and disappears from the inventory list. 

[close]

[Crimson Wizard]

Spoiler

1) I get the second key, get the DNA sample, get back to the ark, see the creature we created from the sample, and everyone talks.  It gets as far as Noah saying, "Oh crap!" and then it crashes.

[close]

Oh my... oh my...
it is actually the end.   I should perhaps write "The End" title there on a screen or something. Sorry of rthe confusion

Spoiler

2) It is possible to added the circle with glue to the broom handle but it is NOT possible to add the handle to the circle?

[close]

This should be fixed in 1.2. Is it?

Spoiler

3) This is just a personal preference, but when I've used an item and don't need it again, I prefer it when it is used up and disappears from the inventory list.  

[close]

Not much realistic. Additionally, I prefer to make people's life more difficult  

[Cogliostro]

Spoiler

THE ENDING...
Oh, so that was the end.  Let me explain my confusion...

All four of them stared at the mismatched pair of monsters and complimented themselves on a job well done. So, when Noah said, "Oh crap!" it felt like the SETUP for the last punchline. 

To me it would have worked better if they had their backs to the cage - everyone except Ham - then when Ham tried to get Noah's attention, then Noah turns around and gives the "Oh crap" line.   I think that was the delivery you were hoping for.

BUGS:
And YES - the stick still cannot be connected to the round circle of wood.

Also, it was a little odd that between the cistern/vegatrium room and the workshop/milling room the direction changed. 

These are all very minor issues, but I assume people want to know what they can improve on.

[close]

[Crimson Wizard]

Spoiler

THE ENDING...
Oh, so that was the end.  Let me explain my confusion...

All four of them stared at the mismatched pair of monsters and complimented themselves on a job well done. So, when Noah said, "Oh crap!" it felt like the SETUP for the last punchline.

To me it would have worked better if they had their backs to the cage - everyone except Ham - then when Ham tried to get Noah's attention, then Noah turns around and gives the "Oh crap" line.   I think that was the delivery you were hoping for.

[close]

Yep, you are right. In fact that is how it was in my plan Reason for change that is silly. I just thought that third son, Shem, has too little time in game to show his face (yep), he is displayed only during cutscenes and we see his back most of time So I decided to face them all to player.
By the way, was it understandable what did Ham realize, I wonder?

Spoiler

And YES - the stick still cannot be connected to the round circle of wood.

[close]

That's strange, I downloaded game from hosting and tried that myself, and it worked.

[jkohen]

Hi, nice game. Cute graphics, though some object interaction are a bit obscure due to lack of hints.

I just wanted to mention that I found a major bug that sort of threw me off towards the beginning of the game:

Spoiler

First thing I did in the game was walk right, get the orange balloon and interact with the keyboard. And lo and behold, all of a sudden I had both keys and the keyboard was unlocked.

I was very confused later when I finally got the key from the cistern and it wasn't added to my inventory, until I realized what was going on.

[close]

[jkohen]

By the way, was it understandable what did Ham realize, I wonder?

Not for me, I'm afraid... not that I can't come up with a few ideas of my own. Call it open-ended :-)