Lets Discuss: AGS Website, AGS Funding, AGS Goals

[Joseph DiPerla]

Moving away from this topic here: http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=52376
I think it is time to move it into a new thread and discuss this here.

Here: http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=52376.msg636518151#msg636518151 Mods discussed some options in regards to funding and website redesign.
Some funding options mentioned by myself: http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=52376.msg636518094#msg636518094

Lets deviate from that thread and discuss this here. Some of the Cons brought up on AGS is that it has been outdated and needs to become a modern engine as well. Would porting AGS to Allegro 5 help to significantly resolve that or should it move to something like SDL, etc..?

Discuss Away!

[Peder 🚀]

I think a good start could be to discuss what we would want to achieve with all this, then figure out what needs to be done and how later on.

[Joseph DiPerla]

Well, how about we start with what we want to achieve with AGS first. For example:
1)Do we want to modernize it and what is the best approach?
2)Do we want a cross platform engine?
3)Do we want a cross platform Editor?
4)Which Platform?
5)What cons do we want to fix first?
6) Etc...

Then we discuss how we can achieve this:
1)Do we want to have a dedicated team work on this over the next few years?
2)Do we want to hire outside help?
3)Do we want to do a Kickstarter or other funding options?
4)If we do funding, how will that be managed and by whom?

Next Stage would be the website:
Based on all this, how could we update the website to help better sell(Freely of course) AGS to new users, old users and current users? How can we encourage all to participate in it and help develop it.

What do you think?

[Peder 🚀]

The biggest thing I'd love to see AGS do better is cross platform, both engine and editor.
Right now it feels like getting your game playable on linux and mac can be a huge task.

I'm personally not a huge fan of point & click games on touch devices though so for me personally the desktop platforms would be of more importantance.

Also making updating your game less of a pain (save games etc).


I think I'll leave my opinions at that until the time to speak about the website comes up, I might join the discussion again then...

[Radiant]

In my view, the most important step is ensuring the games can be played on Mac, Linux, Android. This will magnify the player base and attract more people to AGS. This is the most fundamental of the open issues.

[Crimson Wizard]

Right now it feels like getting your game playable on linux and mac can be a huge task.

As a quick note, people are playing AGS games on Linux using our port for more than 2 years already. There might be particular issues, but it would make a wrong impression if you say that they are not playable.

[Peder 🚀]

I guess my choice of wording was not great, I don't mean that they are not playable (they are, I've tested several AGS games on linux without issues), but rather the process of making it playable at all on a different platform than windows currently require you to know what you are doing and for you to do some work to get it up and running. Imo it should be a hell of a lot easier! Especially for people who aren't really programmers by profession etc but still have learned AGS .

[Crimson Wizard]

I guess my choice of wording was not great, I don't mean that they are not playable (they are, I've tested several AGS games on linux without issues), but rather the process of making it playable at all on a different platform than windows currently require you to know what you are doing and for you to do some work to get it up and running. Imo it should be a hell of a lot easier! Especially for people who aren't really programmers by profession etc but still have learned AGS .

This is mostly solved in the 3.4.0 where monkey0506 has implemented building game variant for Linux.

[Peder 🚀]

That's awesome news Crimson! . That just leaves mac

[Baron]

There was some experimentation with making AGS games playable in a browser window, which would put us on a level playing field with other game types.  For us freeware developers, the download is a competitive disadvantage when we're up against most games that can just be streamed on the internet.  I have no idea about the technical complexities involved in this, but if I found a genie it'd be on my wishlist.  

In terms of formally raising money to support development of the editor/engine/webpage and promoting them, I think it's the logical way forward.  In the past we've relied on extremely devoted and committed volunteers, and will for the most part continue to to so, but roles that require full-time work really do need something approximating full-time pay.  Likewise, if we've hit a brick-wall development wise, I'd rather fund-raise to hire in the skill-set we need rather than wait 5 years on the off-chance that a volunteer might acquire the skills and remain interested in the project.

Alas, once we have money involved this will have to change the organization of the community into something of a more formal structure, with hiring committees, bookkeeping, and regular communication of what's going on to the community, which is a whole lot of inglorious unexciting and often unappreciated grunt-work for those who volunteer for it.  And once you strike down that path it'd be hard to turn back the clock....

[AGA]

Also, what happens when the money runs out?  If we start off by paying someone a fair chunk of money to devote time to rewriting the engine, are other people really going to be happy to continue doing the excellent work they've done so far for free?  Or are they all doing to think 'well x got $y for his time, why shouldn't I?'.  I'm not sure the 'business' is sustainable enough to keep paid development going for very long.  There are only so many AGS users, only so many people who will donate.