Bestowers of Eternity

[Dave Gilbert]

Hello everyone!

After a year of on-and-off production, part one of "Bestowers of Eternity" is ready for public consumption.

Get it here:
http://www.agsforums.com/games.php?action=detail&id=304

SYNOPSIS:
Rosangela Blackwell is young writer who lives a solitary life in New York City.  The death of her only relative inspires her to seek the truth behind her haunted past.

SCREENIES:




(edit: Thanks to OTG for the nifty banner)

[Kweepa]

Congratulations Dave!

Great writing, mysterious plot, a touch of humour, and some "doh! of course" puzzles.
Highly recommended.

My only complaint is that it's just part one!

Download and enjoy,
Steve

[fidodido]

Just downloaded and started playing.

So far it looks very good. I like the interface - very simple and easy to use. The rooms are very nicely drawn. The story is very good and mysterious.

I will write more when I progress.

BTW, the music in the library is also in my game, "Conspiracy of Songo" in the hotel. I bet you borrowed it from Bjorn Lynne's web site, right?

[Pet Terry]

Teh coolest thing on the block! Downloading right away!

[JD]

Really nice game Dave! It has great atmosphere, great graphics and awe music. Like the part where you're reading the letters; the creepy music in the backgrounds made it very eery I'm off to play it some more!

[Minimi]

Wow!! THIS GAME IS AWESOME!! Really nice graphics and a GREAT story! I'm at the moment at the beginning of Day2, so I just began at the adventure, but I now already like it alot!!

I just found one little spelling fault, you might want to fix. While you are talking to the psychologist or something at Day1, he says at a certain dialog "100 Percect", and I think this should be "100 Percent"

Again very very nice game. I hope you release more of the game soon!

[evilspacefart]

Ooh ooh ooh!
Gonna download!

[Hobbes]

Great game!

Have yet to finish it, though, am puttering away in Day 2. I love the dialogs! They really help to bring the characters alive.

Also, was the high diction that the doctor used intentional? I noticed how his speech was subtly different from that Rosa and the others spoke.

[Vel]

Oh great!
A game that might steal the ags awards I had hoped to win with my secret project.
Seriously though, a great game.

[adam100]

I'm stuck in day 2.I spoke to the psychiastric,indian women,looked on all the topics at the library,took the whistle.Anyone know what to do now?

[subzero2o]

Great Game, the music is great, it really fits with the mood of the game.

[Dave Gilbert]

I bet you borrowed it from Bjorn Lynne's web site, right?

Well spotted, Fididido.    Just about all the music is borrowed from Mr. Lynne.  The theme music and the "Rosa's apartment" music were made by our very own Archangel.

I just found one little spelling fault, you might want to fix. While you are talking to the psychologist or something at Day1, he says at a certain dialog "100 Percect", and I think this should be "100 Percent"

Err... ummm... Joey did it!  Yeah, that's it.  Damn ghosts...

[Hobbes]

Darnit. I made this edit to my post right after you posted, so I'd better post it loose, before you forget I asked.

Was the high diction that the doctor used intentional? I noticed how his speech was subtly different from that Rosa and the others spoke. More... academic.

[Dave Gilbert]

Darnit. I made this edit to my post right after you posted, so I'd better post it loose, before you forget I asked.

Was the high diction that the doctor used intentional? I noticed how his speech was subtly different from that Rosa and the others spoke. More... academic.

Yep.  I tried to give everyone their own style of talking.  The doc is very academic and professional.    

[lspace]

Are there voices in this game.  All I hear is music.

And I am stuck on day 2.

Spoiler

I've cleaned the whistle and used it on the dog.  got the lemon, library book, envelope with papers/photo.  Now what?

[close]

[adam100]

Spoiler

You must search the files in doctors cabinet and your stopper might be useful for that...

[close]

[adam100]

I've just ended part 1.It was great.When are you going to release part 2?

[lspace]

Thanks.  I figured out what to do next.

[minataure]

Great game! I'd like some help though.

Spoiler

I've search the doctor's files and used the whistle on the dog but I don't know what to do when the artist walks towards the dog, or with what I've found in the files.

[close]

[Kweepa]

I'm just surprised there isn't a florist in Manhattan

[Minimi]

Great game! I'd like some help though.

Spoiler

I've search the doctor's files and used the whistle on the dog but I don't know what to do when the artist walks towards the dog, or with what I've found in the files.

[close]

Spoiler

open your notebook, and click with the "2 to heaven" on the book. Now you can do something else when the artist shouts at the dog and the lady!

[close]

[minataure]

Thanks a lot for your help! I've finished it now. What a great game!!! I loved the story and I'm soooo curious to see the rest of it.

[Dave Gilbert]

I'm just surprised there isn't a florist in Manhattan  

Right.  If you see any inconsistancies like that, it was Joey's fault.  :p

Incidentally, does anyone recognize the lady with the dog?  She's a character from a famous movie about Manhatten...

[remixor]

Wooo, a new DG game!  I've been waiting for this one ever since its little preview thing in PotS.  Looking forward to playing...

[Toefur]

I love you Dave.

[Toefur]

Oh. And this game. I can't get enough of your style of graphics, either.

[ida]

Is the lady in the park with the dog supposed to be Diane Keaton's character "Annie Hall"?  

BTW, am I supposed to discuss something with her?

Spoiler

I've all ingredients, except the last one, for the recipe

[close]

[Dave Gilbert]

Well spotted!



You win the prize... a hint for your question!  :-)

Spoiler

I assume you need the flower?  You need to know what the flower looks like first.  Where can you research that?
[\hide]

[close]

[Timosity]

I'm really enjoying this Dave, It's keeping me really interested. love every aspect.

just a couple more Joey encounters: in the letter jan 3,1962 by Dr Donald Quentin, "couse" should be course

walkbehind issue: In the park you can stand infront of the Easel when you are behind it.

I'm stuck in day 2 atm, but I'll figure it out, But I have no idea what I'm supposed to do when the artist is talking to the lady, it's obvious I'm supposed to do something but I must have missed a clue or something cause it just seems odd.

The story is great, and those letters were really interesting, I can see you've put a lot of thought into the story, and I'm sure I'll be left hanging at the end of this part.

always a pleasure to play your games.

Edit: Ok, I finished it, Awesome, but now I wish I waited till all parts were released, but oh well.
I got a bit ahead of myself earlier, I did stuff before I new what I was actually doing, but it all became clear once I took the right paths.

And as I imagined, it did leave me hanging.

keep up the good work

~Tim

[GarageGothic]

Lovely game. Surely one of the, if not THE, best game stories for a long time. A bit annoyed that it's only part one, but I suppose that shows how much I enjoyed it.

The characters were great. I especially liked the Indian lady next door. But I think you need to establish the doctor/analyst better as a character in the next chapter unless you want him to become a stereotype. I assume that you keep visiting him throughout the game, and as such, he really needs some more personality.
The story was intriguing and I can't wait for the rest. The whole family history was really creepy - it could have been distributed over longer time though, as those letters made for a massive read, but I'm VERY anxious to learn more about this Joey character.

The interface was easy to use. But I'm not sure about the notebook - it worked well when researching in the library, but later I found it confusing that you could also use it to ask questions with. Is it ever necessary to use it for dialog to proceed? The doctor seemed to say pretty much the same thing when I used the  notebook topics as with the regular questions. I didn't check if they were exactly the same. For the next chapters, I think you should settle for a single dialog interface - either classic LA style or the LBII style notebook. Or maybe keep "research questions" to the notebook interface while keeping topics relevant to the situation (asking the doctor to hypnotise you, getting the doorman to let you in) in the ordinary interface.

This is one of those games where I'm not sure if it's supposed to be funny, scary or just, well, exciting and suspenseful. I don't really see this as a problem, but then, I don't know what you're going for. The music was at times very gloomy, as was the story. The plot is easily as dark as any of the Phantasmagorias. But the graphics and some of the puzzles were very cartoony and "cute" (the dog/artist puzzle comes to mind, as does the absurdity with the doorman).  Is Joey supposed to be scary or cute? I have no idea, but I certainly couldn't take him very seriously. When I first saw him in your RON game, I assumed that bestowers would be a comedy, which it obviously isn't, at least not in its pure form.

I'm not complaining about the graphics, which were actually very nice for a game this size. But it strikes me that most AGS games which TRY to have an element of horror often detract from the mood with their graphics. Pleurghburg being the most obvious example of this counterpoint between story and visuals, but 5 Days a Stranger and the Revenants demo also share it to certain degrees. My issue isn't really with the "quality" or "realism" of the graphics as it is with their style or lack thereof, or maybe rather, the style's incongruity with the atmosphere. The bright colors in these games absolutely SCREAM "happy", "cartoony", "fun" etc. and it kills the mood. I'm not saying that everything should be black and white (although monochrome color schemes tend to work well for dark stories), but it's a good idea to compose a palette of colors for the entire game, and only digress where it's absolutely necessary for the realism of the location.

Another idea is to connect every color to a certain mood and in expressionist manner let those colors dominate in locations where you want to convey that emotion (remember the red light in the brothel of the Lust-murder in Se7en?). In fact, I think this is why I like the green interior of the bar in Songo so much, because it has this strange atmosphere, like something out of The Absinthe Drinkers.
The same way, when using muted color schemes, it's a classic technique to let one single bright color pop up in a symbolic manner (the color red is very popular, like the raincoat in Don't Look Now or different objects, all connected to the supernatural, in The Sixth Sense).

Sorry that this turned into an essay on symbolic use of color. I'm not saying that you should change anything really - I just felt it was a good time to share some things that I've observed lately.  But maybe you could consider it, if you have some truly spooky scenes later on in the game, that haven't been drawn yet.

One bug I encountered, which may be an engine bug rather than a scripting error: I had saved my game after mixing the recipe. But when I later tried to restore it, the game quit,  and I got an error message about an item not being in the inventory.

Looking forward to part 2. (How many parts are there? Are you going to combine them into one game when finished, or will they be separate game files like Book of Spells?)

[Dave Gilbert]

EXCELLENT point about the graphics.  It was a concern of mine, but I was more concerned with story and character than the graphics.  The cartoony graphics/serious story thing worked for "Broken Sword," so I didn't worry about it too much.  The story gets a bit darker later (yes, even darker than it is now) so experimenting with colors is good advice.

And yes, this section was kind of short.  I'm sorry about that.  There will only be two parts to the game, but the second part will be MUCH longer than the first part I released.  This section was more of a character study, where you learn a bit about Rosa and her past before all hell breaks loose.  The second part will be more open-ended and non-linear.

I aimed for the game to be serious, but with some humor thrown in.  Not a lot.  Think of the humor in Gabriel Knight.  I guess since this section is so short, it seems a bit inconsistant.  Good point.

As for Joey, he's a balancing act.  He can easily turn into the "zany sidekick" if I'm not careful, and I hope to avoid that.  He says funny things, but it's more of a front.  He's not very happy about what's happened to him, so he diffuses his misery with humor.  There's kind of a nasty bitterness to the jokes he makes.

Garage: Did you read the "notes of interest" file?  That "absurdity with the doorman" actually happened!  Sort of.  The artist/dog owner puzzle was also based in reality - I witnessed a similar argument in Central Park last year - but yeah I agree it's a bit "out there."  

Thanks for the feedback, everyone.  I'm so glad that you all are enjoying it.

-Dave

[GarageGothic]

Dave, I'm happy that I didn't upset you with my thoughts on the graphics. Often when I get critical about something it's because I really care about it and want it to be even better.

There will only be two parts to the game, but the second part will be MUCH longer than the first part I released.

Thank god, I'm not sure I would have been able to wait for 4 or 5 episodes, all ending with a "to be continued", without going insane I thought the length of the first chapter was perfect for setting up the characters and getting us REALLY excited about what's to come.

He says funny things, but it's more of a front. He's not very happy about what's happened to him, so he diffuses his misery with humor. There's kind of a nasty bitterness to the jokes he makes.

Yeah exactly, I thought of him as the ghost of some old film noir anti-hero - that's sort-of his tone. I've got great hopes for this character.

Garage: Did you read the "notes of interest" file? That "absurdity with the doorman" actually happened! Sort of. The artist/dog owner puzzle was also based in reality - I witnessed a similar argument in Central Park last year

I did read the file, even before playing, so I was aware of it. As they say, truth is stranger than fiction. What I meant was that they seemed like a different genre, not that they weren't plausible.

[Quickstrike]

OOH!  YAY!  This game rocks!  I got the Max Griff reference.

EDIT:  WOW!  I can't wait for the next segment!  That was superb!

[fidodido]

Just finished, and I must say it's the most atmospheric game I've played a LONG time! I don't remember the last time I got so involved in an adventure. The story is simply awesome! It's creepy, mysterious and very well written. Every time I revealed a new piece of info, I was so eager to find out what will happen next.

I was really sad to see the "to be continued" screen, out of the blue. When it happened, I just stared at the screen for a few minutes, shocked. I think it shows how great the game is, and I can't wait till you release the second part.

I think what got me so deep into the game are the letters to Lauren. I read them in one breath, and I just couldn't stop! It reminded me of reading the diary in 'Syberia'. I hope there will be more letters in part 2.

The only problem is, that when the second part will be released I will lose the atmosphere that this part achieved, and it will take some time to get into it again. Maybe when it's released I'll play part 1 again.

Regarding the interface, I think it's simple and great, but one thing that bothered me is that when I use an item on something/someone and it's a no-go, Rosa just goes to where I clicked and doesn't say anything. I think it would be better if she says something in the style of "that doesn't work". On the other hand, I think the notebook idea is fantastic, and adds depth to the interface.

All in all, this game is a MUST PLAY for everyone. It's one of the best games of the year.

Keep up the excellent work, Dave!

[remixor]

Dave, this friggin rules.  I'm only on day two, but this game is awesome.  Your writing is excellent.  I smell an AGS award.  The intro was excellent, and the whole psychiatrist scene was great.  The music gets a bit repetitive but on the whole I think it suits the game really well.  I'm also stuck in the park after getting the painter to leave his thing, but I'm sure I'll figure it out.  Keep up the great work.

[Nostradamus]

Excellent game. I love the story and the way it advances. The letters were very interesting to read. IT really got me in into the game. Great GUI, especially the notebook with the notes clickable on other items. That's a great original thing to do. I can't wait for the second part, there wasn't even a warning that it's not the complete game, that leaves me with so much suspense... but that was the whole point right?  To make us really anticipate part 2!   Well it succeeded..
So any approximate release date for part 2?
Oh and the teddy reminded me... what about the Max Griff game?

P.S. a little something that bothers me... when you look at the woman with the dog, Rosa says she must be a tourist. Which tourist takes their dog with them?

[Dave Gilbert]

Howdy Nostradamus,

It says in the readme file that it's a "part one," but you're right about it not being incredibly obvious.  My intention wasn't to shock and frustrate players, but it looks like I did.  But as I wrote earlier in this thread, Part 2 will be much longer and will complete the story.  Unless I decide to do a sequel.  Which is a possibility.

And while I appreciate your comments about the notebook, I have to confess that it's not an original idea.  It was taken directly from "Discworld Noir," one of my all-time favorite adventure games.

As for the Max Griff game...  hey! Look over there!

* Dave Gilbert runs and hides.

-Dave

[Nostradamus]

Well Dave I don't think anyone is frustrated. I think the suspense & anticipation this created is a good thing. I hate waiting for stuff but it will be worth it.
As for the notebook, hey at least it's the first time anyone uses it in AGS!

I don't know why but for some reason I think you are avoiding answering my question about Max Griff, isn't that weird?

[remixor]

Yeah, I noticed that you ripped the notebook from Discworld Noir, but I felt your game justified it and it's not like the concept is a cliche or anything.  I thought it was quite cool.

[jason]

Great game, Dave! It was very well-done and the story/dialogue are superb. The letters were a great means of engrossing the player in the game.

I have one suggestion: instead of clicking on a name in the journal and then having to click on the X button, I think it would be nicer if you first click on the name and then move the cursor outside of the journal window to close it.

Can't wait for the next installment!

[Dave Gilbert]

Thanks Jason!  That's a good idea about the notebook.  I'll see if I can implement that.  I'm a coding moron - it took forever to get that notebook working properly as it is.  

[cornjob]

I've done that before... in repeatedly_execute, add something like:

Code: ags

if (the journal gui is on)

  if (mouse.x>right edge of gui || mouse.y>lower edge of gui || mouse.x<top edge of gui ... well, you get the idea)

  then, turn off journal gui.

Hm, this might only work with non-blocking guis...

Anyway, Dave, great game. I've really been enjoying it so far though I haven't gotten to the end because, as you know, I'm terrible at solving puzzles. But the writing is great; I love it.

[Elianto]

Dave I'm only at the start but I can say that your game is really good.. thank you!!!


Now I need some help  

Spoiler

I've the whistle and I've searched in the file cabinet now what i've to do?

[close]

Please write a deep description... i've tried anything I could think about...(and I've checked the previous helps)

[Dave Gilbert]

Cornjob: Thanks!  I'll see about implementing that in part two...

Elianto:

Spoiler

If you read the file from the cabinet, you must have "two for heaven" in your notebook.  What do you think that means?  Remember that she was mumbling the word and wasn't speaking very clearly.  Maybe she wasn't actually SAYING "two for heaven," but something else close to that?

Did you get the book from the library?

[close]

[Gold Dragon]

Hey Man Awsome game!!!!    

got a Question

Spoiler

how do I search the doc. files?

[close]

[Dave Gilbert]

Sorry for the delay Gold Dragon.  I'm guessing you solved this by now, but here's a hint:

Spoiler

The answer lies with something you're carrying.  Specifically, your watch.

[close]

[Goldmund]

Dave. Top notch.
Another game in the glorious tradition established by Ratracer, the path I'm also trying to follow.
I especially loved the evil carousel element - it is a masterful touch, you made the player feel scared and intrigued with very subtle means.

And - heh - how far has Griff gone from his famous poseresque drives through new york looking for eyes of jade sphinx...

[Dave Gilbert]

And - heh - how far has Griff gone from his famous poseresque drives through new york looking for eyes of jade sphinx...

He drove on and on and finally ended up in Reality on the Norm.  And there he stayed...

Glad you liked it Goldmund.  :-)

[Snake]

Dave, brilliant game. I'm loving it so far, only got to Day 2, but I definately plan on not letting this one be forgotton in my AGS games folder

I love the atmosphere, the music and specifically the dialogue. You've got awesome writing skills I'd love to work with you on something one day.

Great game!


--Snake

[Squinky]

Yeah, I played up to day two, but then oddly got a weird bug that wouldn't let me load a saved game....

But I'll tell you I really dug it so far. For a guy with a creepy avatar (heh) you tell a good story. And really thats the best point of this game to me, the story.

Top notch stuff....

[Dave Gilbert]

Hi Squinky,

A weird bug?  What happened exactly?  Did the problem repeat itself?

Snake: Thanks!  :-)

-Dave

[Squinky]

I had saved on day two and quit for awhile. When I came back it gave me an error message upon trying to load my game:

Error: SetActiveInventory, player dosen't have that inventory or something like that...

Dose it everytime...
It's probably just one of those weird bugs that you can't really do much about though, and since no one else has reported it, it may just be my retarded computer.

Anyways, good luck, and the game rocks...

[Dave Gilbert]

Odd...

Does it do that everytime you save and reload?  Or just when you reload that specific saved game?

-Dave

[Squinky]

Just that one. I overwrote all my previous saves, but they did all work fine up to that point. I haven't been able to see if it would do it with another saved game, since I haven't tried playing again since then...

[BerserkerTails]

Dave: Excellent game! The plot has got me very intrigued for the next part, which will hopefully not take too long *GLARES*.

Kidding. But seriously, the graphics were really impressive, along with the music, which fit the mood perfectly. Unfortunatley on my computer (Don't know if this is for all), the music liked the get... What's the word to describe this... Distorted as it got loud/high. This made for a unpleasant experience as I reached to turn the volume down.

Other than that, the game was perfect! I can't wait for Part 2!

P.S., the dog barking in the park scared my cat, nice sound effects, hehe.

[PureGhostGR]

I am anxious to see what happens next. The story managed to grip me from the start, because it was elegantly told.

The indian woman character has quite a persona, even though her part is small, in fact all the characters have quality, and that is very hard to find even in commercial games.

I found the letters very well written (so much that it managed to create some sort of empathy with the members of the family) I think it is a pity we don't get to see them somehow (perhaps a playable childhood memory in part 2?).. that would be nice. You actually made me feel pity for the mother. -very crafty of you-

Beautiful game. I am very curious to see how you will conclude this great story.

Excellent work!

[OneThinkingGal and ._.]

Rats, I never got around to posting in this thread.

Thanks everyone who said they liked the graphics. I'll be sure to remember you in my will. ^_^/*

Let me grab credit for drawing the Nishanti sprite in addition to redoing most of the backs.  

* OneThinkingGal and ._. grabs and runs

[Dave Gilbert]

OTG drew most of the graphics, but has yet to play the game itself.  

"Get a move on" glare received and acknowledged, BerserkerTails.  I took a bit of a break, since I was starting to see Rosa, Joey and Nishanthi in my sleep.  It'll probably be done next year sometime.

I had the same problem with the music.  Nobody else commented on it so I thought it was just my computer.  Has anybody else experienced this?

[Pet Terry]

I had the same problem with music, it was pretty annoying. Didn't happen every time though.

But great game, great plot, graphics etc. etc.

[iniciado24]

I think you must have spend so much time doing this game but
it is very good in quality and content. It's a little difficult at first
but its in general a very good game, congratulations keep doing
some good games like this

[Totoro]

I found time to play it this weekend, and wow, Dave you are the best man on the forum. I love the main character, her moodiness and her shyness. And the story really develops like a nightmare. The only thing I hate is that it ends just the moment it really gets exciting. I can't wait to see more and hope you can make it next year.
Dave Gilbert for president!

[Dave Gilbert]

Dave Gilbert for president!

Cool.

If elected, my first act will be to make "Adventure Game Appreciation" a required course in all public schools!

[Dave Gilbert]

I finally added this to the AGS games page.  

http://www.agsforums.com/games.php?action=detail&id=304

whee.

[Totoro]

I finally added this to the AGS games page.  

http://www.agsforums.com/games.php?action=detail&id=304

whee.

Didn't you upload it twice...? It says under "Other Games made by David Gilbert": "Bestowers of Eternity"  

[Dave Gilbert]

Oh.  That's the demo version.  Not sure how to delete it.

[Pumaman]

Allow me

[EKM]

This game was really well done, I loved it. One of the best aspects of the game came from the letters, they were realistic and tragic haha. Very nice storytelling though and the links between the family members was unique. The dialogue shared between Rosa and the doctor was very complex. The puzzles were also not as easy as I thought, I was stuck on day 2 for a while but eventually got it.

I wanna know what happens at the carousel!! can't wait till part two!

Good work!

[After]

Yeah, the letters were brilliant; I could really feel how they stretched over time.

There was one puzzle that didn't seem right to me though --

Spoiler

I didn't see the need to go through the doctor's files. I thought I had enough info to begin researching, and missed any hint that only the confidential records were of any use.
But more than that, since when is a stopwatch an alarm?

[close]

[EKM]

Yeah, the letters were brilliant; I could really feel how they stretched over time.

There was one puzzle that didn't seem right to me though --

Spoiler

I didn't see the need to go through the doctor's files. I thought I had enough info to begin researching, and missed any hint that only the confidential records were of any use.
But more than that, since when is a stopwatch an alarm?

[close]

Well....

Spoiler

wasn't the need for the doctor's file to get the recipe? because I got two of heaven or something like that from the doctor's file and I connected that with the book I got from the library and that's what ended up with the recipe. So I think it was something necessary for the game in order to apply the finished recipe on the photo in the end after getting all required objects. As for the stopwatch, don't they ring a tone once they stop at the time you've set them to? maybe that's why they were going off like an alarm in the game? I could be wrong though of course.

[close]

[Leiza]

This is a great game.  Thanks for creating it!  Can't wait for the next part.

Oh, and please put a Load/Save option on the sequel.

[Berserk]

Fantastic gam! Has a great story; and the graphics are pretty good too. Can't wait for part 2 !

Oh, and please put a Load/Save option on the sequel.

There is a save and load option in the game. Just press the F1 key while playing; and a pop-up window comes up with load, save and quit options. Maybe this should be in the ReadMe file??

[Dave Gilbert]

Fantastic gam! Has a great story; and the graphics are pretty good too. Can't wait for part 2 !

Oh, and please put a Load/Save option on the sequel.

There is a save and load option in the game. Just press the F1 key while playing; and a pop-up window comes up with load, save and quit options. Maybe this should be in the ReadMe file??

It *is* in the readme file. :-)

[Leiza]

It *is* in the readme file. :-)

Oh.  Haha!  Sorry 'bout that.  Not everyone reads the ReadMe file, like me, though I usually do (not this time for some reason).  Maybe at the start of the game you can put in just little hints on how to save/load/exit/key controls like some games do.  Or you can just put in "read the ReadMe file first" or something like that.

Good luck on the sequel!  Can't wait for it.

[ratracer]

Unfortunately, I can't get to play the game at home... I can, but F1 doesn't work (as it doesn't in my own game) - somehow, my wireless keyboard doesn't recongnise the F1 to F9 keys when playing AGS games... Anyone has the same problem?

[ratracer]

I've been playing the game at work, and, wow!, the game is a beaut - very absorbing, which in my present situation, it's dangereous stuff, since I really have work to do!

Great job, Dave!!!! Truly great!

[Sam.]

Dave? you are a god amongst men! this game rox!!! it's just supreme. the graophics didn't bug me. i hav had no problems yet but i am only oin day 2 sooo...
any way thankyou a whole big bunch and hurry up with part two. don't do a jade sphinx on me!

[Dave Gilbert]

In case anyone missed it, "Bestowers of Eternity: Part One" received two trophies in the 2003 AGS awards ceremony.  It won for "Best Supporting Character" (Joey) as well as "Best Story!"

Thanks to everyone who voted.  You all rock.

[Vel]

No, Dave. YOU rock!!!

[big brother]

Dave, I actually got around to playing your game (like I promised myself) and I thoroughly enjoyed it. In my opinion, it should have won the AGS award for the best dialogue. But then again, in my opinion, children with scissors chase claustrophobic leprechauns.

The music was great, and the art: tolerable. However, I was annoyed at the speed of the Rosa's walkcycle. She seemed to struggle across the screen. Also, I didn't like the length of the dog whistle part. That cutscene was good the first time, but when I wasn't sure what I needed to do after that, I ended up leaving the screen. I had to sit through that one a good 4 or 5 times before I solved the puzzle. Maybe the next time you blow the whistle there could be an abbreviated cutscene?

Also, during the Bellevue puzzle, I was annoyed when the doctor returned to interupt my snooping. Maybe he should only return after you learn about "two for heaven?"

Just my impressions. Great game though. Are you planning to compile the trilogy into a single package once they're all finished?

[Dave Gilbert]

Thanks Big Bro!  I'm happy you liked it.  Yeah, I agree that some of those puzzles weren't the best.  Sticking puzzles into such a realistic setting was extraordinarily hard.  The getting-the-doc-out-of-his-office puzzle used to be much worse.  If anyone's really interested in hearing what it was, I'll tell you.  But just to warn you, it's so lame that it nearly changed the orbital pattern of the Earth.

And for info about the rest of the game, check Squinky's interview with me on the "A" zine:

http://www.sylpher.com/a/art.php?artid=53

I should have announced this sooner, I guess.

[Ocean_of_Darkness]

Were you saying that we'll have to pay for part 2? god****it.
Im all for makeing profit from ags games but do you really need to do it with a game that you already gave out the first part for free?

[Dave Gilbert]

Well it won't be part two you're paying for, but rather the complete game.  It will be redone from scratch at what I hope will be a professional level.  Of course, this is a WHILE away.  If this first project doesn't get off the ground, I'll just continue BoE as I originally planned.

[Blessed]

I don't care how much it costs!! Lolz, but anyhoo I'm lovin' it so far (Stuck on Day 2). The characters and storyline are quite fascinating. Great job.

[-]

I played it and I solved it. That`s a great and fascinating plot. Very nice!

How many parts do you want to do?

[Dave Gilbert]

Wow.  Thanks for bringing this thread back from the ashes.

The commercial release will have only one part, that being the full and complete game.

[-]

Wow.Ã,  Thanks for bringing this thread back from the ashes.

The commercial release will have only one part, that being the full and complete game.

hm... I`ve read the thread a bit better now... I didn`t know that you wanted to make it commercial... but if you think this is necessary, do it so.  (I will see later, if I am able to buy it than!  )

[Mephistophilis]

hey AGS needs to make more commercial games, one isn't enough.

[BerserkerTails]

I know I'd definatley buy it, if it were commercial! Dave's work is amazing, especially on BoE.

[Athirwen]

Ok, I just played the game, took me about 3 hours. Loved every moment, and I'm intrigued as to what's going to happen next. Thanks for a great game

[flinnt]

Great game! Although whenever i click up the photo of the girl, i cant exit out of it. Everytime i click 'exit' it just flashes and the screen sticks.....is this a bug ?

[flinnt]

Never mind - finished the game. Very, very good. Can't wait for part 2!

[fankid]

Great game! I'd like some help though.

Spoiler

I've search the doctor's files and used the whistle on the dog but I don't know what to do when the artist walks towards the dog, or with what I've found in the files.

[close]

Spoiler

open your notebook, and click with the "2 to heaven" on the book. Now you can do something else when the artist shouts at the dog and the lady!

[close]

Er, can someone help me:

Spoiler

I didnt got that tip, cos i cant click during the shouting, but clicking afterwards or before in everything usng "2 for heaven" does nothing:( anyone ca help?

[close]

[UP]

Great game! I'd like some help though.

Spoiler

I've search the doctor's files and used the whistle on the dog but I don't know what to do when the artist walks towards the dog, or with what I've found in the files.

[close]

Spoiler

open your notebook, and click with the "2 to heaven" on the book. Now you can do something else when the artist shouts at the dog and the lady!

[close]

Er, can someone help me:

Spoiler

I didnt got that tip, cos i cant click during the shouting, but clicking afterwards or before in everything usng "2 for heaven" does nothing:( anyone ca help?

[close]

Spoiler

So did you already use it on the other book?

[close]

[SGK]

i need help:

Spoiler

hum, thx to notyet, i passed that part where i was stuck also, but now im stuck again: ive put all the ingredients in the bowl/recipe thing. She says its ready. how do i eat it/use it? or what should i do now?

[close]

[Dave Gilbert]

i need help:

Spoiler

hum, thanks to notyet, i passed that part where i was stuck also, but now I'm stuck again: ive put all the ingredients in the bowl/recipe thing. She says its ready. how do i eat it/use it? or what should i do now?

[close]

answer:

Spoiler

Don't you remember what the receipe is for?Ã,  Read the library book and the description of the recipe again.

[close]

[SGK]

duh! i feel so stupid

i finished the game, and its great, really great.  hope to see the sequel soon. At last a game that shows spirits and stuff seriously :

[Kinoko]

Wow, I just played this for the first time and

I HATE YOU! WHY DID THE GAME STOP HALF-WAY?!

*ahem* Sorry, I'm over it.  What a fabulous game! Congratulations on the awards, you deserve them. When it the full version due? I should probably check the GiP forum actually.

The game was... well, everyone's already said it, I'm sure you know. I'm dying to see the rest ^_^

[Nansober]

Loved the game and story line as well can hardly wait for part two

[Vaz]

Great story. Too bad it ends like Kill Bill vol. 1, just when the whole thing was starting to get damn intriguing 

Nice artwork too, the characters look a bit too stiff to me (they seem they've had a broom for lunch ), the backgrounds look nice, what else can I say? I thought it would have been longer, please Dave don't let us wait for too long for part 2!

[ras_maxim]

Just downloaded it

Mysterious game, a lot of texts, like in Fallout!

Spoiler

I am stuck on day 2, I have book flower lemon and photo. Please tell how to get other ingridients

[close]

[n3tgraph]

Spoiler

use your kitchenÃ, 

[close]

[theone123456]

ahh...im still stuck with rosa not talking to nishanti

[theone654321]

help..anyone?

[Dave Gilbert]

Did you look at everything in your inventory?  There's something you need to do before speaking to Nish.

[theone12346532]

thanks!!

[Queen Kara]

When was the second part supposed to be out , again?
I hadn't played the game in a long time and just did , forgot how cool it was....sooo...as you can probably guess , I can't wait to play the next part. 

[Darcness]

Yeah, I can't wait for part 2 either. Things were just starting to get real interesting in the first game when it suddenly ended! I need to know how the story continues, darnit!

[Dave Gilbert]

The game is being worked on, albeit in a different form. 
Read this:

http://www.davelgil.com/games/interview.pdf

[2ma2]

Wow!

That's it.. simply wow. No, not really, curse thee for cutting it off when it was getting somewhere!

Adoring characters, and a storyline that got me from the start. The graphics are well made, and albeit some character seemed inapropriatly cartoony at first, it redeemed itself through characterisation later.

Two thumbs up!

[BerserkerTails]

Hey guys. I just got an email from Dave, he sent it out to all the people working on the new Bestowers of Eternity. Seems with all the success of "Two of a Kind", some professional adventure makers (Not allowed to disclose who) have contacted him to write a professional adventure game.

With this being said, he is no longer working on Bestowers of Eternity. From the email:

I'm glad for all the hard work you all put into the BoE. Unforunately, due to a exclusivity clause with the company, I can no longer work on it. After much consideration, I've decided to cancel the project completely. I know this may come as a surprise, but I do appreciate all the work you guys did. The game really was looking good.

If things don't work out, rest assured that BoE will be started again, and you're all first on my contact list. Hey, who knows, maybe if things work out with the company, I'll be able to make Bestowers of Eternity professionally!

A sad message indeed to everyone awaiting the game, and for us who were actually working on the game (Believe me, it was excellent). Just thought that I should post this, considering Dave has gone out to celebrate and won't be able to post until much later (IE: When he sobers up, haha).

Good luck in your new game, whatever it may be Dave!

[Bartimaeus]

Ag noooo men!
Aaaarg! THAT IS JUST NOT DONE!!!


EDIT: Wait a second... I smell April fools...

[AGA]

This is genuine. I've spoken to Dave regarding this a few times over the past few weeks.

[Wogoat]

I don't know anything about this other exclusive project.  But Dave has been speaking of putting BoE on hiatus for quite some time now.  I never really gave it much consideration until we all got that e-mail.

Tis a sad day, I guess I'll have to go back to updating Reality sprites.

-Matt

[Kweepa]

Since it's no longer April Fool's day (in yabb time) I think we can safely call *bluff*.

[Dave Gilbert]

Since it's no longer April Fool's day (in yabb time) I think we can safely call *bluff*.

Rubbish!  Here are three screenshots from the game:

[sergiocornaga]

How can there possibly be ingame screenshots if you've only just been contacted to WRITE the game? Answer me that, Dave!

[Dave Gilbert]

Think about it.

[Huw Dawson]

Beacause he's LYING? 

[Dave Gilbert]

Picture number one - a curved piece of metal, commonly known as a HOOK

Picture number two - a length of string, also refered to as a LINE

Picture number three - A small weighted object used for fishing, known in nautical circles as a SINKER

If you don't get it by now, you're not going to.

[BerserkerTails]

Wow... And here I thought you just randomly grabbed images from a Google Image search, haha. That's pretty creative, Dave!

[Huw Dawson]

Yeah, we all falled for it, hook, line and sinker. 

[Bartimaeus]

Except me!
Oh yeah!
Shake that thang!
8)