July MAGS

Klaus · Thu 01/07/2004 07:38:47

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 opportuninty to make a game, and the wonderful prize is to announce the net month's rules, and all competitiors 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 must not get anyone else to do any part of the game for you.

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Jaz and Foz decided not to submit their ideas for this new competition. On the other hand I think the source code of "Apocalype Vel" also is not yet available... Is it? So it's Minimi on his own who set this month's guidelines:

Theme - Animals

- As for most of the time humans are the character you play in a game for this time the main character must be an animal! Big, small - whatever you want it to be. It can also be an insect or a fish if that's what you want to ask...Ã,Â

All kind of ... animal.

- There's yet another guideline that perhaps is even more difficult to set up:
You must also make your own GUI system. So no standard graphics are allowed for this. You might want to stick to the standard GUIs that can easily be implemented using AGS but better try to invent and set up something new.

- No other restrictions
There's no list of items that need to appear in your game. But if you want to include some special things how about using elements that use an animal in their name like the famous "monkey wrench" or a "hot dog"...

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All entries need to be in on July 26th.

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

Phemar · Thu 01/07/2004 09:00:01

Cool!~I'm gonna enter here!

P.S. Can we use a template GUI?

Mr Jake · Thu 01/07/2004 09:14:27

Humans are animals

Minimi · Thu 01/07/2004 09:21:02

-Templates not allowed!
-Not gonna discuss weither humans are animals or not, but let's say that the animal human is not allowed, happy?

Good luck all who enter. I didn't like too complicated rules though I LOVE animals, and like to see some original ones

Mats Berglinn · Thu 01/07/2004 16:04:34

The rules are very original, however, it seems a bit strict with that GUI rule because it's very hard to think up a new GUI without making it similiar to the Sierra GUI, the SCUMM GUI, the Verb Coin, Apprentice Interface etc, etc, etc, and then trying to script it (not all AGS members are good at scripting C++ or scripting in the complicated AGS way) for a month. I think it's quite harsch if you ask me (I bet nobody would).

I got two question even if I'm not going to be a part of this month MAGS.
1: Do the animals have to be "naked" (no clothes) or is it ok have them wear clothes?
2: Must the animals behave like animals or is it okay to behave like cartoon animals (walking on their hindlegs, dance etc)?

Minimi · Thu 01/07/2004 16:28:39

ok... you kinda misunderstood. A new GUI is in my opinion then also only replacement of graphics. So in that case, templates are ok, but make your own graphics with them.

Furthermore.. let me ask you this question. Are you less human when you wear shoes? No you aren't, so animals with or without clothes, I don't care. And your second question is pretty clear to me. If it is a animal they can smoke weed if you want to

Have fun this month!

Phemar · Thu 01/07/2004 16:35:32

Quote from: Minimi on Thu 01/07/2004 16:28:39
Have fun this month!

Believe me, I will...

Ishmael · Thu 01/07/2004 19:04:09

I would enter, but I'm afraid I don't have much time... I'll see what I can do, the GUI rule seems to be just like... made for me

Lucky · Thu 01/07/2004 19:15:33

Ooh, furry.

I think I might give this a shot, if I can come up with a decent idea that is...

Redwall · Thu 01/07/2004 19:33:14

Hehe, I have been working on a game with a polar bear as a main character... well, I was until I started working on my Kyojo game again.

I hope somebody makes a game with a unique interface based on an animal's senses, like a dog that has "smell" vision rather than eyesight...

Unforunately I'm too busy to do such a game.

Sinitrena · Thu 01/07/2004 23:51:27

Great idea to use animals as main character. I think I will enter this month.

Ginny · Fri 02/07/2004 08:30:17

eYeah, in combination with the GUI rule, the animal rule opens up lots of possibilities for original gameplay. I'm gonna have a little brainstorm and get back to you, but I'm probably entering (or at least trying to).

edit: Well, not sure I'll enter per se, most likely I'll think of an idea and make it sometime in the future.. heh. Too many projects at the moment.

Lazy Z · Sat 03/07/2004 14:27:19

I also like the rules, I have an idea for a game, so I'll try to join too. Not sure though, since I don't know if I'll have the time...

Just for the record, foz did release the open-source version of Apocolypse Vel.

Phemar · Mon 05/07/2004 13:25:48

Oh shootness. I'm gonna have to withdraw my entry. I just don't have...watsamacallit...inspiration.

And I can't draw animals for crap. Well cheers...

spud · Mon 05/07/2004 19:29:12

Are cursors counted as the gui or can they be kept with the default graphic

SierraFreak · Tue 06/07/2004 23:52:14

I'm in this month. I was REALLY new last month, so I didn't want to participate until I got the swing of things. I've got a great idea for this month. It's a little mundane, but I'm going to blow it out of proportion to make it grander.

I can't wait to submit my entry and check out the other ones!

DragonRose · Wed 07/07/2004 03:38:41

Does it have to be a real animal? Such as... oh, I don't know... a dragon?

Me likes dragonses.

Minimi · Wed 07/07/2004 10:30:55

Spud : Cursors are counted yes. Don't use the standard graphics please.

Dragonrose : Dragons aren't animals, but if you can come up with a really nice game with dragons, then go for it!

[Cameron] · Wed 07/07/2004 10:40:40

If dragons are not animals, what the hell are they?

Privateer Puddin' · Wed 07/07/2004 10:42:18

A mythical monster traditionally represented as a gigantic reptile having a lion's claws, the tail of a serpent, wings, and a scaly skin..

[Cameron] · Wed 07/07/2004 11:48:40

Mats Berglinn · Wed 07/07/2004 16:01:45

Dragons are more like fantasy-creatures or myth-creatures and there are no such thing in reality (did you know that in the Middle Age when they found the bones of dinosaurs, they thought that there were dragon bones?), so that's the reason for that they don't count as animals.

I think that no fantasy/myth creatures are allowed in this contest, only real animals, if I'm not mistaken.

viktor · Wed 07/07/2004 17:42:48

Well actualy that isn't fully throo. Real dragons do exist. The comodo dragon is actualy a dragon (at least thats what our biology teacher said. Then again our biology thgeacher isn't wery bright.). But it is not like the dragons we think of from the midle ages.

Minimi · Wed 07/07/2004 18:19:20

yeah, NO dragons, on a second thought :

just elephants, giraffes, dogs, cats, spiders, and salamanders

Ginny · Wed 07/07/2004 18:19:24

I'd say it makes sense to make it about mythical creatures, since they are still of the animal kingdom, even if they don't exist. Or do they? o_0

spud · Thu 08/07/2004 01:06:06

does the save/restore box have to be different than the default part .

rtf · Thu 08/07/2004 01:15:37

heh, animals.

*RTF thinks about all those times he used animals in a game.

Peter Thomas · Thu 08/07/2004 06:45:40

spud, you can use all default settings if you wish, I believe. Correct me if I'm wrong...

Mats Berglinn · Thu 08/07/2004 14:22:09

Quote from: viktor on Wed 07/07/2004 17:42:48
Well actualy that isn't fully throo. Real dragons do exist. The comodo dragon is actualy a dragon (at least thats what our biology teacher said. Then again ourÃ,Â biology thgeacher isn't wery bright.). But it is not like the dragons we think of from the midle ages.

I already knew that but when we talks about dragons that dragon-rose talks about it's those mythical creatures that breath fire and THOSE dragons does not exist. A comodo-dragon isn't actually a dragon like in those fairy-tales, myths or fantasy media that can fly or breath fire or capture maidens but it's a reptile, like crocodiles.

Phemar · Thu 08/07/2004 18:42:48

Europians thought the Komodo Dragons were dragons because they were big, scaly and dangerous. They were frightened by the island of Komodo because of the smokey mist that overhung the island. The Komodo Dragons flickered their tongues alot, confusing the sailors into thinking it was small fiery wisps of fire. They took the mist over the island for smoke from the fire.

viktor · Thu 08/07/2004 20:42:36

I know that sily

I just told you what my teacher told us...

P.S. I told you she wasn't wery bright.

Czar · Thu 08/07/2004 22:48:49

he he, this could be a true tom&jerry goodness month.

But on the other side; you people dont have to ask stupid questions like: can i put this, can i do that (besides good tech Qs).

Take your freedom and make a game, which i think is the point (with having fun). Everybody will be happy if you even MAKE the game.

That much for me,.

Cya, Czar.

spud · Sat 10/07/2004 00:07:03

Ive got my entry finished and up on the web

heres the download link

http://www.koolpages.com/festershine/Catbrg.zip
(may have to right click save as)

Ill write more of a description in the completed games announcment forum

i entered a bit sooner as ive had loads of free time
but ill be away for a couple of weeks at my brothers and hes
got a MAC (shudder) so i cant use ags on it.

enjoy

Sinitrena · Sun 11/07/2004 22:15:13

I finished my entry! (I really did it, can't believe it.)

My game is called "A very special dog"

You play as a german shepherd dog called Rex. He goes on a walk and has to save his human friend Norah after a car crash.

You can download it here: http://people.freenet.de/Sinitrena/SpecialDog.zip

Klaus · Fri 23/07/2004 12:43:03

Two early entries so far... All the rest of you still have the weekend to work on your games.
So the voting will start on Monday, in three days from now, at about this time (see timestamp of this posting).
Now use your final 72 hours

cu

Dennis Ploeger · Sat 24/07/2004 12:32:30

Hi there!

Here's my entry for this month's MAGS:

"1 day a mosquito"

You can download it here:

http://www.blueocean-design.de/deepgames/files/mosquito.zip

Please have a look at the announcement thread:

http://www.agsforums.com/yabb/index.php?topic=15522.0

Have fun.

Bye,

Mats Berglinn · Sat 24/07/2004 13:49:55

How come that most MAGS competitions only have two to three entries instead of a half dozen or dozen of entries? And how come that Most entries comes up late towards the end of the deadline? It feel weird somehow.

Sinitrena · Sat 24/07/2004 19:20:07

QuoteHow come that most MAGS competitions only have two to three entries instead of a half dozen or dozen of entries?

Well, that's easy: 'cause no-one enters! Do you enter this month? This would be one entry more.

QuoteAnd how come that Most entries comes up late towards the end of the deadline?

People need time to make their games. Buy the way, this month two entrys were early

Mats Berglinn · Sat 24/07/2004 21:13:31

QuoteWell, that's easy: 'cause no-one enters! Do you enter this month? This would be
one entry more.

No, I didn't thinking of doing it because I'm too busy with my full game and other stuff to make up.

English correcting: It's "by the way" not buy the way. If you didn't wrote wrong in the haste that is.

SierraFreak · Sat 24/07/2004 22:29:09

Alright! I'm finally done! And just one day before the deadline. Sheeze, this took longer than I thought it would.

My game is about my cat Cougar, and his quest to escape from our house.

Check it out! Let me know what you think.

http://www.dreamorb.com/ags/games/cqff.zip

I'll admit that my GUI is not that much different from the standard one. But I'm really new at using AGS, especially with designing the GUI. And I'm so used to the Sierra style, it's hard for me to be different.

Anyway, try it out, I'd love to hear feedback.

Klaus · Mon 26/07/2004 12:45:22

72 hours are gone and meanwhile two new entries rushed in. So let's start the voting for this month's competition with four interesting animal games...

For voting please visit the MAGS site or make your choice right here:

Cougars Quest for Freedom by Leonard Carter
Confession of a Cat Burglar by Neil Mapletoft
A Very Special Dog by Sinitrena
1 day a mosquito by deepgames

Please vote only once and be sure to have played all games before sending your voice! Good luck to all participants.

Pet Terry · Mon 26/07/2004 14:25:04

Voting is going to be hard... I just played those games (except Spud's game, I couldn't download it) and all of them are really nice... Nice job everyone.

CodeJunkie · Mon 26/07/2004 18:43:44

Agh!Ã,Â I clicked the cat burglar link on Klaus' post to try and download it and then realised that it's the voting page!
I couldn't seem to download the cat burglar game either.Ã,Â I have played the other games though but I can't vote anymoreÃ,Â

sorry

Ozwalled · Mon 26/07/2004 21:21:02

Crap. I accidentally voted for 1 day a Mosquito (hadn't played it yet). Please take that into consideration.

Dennis Ploeger · Tue 27/07/2004 07:35:46

Oh, Ozwalled!

I don't think, that that is a considerable problem

Bye,

Akumayo · Wed 28/07/2004 20:46:26

Dragon-Ã,Â Revered in ancient cultures as destructive gods or large lizards with snake tails, lion claws, rams horns, and aligators teeth.Ã,Â But in reality were small dinasaurs bearing wings that were capable of lifting them as they were very small, perhaps the size of a pelican, they were some of the first reptiles to evolve feathered wings and hollow bones, they survived the VIRUS that wiped out all of the large reptiles as when a few died from eating contaminated dinasaurs, they began eating other birdlike and mammallike creatures, thus surviving along with animals such as crocodiles, armadilos, birds, and insects.Ã,Â However, at the begining of the ice age, when humans appeared, they froze to death as they had evolved to live in warmer climate zones.Ã,Â The few human cultures that spotted these small flying lizards wrote myths about them, how when they breathed, steam erupted from their mouths (which was really their hot breath against the cold air)Ã,Â this myth and others eventually become the legend that is today a fire breathing two ton monster with a bad attitude.Ã,Â They few skeletons found of these small flying lizards were classified as birdlike dinasaurs as they did not resemble the mythilogical version of dragons. Now you know!!!

Klaus · Thu 29/07/2004 07:51:41

Okay. So time is over now for discussions about dragons and also the voting doors are closed by now.

Four nice entries, almost unique and - also with taking accidental votes into consideration - there's one clear winner in this month's competition.

It is ... oh stop!
We have the old, new, revamped, ... we have the Winner Announcement Movie.
You may want to download it here (1MB). Sorry for the filesize.

If you better do not want to get the file you can also check out the winner by visiting the MAGS site.
Congratulations to the winner... Please check you PM, thanks.

Pet Terry · Thu 29/07/2004 10:51:59

Hehe, that was really nice movie. And congrats to winner!

The Last To Know · Thu 29/07/2004 12:35:14

Yeah, congratulations! I really enjoyed this game.

Dennis Ploeger · Thu 29/07/2004 18:26:44

Hi there!

Really a nice movie.

Congrats to the winner.

Hmm.. I guess, I have to enter once again now...

Bye,

SierraFreak · Thu 29/07/2004 21:10:11

Hi everyone! Thanks to everyone who voted for me. I really appreciate it! It's pretty cool being the new guy and winning.

So, I'm reviewing the previous MAGS contests so I set up a good one for everybody. Does anyhow have any suggestions for me? If so, go ahead and PM me and I'll be happy to hear from you.

PS: I'd also like to hear what you thought of the game. PM me on that, too!

Thanks again!

Remco · Fri 30/07/2004 19:19:58

nice done, good game, altough i voted on someone else

.

Akumayo · Fri 30/07/2004 19:57:20

So.... When is the next MAGS???!!!

SierraFreak · Fri 30/07/2004 20:30:22

The next MAGS will start Sunday, August 1st.

I actually am still looking through the previous contests. I'm trying to come up with a good theme. My wife has suggested something pretty funny, and I might go with it.

Remco · Sun 01/08/2004 12:05:39

what time is it coming today?

viktor · Sun 01/08/2004 13:15:53

Post it quickly

I wana take part on it this time

Peter Thomas · Sun 01/08/2004 13:17:58

my my, aren't we anxious

Actually, I will confess, I thouroughly enjoyed the game. For "the new guy" you've come up with a very fun game.

SierraFreak · Mon 02/08/2004 00:48:20

Okay, I think I've got it. I'm posting a new thread with the August MAGS now.