Adventure Game Studio

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 (http://www.mags-competition.tk).

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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This month's guidelines are set by last month's winner BaRoN:

Topic: Work in Progress

You must create a game that is incomplete, but it must of course still have an ending.  For example the graphics could be left as rough sketches, or partially not polished; placeholder graphics could be ubiquitous (i.e. the blue cup or Roger); or messages could frequently display "not implemented yet" or "coming soon!"  Interpret "incomplete" as you like, but the characters in the game should recognize that it's not complete - in other words, they should not believe that everything is as it was envisaged to be.

Only Mandatory Rule: The incompleteness of the game must somehow be a part of at least one puzzle.  For example a door might not have been drawn in the wall yet, so how can you get inside?  You know you're supposed to cut the red wire, but they haven't been coloured yet.  Something like that.

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All games need to be in by March 25th.

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

Quote from: Klaus on Sat 01/03/2008 21:20:12
You must create a game that is incomplete, but it must of course still have an ending.

Ha! Isn't that the case with all MAGS games? ;)   It reminds me of that scene in The Truman Show where he walks into a building and the set hasn't been put up yet.

Sounds like fun. I'll try my luck again this month!

A really inspiring topic, I may have to take some time out to work on this.

This topic is brilliant! Now no one has an excuse for saying "oh I didn't make it this month... maybe next time"

Great idea. Really great idea, I think I'll try this one!

wow!!!
this doesn't give me much time to create a storyline and game, but i hope to get it finished in time to enter.
oh, and this is my first game, so i hope it makes a good impression.
i doubt i could win but it's all for fun, eh?
good luck everyone!  :)

I will enter for sure, already started the game. I'm in the mood for doing a short and simple game. This, btw, would be my first game to be completed.

Wow, there seem to be a lot of people out there who are enthusiastic about doing half the work for full credit!  ;)

I'm glad the topic is appealing to so many people -we should have a really good competition this month!  Truth be told, I was somewhat reluctant to set it as the topic because I have some really good ideas for it myself, but for obvious reasons (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=33905.0) I can't participate this time around.  So I'll just have to experience game-making vicariously through all of you.  Don't forget to post how much fun you are having!  :)

Baron

Quote from: Klaus on Sat 01/03/2008 21:20:12
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.

Considering the rather unusual (but brilliant!) rules this month, could there be made an exception to the rules allowing us to use graphics from our own failed MAGS games? I am thinking about sending one of my old player characters on a voyage through the ruins of the 5 or 6 incomplete games that I still have the graphics for.

I am thinking of making a game so WIP that it never left the "doodling in the back of a seventh-grade notebook" stage, so could I download this paper thingy (http://designoahu.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/crumpled-paper.jpg) and use it for my game?

Quote from: JuuL on Thu 06/03/2008 18:09:26

Quote from: Klaus on Sat 01/03/2008 21:20:12
You are not allowed to (re)use material already created before this competition

could there be made an exception to the rules allowing us to use graphics from our own failed MAGS games?

The idea sounds very good and it wouldn't be cool to break it with this rule. The "problem" is that you save time that other participants would need to create backgrouds - may yours be complete or not. If you do not work "mega intensive" on the game I'd say it's okay. You get the point: Everyone should have one month for the whole game creation, so take a timeout for what you already created and everything's fine. :) Do you think that might work?

Quote from: shinymans on Thu 06/03/2008 20:52:04
could I download this paper thingy and use it for my game?

Yes that's possible. I don't know about copyright of this image but that's up to you then :)

I MIGHT be able to do something for this MAGS!
Very interesting topic!

Quote from: Klaus on Fri 07/03/2008 17:31:32
If you do not work "mega intensive" on the game I'd say it's okay.

Thanks! I haven't worked on the game before today and I have an exam later this month, so I don't even think "mega intensive" work is an option for me.

I'd love to see one where the "parts of the set" are missing or visible. Like patches of the sky left as cardboard, clouds with one string snapped off, if you get my meaning.

What would be funny would be one where the items haven't been designed yet, so everything is represented by a blue cup, and it's up to the player to work out which blue cup represents the key, the crystal, the rubber chicken etc.

Quote from: Stupot on Sun 09/03/2008 19:41:25
What would be funny would be one where the items haven't been designed yet, so everything is represented by a blue cup, and it's up to the player to work out which blue cup represents the key, the crystal, the rubber chicken etc.

... and every character was Roger.

I considered writing a long explanation/excuse for once again failing to finish my MAGS game. But it really doesn't matter. Good luck to the rest of you.

You still have 10 days left -you haven't failed yet! 

Besides, given the topic, all you have to do is TRY to finish it, and then wrap up whatever you have with some creative dialogue on the last day or so.  Cut corners, take shortcuts -remember it's a W.I.P., so don't feel down because the game isn't turning out the way you envisaged (or at least not quickly enough).  I encourage you to just do what you have to do to finish it in some shape or form, and then revel in the glory of having finished your game and having other people play it.

Baron

That was my original intention. However, the following long explanation/excuse that I didn't include before will explain why I can't possibly do this without seriously damaging my mental and/or physical health:
- I have an exam in 1½ weeks.
- I have to write an essay during the following 2 weeks.
- I have to read Hegel without losing my mind (most efficient antidote: beer & Nietzsche)
- I have to attend two birthdays and visit my parents.

But don't worry, like The Brain from 'Pinky and the Brain' I will never, never learn from experience. Next month I will once again try to take over the world make a MAGS game.

I'm trying, I'm trying... and no, it's not a Me Go ... game.

I was trying, I really was!
But offcourse:
*BANG*
*BEEP BEEP, BEEP BEEP*

Shit! my external drive!
My data!
MY MAGS ENTRY!!!
GONE :'(.

Or well, all the work I did after sending the files to my friend is gone!
If its not to much maybe it will get finished in time...
I hope so!
But right now I am just tired of computers, ive allready had another external drive "die" on me (both died during this month!) which made me loose alot of important data.

I wish everyone good luck, and hopefully (I really hope so!!) I will post an entry to!


Peder Johnsen.

Funny. I just had AGS crash (while attempting to save ...  ::)) and send 90% of my game into oblivion. Seems like there's a curse on mAGS this month.

Finally finished my game. A first for me! Well, the first one that i was bothered to complete. Anyway, it's not the 25th where I live yet, so thats fine.

link:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/izfkmp (http://www.sendspace.com/file/izfkmp)

sorry about the horrible [insert basic element of game here].

oh, and please send me all the comments and critiques and shizz.

(http://crystalshard.net/img/hypnotoad.png)

My game (http://crystalshard.net/zip/HYPNOTOAD.ZIP) is WAY more unfinished than your game!


Well, I wanted to make a nice sketchy (and partial) fantasy game called Kin Que, but I lacked the time for that so the Hypnotoad will have to suffice. It was a fun ruleset, but it was a busy month.

Radiant... that's unfair. Everybody knows Hypnotoad = Instant Win.  >:(.

I've finally ended my first game!

Curse of the Vampire (http://www.zshare.net/download/9503989d6c79d8/)

It took me some effort, but I'm pretty happy with the result. The game is like a B class terror movie, with stick figures for characters.

It's uploaded on Zshare, but it's temporal. If anyone can tell me a better place to upload this, I would like to know.

EDIT: I changed the link, I had uploaded a wrong version that didn't work after the half of the game.

HYPNOTOAD WINS AGAIN.  :P

Well, here's my entry.
If anyone's interested, I've kept a diary (http://twin-moon.blogspot.com/search/label/UD) on my blog.


*salesmanagerial mode on*


What if God did design the world? What if miracles did happen daily? What if God had a bad day, that first week?
Big questions.

This game won't answer those questions.
But it will use it as a setting, on which our heartfelt story will take place. The story of two (relatively) young go-getters, whose house didn't turn out as they'd expect.




^{[1] Within our knowledge.}

(http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii175/twinmoon_1979/UD-screenshot1.png)(http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii175/twinmoon_1979/UD-screenshot2.png)

Quote from: Akatosh on Mon 24/03/2008 15:42:52
Funny. I just had AGS crash (while attempting to save ...  ::)) and send 90% of my game into oblivion.

And while you were saving... that's bitter irony.

Nice looking entries so far :).

I must sadly confirm that I will not finish my MAGS entry for several reasons not to be told.
But you might one day be able to play Unfin: The Ad.!

Good luck to all the entries!


Thanks,
Peder Johnsen.

Same here. Ah well, there's always next month.

March 25th is gone so here now we go...
For voting please visit the MAGS site (http://www.mags-competition.tk) or make your choice right here:

Unintelligent Design by Twin Moon (http://mags.typo.i24.cc?page=voting&fav=Unintelligent%20Design)
The Book Unfinished by enveloop (http://mags.typo.i24.cc?page=voting&fav=The%20Book%20Unfinished)
Hypnotoad by Radiant (http://mags.typo.i24.cc?page=voting&fav=Hypnotoad)
Curse of the Vampire by Shaden (http://mags.typo.i24.cc?page=voting&fav=Curse%20of%20the%20Vampire)

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

The link to enveloop's game did not work. Could you please upload it to a different place?

Edit: Twin-moon's download link doesn't work for me either...

Quote from: Pablo on Wed 26/03/2008 11:09:21
The link to enveloop's game did not work.
Twin-moon's download link doesn't work for me either...

Hm... I just checked out both of them and they work fine for me. Do not try to download via "save target" - use the standard left mouse button click as it will take you to a downlad page. Maybe that's the problem?

No no, that's not it. The pages aren't loading for me at all. Which is weird if they work for you... I'll just try again later.

Quote from: Pablo on Wed 26/03/2008 11:31:24
No no, that's not it. The pages aren't loading for me at all. Which is weird if they work for you... I'll just try again later.

Oh, okay... Well in that case you might want to grab The Book Unfinished and Unintelligent Design from my server (only located there until the end of the voting).

The links don't work for me either. Seeing as both of us having trouble are from the same area in Finland I suspect the problem lies with our ISP. Wouldn't be the first time...

I've uploaded it to another site (http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/3/25/1835627/UD.zip).

Could one of you check if this works?


@enveloop: you only need to upload the files in the Compiled folder. You've uploaded the entire code with the game.

Quote from: TwinMoon on Wed 26/03/2008 16:36:26
@enveloop: you only need to upload the files in the Compiled folder. You've uploaded the entire code with the game.

Well, that's perfectly fine if he wanted to make an opensource game.
I like opensource games!

Quote from: FSi on Wed 26/03/2008 19:14:50Well, that's perfectly fine if he wanted to make an opensource game.
I like opensource games!

Ok, I hadn't thought of that. More open source games!

Enveloop: What's the name of that song (and the band) you used in your game? It's beautiful.

Since I didn't finish my game, I thought that I should at least vote and make some comments about the games.

Voting was a difficult decision, but in the end ià decided to vote for The Book Unfinished, primarily because it was the most completely incomplete of the games - it seemed like it follewed the spirit of the rules more than the others. Also, I liked the humor and the storage door puzzle. And I have to ask the same question as TwinMoon: Who and what was that music?

I did for a time consider voting for Curse of the vampire. It had a great story (for a MAGS game), a cool GUI, nice graphics and some surprisingly frightening lightning and thunder. However, the "unfihishedness" of the game seemed misplaced. Also, I think Yahtzee would like to have his hat back.

---

I was thinking: Considering the relatively short time we have to play the games before the voting ends, it would be nice if the participants would include a walkthrouogh in the download (or make it availible in some other way).

VertigoAddict told me the song is 'Cosy in the rocket' by Psapp.

Quote from: JuuL on Sun 30/03/2008 14:46:10I was thinking: Considering the relatively short time we have to play the games before the voting ends, it would be nice if the participants would include a walkthrouogh in the download (or make it availible in some other way).

Including a walkthrough in the games would indeed be a good idea. I've included some hints to the hardest puzzles in my game just because of that.

TwinMoon! Where are these hints? I am stuck in your game, and since I did not find a save option I had to close it down and now I will have to start over :(

Quote from: Sylvr on Mon 31/03/2008 16:01:21
TwinMoon! Where are these hints? I am stuck in your game, and since I did not find a save option I had to close it down and now I will have to start over :(

Oh, hehe, you're right. You can save by pressing F5 and load by pressing F7, but I never thought about telling anybody, since F5 and F7 are used in virtually every AGS game.

The hints are in the ReadMe file. It's called ReadMe, why didn't you read it?  ;D
If you're stuck you can post in the Hints & Tips section of the forum, I'll be glad to answer any question you have.

Time out - voting is over!

It was a very close finish but one game made it clearly to the top...
The winner this time is

TwinMoon and his entry Unintelligent Design

Congratulations! Also many thanks to all other participants for making this such a great contest.

Congrats!