MAGS 2008-04: Love Is In The Air

Klaus · Mon 31/03/2008 23:06:29

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 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 TwinMoon:

Topic: Love Is In The Air

It's springtime! The season of rejuvenation - trees start to blossom and the world awakens after its wintery sleep.
It's also the season where it's getting warmer: girls start wearing short skirts again and guys start wearing tight t-shirts again.

Which brings me to the following rules:
1. The main character in your game must fall in love.
2. There must be a ladybug in your game. (It doesn't have to be any part of the story or a puzzle, just put one or more in there somewhere. And since I like ladybugs, it's not allowed to let the player kill any).

Your game should include at least two things from the following list:
- a valentine card arriving too late
- blossom (in a tree, in someone's hair, in your inventory, use your imagination!)
- a bird's nest with an egg in it
- a common snowdrop (flower)
- a poem or some lines of poetry being read out loud
- an inventory item having something to do with Romeo & Juliet (a DVD, a book, a costume for Romeo)

(By the way, it's National Poetry Month in America in April, you might do something with that.)

Make sure you have a good obstacle which prevents the lovers from being together; like a protective dad, the girl playing hard to get or a canal which prevents the lovers from reaching each other.

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All games need to be in by April 25th.

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

Akatosh · Wed 02/04/2008 18:23:38

Wait, that means in order to enter this month, I would need the ability to feel and emulate an emotion akin to... "love".

Damn.

TwinMoon · Wed 02/04/2008 19:10:28

You don't have to, your main character has to!

I thought this might force people to write something with a little bit of emotional depth,
but there doesn't seem to be much interest in it so far.

Minimi · Wed 02/04/2008 22:15:48

Sounds like fun, I was already planning on entering a MAGS soon, so this would be a good time to attempt on making a better game than a few years ago. But I won't promise I'll be in this one, I'll just starting thinking of a story!

Nagania · Fri 04/04/2008 22:51:03

hmmmmm..... i might give it a go...
although i thought last months mags comp (w.i.p) was going to be good to me
i never got it finished!!!
just have to wait and see this month!

rock_chick · Tue 08/04/2008 14:42:05

Pointless post.

zabnat · Tue 08/04/2008 14:55:46

rock_chick:
Yes, monthly in this context means that it is arranged every month. The five days is needed for voting and to give voters (anybody) a chance to finish each game (and to give the winner some time to consider next months rules). Technically you are right. There is less than a month time to make a game. But then again, a game finished in 25 days is done in one month

rock_chick · Tue 08/04/2008 14:59:00

Quote from: zabnat on Tue 08/04/2008 14:55:46
rock_chick:
Yes, monthly in this context means that it is arranged every month. The five days is needed for voting and to give voters (anybody) a chance to finish each game (and to give the winner some time to consider next months rules). Technically you are right. There is less than a month time to make a game. But then again, a game finished in 25 days is done in one month

I've already basically as good as removed my post you're talking about for similar reasons as you have mentioned anyway.

Brad Newsom · Sun 13/04/2008 23:01:50

Out of nowhere, this comp tickled my fancy. Its been a year since I last came here, and hopefully I can bare a feast of goodies.

EDIT:

Teaser

Klyptomaniac · Mon 14/04/2008 05:06:52

Hey, April 25 is my birthday! This is gonna be the best b-day EVER. Make something good for me!

Naw, you don't have to, silly. :

Too bad I've never used the program yet, otherwise I'd try this out. I had a great idea, too...

Brad Newsom · Fri 18/04/2008 10:23:47

Ah crap, im out. This mouse bug in AGS is crippling me from testing my own product.

Damn it. Had it all planned out too. Oh well, hopefully we can get some other entries. Good luck to you all.

TwinMoon · Fri 18/04/2008 11:50:22

Too bad, Kadji-san! That teaser really tickled my fancy

Anybody else silently working on a mags game?

None · Sat 19/04/2008 02:45:19

A Walk in The Park
By: Dreamed Up Games
A Shonen-Ai Guy Game

http://www.geocities.com/dreamedupgames/awalkinthepark.zip

Hey, this is my first game, so I don't expect to win, LOL. Then again, maybe no one else will enter, and I'll win by default!
Now updated to include SETUP.

*Warning this game contains 'Shonen-Ai' and Homo-Erotic themes...*
*If you are offended by such material please don't download. The author of said content can be found on this forum. *

P.S. Thanks Ben and InCreator for doing 1st line beta-ing. I've updated based on your suggestions. Peace.

vertigoaddict · Sat 19/04/2008 04:16:16

Quote from: ShonenAiGuy on Sat 19/04/2008 02:45:19

--
*Warning this game contains 'Shonen-Ai' and Homo-Erotic themes...* --

Darn! You beat me to it! Oh well..

downloading...

None · Sat 19/04/2008 04:50:37

Hey Vertigo! Don't let that stop you... Hahaha, the world needs more gay games! lol.

Buckethead · Sat 19/04/2008 10:42:49

oh boy... your game gives an error ShonenAiGuy. It says it can't display the game on 320x240 because my graphics card doesn't support pixel shader 1.4. Please include a setup file so I can adjust the graphics filter.

Rui 'Trovatore' Pires · Sat 19/04/2008 12:33:02

Buckethead - just run a shortcut of the game's exe with the added --setup argument.

SAGuy - what IS shonen-ai?

Gilbert · Sat 19/04/2008 13:31:40

It's just...

Spoiler

Boy Love

[close]

Rui 'Trovatore' Pires · Sat 19/04/2008 13:50:52

Oh. Then Shonen-Ai and Homo-Erotic is a bit redundant, ayuh?

Nevertheless, I am enlightened. Thanks!

TwinMoon · Sat 19/04/2008 19:49:10

Nice game! And so soon before the deadline; that must be a record...
The use of the ladybug made me laugh! Good rulebending!

Quote from: ShonenAiGuy on Sat 19/04/2008 02:45:19
*Warning this game contains 'Shonen-Ai' and Homo-Erotic themes...*
*If you are offended by such material please don't download. The author of said content can be found on this forum. *

Funny, the most explicit image is right above this warning

IMHO this warning is unnecessary, if people get offended they can just stop playing.

Ryan Timothy B · Sat 19/04/2008 20:29:59

You'll have to add the setup file for me as well. Either way I try it, running as-is or how Rui said to do it, my 27" lcd tv doesn't like it and can't support it.

TwinMoon · Sat 19/04/2008 21:08:35

You can copy the file acsetup.cfg from any other AGS game.
And a batch file containing the line ' sag_mag_04_08 --setup ' can be a substitute for the setup file

yarooze · Sat 19/04/2008 22:06:36

Thank you, ShonenAiGuy! Now we have some yaoi games here. :o

I did it. I've kissed the Granny (twice!) and had a date with Aaron... $:-\$

PS. But the game is awefull cool!

Twirlly · Sat 19/04/2008 22:40:55

I couldn't play the game either without a setup, and I don't know anything about batch files, so I just brought in a setup from another game and changed the name of the game to the old game, and if worked fine, but I would like to know how to do the batch file thing TwinMoon... or anyone?

Also, great first game ShonenAiGuy, maybe I'll get around to my first on the next round, lol. I've said that soooo many times... and to think it's only my lack of artistic ability that's holding me back. Ah well, enough filler on this post.

TwinMoon · Sat 19/04/2008 23:08:11

Sorry, I keep thinking everybody knows what I know

Lack of emotional intelligence, I guess.

Since you finished the game already you probably don't need this Twirlly, but for the sake of completeness:

Make a new text document in the same folder as the game's .exe (right click in explorer, select new) and put this line in it: 'sag_mag_04_08 --setup' (without the ')
Then make sure exporer is not hiding the file extensions (tools | folder options | view | Hide extensions) and rename the file to start.bat.
Then if you click on start.bat the setup will open. Presto!

Brad Newsom · Sat 19/04/2008 23:39:31

Quote from: TwinMoon on Sat 19/04/2008 19:49:10
Funny, the most explicit image is right above this warning
IMHO this warning is unnecessary, if people get offended they can just stop playing.

There are sadly very homophobic people out there.

Anyways, awesome entry ShonenAiGuy! It really is beautiful. ^_^

None · Sun 20/04/2008 05:56:03

Yeah I figured put the most explicit image up here first, that way the rest would seem ok. (weird logic I know). And yeah I figured it best to warn people, ya know how it can be...

(UPDATE)
I've updated the download, to INCLUDE setup!

Yarooze, Yaoi RULES!

yarooze · Mon 21/04/2008 08:48:07

Quote from: ShonenAiGuy on Sun 20/04/2008 05:56:03Yarooze, Yaoi RULES!

Usualy I don't look yaoi. It is boring. It is not for me.

Your game is an exception. It is funny. I like it.

Klaus · Thu 24/04/2008 17:18:11

The deadline is near: Please submit your entries within the next 24 hours (see timestamp of this posting) then the voting will begin (or we'll have a winner by default)...

Leon · Fri 25/04/2008 13:12:08

Allright, I played A Walk In The Park and here are my notes:

A very nice game. Although I'm not a huge fan of the character type (I have my specs on but couldn't tell if Andrew was boy or girl, other then by the name) it didn't bother me in the game. They do very well in their environment. The interface with menu is very well done.

Because of the beautiful graphical nature of the game, I was a bit disappointed the way the wind blew away the pieces of paper. I'd expected some sort of animation here instead of just text. The bird on the other hand was perfect, the way pixelhunting was avoided.

Then there's the dialogs. It confused me that you start conversation by looking at people and that the same conversation options returns when you talk to them. To be very picky, when talking to Mr. Sweets, you get the option to ask for the book. He agrees that you can have it. Then when you want to take the book, you ask it again...?

You could have extended the gameplay a bit more by using more pieces of paper (the bin, the bush, in the book etc) and make a real puzzle game at the end to recreate the message. Maybe somethin for a next game, because I certainly like to see more of this kind, but with a bit more difficult puzzles and a bit longer story.

Well done!

by the way, there's a typo in the end sequence outside the park: undestand --> understand.

Klaus · Sat 26/04/2008 09:19:17

So the deadline passed by ... and we already have a winner:

Congratulations go to
ShonenAiGu and his entry A Walk in The Park

Many thanks for joining the contest!
Please check your PM to get to know about the setup of the new rules!

Buckethead · Sat 26/04/2008 10:44:04

A shame there weren't any other entries. AWITP was pretty good and I think it could have won with a few more entries aswell.

Rui 'Trovatore' Pires · Sat 26/04/2008 10:59:09

Well, at least it was a great entry, and a good game. If we're gonna have a "winner by default" we might as well have a worthy one!

Brad Newsom · Sat 26/04/2008 12:32:32

Congrats ShonenAiGuy! I look forward to seeing what you can come up with for the next MAGS.

vertigoaddict · Sat 26/04/2008 22:14:58

Congrats. congrats, Shounen Ai. I'll look forward to what you come up with next in the future.

hint, hint

[h] sequel [/h]

Radiant · Sun 27/04/2008 16:22:06

Scientist: Well, Homer, I guess you're the winner by default.

Homer: Default? Woo hoo! The two sweetest words in the English language: de-fault! De-fault! De-fault!

[assistant clubs him]

Seriously though, it was a good game, and congratulations!

TwinMoon · Sun 27/04/2008 23:23:04

Sadly a winner by default, but on the other side, what a winner it is! Congratulations!

I'll be keeping an eye out for your next adventure, ShonenAiGuy.

paolo · Mon 28/04/2008 13:42:57

Well done Shonen-Ai on winning MAGS with your first game! I'm sure it would have been likely to win even if there had been other entries this month. Have fun thinking up the rules for May's competition.

miwi · Tue 29/04/2008 03:52:19

That was a lovely game =)
I hope to see more games from you!
And with more shonen ai xD
It's so sweet S2