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.info/).

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.

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 "favorite" games, and not the most artistic. You may get help for the competition, as long as you end up doing something yourself. You should however be warned that it should prove hard to organize a big team within 30 days.

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. Modules and templates are allowed.

Please do not just enter the competition with a rushed entry (a game created in just some hours)

This means that you can make a game and rush it, but don't do it to just win by default.

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Topic: Parody/Demakes

This month's guidelines were set by Calin Leafshade:

You can make a game that can either make fun of  some game (AGS and non-AGS), or pay total homage to it. Or you can make an 8-bit Version of the McCarthy Chronicles (I added that part not Calin)

What about demakes?

You know, no-limit, no nothing to stop you, no genre restriction as long as it's demake
What's a demake?

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Here's some wiki knowledge waiting for you.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_remake#.22Demakes.22 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_remake#.22Demakes.22)

Winner: OneDollar

Thread Rules:

1)  Comments are allowed at all times. Anyone can comment, critic and express his opinion about an entry, the MAGS, and the host's mother, without being obliged to hide it! As long as the critic isn't like "You suck", something more elaborate could be more useful because after all this is a test for all developers to see if they can really make a game within a month, therefore feedback is crucial. [/i]

2)  Participators are allowed to patch their games even while the voting but I should be informed via pm or here, and only IF the game has a serious bug that makes it crash. Due to the inability of keeping track of versions of the games, I've settled to this.

3) It would be wiser to add the game to the AGS database, so you can easily do changes to the game, while the voting is going on, without having to inform me at all.

So you can patch your game, if it crashes or if it can't be completed.

Have fun this month too!!
All games till the END OF AUGUST.(Unless Extension is Given)

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CHANGES
From the first of May, some changes will occur on the MAGS competition, hopefully for the best of developers and for the attraction of outsiders to this community.

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MAGS A (January, March, May, July, September, November)

It starts on 1st and ends on 30/31st.

The winner sets up the theme of the next MAGS A
Voting and playing lasts whilst MAGS B is going on. (2 weeks each)

MAGS B (February, April, June, August, October, December)

It starts on 1st and ends on 28/29/30/31st.
The winner sets the theme of the next MAGS B.

Voting and playing lasts whilst MAGS A is going on. (2 weeks each)

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The winner of this month if not deadly obvious from this post, will set the rules of RedOctober. MAGS A and MAGS B are just a way to clarify and indicate condition of the competitions.

To sum up, there will be constantly a 30 days game making month, and a 30 days voting and playing month for that, whilst on the second process another game making month of 30 days will overlap.

Summing up: Every month one new game making month round, one game voting month round.

Can I give someone a theme and get them to make me a game on my behalf? =P

I want to enter this but spriting and designing puzzles are two major weakpoints for me :(

So did this start yesterday? I have a great idea. ???

EDIT: Man, I wish I could draw sprites and remember how to code. :=

Meh. I really wanted to do this one ... but time is not on my side this month. Maybe next time. Did make a title pic...

(http://www.miez.nl/tmp/drizzle.gif)

Now, six days left. This being my last competition as a host and all. ;)

Wow another of my themes bombing?

I shall attempt another rescue.. i hope!

damn, I dind't even notice this, and me having an epic idea and all!  :'(

Damn, I wanted to participate but lost track of time. Sorry, Calin  :-\. T'was a very good theme though, I suppose the lack of entries could be partly due to Mittens. Would be a shame if that's the case. Personally I wouldn't mind if a similar theme popped up again in the near future. For some reason I find the creative process behind demakes or other re-imaginings of existing concepts incredibly inspiring - you wouldn't believe how many of my best game ideas derive from my frustration over missed opportunities or interesting but poorly implemented mechanics in commercial games.

Quote from: Calin Leafshade on Tue 24/08/2010 07:33:03
Wow another of my themes bombing?

I shall attempt another rescue.. i hope!

Can't have anything to do with the theme ... it offers a whole lot of opportunities for great games. Seems that everyone ran out of time this month?

I'm still tinkering with an idea... doubt it'll be finished, but I should have a pretty good demo by the end of the month.

It's a real shame nobody managed this month. :(

Is there anybody out there who might have something? ... anything?!

How long do I have?

*hasnt started anything yet*

Starting from now, ten seconds.

Edit: Time up.
*shoots Calin*

(Today and tomorrow).

Has anybody got anything or is it a no-show? Shame, it was a really nice theme.

Quote from: ddq on Mon 30/08/2010 21:40:29
Has anybody got anything or is it a no-show? Shame, it was a really nice theme.

You should have entered Blades of Passion as a demake!

Nah, actually started it in May, so it wouldn't count. Plus, it's not really a demake of anything. Still, I wish I were able to finish my idea for this MAGS at least. Oh well, I suppose.

Ahem. (http://www.onedollarproductions.co.uk/news/2010/08/lsp-coming-soon/)

Not the end of the month yet ;)

Huzzah, thank you OneDollar! We can rescue this yet!

Anybody else for LMAGS? (Last Minute AGS).

Who's up for some Hourgaming to fill the gap?

Okay so an extension of two days or so to OneDollar. If you want it , its yours mate.

Nah, I don't want it. I work to my deadlines dangit :D

Seriously though I need to get it released because I want some free evenings again. I'll put it up later today (maybe in an hour or two).

Though if anyone does want an extension to make an hour/day/two day game and enter, that's fine by me.

Okay, then I wait for you to post your entry to close my last MAGS as a host.

There it is then my final message.

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It's been a wonderful year to be a MAGS host. We've had fairly successful Months, like Steampunk and OROM, and well, some non successful ones and some months saved in the last minute. I thank all entrants and theme winners, and those that failed to make an entry but really wanted/tried.

As for that month that had no entry, it wasn't the theme, its just the timing, so if you want to blaim someone, blaim Chicky, cause he's cute.

I therefore officially give Atelier Games, my position. May he whip you bad to make games!

PS: Surprisingly it ends for me as it ended for Klaus, that means OneDollar setting the theme for September. ;)
One Dollar, when you're done you know the drift, send the theme to Atelier Games.

That's right, blaim me.  :D

OneDollar Productions present...

Little Simulated People is a demake of The Sims and possibly a homage to Little Computer People, though I never actually played that.

Marketing spiel:
***
Features:
Build mode
Create your Little People's dream house, or construct diabolical mazes where finding your way to the fridge is a serious adventure! Fill your creation with furnishings and appliances to keep the Little People happy.

Genuine artificial intelligence
Little People are smart. They obey orders, but will also satisfy their needs when left to their own devices. A custom pathfinder means they can track down the TV wherever you've hidden it away! Of course if you're a control freak you can also turn the AI off.

Individual real-time statistics
Each Little Person is unique, not only do they have their own name and appearance, they also have their own set of vital statistics to monitor. Little People will prioritise increasing stats that get really low.

Controls:
A lot of stuff is explained in-game, but please read the LSP.txt file included in the .zip for more information.
***

This is a tech demo rather than a completed game because obviously there's quite a bit more that I'd want to put in but I couldn't do it all in a month. A lot of the major parts are there though, so there should be enough content to have some fun with while getting an idea of what the full thing would be like.

I've been working on this right until the last second (adding in a couple of animations during my lunch break at work today) so while I *think* it's stable I've not tested as fully as I'd have liked to. Let me know any game-crashing type bugs.

Hey, that's pretty impressive!

Agreed, it's really awesome! I think it is definitely honoring to the last MAGS ruled by Dualnames' iron fist. Hope you keep adding to it.

Thanks guys! Shame there weren't more entries, but never mind. It was a great theme, someone ought to do it again some time.

Anyway, thanks a lot to Dualnames for hosting MAGS and to AtelierGames for stepping in!

Aw, and I'd started a DayGame and everything!
I was parodying Lost In A Deep Forest.
Ah well, I'll finish the tech demo, anyway, since it's just a little code.

Man, LSP really rocks! Are you planning on making a complete version?

Quote from: Dualnames on Mon 02/08/2010 18:14:31

Or you can make an 8-bit Version of the McCarthy Chronicles

This did get me thinking...

(http://scarab117.webs.com/photos/happy/MccarthyNES.png)

Yay NES! ^_^

Well done SCARABS! :D :D

Even for a mockup.

Quote from: bicilotti on Thu 09/09/2010 20:34:28
Man, LSP really rocks! Are you planning on making a complete version?

Maybe. I've got another outstanding project to finish first, then I might try and get a more complete demo up and maybe start a GIP thread. I also always intended LSP to be open source, but due to the rush in trying to get it finished in the final few days most of the code is very messy so I don't know how useful it'd be.