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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Topic: Anxious Pet
This month's rules are a mix of Culun-dog's ideas and some suggestions from Akatosh.
- Your main character must be an anxious pet (dog, cat, ... any domesticated animal will do). The pet is anxious and only trusts one person - it's owner. The pet can not talk (of course) but bark, miaow, ...
- The game must contain at least 3 non-playable characters and
- it must be visible that the pet is anxious of them by showing this in interactions (maybe in puzzles) involving these characters.
- The pet must be sent on a mission by its owner (eg. send love letter to owner's flame, save owner's life, ...)
These are quite detailed information concerning the player character but the rest is up to you. Think of a nice story that fits these rules. There are no further restrictions.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All games need to be in by early January 27th.
Please post a download link of your game entry to this thread, best with a screenshot. Thanks and good luck.
I might enter, but I was just wondering.. could I use a rock as the pet? If not, could I use a fictional animal like a jackalope?
Quote from: Steel Drummer on Fri 05/01/2007 22:22:04
I might enter, but I was just wondering.. could I use a rock as the pet?
Eeh, I don't think a rock can be classified as an animal. No. This won't work.
Quote from: Steel Drummer on Fri 05/01/2007 22:22:04
If not, could I use a fictional animal like a jackalope?
You should actually pick an existing animal. But if you have a good story that "requires" a mythical creature as a pet it is tolerated. Good luck!
Well, something about the rock thing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pet_Rock
I think they should be rated "mythical creature" for this contest.
i remember when i used to be hooked on www.neopets.com havent been there in ages my pets must be dead by now
Quote from: Akatosh on Sat 06/01/2007 14:02:04
Well, something about the rock thing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pet_Rock
Ah, okay. Well, I never heard of
these rocks. However: The pet must be a
living creature! So also no virtual, digital, ... animals please.
How about a petbot? Jimmy Neutron has one.
Don't act like you already have a story worked out with such a thing in it. Start working on your game and then ask questions if you ran into trouble :)
Ah, with Radiant you cannot really be sure if he doesn't actually HAVE such an idea- and had it for years. I still remember that monkey game.Ã, ;D
Back to topic, and maybe a stupid question: With three non playables, would other animals count in here? I mean, a playable cat COULD be anxious of a big dog...
Quote from: Radiant on Wed 10/01/2007 15:49:46
How about a petbot? Jimmy Neutron has one.
This really is not a
living animal, so
no.
Quote from: Ghost on Wed 10/01/2007 17:08:26
With three non playables, would other animals count in here?
As in the rules it is
characters it means animals do also count,
yes.
If my pet is a parrot, can it talk?
I think your parrot should only be able to repeat phrases somebody said to him.
Quote from: SergioCornaga on Wed 10/01/2007 23:22:31
If my pet is a parrot, can it talk?
Quote from: Akatosh on Sun 14/01/2007 11:58:11
I think your parrot should only be able to repeat phrases somebody said to him.
I'd say the same as Akatosh: The parrot should only "parrot" things...
Here is my entry into the ANXIOUS PET contest. (Great concept.)
Skippy Saves The Day (http://www.geocities.com/ru4guitar/Skippy.zip) (4.9 MB zipped)
This is a short but very cute game.
It is my first MAGS entry and my second game using AGS.
(http://www.geocities.com/ru4guitar/Skippy1.JPG)
Something wrong with the file Dufferama. Cant unzip the files. I use winrar and it works for everything else.
Jack
Thanks Jack. I rezipped it with WinZip. Please try it again at the link above.
I'm stuck!!
Spoiler
I've given her the camera and she said to go and get the phone, and I've dragged the cusion from the table and put it below the phone, but i still can't do anything and i can't pick the cusion back up.
Otherwise, good little game, I like the simplicity of just having use and walk coz, obviously dogs can't talk.Ã, Shame theres not a few more things to interact with at the moment.
Thanks, Stupot.
Spoiler
There is more than 1 pillow.
I can't even figure out where the phone is. Am I just completely missing it or something?
Heh, that was cute. Just a few quick bugs I saw...
Spoiler
When you come up the stairs from the basement, if you click the Dog Face on the stairs, Skippy can walk left behind the...portrait?...to the left of the stairs, and appears to be in the wall, behind a walk-behind area. You then have to click the Dog Face on the stairs again to enable him to walk out of the staircase, otherwise he's stuck.
When you grab the guys' clothes, if you run back in the house, and come out again, that "He's got my clothes!" word balloon will still appear next to the pool ladder, instead of next to the guy.
The bald dude either got tired of chasing me or got stuck next to the leftmost corner of the pool, he stopped after a few laps and stayed there, even when I got close.
And the cushions are a serious pixel hunt. :)
But yeah, really cute, it was fun to play. Thanks man!
So early 27th is already gone but you still have 5 more hours (see timestamp of this posting) left to submit your entries - if you want to...
So we're at a total of 1 entries, right? Shall I do an insane rush to make up a completly bad, buggy and pointless game?
/EDIT: I started to make up kind of an hourgame "just for the hell of it", but all over sudden, my mind returned. So no Turtle Quest. This is how far I got before the mind thing happened. (http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23/FAMILIAR_QUEST/turtle.png)
Time out - it's over! So a little dog saved the competition and the day!
Congratulations Dufferama! You and Skippy won the contest. Not much of a competition this time but the victory is yours. Thanks for entering the contest and please don't forget to check your PM.
Why did no one else enter this? I thought it had a nice clear topic. I would of have entered myself if I had the time and motivation.
Now, there's no way of telling why people would or would not enter any MAGS, so the question isn't really useful...
...however, I have a theory. I didn't post before because I don't usually enter MAGS anyway, but it seemed to me that these rules were not only clear - they were extremely limitative. They foresaw a certain kind of game, a certain kind of plot, and very little else. It didn't allow for a lot of creativity, the rules practically made the game. There was an entry, and there was very little need for another one, as it would be so similar to the existing entry...
Shall I explain the completly different kind of concept TurtleQuest would have had if I did it?
No, really, these rules do leave a spot for creativity... but only if you are way too creative, anyway. Just as with a Sprite Jam with a "clearly recognisable" outline.
I don't believe that the guidelines were too limiting on the storyline. Personally I thought of many things to be the plot of an entry. It was my procrastination that was my downfall because I truly intended to enter, but o well maybe next time.
I didn't enter for the same reason that I'm not making a game at the moment. I'm waiting for my friend to give me a CD with photoshop on it so I can start making some decent backgrounds... at the moment I'm juts playing games for edutainment, playing around with making sprites in paint and I have entered the current tune contest for a laugh... check that out people if you haven't already, it's good fun.
I think Duffer's game may well have won anyway if there were more entries, it's was a good entry.
I, too, wish there had been more entries. I guess I will be submitting my idea for FEB within a couple of days. Thanks to all that played the game and for the kind words... and a win is a win. ;)
Also, I corrected most of the errors found by Strange Visitor.
Quote from: Mr. Buckéthead on Sun 28/01/2007 15:06:05
Why did no one else enter this? I thought it had a nice clear topic. I would of have entered myself if I had the time and motivation.
I wanted to make a Hypnotoad game (because you just
know it'd get all the votes) but I seriously didn't have time for that. Sorry, maybe next month.
Quote from: Radiant on Tue 30/01/2007 16:41:37
because you just know it'd get all the votes
Mine for sure ;D