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 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 should try not get anyone else to do any part of the game for you.
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Here are the rules set by last month's winner nihilyst:
Topic: The Journey
This month you should make a game about some kind of journey. This can be a story of a holiday travel, a runaway, a biker road-movie, a chase, a journey to another planet, into a human body or anything else you can think of.
The journey should be complete, i.e. with preparations, the travel itself (that should fill out the greatest part of your game) and the arrival (optional the way back, too, if you want to). The preparations and the arrival can be cutscenes only or playable, that's up to you.
You HAVE TO
- have at least 1 scrolling room
- involve a child in some kind (if you for example would choose the journey into a body, then you have to find an adequate replacement like a child virus or something; you could also make the main character a child)
- involve an animal in one of the puzzles (again, if you choose an unusual setting, find a workaround)
- include some kind of fight; it may be interactive or not.
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All entries need to be in by May 26th.
Please post a download link of your game entry to this thread, best with a screenshot. Thanks and good luck.
Thanks to nihilyst for making some great rules. They actually (almost) make it possible for me to use an idea I had a few months ago, though I never began to actually make the game.
Unfortunately I will probably not have time for this because of my exams - but then again, I don't know yet. So I might make a game. Anyway, I wish everybody good luck and I can't wait to play a lot of good MAGS games.
edit:
I've been thinking a little about my idea and I have some questions about the rules:
- what is the maximum age of a "child"?
- does the animal have to be alive? and could it be an object resembling an animal? (like a teddy bear)
I love the rules. Very inspiring. I don't know if I'll have time to do an entry but I will try ;D
i think i will have a go at this. but err....well I'm a bit of a n00b, where do i post my game when it is finished and I'm ready to enter it into the competition?
EDIT. Lol doesn't matter dint see the bit at the end of first post. lol :-[ ;D
Quote from: ace monkey on Sun 07/05/2006 14:59:17
where do i post my game when it is finished and I'm ready to enter it into the competition?
You just post in this thread with the name of your game, a download link and preferably a screenshot. :)
Edit: Oh, you noticed it already. :P Good luck with your game!
Quote from: JuuL on Mon 01/05/2006 12:25:42
I've been thinking a little about my idea and I have some questions about the rules:
- what is the maximum age of a "child"?
- does the animal have to be alive? and could it be an object resembling an animal? (like a teddy bear)
Any answers?
Quote from: JuuL on Mon 01/05/2006 12:25:42
- what is the maximum age of a "child"?
If your question refers to a "standard human" child I'd say the maximum age should be about 12 to 14 years (then follows "youth", then "grown-up" - it's all floating with no fix limits in age).
Quote from: JuuL on Mon 01/05/2006 12:25:42
- does the animal have to be alive? and could it be an object resembling an animal? (like a teddy bear)
For the animal I'd say it does not need to be alive but it has to be a real animal. Only if your story is based in a toy world a teddy bear would also count as an animal.
That's just how I read the rules. Let's see what nihilyst, who set this month's guidelines, answers to your questions. If this is different just forget about my reply :)
That sounds reasonable to me. Thanks for the answers, Klaus. I doubt that nihilyst would have anything to add to that.
Sorry, that I couldn't answer, but I second Klauses answers, so it wouldn't have been necessary anyway. Good luck with your games!
cheers
nihilyst
Sweet. I just happened to have pretty much made a game that is like a journey. I was going to originally post it s a regular game but am I allowed using it as a MAGS?
Quote from: yodaman11111 on Fri 12/05/2006 20:55:40
Sweet. I just happened to have pretty much made a game that is like a journey. I was going to originally post it s a regular game but am I allowed using it as a MAGS?
We already had this question some time ago. Actually a long time ago :) There's an answer to this in a very old thread (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=17008.msg214083#msg214083) from October 2004. As probably noone can remember here's the main facts:
Quote from: Klaus
In upcoming contests the creation of an entry must now start with (or after) the rules were set. I think that's the best way to handle this issue in future. If someone already started on a game (s)he's always welcome to post the game in the MAGS thread but just as a reference not as a regular entry.
I hope this is okay for you and thanks for your fairness to ask about this.
Am i allowed to use a character i made before the contest started? I haven't released a game with him yet, so i don't really see why not. But you decide :)
Quote from: vict0r on Fri 19/05/2006 20:44:31
Am i allowed to use a character i made before the contest started? I haven't released a game with him yet, so i don't really see why not. But you decide :)
I'd prefer a character made after the competition started.
But you can use your "premade" character if you don't take advantage from this: It means that the period of time you already worked on that character before the contest started you must not work on your game this month now. So in the end you have the same time to work on the complete game as someone who just started after the rules were published. You get the intention?
Sure! I'm starting my game now, so that's no problem. If i'll ever finish it.
Quote from: vict0r on Sat 20/05/2006 00:19:13
If i'll ever finish it.
There are still 6 days and some hours left ;) Good luck!
I just got 6 days off from school ;) I'll make it.
EDIT: I'll probably not... :-\
Well, the deadline is coming closer now! For those who want to submit their entries please post your game withing the next 30 hours (see timestamp of this message). Then the voting will begin...
Has anyone even made a game for MAGS?
Quote from: yodaman11111 on Fri 26/05/2006 16:44:54
Has anyone even made a game for MAGS?
I wonder too... In case of need we can extend the deadline until late sunday / very early monday.
I any case, this is my entry.
Guess how long it took me to make.
Billy B. Star and the Lapaset Travel Quest.
http://www.2dadventure.com/ags/billybstar.zip
Bwahahahaha :D Great one! Horrible graphics and bad storyline, but amusing! The worst thing is that you'll probably win due to no other competitors.
Quote from: jet on Fri 26/05/2006 19:47:57
Guess how long it took me to make.
About the time it took you to find out that there were no other games?
Dangit! I should have entered my (90% finished) game, but not worked on it during the comp. for the amount of time I worked on it before the comp. Hah, I checked out that lame game you made, jet. Paraphrasing Napoleon Dynamite: "It's pretty much the worst game every made!"
Comming from you, that, well, doesn't mean anything to me.
Besides, participating is more important than winning. MAGS was created not for the competition, but to have more AGS games to play.
Wait. You worked on a mags game before the rules were set? Cheat!
Well, yoda, the graphics are about the same as in your first game, and the puzzles likewise. But you still have more to show for yourself than most here :P
QUOTE Well, yoda, the graphics are about the same as in your first game, and the puzzles likewise. But you still have more to show for yourself than most here QUOTE
You should check out my second game's production thread. :=
I did. It is slightly better, yes ;)
Quote from: jet on Fri 26/05/2006 22:07:07
Wait. You worked on a mags game before the rules were set? Cheat!
You are misled. I didn't create it for MAGS. I just happened to be making it at the time MAGS was starting.
Well, this is just my usual MAGS luck.
This month actually had a good topic AND I had a idea that might have worked AND there has only been one entry (yet) so I might have had some chance of winning. But of course I haven't even had time for making anything at all because of my exams. Well, there's always a new chance next month - I just hope that more people will finish there games in time so that we will actually have a choice.
So let's close the doors for this contest now.
One entry: It has some nice effects and ideas but there's two things ...
Quote
- the travel itself (that should fill out the greatest part of your game)
- you HAVE TO involve an animal in one of the puzzles (again, if you choose an unusual setting, find a workaround)
- the travel here is more a cutscene, not the
greatest part of the game
- the birds are not really involved in a
puzzleSure we don't judge too hard here, so jet you can send in your rules (check your PM).
But there's something special: These rules won't be used next month!
In June you all will face a very different competition! Be excited! :o
Congrats with the win jet. (even though it was only your entry) I gotta try it out RIGHT NOW! :P.
Looking forward to see these special rules!!
If I got time I might enter ;D.