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 opportuninty to make a game, and the wonderful prize is to announce the net 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 must not get anyone else to do any part of the game for you.
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The new MAGS rules yet another time go a very different way: They define the main character...
Topic: Chalk
Wretched's idea behind the rules is that the main character should be simple to draw, allowing lots of good animations.
- The main character must be a chalk figure come to life. This could be a police murdered corpse outline trying to find the murderer, or a school kids drawing on the playground or a blackboard. Or even a chalk hill carving thing. Other ideas may come to your mind.
- The main character must have at least one special ability, e.g. elastic arms, flight, metamorphosis, whatever.
- You must include at least 3 different animations (these animations do not include the standard cycles like walking, talking, thinking,...). More are always welcome of course.
There are no other restrictions for this month!
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All entries should be in by early September 26th.
Please post a download link of your game entry to this thread, best with a screenshot. Thanks and good luck.
I just released my first AGS game, and I think it went OK, so I'm going to try my hand at a MAGS competition. I've been watching the past two and have ben wanting to join in all the revelry, but figured it would be best once I got my game out... So, here goes! This sounds like a fun topic to work with, too... The ideas are brewing...
I couldn't think of anything to do for this months MAGS rules at first. I finally figured something out, so I'm in. Pretty creative rules.
im in. i hava question though, does it have to be chalk or could be any low detailed drawing? nice rules
Well I suppose if you consider what street artists can do with chalk then anything goes. I think the rule about using a chalk character is quite definate. Though you could maybe do a coloured in chalk figure if you want to fill out the image a bit. But you'd just be making more work for yourself with the animations. But a low detailed drawing of a chalk figure is fine. Maybe post a picture of your idea for a yeah/nay vote ?
Would a stickman be ok? Something like in this one: http://kotisivu.mtv3.fi/tk/mplr_shot.gif
I reckon that could be made to look chalky, so yeah fine, imo.
I suppose the idea is an outlined type character, or plain old stickman stuff.
Since the ending-date of the competition isn't precise, I prey, and ask, if it can at least be in the 26th afternoon.
I'm not even sure I'll finish the game for that date, but anyway, the 26th it's the only day in which I can upload it, so, please, gimme time till the afternoon.
Thanks anyway.
Quote from: Abisso on Thu 22/09/2005 12:25:47
Since the ending-date of the competition isn't precise, I prey, and ask, if it can at least be in the 26th afternoon.
Usually the end is posted in detail about 48 to 24 hours before. The italian afternoon will be okay :)
EDIT: Time is up now!
Please post your entries within the next 21 hours (see timestamp in the "last edit line"). Then the voting will begin.
I must say I'm very sorry for asking a posticipation of the ending-line, since I've not been able to finish the game.
And, since there are no entries, yet, I also regret the decision to don't submit the unfinished game (which could win as the only entry). But, hey, this would be unfair!!!
Anyway, this situation taught me something:
"Never begin a MAGS competition 5 days before the ending of the contest!"
I hope I'll finish the game anyway, in the next days.
Abisso, you'd have to worry about the deadline if anyone else had a game out... but I doubt they'd end the comp until they have one game at the very, very, very, VERY least.
Well, if this true, I hope that no one submits his game till I've finished mine!
;D
Quote from: King_Nipper on Mon 26/09/2005 15:26:52
but I doubt they'd end the comp until they have one game at the very, very, very, VERY least.
The very, very, very, VERY least is in about 8 hours from now :) So there's still a chance for all to enter the competition.
But Abisso - if you say it's only about 12 more hours that you'd need to finish the game please give me a sign! If it's days you don't need to think about it ;)
klaus,
I'm starting to upload now, but it's about 30Mb, over a 28k modem, so please be patient. Should take about 3hrs
It's depressing when a MAGS competition has only a maximum of two entries. I'd work on one, but I have to go work now... shame :'(
I was bored so I thought, what the heck! It was a good way to spend two hours of my day.
Chalk's Quest (I'm so good at coming up with original names!)
(http://koti.mbnet.fi/mwe/kuvat/screenshots/chalk_screen.PNG)
::Download here:: (http://koti.mbnet.fi/mwe/peli_zip/Chalk's%20Quest.zip)
Hey Pablo, I really liked your 1 minute game. I especially enjoyed his/her outrage, outbreak thingy!
Lovely animation!
Klaus,
I'm going to have to ask for an extension. The game was finished, 3 hrs ago but am still uploading. It's raining here and I keep losing my connection mid upload, I've already had to split the file into 3 chunks. only managed 11Mb so far. Will keep trying.
Anyone know of a good ftp/upload manager like getright is at downloading, that copes with disconnections?
Quote from: Wretched on Mon 26/09/2005 23:21:06
I'm going to have to ask for an extension.
Okay, I really understand the difficulties of a 28k modem. So take your time. When your game is up the voting will begin. No need to hurry - your game is "in". :)
Quote from: Wretched on Mon 26/09/2005 23:21:06
Anyone know of a good ftp/upload manager like getright is at downloading, that copes with disconnections?
LeechFTP (http://stud.fh-heilbronn.de/~jdebis/leechftp/files/lftp13.zip) - the application I'm usually using - tries to resume broken uploads.
Also Filezilla (http://kent.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/filezilla/FileZilla_2_2_14b_setup.exe) offers a resume upload functionality. Maybe one of these clients works for you. Both applications are freeware. Good luck...
At last, here is my over ambitious MAGS entry,
CRAVE
Warning:
This is an Adult game, and contains frontal nudity, and adult themes, but is not meant to be crude in anyway.
Plot:
Cacoe reads about someone called Fenelda in a newspaper and the name rings a bell. Uncertain why he knows this name he visits the Carnaby hotel, and meets 6 beautiful sisters....
Stats:
50 screens, 10 npcs, 3 endings, or rather ways to finish.
Features a full 1980's parody sub-adventure 'Slug Princess' with 20 screens and 6 npc's.
Screens:
(http://www.alpha72.com/Crave/Screen0.png)
(http://www.alpha72.com/Crave/Screen2.png)
Download:
Download (http://www.alpha72.com/Crave/Crave.rar) (30 Mb)
I will release a slightly more polished version next week, but this is fully playable.
Enjoy,
Quote from: Wretched on Tue 27/09/2005 02:25:44
Download all 3 to same location then unzip as usual, works for me ;)
Too bad :( , didn't work for me, neither 7-zip nor the window$ native unzipper worked.
It doesn't work for me either. For some reason, it says that the first part is a z01 file, but when downloading it changes to a zip file with the same name as part three. And when I changed the name so it wouldn't overwrite, the unzipper program said that it was a corrupt file.
???
Funny, it worked for me (using GetRight).
Hang on, I'm mirroring it (was gonna upload it to the archive, anyway).
GetRight can extract the files correctly, huh?
I can download the files, just don't have the tools to extract them.
Quotewhen downloading it changes to a zip file with the same name as part three.
What I meant was, THAT didn't happen with GetRight. ANd that seems to have happened during download. What worked was the downloading.
Accourse, the extracting worked too.
Quote from: Gilbot V7000a on Tue 27/09/2005 10:31:21
I can download the files, just don't have the tools to extract them.
I used UltimateZip (http://www.ultimatezip.com/) and its "Merge Split Set" function.
I guess all downloads are available now, so here we go...
For voting please visit the MAGS site (http://www.mags-competition.tk) or make your choice right here (only use one of these two ways of voting - nothing else allowed):
Crave by Wretched (http://mags.klaus-schlichter.info?page=voting&fav=Crave)
Chalks Quest by Pablo (http://mags.klaus-schlichter.info?page=voting&fav=Chalks%20Quest)
Please vote only once and be sure to have played all games before sending your voice! Good luck to all participants.
As suggested by Henryhouse (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=22079.msg274989#msg274989) one month ago I'd also like to ask for posting comments about the games saying what you liked and what you didn't like about the entries.
Thanks to Filezilla I've got a single download file now. Sorry to folks who were bamboozled.
Crave
Download (http://www.alpha72.com/Crave/Crave.zip)
Heh. Too late.
Well, here it is anyway.
http://aafiles.bicycle-for-slugs.org/mags/Crave.rar
EDIT - Wretched, I really enjoy the game... but the x-ray vision thingy is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAY too hard to trigger. I was enjoying the game, but the sheer difficulty of triggering x-ray vision put me off immediately. So much that I lost the will to keep playing.
Yes, that was on my list of things to change, but didn't get around to it (i.e. forgot, it's only a number I need to change). Have altered it here, will be in final final version, possibly tonight or tomorrow. I find it easier if you just move the mouse a tiny bit, it's frequency not vigour that matters. But, yeah will/have do/done.
QuoteI find it easier if you just move the mouse a tiny bit, it's frequency not vigour that matters.
With that in mind I managed to get the hang of it. Thanks lots!
I don't think we need any voting. Isn't it kinda obvious who is going to win? Congratulations Wretched!
(http://koti.mbnet.fi/paapeli/rsmiley/winktongue.gif)
OH-OH-OH! We've got a rush of humility, here...
I say "Never underestimate yourself"!
;)
Dear god, pablo, you've combined the 'toungue' smiley with the 'wink' smiley to create one über-smiley!
(http://koti.mbnet.fi/paapeli/rsmiley/winktongue.gif)
Voting this time was a bit of an adventure for me. I saw that one-screen and the "ambitious" alternative and immediately went for the alternative, thinking that the other game didn't have a chance.
I was immediately impressed with crave, animations, little scripting tricks, etc. I didn't find the sexuality really all that meaningful, but then little extras like dringing a stick-figure drink won me over. And then the x-ray vision. I thought it was a joke at first, since I couldn't get it to work on that pad at all. I then checked the manual--no instructions, I guess it's so secret you can't explain how it works in the instructions. The I read a little more about the game and decide to try out this x-ray feature. It's a neat idea but I can't seem to read anything without causing great strain in my arm and hand. It's too frustrating and hardly classifies as a skill or a puzzle. Also, no music/sound fx makes for very boring gameplay.
So I put down crave and come back the next day. Still no luck. I download chalk's quest. It's cute, though annoying that you can't skip the dialogues (I read faster than the stick-guy does). The music is appropriate and I like the animation/drawing better in this one. Then, I make the ultimate mistake. I finish the game.
Not much of a puzzle, and not enough self-reflexive commentary for it to entirely work as a joke game. I didn't like that a chalk man could be protected by
Spoiler
although it is unneccesary since the game will be solved the moment you see the scene, I should hide : a chalk umbrella
--I mean, I get the joke, but I would have liked some way to make the object stronger than ordinary chalk. However, I do go back into it and after waiting through the slow opening sequence, I enjoy just clicking around at different things.
The game is cute, but too brief.
I try crave again, hoping the "frequency" clue will help. It's still a lushly illustrated game with some neat tricks, but no matter how I cramp-up my hand, I can't solve the puzzle in which you must read the text on the letter (it says something xxxx, something, but that's all I can see). Maybe it has something to do with my particular mouse, but it's just not working for me. That and the fact that most of the nudity really seems entirely supurflous makes it a hard one to vote on.
So in the end, I feel that Crave is a better game with more effort and time put in, and I would love to see a polished version, but Chalk's quest, which feels like a tiny polished stone gets my vote.
But don't follow my trend. They're both interesting games with good use of the restrictions. This is one I would hate to influence.
Good work!
Quote from: bspeers on Wed 28/09/2005 17:45:43
I guess I'm just dim, but is it acceptable to make comments before voting is over, or should we wait?
I guess everythings okay with you. :)
The story goes like this: Last month Henryhouse suggested to make comments on the entries after the vote. Sure it's best to start these postings after the winner is clear but last time the thread was closed just some moments later - when the new competition started. So there was no chance to post more comments... That's why I included this request right to the voting infos.
So I'd say go ahead and let's see what you think about the games...
No comments!? ???
Anyway we finally reached the end of the voting. Time is over and we have a clear winner - and a novelty:
For the first time in MAGS history the winner of the competition won with rules set by himself. It was often asked if it's allowed to take part with one's own guidelines and the answer's always "yes".
Now this time it actually happened:
The last month's winner did not only take part - he even won again :)
Congratulations to the winner Wretched and his entry Crave!