There is a gap in videogames. There is hardly no games involving pharmacists!!! I know, hard to believe, eh?
Well, "Pharmacist Jones" is here to start to change things.
Join Pharmacist Jones in his adventures during a day at work at his pharmacy in England. Face professional and ethical dilemmas, and find out at the end of the game how well you did as a pharmacist.
Visit the website: http://sites.google.com/site/pharmacistjones
I would love to receive some feedback from fellow game designers and gamers before I release the game into the pharmacists community. Send it to pharmacistjones@googlemail.com
Thanks for downloading and playing.
(http://www.2dadventure.com/ags/screenshot.png)
A download link and maybe a screenshot might help.
You're right, thanks, I've just done it!
Well, I was liking the mood of the game with the cool music and all but some thing's wrong with giving the prescription to the old man. Check your cursor hotspot.
Thanks for playing miguel!
About the prescription, I've just tried it again and it works ok. In an english pharmacy you have to pick the medication up, print the labels, stick the labels and the check and bag the prescription up. Did you do this?
If that's the problem, I could add an explanation of the process in the tutorial or maybe when looking at the pharmacy book, do you think that'll help?
I'm sorry man. I feel very stupid now ;D
Thanks! I'll keep on playing and tell you what I think of it.
Sorry again.
Why no games with pharmacists? We have Freddy Pharkas!
Quote from: Cyrus on Fri 24/07/2009 07:10:37
Why no games with pharmacists? We have Freddy Pharkas!
Aha, yes, you're right, but that's the thing, there's not many about.
In a quick search I find Freddy_Pharkas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddy_Pharkas) and also a Flash game called Generation Rx (http://www.flasharcade.com/skill-games/play-4825/pharmacy-game.html).
Every other profession I can think has many other games, simulation or otherwise.
Let me show you. This is a research I've just done. In the Universal Video Game List (http://www.uvlist.net/), by typing professions in the search box:
Doctor: 15 games
Nurse: 13 games
Plumber: 6 games (and doesnt include Mario games!)
Police:58 games
Even town planners (sim city) or lawyers (Phoenix Wright) get games.
You get the idea.
Nice game...
Found a bug though.. after finishing the game and using the restart button, the game is still in end-state. Talking to Sharon gives me the end-of-the-day dialog.
Quote from: Leon on Fri 24/07/2009 10:15:15
Nice game...
Found a bug though.. after finishing the game and using the restart button, the game is still in end-state. Talking to Sharon gives me the end-of-the-day dialog.
Thanks Leon, beginners mistakes I guess, I've just gone and fix it, all variables and rooms will be reset when you press Restart game.
I've helped all the customers, but now I'm unable to talk to Sharon. I can only look at her.
Apart from that I would love to see this game expanded with more customers and things to do. Freddy Pharkas is one of my favorites, and I had fun with Pharmacist Jones once I figured out how to fill the Rx.
I'm all in favor of more pharmacy related games! :D
Quote from: HulaZombie on Sat 25/07/2009 11:21:47
I've helped all the customers, but now I'm unable to talk to Sharon. I can only look at her ...... and I had fun with Pharmacist Jones once I figured out how to fill the Rx.
Thanks for your comments HulaZombie!
You need to dispense the prescription for Mr Hatty before you can help the other customers, otherwise the game won't let you progress.
To dispense a prescription you have to print the labels first (in the computer), then pick the boxes, then stick labels in boxes. I will add this info in the tutorial soon as I can see is a question more people have asked.
But that's what he did:
Quote from: HulaZombie on Sat 25/07/2009 11:21:47
I've helped all the customers, but now I'm unable to talk to Sharon.
Jones...lol! Kudos to you for using that name
Quote from: Leon on Sat 25/07/2009 19:26:14
But that's what he did
She ;)
Leon's right though, Mr Hatty and the other customers are gone and I feel like the only think left to do is talk to Sharon, but I can't. Maybe when you fixed the last bug it created a new one. *shrug*
Quote from: HulaZombie on Sun 26/07/2009 02:29:47
She ;)
Ooooppppsssss.... :-[ Sorry... It must have been the unusual nick...
Quote from: HulaZombie on Sun 26/07/2009 02:29:47
Leon's right though, Mr Hatty and the other customers are gone and I feel like the only think left to do is talk to Sharon, but I can't. Maybe when you fixed the last bug it created a new one. *shrug*
Nope, it's not the version. I'm still playing the first release. And funny thing: the first time I played, I finished it normally. Now I can't seem to get past Sharon either. I think it has to do with the dialogs... There must be one that triggers the 'false' end. Still trying to figure out which one though.
ps @ manoloko: When I pay close attention, I think the door says 9-6 while the text says 9-5?
Right, I've just uploaded version 3 of Pharmacist Jones. I think I managed to fix the bugs.
For the Restart Game, I didnt use the correct command. I tried to reset all variables one by one writing it on the script, but this didnt affect the Characters, so that's why it didnt work. Now I've used Restart Game () directly, so it should work.
For the EndGame, I think it had to do with the values of the variables during the dialogs. I've changed it, and again, I hope this works, please let me know if it's still the same.
And yes, you was right Leon, the opening hours should say 9 to 6, I've changed it now, it was probably wishful tinking for my part to finish work early!
Finally, many thanks for your help, I've included you in the Credits section of the game website, it's great to have you playing Pharmacist Jones! :D
I've just downloaded your game and have started playing it. I've yet to just scratch the surface but I found something that you may want to change should you so choose. When first talking with Sharon, she mentions that 'patients' are waiting. I would say that 'customers' would be the better word to use. Overall, so far an interesting concept to turn into a game. I'll edit this later and add anything else as it comes up.
Right, played again (v3). Here are my comments:
Nice game, different than others. Graphics are nice, easy to look at. The game play is very simple but has room for expansion and elaboration. For a first one, well done. Some remarks:
- Debug is still on
- Make sure you get your game tested (by someone else) before releasing to make sure more people play it.
- There's only one item on the shelf you get feedback from. Why not elaborate this and make it possible to get any item into your prescription and check later on what you've given to the customer? In real life you also don't get always what's prescribed by the GP and you have to check it for yourself as well (being customer).
- There's no use for the BNF at the moment. It would be nice to have the official names on the prescription and the need of the BNF to translate them to commercial terms to get them off the shelf.
- Maybe some financial part as well? You just giving out the products like that isn't very hard. Maybe seeing if you can find the price and give enough change (make a calculation game as well).
- The guests are very polite and know their order (That's not real life ;-). Deduct points if you don't get the right order?
Like said, enough possibilities for expansion or changing but for a start it's pretty well done.
ps. What's the max score?
Quote from: Solstice on Mon 27/07/2009 02:29:42
When first talking with Sharon, she mentions that 'patients' are waiting. I would say that 'customers' would be the better word to use.
Ah! That's a classic debate among pharmacists and pharmacy staff. I prefer to use the term "Patients" as these people has got an illness or something. (Definition of patient from the dicctionary: One who receives medical attention, care, or treatment.).
I would use the term "customer" in a pharmacy if is someone coming just to buy some toothpaste or other retail products, for example.
Indirectly, this is one of the ideas of "Pharmacist Jones". You can choose to directly sell the products to the patients without asking much questions, but then you don't get a good score because you don't act as a good pharmacist. That'll be the difference between dealing with them as "customers" instead of "patients"
Does it make sense? or am I just rambling? :P
Quote from: Leon on Mon 27/07/2009 09:37:10
- Debug is still on
Aaargh, thanks again, honestly, I didnt know I had to do this, version 4 coming along soon...
Quote from: Leon on Mon 27/07/2009 09:37:10
- Make sure you get your game tested (by someone else) before releasing to make sure more people play it.
Again you're right, I actually asked a couple of friends to play it, but obviously they didnt really dig into it, can't trust them, can't I? Next time I will start a post in "games in development", not as a finished game, but I guess I was overconfident...
Quote from: Leon on Mon 27/07/2009 09:37:10
- There's only one item on the shelf you get feedback from. Why not elaborate this and make it possible to get any item into your prescription and check later on what you've given to the customer? In real life you also don't get always what's prescribed by the GP and you have to check it for yourself as well (being customer).
- There's no use for the BNF at the moment. It would be nice to have the official names on the prescription and the need of the BNF to translate them to commercial terms to get them off the shelf.
- Maybe some financial part as well? You just giving out the products like that isn't very hard. Maybe seeing if you can find the price and give enough change (make a calculation game as well).
- The guests are very polite and know their order (That's not real life ;-). Deduct points if you don't get the right order?
Thanks for the ideas! The ones about the posibility of getting the prescription wrong and using the BNF for that was part of the original concept of the game, but it was lost during the development, as I got more interested in developing the Dialogues and the other patients...
The original concept of "Pharmacist Jones" also included a financial part, as you say, but a bit different. The idea was that during the game you could choose to "make money" (aka, selling as much as you can) or to give good advice when required, even if it meant not making as much money.
Finally I simplfied the concept, and you only get maximum score if you work as a good pharmacist giving the right advice, not just selling willy nilly at a customer request.
Quote from: Leon on Mon 27/07/2009 09:37:10
ps. What's the max score?
The maximum score is 21, you can only get to it by choosing the right options in dialogs, and don't forget to file the script!
Quote from: manoloko on Mon 27/07/2009 23:32:17
Quote from: Solstice on Mon 27/07/2009 02:29:42
When first talking with Sharon, she mentions that 'patients' are waiting. I would say that 'customers' would be the better word to use.
Ah! That's a classic debate among pharmacists and pharmacy staff. I prefer to use the term "Patients" as these people has got an illness or something. (Definition of patient from the dicctionary: One who receives medical attention, care, or treatment.).
I would use the term "customer" in a pharmacy if is someone coming just to buy some toothpaste or other retail products, for example.
Indirectly, this is one of the ideas of "Pharmacist Jones". You can choose to directly sell the products to the patients without asking much questions, but then you don't get a good score because you don't act as a good pharmacist. That'll be the difference between dealing with them as "customers" instead of "patients"
Does it make sense? or am I just rambling? :P
You could be right, of course. I am just talking from personal experiences. I have been in many pharmancies in many different towns around where I live and I have never heard any of the staff mention 'patient' to each other. I've always heard them say customer or just the persons name. I guess, overall, it really is not that big of a deal. Just go with whatever you feel is best. It is your game, after all.