Discuss the current AGS era.

[Pet Terry]

I think Pete's appraisal of the '03 period is apt, i.e. The Era of Games that Never Were, though the same could be said going up to the present (Dan Clarke, Bernie, Petteri, I'm looking at you!Ã,  ).Ã, 

Funny that you should mention that, I was actually about to add Goldlagoon to the list of games that have gone Run Hot...

[rodekill]

I like how things can "go Run Hot".

[MrColossal]

thank god Run Hot was announced before Time Out!

[evenwolf]

we all know what going 'time out' means.


Nice read Helm.   I remember the AGS whiteboard pretty well.  I probably wouldnt have stuck around as long as I did if I didnt have such realtime fun in there with you guys.

The General General at one point was dominated by las and helm simply going back and forth on alternating viewpoints.  if you posted any sort of contraversial topic in there, it was sure to be scruitinized and then praised and then scrutinized and then be completely ignored altogether.

[Helm]

I don't really remember arguing with oranges a lot. If I did, I'm pretty sure I would have been wrong most of the time as my ideas and beliefs back then were pretty arbitary or automatic or learnt behaviour. But also as is the case with oranges, he has a lot to say, most of it I can't remember because it's just words in a row.

[The Inquisitive Stranger]

Yeah I remember all that, fun times for 16 year old helm. You were memorizing pi at some point too, how did that pan out?

I got up to my personal best of 500 decimal places circa 2002. Today, I still remember about 250, but everyone makes me shut up after 60 or so.

[Pumaman]

Heh, it's amazing to think that the forums have been going for what, 7 years now? I remember that to begin with I never really bothered to get involved in the community side of things -- I'd read the Technical Forum but not bother with the others ... which was kinda embarassing at the first Mittens because I didn't recognise most people's forum nicks, let alone real names 

And sure, we've gone through some rough patches as a community, and grown over time -- but in the last couple of years the community size has stabilised to something that is fairly manageable (it has been about 750 active members for quite a while now).

And people who were annoying at the time (such as good old RPG Creator) are really quite funny when you look back... as with most things, I guess.

[Ubel]

Heh, I feel like I've missed so much.

I've experienced quite a lot of good, and a few bad, things in the one year I've been part of this community, though. It has helped me improve myself in a lot of things, for example, I've improved my art a lot with the help of Critics Lounge.

Also, before I joined this community, I actually knew nothing about internet or generally about computers. I had never visited forums before, and now I know very much about them and how to act in them. Now I even know what HTML is! Yay me!

The thing that really surprised me was that you actually can find nice people in the internet. I have gotten to know quite a fair lot of new people and have become pretty good friends with some of them. (Hello Mozesh and Ishmael ._./ ) This is the most nicest community in the internet. \o/

Okay... now I went a bit off-topic I think.

Great topic, Helm! Reading this will most probably help people to understand the community a bit better. Too bad I have nothing to contribute here really, since I'm still a fairly new member.

...jesus, did I actually write all this? I need to get myself a hobby...

[Nellie]

One thing I remember is that amid clamorous anticipation Chris suddenly sprung the finished Windows editor on us, having told us for weeks that it was still far from completion.

This was shortly followed by a thread complaining about the new Windows editor, because it was too unfamiliar for some people and they preferred RoomEdit.

I'm lookin' at you, M0ds.

[Domino]

Since i am new here, i don't understand what this AGS thing is.

But seriously, i have realized that there is a community on the internet that actually cares about other people, and that the people on this board are very talented and many people in this community have enough talent to create some amazing games, and have enough artistic skills that many could eventually work for a major game developer. Some of the artwork i have seen in the critics lounge could match or exceed what i have seen from games lately.

Now, all we need is a group photo of all the AGS members. 

[edmundito]

One thing I remember is that amid clamorous anticipation Chris suddenly sprung the finished Windows editor on us, having told us for weeks that it was still far from completion.

This was shortly followed by a thread complaining about the new Windows editor, because it was too unfamiliar for some people and they preferred RoomEdit.

I'm lookin' at you, M0ds.

Heh, I remember that just weeks before, on April 1st, chris had announced the second greatest ags bluff, where he said that he got sick of ags and cancelled it. I fell for it, but mostly because for my time cj had posted the thread on march 31st instead!! 

Then the Windows editor came out, and i thought was a joke.

Um, looking back I'm most suprised how it's all turned out, and it seems to be going forward! as long as chris keeps the editor evolving, of course. We're still waiting for that real-time lens flaeeeeer feature, dude.

Looking back at the eras, the awards, and the events like Mittens, I would say the timeline would be something like this:
1. The dark ages (1998-2000)
described by chris, the years prior to AGSedit

2. From Rob Blanc to Pleurghburg (the early years of AGS) (2000-2002)
AGS 2.0, first completed games, RON's properous times

3. From Fatman to Skeptics (2002-2004)
Windows and AGS, comercial games, better quality games (apprentice, 5 days)

4. AGS and the future (2004-?)
Brittens, Mittens goes overseas and grows, non-adventure games, sagas (ben jordan), increase in community activities (team competition, orow, ags interviews, release something, etc)

I think there is avery fine line between these eras, though.. some of them overlap as well, but in the general sense... maybe you'll understand what I'm talking about. the later years of AGS seem to be more community-oriented than ever. I have no idea why some of  you guys left. I guess you don't want to socialize.

[The Inquisitive Stranger]

I have no idea why some ofÃ,  you guys left. I guess you don't want to socialize.

I'm guessing because the community was a lot more tightly-knit back in the day. It's easier to develop a sense of belonging in smaller communities than it is in larger communities. Or so I've noticed.

[Andail]

If you spend time with the community while it grows, the size probably won't affect you. There will be sub-groups, and you will find that you don't need to know all people just to have a position.
If you leave for a long time and return, the increase in size will probably discourage you a bit, yes.

For me I guess the deeper relationships I've established with certain members - through quite a few real life meetings by now - have become increasingly more important than knowing just a huge quantity of forum nicknames.

Right now I'm in a period of rather low activity, so I might sort of miss out on the current debates and events for a while.

[jetxl]

Roomedit.exe brought us to these forums but the atmosphere kept us comming back.
What makes me happy are the members who hang around here that never made a game and are not planning to. They are here to encourage the other members.

[m0ds]

Excellent read, Helm (and Andail)! Hehe, brings back good memories and is nice to read - its also amazing that you keep track of such things Each era has been fun! With some classic highlights & strange stuff too! Plus half of AGS met Ron Gilbert too which was part of an interesting era, 2005! RoomEdit was a legend! & my only real reason for its support was through laziness of wanting to get superb at using it, and not have to compete with learning something completely new...but I am most greatful for Winroomedit! Though maybe not so greatful for the menu system :p I think now is yet another great time, some excellent games in the works. Everyone is pretty amazing at what they do & we see that in just about every game that comes out at AGS. The ones that are pretty shit - well at least they're doing it, so respect!

The AGS community is unique, and I think the longer you stay with it the more you realise that. Actually meeting people from the forums gives you a better impression of how you've impacted on them (in a good way!) & that gives it that kind of warm feeling! LOL and Mittens just makes AGS so much better! Everyone is great & the discussions are awesomely funny (and there's that whole 'adventure' element)... AGS is alive now and until the end of time, or the internet - will never die!1

LGM: You were the moon, dude You're a legendary man, what are you up to these days???

Nellie: WHAT IS THIS A CAMEO!?! I swear I haven't seen you for 2 years, since you last submitted a review for the AGDZINE :| LoL, anyway - roomedit was the most fun thing ever to use in DOS. & DOS isn't XP so it generally just took my fancy to stay with it (& the previous reason) .

Rodey: Yessss! Have you found your easy animation method yet? .^^

Heres to another 6 ye"era"ars of AGS!

Like SHH said, can this be added to the Wiki???

Anyhoo! I'm off to Disneyland Paris, gonna ride Indiana Jones!
See you soooon

if theres an it box with a metal keyboard i'll use it!

[The Bedminster Incident]

Wow. So there I am, reading this thread while listening to an old Pearl Jam album ("Ten", 1990 or so).
I recognized some of the stories from other forums where I've actually seen the development. But even I as a total newbie to this community do have an impression now of the tightly bound brotherhood of AGS pioneers. The texts themselves create a certain impression--I almost feel like I was part of it all "back then" and long for those times. Then I remember having registered here this month and actually feel guilty for breaking in.

Even with my first postings and the answers to them there was the feeling of having joined an overall superb community. Where people are treated like people and not like, well, faceless forum accounts. This is amazing and a very important part of forum etiquette.

I figured this forum would be a cool one when doing the registering quiz (Great idea! I love it!) but this is just... overwhelming.

You rock, forum members.
- Blodvarg