The perfect AGS team ...

[Ishmael]

YOU CANNOT FORCE PEOPLE TO WORK.

I can.

Not every people, but I still can

[Helm]

Dan: I was not involved with making art for Fatman. Ionias did that all on his own. I don't even know what you're on about another Gorillaz game, I won't even bother trying to understand, suffice to say I have not made any games about that pop band either. You make no sense.

Calacver: 'rivalling commerical games' I think a lot of people would benefit from coming to terms with what the special restrictions but more importantly special priviledges of being an amateur game designer are about. I don't think we should be trying to look like the big boys. We shouldn't be modelling our games after theirs. There's a different niche here for our work, and it's special because it's not product and therefore challenging, new and sometimes even downright odd things can be attempted. Adventure games like a single passenger in a space ship locked in philosophical discourse with the ship's main AI, or adventure games about planning a robbery through a series of minigames, or adventure games about surviving in a gladiatorial arena through careful strategy and combat skill. Not another CMI. Not enough Broken Sword. Not another King's Quest. If some people on these boards wanted to work in the commercial industry, they right well could. Don't you think there's a reason they're not persuing that?

Not everybody here wants to make something that is similar, or trying to be better than CMI or this Vampyre Story game. That is not the apex that this community should be gearing towards, in my opinion.

[ManicMatt]

Helm, I think he likes to use a 'z' for an 's', and was talking about Moose wars:

"Gorillas clone done in AGS"

But then, you probably knew that?

You're right Helm, that game I was making, then stopped, and am only recently working on again; I'm not trying to make another CMI or Broken Sword, I'm trying to make a game with my own identity. Something that makes people look at it and say "That's a ManicMatt game" rather than "That's a game that looks like king's quest" or whatever. Not as though I could recreate any of those games successfully even if I wanted to, so why try?

[Erenan]

In case anyone doesn't get it yet, the point here is that as amateur developers, we can do things that commercial developers CAN'T because we are not restricted by the need to sell enough copies of the game to make a profit.

[m0ds]

Some people make great games. Others CONTINUE making great games. I can only compile a dream team because I've seen constant good things from those people, which isn't to say no-one else is doing it, but these people are making themselves known. It's almost like they want to be famous, even if they really don't! At the end of the day this is just a bit of fun and as Progz says - wishful thinking I'm sure some people post a great impression on some players after a debut game or something, but I'm not so impressionable. Consistency as a person is something I take into consideration, too.

In the end, whenever something is released and it's been made by a team - it effectively already is a dream team. It was what the members in that team most wanted, and have gotten the highest results from for themselves at least. With lots of good feedback, it's obvious that team worked really well together.

Then someone makes a parody!

Effectively I see this thread as a parody. It's meaning is to be a humorous or satirical imitation of teams that probably don't exist, yet could, despite how really great or not they would be. They'd have their problems, afterall :p

I'm sure in the future we will see some commercial successes through AGS, if that's what people intend to do. I've found I can't make a game on my own. If i could, I would have a catalogue of strange adventures - ones that couldn't be compared to anything commercial, some with barely any influence from other adventure games either. But it cannot be done, I've never been happy with my art, not to justify my ideas anyway. There are good reasons in this thread though as to why people don't persue a commercial goal. This is afterall a hobby, and most of us are happy with any kind of help we get. The end result, for those who took their time - is usually better than rewarding, too.

[Dan_N]

Yes, why must we rival the "big boys". We should strive to create our own identity, our own games. Which should be free by the way. Yes, the thing about AGS is that it's free and it's a great peace of software. So naturally people will want to profit from that. Those are the sharks. They swim through these waters and try to grab us, the unsuspecting AGSers to use us in making their comercial games. I bet they also hire tech specialists (or something) so that they can upgrade the graphics. Blerghh! I say.
If CJ strives to keep everything free, why shouldn't we?

[Erenan]

Actually, I disagree with that. I don't think there are any sharks here trying to make a buck off of other people. And for that matter, I actually do intend to make a commercial game with AGS someday. It will be huge, I'll make it pretty much all by myself, and it'll probably cost $10-$15. I'm not sure about the details, but I don't think there's anything wrong with making a commercial product with AGS, even within the independent community.

P.S. Everybody go buy the Shivah Deluxe.

[Dan_N]

I don't know Er, it just doesn't feel good using freeware to make comercial. I myself will NEVER use AGS to make a comercial game, independently or with a team.
Just imagine if the entire games database was filled with comercial games. What would we do then. 'Cause anyone can slap a price on something.

PS: When are we going to fly that kite, you promised!

[Vince Twelve]

This argument has happened many times on these forums, Dan.  No one is forcing you to buy a commercial game.  You don't need it.  Thus, charging for it is completely up to them.  Of course, if they didn't put the time and effort into it to make the game worth what they charge, no one's going to buy it anyways.

So, if someone is willing to put in extra work and spend some cash of their own to make a game that might be considered commercial quality, you shouldn't be angry that they're asking for compensation.  If you don't think it's worth the money, just don't buy it.

And people use freeware to make commercial products all the time.  There's no sense in re-inventing the wheel if a guy down the block is giving them away for free, no matter what kind of car you're putting it on, freeware or commercial... and also I really need to work on my analogy skills.

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

Yeah, I really see no problem with selling a product if the price matches the quality/game length.  Charging $40 bucks for a game you can play through in 10 minutes probably isn't a good idea, especially if it looks really amateur.  And by not a good idea I mean you most likely won't get word-of-mouth sales, which is what independent devs thrive on.

[Radiant]

Teh Dream Team!

Game design: Brian Moriarty
Puzzle design: Erno Rubik
Background art: Maurits Escher
Sprite art: Pixel
Music: Edward Elgar

Teh Nightmare Team!

Music: whoever wrote the Tetris tune
Sprite art: Dave Lebling
Background art: Drew Tucker
Puzzle design: Soleau
Game design: Roberta Williams

[Dan_N]

Yeah, what about the Nightmare Team?

I would have to say:
Project Leader: Satan
Graphics: The guy who made the painting "white dot on black background"
Music: tetris tune guy
Scripting: Bill Gates
Story: Coelho (or that spanish guy who wrote the alchemist or something a-ruther)

[Nikolas]

What do you have against the tetris tune?

It is a really nice tune, that haunted my sleep for many years.

[Erenan]

The following team would undoubtedly make the greatest adventure game ever:

Game design: Jeff Gordon
Puzzle design: Mario Andretti
Background art: Dale Earnhardt
Sprite art: Michael Schumacher
Music: Buddy Rice



Vince Twelve making analogies is like Chuck Yeager making adventure games. And Erenan making jokes is like Danny Tanner fighting in an Intergalactic Cage Match.



Dan, we'll fly a kite once the prices for flights to Romania come down to an affordable range for me. Until then, we can both just watch Mary Poppins and pretend that we met in person.

[ManicMatt]

You're all wrong! 

the NIGHTMARE team!:

Project Leader: Hitler
Graphics: Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen

Music: Spice Girls (Without any outside help)
Scripting: Him: http://www.planet.fi/~jhkj/bloodycamp/zombie(elf).jpeg
Story: Alan Smithee
Puzzle design: Carol Vorderman

[Andail]

With "nightmare", do you mean a nightmare to work in, or with nightmare-ish results? I believe having Hitler or Satan leading your teams may at least ensure ambitious projects with huge budgets.

[ManicMatt]

A bit of both, but with Hitler in charge, the game might have racist content and propaganda, the artist Laurence will make every pink and orange, Carol will make the puzzles all about math, and the spicegirls will be banging on cans and pots warbling out awful vocals. (Without outside aid)

I think the zombie and Alan speak for themselves.

[Dan_N]

Yes indeed, in a nightmare team it is hell to work with (ergo Satan) and the results will be catastrophic.

Oh, and this caught my eye:

Story: Dan_N_Gamez

Now, I shall ask this in the nicest way I can... What the hell is THAT supposed to mean?

PS: Er, you should see the prices for going by train from Bucharest to Constanta (the seaside main city).

[Snarky]

Well actually Sinsin, that DID happen. It was called... something... Project something.

Sphinx?

Well anyway, it was looking damned good but I think its essentially dead or something.

Not necessarily. It's still out there, and still open for anyone to add to. (Link in my signature.) OK, so up until Ali's latest awesome background, no work had actually been done since June, but that could just be a... summer vacation.

If you think the game looks promising, and you think it would be a shame if it died; Hey! Why not contribute?

My dream team? All of you! 

[Blackthorne]

I'm with Snarky.  I love you all.


Bt