Topic: 'Distorted Senses'
This month's guidelines were set by WHAM:
Create a game in which one or more of the protagonist's senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell) have somehow been impaired or mutated, causing them to function in an unexpected fashion. The distorted senses of the protagonist can either hinder or help them, maybe even both if used right!
Ideas to help you:
• The protagonist cannot see colours, but instead hears them when touching them.
• The protagonist cannot hear anything that is not human speech - all other sounds are converted into speech.
• The protagonist cannot see movement, causing anything that moves to "stop existing" until it is stationary again.
• The protagonist sees, hears, tastes and feels all things as rotting, slimy, twisted and disgusting (see video link below).
For a chilling example of this type of event taking place, watch:
(Might be rather disturbing and extreme example, you have been warned)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=tDHJ05TbDxU
(http://www.barryandstuart.com/wp-content/uploads/homunculus.jpg) (http://www.sedl.org/scimath/pasopartners/senses/sensesweb.jpg)
Ending 30/4/2012
Also, the MAGS site is back again, thanks Peder!
What is MAGS?
MAGS is a monthly competition for all amateur adventure game makers. The idea is to create a game in under a month, following the rules set by the previous winner. It aims to help you work to a deadline, improve your skills, or provide a kick-start into making adventure games. Regardless of skill, MAGS is for everyone. Voting is based on "favorite" games, and not the most artistic, or the best coded. If you have bad art skills, use it as a chance to do some graphic work. If you're sub-standard at coding, use it as a chance to give scripting a go. Ultimately, people will vote for the most enjoyable entry.
You may get help for the competition, although you must end up doing something yourself. You should however be warned that it proves difficult to organize a big team within thirty days. You are not allowed to use material already created before this competition. Your game must be completely new! Music and sound is an exception; you can use free material that is available to the public, if you wish. Modules and templates are also allowed. Please do not enter the competition with a rushed entry (a game created last minute). Sure, you can make a game and rush it - but don't do this just to win by default.
Entering MAGS is simple. First, conceptualise your game following the month's criteria (see top). Second, create your game fueled only by coffee. Third, finally, and most importantly, post your game here, including:
✓ A working download link.
✓ The title of your game.
✓ A suitable screenshot.
At the end of the month, the all-important voting will begin! This period usually lasts fifteen days. Should you win, along with announcing the next month's rules, your name and game will be immortalised in the MAGS Archive (http://www.mags-competition.info/?page=games). Yet hopefully, at the end of the month, the accomplishment of finishing a game will be your greatest prize. For more information please visit the Official MAGS website. (http://www.mags-competition.info/)
Ooooooooooohhhhhh!
*knuckle crack*
I don't think I have time to make a game of my own for this month, but if someone wants SMALL AMOUNTS of help with graphics, story design, voice acting and / or testing, feel free to contact me.
Anybody else interested?
I've sketched out a few ideas for this one, but I'm not sure I'll be able to make anything in time. I'm visiting my family for the Easter break, and have a couple of big work commitments throughout the rest of April. Might try to condense the ideas down to a one-room game to make them more viable though.
This is a really cool theme!
I wish I hadn't only just started with AGS, so I'd be able to create a game in this theme!
Maybe I'll give myself a two month deadline and just create it for personal gain :)
Well, I don't exactly have any spare time at all these days, and I have several other projects on the go, but I will admit to playing around with ideas for this topic. Anyone feel like making music/backgrounds for a short sci-fi/horror project?
Quote from: Atelier on Sat 07/04/2012 16:32:05
Anybody else interested?
Sorry, not this month.
Atelier -
- The taste of breakfast hummed with color.
- The waves crashed upon the shore with a burst of yellow and brown, that faded into rivulets of muddy red as the water flowed back into the sea.
- As I read the instructions, intense sparkles of light flew off the page, blinding me. Additionally, each letter, syllable and word had its own sound. Reading just the first sentence was like listening to an entire orchestra playing at top volume, but each musician working with a different score and conductor. I stepped back from the table and threw my hands up in defense, but how can you defend yourself from your own senses.
"Synesthesia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synethesia) the Game."
The hardest part of this challenge will be making coherent puzzles!
- Cogliostro
I'm updating my status from "fence sitting" to "all in, baby!"
Buh-ump!
Well we've got just over ten days left, and I reckon my team is getting close to about half-done our entry. Has anyone else taken the plunge here?
I'm out; no way to finish this... The stage is yours, sire :D
QR Quest
(http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/548533_156400221154213_100003527089824_202572_412279284_n.jpg)
Download (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/games.php?category=&action=detail&id=1569&refresh1335127308)
It would have been nice if you contacted me beforehand, or at least posted in the thread to say you're interested like everybody else, I thought you weren't allowed to enter since you cheated? Icey please don't suddenly post cryptic screenshots with a link, if you're working on something, let me know. I can't check your entry right now. What is it about?
I've played it and I don't even know what it's about.
Well actually you said I can't enter until I learned "something" but I decided myself to not enter for a while anyways.
Anyhow, my bad about popping up out of no where. The Story of this game continues from the end of Dreams PMQ.
Dave is still stuck in the dream world and for some reason he can't see colors in his dreams anymore. He his some voice in his head that explains the situation and tells him that the reason be hind him not being able to see color is cause the Void has popped up inside of his mind and is the reason he is losing his memories. Dave must use his phone to scan the Void in his dreams and lock it away in side of a QR code!
It's a hell of confusing to understand what I said if you haven't played any of my other PMQ games and if you haven't heard of PMQ Colosseum.
But it's super easy to play with other any knowledge of PMQ.
I think icey's game should be disqualified really, I'm pretty sure it violates the rule that everything used in the game should be new material.
Incorrect sir. I can not use anyone thing that's already made however this does not include story, plot, still music from what the rules say.
This is a brand new story not a remake. The character is from pmq yet is drawn in new way. The backs grounds and sprites are completely new. All these work so my game can stay.
However if it doesn't work cause of the last two lines then the whole mags is screwed up cause I entered already with 3D osd game using a few sprites from the OSD2 game. However it could be possible that it was cool cause osd is open source...
I don't really know but it's not cool to point fingers without all the proof from the past.
You got to show a least one picture from which proves that these sprites are already used. And if you got to play through all of my games then so be it. :)
Icey, the problem people have is that all your games feature the same stuff (PMQ-whateverthefuck), and you didn't declare your entry.
This could be an existing unreleased project you've just modified in order to enter MAGS. The art or coding could be old. It's not like people could know whats on your HDD, they just have to trust you.
Had you declared your intentions a couple of weeks ago, or submitted something that wasn't like everything else you make, then people might feel differently.
Quote from: Hudders on Mon 23/04/2012 09:33:33
I think icey's game should be disqualified really, I'm pretty sure it violates the rule that everything used in the game should be new material.
Yes. Also, it is clearly a rushed entry (again), and it doesn't follow this month's theme either (it's about distortion, not about merely using grayscale graphics).
And I note this is the second time Icy tries to pretend the whole cheating incident didn't happen and tries to sneak in an entry anyway. Time to take some responsibility, man.
Quote from: Insane-Icey on Mon 23/04/2012 12:47:02You got to show a least one picture from which proves that these sprites are already used.
That's a silly ultimatum, if you've already used something it has to have been already made, but it doesn't have to have been already used if it's already been made.
Also, a minor technicality, but you did post about a game using QR codes on the 27th March, four days before the competition was announced: http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=45652.msg612898#msg612898
Now are we supposed to assume you didn't do any work towards creating a game like this at all before 1st April? Later on in the thread you talk about including .txt files which is exactly what was done here. Can you see how it's hard to separate which material is completely new from which was made before?
Oh no no see that was an idea that I had I was just sharing. In hopes that someone would at least make something to try and see if it worked. I had a big school project to do and had no time for anything else. I started that game 6 days ago. I knew it wouldn't take me long cause I just wanted to make something simple but at least what a cool story(that I can apparently only see which is fault).
I think one way to proves this though would be to show you the date of the started game but I'm not at my cousins house anymore cause vacation time is over.
There's no way to unravel what's been made when (unless it's blatantly from a game that's already been released): MAGS has always been run on the honour system because there really isn't any other way to logistically police it. If Icey says it meets the MAGS criteria, I'm happy to compete with him.
See and like I said before I don't care really if I win or lose. I just wanted to enter but the thing is I didn't think I really wanted to try and enter with out knowing even if I had enough time to do something.
Some how I missed the last two post on the first page. First off people PMQ is mine to control and release what ever spin-off I want to in any form. Besides, no matter what I make it get's treated the same way. I planed to just make this game at first about some adventure game character using his phone to just go through random puzzles but I changed my mind and wen't with something else. You all seemed to call this a rushed game. You obviously can see the BIG PICTURE!!!
The game is men't to focus on the QR codes and the puzzle sites that go along with them. It's not men't to be a full game. I had to script a short game with totally new bland sprites cause I didn't have my laptop to make detailed stuff hence why everything is all in Pixel. It's not rushed foolish children it just didn't require a lot of my skill to display some such as this. Hell, I personally like the fact I could use photoshop this time. I got to try my hand a something different again.
Quote from: Baron on Tue 24/04/2012 03:44:10
MAGS has always been run on the honour system because there really isn't any other way to logistically police it.
Yes. This incident (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=44905.40) is the reason why some people doubt him.
Icey:
Don't complain that people don't trust you after you cheated and lied about it.
Also, the main issue isn't you being unable to do anything other than PMQ spin-offs, it's that your game *looks* like you cheated. That doesn't necessarily mean you did, but it *is* a rushed entry which has been at least partly planned since before the announcement of the current theme (QR sh...tuff).
Long story short, my impression is that you had this game planned and already done some work on it when the MAGS theme was announced, and changed it slightly to fit the rules, then dropped it here.
Everything hints at that, from the QR thread to the game's "story" not being fresh, to the "I don't care"-implementation of the MAGS theme.
Now I'm always one to give people the benefit of the doubt, not you though.
I say disqualify the entry and extend the MAGS ban.
And, although I'm being Captain Obvious here:
If you feel you're being mistreated and didn't cheat this time, why not enter a MAGS in a way so it's clear that you didn't? Why not make a fresh game, disconnected from PMQ, announce early in the MAGS thread like the other people do that you're planning to enter, and release something that's clearly built around the theme? That way cheating is pretty much out of the question and you don't have to defend yourself every time anew.
My two cents:
While I like the fact that Icey is trying new stuff (though I don't see the point of the QR codes as a primary gameplay mechanic, but with Icey I rarely do see the point, so maybe I'm just not the right audience), I dont think the game really fits the current MAGS theme.
The theme was sensory DISTORTION, and while being momentarily colourblind is a sort of sensory failure, I don't think it really fits the mood or the theme of the current MAGS. However, if the only other competitor, Baron, does not mind, and since there don't seem to be other competitors coming in, I don't really see the reason to bar Icey from participating this time around, despite the suspicious schedulling and the sudden appearance of the otherwise unannounced game.
I think we should let this be a lesson to Icey (and possibly others) instead, always declare your MAGS projects when starting them, and only later either release them or drop them if you can't finish up in time. I for one had no idea, until now, how important the declaration of the MAGS game was, and I have worked on at least 2 MAGS games (which were dropped) without declaring them. Maybe it's just the fact that Icey has a history of MAGS misuse, but it's good to clarify this anyway.
I don't see a problem with allowing Icey to enter either, even if it means risking a potential diarrhea cake situation*,providing it goes to a vote. It looks like a rushed entry, but that could just be down to Icey being soo vastly behind the par when it comes to game design. To him, this is a serious entry he put a lot of effort into. Even if the rest of us see it as garbage.
If Baron doesn't enter, it'll be a win by default, and folks are gonna break out the torch 'n' pitchforks.
At the risk of turning MAGS into a popularity contest;- A solution to the 'only one entry, so only one choice' problem might be to have solo entries run against nothing in the polls. If people think it's awful, they can vote for 'no winner' for this round. The entrant can still chose then next theme, but they do so without the winners laurels.
* This is where someone knowingly enters something shit into a baking competition. The entrant gets the attention they desire either way (either by complaining that no-one ate it and therefore the judging is biased, or by defending his 'unconventional' cooking style and laughing at the people who ate shit.
Quote from: WHAM on Tue 24/04/2012 12:34:54I for one had no idea, until now, how important the declaration of the MAGS game was, and I have worked on at least 2 MAGS games (which were dropped) without declaring them. Maybe it's just the fact that Icey has a history of MAGS misuse, but it's good to clarify this anyway.
This is the good that can come of this situation. I started working on something too (that failed), and had no idea I needed to pre-declare. I thought it best to keep mum in the likely case that I didn't finish. This is good info to know, and should maybe be declared in the prompt post from now on?
Quote from: Eric on Tue 24/04/2012 16:54:23
This is the good that can come of this situation. I started working on something too (that failed), and had no idea I needed to pre-declare. I thought it best to keep mum in the likely case that I didn't finish. This is good info to know, and should maybe be declared in the prompt post from now on?
I don't see any need for making this a general rule.
As before, if the problem is that one guy isn't following the rules, then by definition adding more rules isn't going to solve that. We
have existing rules against rushed entries and against entries started too early. Both of these rules have sufficed in the past and would suffice again this time.
So can some explain the rules on the story of a mags game? Is it really against the rules for a person to have an idea for a game weeks or days before the comp? I mean an idea is just a idea until you do something with it. I could say I got an idea, this Friday I'm gonna become a rich off this brand new game. I'm not gonna become rich unless that game done...I lost my point but a idea should mean much over the finished product. Also If I'm correct I also said in my idea that the didn't have to be long. I only care about the big picture which is the plot and the puzzles. Your so stuck on rushed game khris or I so called cheated radiant that you can't see the big picture. It's called QR Quest not long game that has more see able point .
Quote from: Insane-Icey on Tue 24/04/2012 18:08:43
Is it really against the rules for a person to have an idea for a game weeks or days before the comp?
Like Baron said it's impossible to tell what people have created before, especially so mere ideas, unless we install telescreens everywhere.
I don't think it should be an official stipulation to announce your participation but it is a good idea to do so, cos it's sort of annoying if you don't. And if you can't make it, all you have to do is post or send a PM and it takes about 2 seconds. But icey, you are the only person who has ever done this to me ;) Sometimes you're so nonchalant, it's like you're trying to be caught being sneaky. Surely you can't have forgotten the informal ban from December, so why did you casually post an entry? Anyway I'll talk to you about it in PMs to resolve the issue.
Cogliostro is still in, although there is a quote "50%" chance of him finishing :)
Quote from: Victor6 on Tue 24/04/2012 15:13:35
If Baron doesn't enter, it'll be a win by default, and folks are gonna break out the torch 'n' pitchforks.
Oh, I'll be making an entry. We're past the point of no return. How much polish it will be lacking is another point for conjecture, but I'll definitely be posting a game.
EDIT MAY 3: Well we've done our last round of beta-testing. There's a few more things I want to implement, so I probably won't release the game until pretty much the deadline (I assume it's midnight my local time on the 5th?), but we've definitely got a fully functional and fairly well-polished game here!
I'll keep my finger hovering over that download button then ;-D
Introducing..... Wages of Darkness
(http://www.vanwijst.com/games/wages/wages_promo_3.PNG)
Distorted Sense: You are visually impaired due to a power failure, and therefore must "feel" your way around. Your sense of self is somewhat distorted as well.
Gameplay: Right-click to "feel" out what things are, Left-click to use/interact/take anything. You can set difficulty levels at the beginning or change them throughout the game. You can't die in Easy mode, you will eventually die in Difficult mode, and you will probably die frequently in Intense mode (only accessible through the in-game menu for the time being due to issues of symmetry).
The Team: Art by Kastchey, Music by Doc Savage; Writing, Scripting & Voice Acting by me.
Download: The game is available HERE (http://www.vanwijst.com/games/wages/wages_of_darkness.zip).
I had hoped to make a custom display function and find a few more sounds, but it's looking like I'm not going to have the time before tomorrow evening so I'm just releasing it as is for the competition. After the voting I'll hopefully work myself up to adding the extra features.
Enjoy!
EDIT MAY 5: Well the deadline hasn't technically expired, so I made the option to watch the intro more explicit and, since I found myself with an extra hour this evening, I added in those extra sounds. Hope that's not breaking any rules. This is my final submission for the contest.
Wait There is a problem with it - the intro is missing
Quote from: Doc_Savage on Sat 05/05/2012 17:18:44
... the intro is missing
Yes, but you can start the intro by choosing the option at the start (second line in the middle) :wink:
Well, for me it works that way (roll)
It is not natural like that ;)
I made it through intense :D
Did you move one coin for intense difficulty? Felt like it was somewhere else ;)
Quote from: Doc_Savage on Sat 05/05/2012 18:49:05
It is not natural like that ;)
Call it a feature- inability to see the intro (roll)
Downloaded and played a litte. I will play it fully tomorrow, but what I saw looks (and feels) really promising already, Baron & team!
Since it's still May 5 my time and I had an unexpected hour to myself, I went ahead and made the option to watch the intro more explicit. I also added in a few sounds that I'd wanted to track down but hadn't beforehand, and fixed a few stray pixels and hotspot label bugs. I hope that's cool, contest wise: if not, I'll re-upload the old version.
Here it is, in all of its buggy and untested goodness.
(http://www.castironmuse.com/games/pillars/pillars.jpg)
(http://www.castironmuse.com/games/pillars/shot-1S.jpg) (http://www.castironmuse.com/games/pillars/shot-1L.jpg) (http://www.castironmuse.com/games/pillars/shot-2S.jpg) (http://www.castironmuse.com/games/pillars/shot-2L.jpg)
(http://www.castironmuse.com/games/pillars/shot-4S.jpg) (http://www.castironmuse.com/games/pillars/shot-4L.jpg) (http://www.castironmuse.com/games/pillars/shot-3S.jpg) (http://www.castironmuse.com/games/pillars/shot-3L.jpg)
A crippled ship with missing crew
A crippled man with missing memories
7000 light years from home and trapped...
Between the Pillars of Creation
Here's the link (http://www.castironmuse.com/games/pillars/Between_the_Pillars_of_Creation.zip) - 75MB
Uploaded with 3 minutes to spare
- Cogliostro
LOTS and LOTS of planning had to be dropped in order to make the deadline. I fully intend to create a second version that covers all of the story and plot gaps I left in this version.
- Cogliostro
EDIT -- Found my first serious bug. You will have to use the arrow keys to walk around most of the rooms.
75 Mb. For a MAGS game. Wow, I'm impressed!
Quote from: Baron on Sun 06/05/2012 02:58:19
Since it's still May 5 my time and I had an unexpected hour to myself, I went ahead and made the option to watch the intro more explicit. I also added in a few sounds that I'd wanted to track down but hadn't beforehand, and fixed a few stray pixels and hotspot label bugs. I hope that's cool, contest wise: if not, I'll re-upload the old version.
Baron -- If my opinion matters, its completely cool. Of course, I had to push it to 11:57PM EST in order to get my game uploaded in time.
Radiant -- Thanks! Of course, that's the size when its COMPRESSED. Its a complete monster when unzipped.
- Cogliostro
Thanks Baron and Cogliostro, now it's voting time!
For voting please visit the MAGS site (http://www.mags-competition.info/) or make your choice right here:
Wages of Darkness by Baron (Art by Kastchey, Music by Doc Savage) (http://www.mags-competition.info/?page=voting&fav=Wages%20of%20Darkness)
Between the Pillars of Creation by Cogliostro (http://www.mags-competition.info/?page=voting&fav=Between%20the%20Pillars%20of%20Creation)
Please vote only once and be sure to have played all games before sending your voice! Good luck to all participants.
Also, finally cleared backlog of MAGS entries on the site (hadn't been updated since November). This means Maggies 11 can begin in a few days after the Awards Ceremony and its aftermath has passed!
Quote from: Atelier on Sun 06/05/2012 21:04:45
... now it's voting time!
...
Until when do we have to be done with the voting?
(http://s14.directupload.net/images/user/120331/lqtrfgwf.gif)
Quote from: Tabata on Tue 08/05/2012 18:57:36
Quote from: Atelier on Sun 06/05/2012 21:04:45
... now it's voting time!
...
Until when do we have to be done with the voting?
(http://s14.directupload.net/images/user/120331/lqtrfgwf.gif)
Indeed
Usually after fifteen days or until there is a clear winner.
Cool games, glad to see people making the most of the unusual theme! :)
Is there a winner yet? (roll)
what about now :)?
We certainly have a winner:
Wages of Darkness by Baron (Art by Kastchey, Music by Doc Savage)
9 vote(s)
Between the Pillars of Creation by Cogliostro
5 vote(s)
Congrats Baron, Kastchey and Doc Sav!
Actually the winner was changing all the time until Wages of Darkness got a majority of 4, because of 2 more contributors I assumed 2 more intrinsic votes. Alas first past the post has been upheld in all its glory...
By the way, next month I will be scrapping the vote, and instead you must write an essay of 1000 words min on why strawberry Cornettos are better than mint and chocolate. Whoever has the most convincing argument wins woo!
Congratulations, baron and team!
Strawberries are an atrocity!
Congratulations, Baron!
Thank you, thank you!
I couldn't have done it without my team. To be more precise, I probably wouldn't have done it without my team: time is such a precious commodity for me these days. But I'm glad they were so keen on the concept to put in all the (free) work to make it a reality. I plan a few tweaks and polishes and then I intend to release the game to a wider public (ie more than the fourteen (?!?) people that play MAGS games). Thanks to everyone who voted for Wages of Darkness, and thanks to Cogliostro for providing some stiff competition!
As a side note, I like the idea of voting with an essay, but on the topic of the games. Yes, such a process will inevitably yield some ugly truths and probably more than a couple elaborate falsehoods, but the feedback would be invaluable for a developer keen on building a better game. Plus it would be immensely entertaining to watch the debate rage one way and then another as each voter tries to outwit the arguments of the one that comes before. I guess I've just got a soft spot for the good old days of the Roman arena....