I Have no Mouth and I Must Scream

[ezra]

Hey everyone, I always watched my older sister play 'I Have no Mouth and I Must Scream' when I was about 9 or 10... and now I have played it again on my old computer. For those of you who love Harlan Ellison's work, Science Fiction, or Horror Adventure Games, then you should definately play this game. There is only one problem though, this game only runs under DOS, and with Windows XP Bill Gates hasn't included the DOS system. I had to play it on an old laptop, and it was crap.

If anyone would like to join me in creating a new and possibly adapted version of 'I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream', which will be compatible on the Windows Platform, PLEASE say so in this post or email me, and maybe we could get a big team of people to help. We'll need Very Creative Artists, Voice Actors (will come much, much later), My dad is a musician and we can provide a full musical score (I also do Sound Engineering and Music Technology), and an AGS Coder.
Anyone else that would like to be apart of writing the script for the game also say so. And if there's anything here that I didn't mention that you'd like to do then also please post here.

Thanks alot everyone, and I hope that we can come up with something great.

I HAVE NO MOUTH AND I MUST SCREAM is Copyright Harlan Ellison and Cyberdreams.

[LGM]

Sounds a tad ambitious? Have you made any games or worked with a team before?

[MrColossal]

I had no problem playing I have no mouth, but if you do try a program called DOS Box

now if by adapted you mean that you want to make it better, then I'd play it. A lot of the puzzles were really sucky and there was no point to anything.

But still it is pretty ambitious, good luck!

[LGM]

I tried DOS Box today, and my game wouldn't install. It wouldn't recognize the C: drive I mounted.. It was frustrating.

[ezra]

Well I know it is very ambitious, but it's not as if 'I' am the boss of the team and everyone will do as I say. It's a team and we will work together... but obviously that also doesn't mean that you can just slack off and do nothing. The artist/s will have to be very good and creative in order for this game to portray the novel. My dad has done jobs for different game companies in the past and both he and I will be able to provide a musical score. And then all we need (for the time being) is an AGS Scripter that has alot of time on their hands.

It is ambitious I agree, but there is no deadline for this. Everyone will work at their own pace.

What do you all think?

I have some great ideas for the adaption game, but I need to write them properly for viewing first. So that's all..
Ez

[ezra]

I have finished compiling a draft for an Introductory Script to the game. It includes 9 pictures that would need to be drawn, and so this is even a big step. I'd really like some feedback on this idea though, because if it's going to work, I'll need people who are not only willing to do it, but are interested in this idea.

[Hollister Man]

Its an interesting concept, but the whole 'you can't just slack off and do nothing' part is just not how it works.  What are you going to do, fire someone?  Take them out of the credits?  To have a good team, you need people you respect, and who respect you, as artists, and who share a mutual interest in the project.  You have not specified what YOU will be doing in this project.

As it is, I have been 'running' a project.  I am the lead coder, but frequently end up doing things myself just cause no one else is interested in doing it.  Do you think AGS would be the dream-engine it is today if CJ said "Hey everone, I want to make a adventure game engine, I need a programmer, and ummmm, more programmers, and someone to give me beer" ?

I don't mean to sound like a smart-ass, I have never even played IHNMAIMS, but I do have some experience in the team department.  A better solution is to throw your talent out there.  Say 'hey, I am good at X and would like to help someone.' There's a thread somewhere nearby to offer your services.  Prove that you are a team player and worthy of respect, and then ask others to help with your ideas.  I'd still love help with my Mask of Eternity re-make, but I don't see it happening.  So I work on other things until I get good enough to make it alone.

[ezra]

Hollister Man,

I appreciate what you've said, and I may have expressed myself wrongly. What I mean by 'you can't just slack off and do nothing', is that if people would like to be the Lead Artist, or Lead Coder.. then I'd like them to be willing. Of course I'd want other people to help aswell, but the Lead Artist's can't just make one picture and say, 'okay, that's it.. i'm quitting cause now i have my name in the credits'. And OF COURSE I would not make threats by firing someone, or taking them out of the credits, but it is an obligation that someone should do if they will make more than 1 or 2 pictures. AND DOUBLE OF COURSE, this game has no deadline... I'm not going to demand 2 pictures a month or anything, it's totally up to you at what pace you work at.

THIS IS WHAT I WILL BE WORKING AT:
Website
Music and Sound Effects
Playscript
AGS Scripting (But if someone could solely work on this, it'd be a help)

Hollister, you did sound like a smart-ass, but I don't care about what you said because I knew from where you were coming. (Even though I said id work on the music) 

Thanks, Ez.

[Barbarian]

I've never had the chance to play "I have no mouth..." but it sure looks like it is an interesting game:
http://www.justadventure.com/reviews/IHaveNoMouth/IHaveNoMouth_Ray.shtm

Looks like it was made by CyberDreams (Same guys who made the DarkSeed horror/sci-fi/adventure games).
At this time I'm currently tied up with my own projects, so I would not be able to commit to such a project of re-designing an old game. And really, I'd rather design something that's from a new and fresh ideas for now, rather than trying to remake a game that's already been made. Sure, it'd still be cool, but I think maybe it might be better to make a game "similar" to it, or make it like a "continuation" of the same story or "borrow" some ideas from it, but to me, remaking an existing adventure game seems a bit redundant, or perhaps I feel I could better use the time and effort to make something that's not just a copy.
Ã,  Ã, Then again, a re-make of a game that has several improvements or new features over the original, such as (I think) redruM's remake ofÃ,  "Lesuire Suit Larry's 2?" in which it was also made as a "Point 'n Click version", that was a wonderful improvement I thought.Ã,  Ã, Really, it's up a person or team to decide is it's really worth remaking a old game, and if so, will they try to improve/expand upon it, or is it just a clone?

lgm: yes, DosBox can be tricky to figure out the proper commands, it's not really what you call "user-friendly", but it does work nicely once you figure it out. But, lets say for example, the directory you want to be mounted is a directory by the name of "games" on your "c:" hard drive. From the DosBox prompt, you would enter:

mount c c:\games

Ã,  Ã, and to switch over to it, simply enter in:

c:

Ã,  Ã, then to get a list of files on that directory use "dir"Ã,  or "dir/p" to pause each screen-full of text if there's a lot of files in that directory.Ã,  Ã, Well, perhaps you already done all that and maybe DosBox just don't like your computer?Ã, 

PS: lgm: I found a link that might help you to get it running.

http://vogons.zetafleet.com/viewtopic.php?t=3511&highlight=i+mouth
Best regards.
*Salutes*

[ezra]

Barbarian, firstly it's a shame that you can't help in this project.

Secondly, this game will not be a Re-Make as such of the old game...

Some parts/puzzles will be removed.
Puzzles/parts will be added.
Graphics will be improved/different.
Sound will be improved/different.
Different storyline, but similar to the original.
Compatible to All Windows Platforms.

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

You just described a remake, you know...

...anyway, good luck with your project - you'll need it. I, for one, am available if you'd like my help. Check the cute little icons underneath my avatar for my abilities.

[Barbarian]

Hi Ezra. Well, that sounds a lot more promising of a project, rather than just making a "clone" of an old game.

Well, I'm currently working on completing my own (somewhat large) AGS game/project right now (You can visit the link on my signature for more info). I want to complete my own project first, and also it will be a way to show the AGS community some of what I'm able to do. I haven't really proven myself or my abilities yet to the AGS community yet, but I'm working hard on my project everyday in hopes to soon have it completed. It will be completed and released as soon as I'm able to.

I hope to have my game completed in about another month's time from now (hopfully sometime in August/2004).Ã, 
There "may" be another project I was considering to take on afterwards, but, if after a month or so from now, and if once you see my game in action and you like my work, and if you still are planning on going ahead with your project and still need some help, then perhaps I may offer some of my services at that time.Ã, 

Best regards. *Salutes*

[ezra]

Okay everyone, I have began writing the script and it's already 2 pages (woohoo)... I was wondering if anyone could give me any ideas of the characters. I'd like to keep it very similar to the original, but I have implemented some of my own concepts and themes. The 5 characters are still Benny, Ellen, Nimdok, Gorrister and Jed (Yes i changed the name on purpose).

Any ideas?

[RAY-O STUDIOS]

I had no problem playing I have no mouth, but if you do try a program called DOS Box

now if by adapted you mean that you want to make it better, then I'd play it. A lot of the puzzles were really sucky and there was no point to anything.

But still it is pretty ambitious, good luck!

try scummvm v10 , it1s faster!

[Nikolas]

wow!

a life saving post 3 1/2 years after that post! WOW!

[[Cameron]]

I never read the dates and I got all excited. I loved the game, and the original short story. Bah, stupid forum grave diggers!

[Eggie]

I have that game in a box. I got it a charity shop...I think it's worth more than I payed for it if I sold it on Ebay.
However, I have also bought a lot of games in Charity shops worth less than what I payed for them in charity shops so...

[ezra]

Ahahahaha! Oh my! I can't believe this was dug up, and I cannot believe how much deluded optimism and ambition I had!

The good news is... I'm still just as, if not more, interested in adventure games than I was 3 years ago.

Oh, and there was never a re-make of the game. AHahahaha.

[Grim]

Thought this topic needed another warm-up:)

Just played the game using Scummvm and Daemon Tools and it works very well on Vista. I wanted to see why Downfall gets compared to it so much... And I see some similarities there, the journey of a sick mind through a personal hell of illusions. Then the puzzle with two sheets tied together to create a rope... I'd like to say that great minds are alike, but the quality of the dialogues here beats me to the ground...

What I can't understand is why anyone would like to remake it? Graphically, this game is still excellent and we can't beat that. The voiceover is great too.
I do hate most of the puzzles though. I just die. All the time.

In my opinnion doing a remake of it is like repainting Mona Lisa to make it better. Some things must remain unchanged forever.

[Stupot]

I'm just reading the story, because of this thread, and I'd never heard of the game before... So I'm mulling over the idea of making a game short based on my own interpretation of the story, and without any knowledge of the existing game... So it wouldn't be a remake, by any stretch of the imagination.