AGS minimum file size

[amateurhour]

I figured this would be the best place to post this because it's technical, but not specifically script based. I've been browsing the game database catching up on some newly discovered gems and I was curious as to what the minimum file size is for an ags game.

I'm working on a little tech demo for a convention and I would like to get the playable file size down below 1.4 megs so that I can put it on a floppy disk. I've seen plenty of 2.5 meg games so I was more curious if it was possible or if the source files alone (the most basic compiled data) would be over 1.4 megs.

I could also do a disk1/disk2 kind of thing if I wanted to make an installer, but I was more curious than anything.

Thanks!

[Calin Leafshade]

you could get a game under 1.4mb if it were compressed

It would need to be 8bit and have midi music tho. 5 Days A Stranger is 1.22mb compressed but about 4mb uncompressed.

[Radiant]

I'm working on a little tech demo for a convention and I would like to get the playable file size down below 1.4 megs so that I can put it on a floppy disk.

On a what??

[monkey0506]

on a little tech demo

On a what??

"little tech demo", can't you read?

[amateurhour]

you could get a game under 1.4mb if it were compressed

It would need to be 8bit and have midi music tho. 5 Days A Stranger is 1.22mb compressed but about 4mb uncompressed.

When you say 8 bit are you talking about 256 color mode? or something lower than that? I'm fine if it's just the zip that's under the file size, although I'd prefer it if the entire game uncompressed is under 1.4 megs. It'll just be three rooms max, and I could get away with just one room if need be.

[Peder 🚀]

There ARE a couple older games under 1MB:

http://new.agsarchives.com/gamecard/124/the-warp.html
http://new.agsarchives.com/gamecard/18/murder.html
http://new.agsarchives.com/gamecard/58/porn-quest.html
http://new.agsarchives.com/gamecard/77/ags-black-jack.html (1.10MB)

I think there is possible a few more too under 1.40MB so, it is for sure possible.
I dunno if you would benefit from using an older AGS version too?

[amateurhour]

I didn't even think of using an older version just because so many people are on Win7 now and I figured a game compiled with an older version might have more issues running on a user's PC.

Thanks for the insight though, going to play those games you listed and see just how much resource they were able to put into a small game.

Just for clarification, the floppy disk is purely cosmetic. It was the logo for my comic strip which I'm branching out as a little adventure comedy game and I wanted to have a little two or three room tech demo I could put on red floppies (the logo was red) just for nostalgia. The actual game will feature voice acting and be larger.     

[selmiak]

just put anything on these disc, noone will be able to run them nowadays anyways...

[Galen]

The easiest way to find out would be to simply compile a 'blank' game and see how large the file size is, and then work around that.

[Paul Franzen]

so that I can put it on a floppy disk.

I'm kind of in love with that idea. My wife actually has a USB floppy disk drive (that I don't think either of us has ever used); you might have at least one person who could play it!

[Andail]

Funny, I was just thinking that a nice MAGS theme could be to have a really harsh size restriction, like under 1.5 megs or something, but still feature music and animations and stuff. But then again, I'm not particularly involved in the MAGS-scene, and won't probably ever be.