I want to make a game using AGS but I have one question to ask...

xboxown · Mon 29/08/2022 06:47:25

Hey guys,

I am making a game using AGS but I have one question to ask about my approach. Naturally, there will come time where I am officially going to hire an artist from here to do the graphics for me, both for background, items and characters. Even set up the fonts for my game and GUI arts. But I cannot just hire someone and randomly ask do this and that, without actually having a story, character, plotline, and what I am picturing in terms of background pictures for my game. Even dialogs for the characters need to be ready. I literally need to have written a book first and express the book into this game and this game are the characters and cutscenes to play my play.

So when it comes to the art side of things, when I have the entire play in motion, do I provide the artist with the play and the cutscene so the artist knows what to draw or I have to already provide the detailed background, character looks already? Chances are the second scenario is the best approach, but I cannot visualize myself how the ship internally looks like with all the details, I am hiring the artist to do the job where I cannot do it. Using artist imagination to provide the proper picture for the play. So can I use scenario 1? Would the artist be ok to read my entire play (as my play will give an idea of the artist what to draw)?

xboxown · Mon 29/08/2022 06:58:17

This is is as far as I am in the plot right now (my script):

Planet Earth is soon coming to it's end, it will no longer be able to have any sustainable resources from air, to food, to water, and all life on this planet will die out. Humanity need to find a new home fast before it is too late. Countries from all over the world united together, with help of NASA, and the best of scientists to build a spaceship that will send a robot with the most advance AI that humanity could ever invent. The ship have the ability to use the black holes to teleport at the speed of light from one point of the universe to another. With the help's of spaceship AI and robot AI-800 they will discover a new "Earth-like" planet, report any hostile alien creatures and teleport back to Earth. With the new information, humanity will be able to prepare themselves for their new home. So the journy begins with the story of an adorable robot called AI-800.
Meanwhile.....

20 billion lightyears away from Earth.....

A ship appears from another end of the blackhole and flies at speed of light from the point of the blackhole towards an alien planet that have habital atmosphere, another Earth-like planet. When 80 light aways from blackhole and almost 850 days before reaching it's final destination an large meteroed hit the ship causing severe damage in one of the large engines. The ship stopped immediately and now just swimming in outerspace toward's its destination at an alarming speed.

Inside the ship a red light is flashing with blarming alarm. The spaceship AI is wakening the AI-800.

The ship's AI is announcing loudly to the entire ship, "Red Alert! Red Alert! Ship is colliding towards the alient planet!! AI-800 wake up! AI-800 wake up!"

On the bottom of the wall, lies a cute robot it's lights are off as if it is dozzing in deep slumber.

Ship's AI repeats, "Red Alert! Red Alert! Ship is colliding towards the alient planet!! AI-800 wake up! AI-800 wake up!"

The tiny robot remains unresponsive.

Ship's AI screams,"HEY! WAKEUP YOU LAZY SON OF A BITCH! WE ARE GOING TO DIE SOON IF YOU DON'T WAKE UP!", A mechanical giant hand comes from the ceiling slapping the robot silly left and right.

The tiny robot startlet by the harsh awakening wakes up all confused, blue lights shining the hallway and with it's tiny round wheels it trips and falls face on the ground, wheels spinning in the air.

Ship says, "H...h..how is it possible you tripped?! You don't even have feet! Humanity is in for a loooong ride."
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I was thinking on this the artist gets to know what type of animation to draw:
Robot falls down
Robot moving
etc

And the artist provides a background of the atmosphere of the ship and sorrounding by reading the script. With this I also determine the dialog and choices and response between characters. Do you guys think I am doing right? Continue with writing my script like that and just hand it to the artist to draw the pictures based on the details of the words and so forth or what advise do you have?

Snarky · Mon 29/08/2022 09:05:14

Working with an artist is going to have to be a collaboration. You explain what you're after as best you can. This can include written descriptions, reference images, rough sketches, etc. The artist perhaps asks questions, makes suggestions, and draws something. Often you'll find that it isn't quite what you need. So you discuss and iterate. Sometimes it will be something better than you had in mind, and you'll change your design ideas to fit the art.

If you're prepared to pay them fairly for their work implementing your vision (including all the attempts that you don't end up using), this should be agreeable to all parties. But that can quickly get expensive.

Most adventure games start off with placeholder graphics, which you can make yourself or borrow from existing games. It will be ugly, but it will help you figure out what needs to be in each scene and what you want it to look like. To wait for the final art to start implementing the game is a bad idea.

Slasher · Mon 29/08/2022 12:02:45

I'm with Snarky on this...

There is so much you can get on with just by using a background mock up....Of course, with the finished background it may open up new ideas..

Your artist should be made aware of any gui's always showing and where there are...so that Walkable areas etc are free etc.. A drawing should suffice...

Good luck.

xboxown · Mon 29/08/2022 18:23:05

So...what you guys are saying is this:

1) Write your story on the word pad completely, the scenarioes, items, dialog conversations, quests, etc

2) Draw your own graphics of the game as the holding template with the closest possible design you have in mind, even if it look like something made out of 1970 by a kid

3) Then hand that template to the artist where the artist will replace it with his graphics as the final graphics

Am I correct? The artist need to be the last thing ever in my game and everything I do myself first?

newwaveburritos · Mon 29/08/2022 19:57:52

I think that's sort of a two way street, really. I don't think you should wait for final art to start work because things will change but I also don't think that you necessarily want absolutely everything in place story-wise either because in a genre like this I think the two will inform each other. I will also echo the advice that it's best just to get started and start making something, yes, even with placeholder graphics. Having something to show a potential collaborator will go a long way, too.

Here's an example of what I mean by placeholder art, though. Just gets the idea across. I just spent about ten minutes making this and you can use the robot, which I already had. DM me and I'll email you the files. Just get anything on the page!

[imgzoom]https://i.imgur.com/TC6ZQYl.png[/imgzoom]

Crimson Wizard · Mon 29/08/2022 20:41:34

Quote from: xboxown on Mon 29/08/2022 18:23:05
1) Write your story on the word pad completely, the scenarioes, items, dialog conversations, quests, etc

You would be able to do this in the ideal circumstances, but things are never ideal and you likely won't be able to do this when you're making your first game (unless it's a very short game).
Firstly, you may get bored quickly by not seeing things active and interactive in your game.
Secondly, as soon as you see things in game, they will appear to you in a different light, and you may suddenly realize that initial ideas are not good anymore.

So, I'd rather say, write an outline, to have a good idea of where are you going, but not forcing yourself to do full detail (such as all the dialogs). Then try making the first level (stage) of the game using the placeholder art for simplicity.

From my personal experience, one of the biggest pitfalls at early stage of development is trying to make a single scene perfect before moving to another. Or spending way too much time on cutscenes, animations, etc. As you are making an interactive game, and not the animated cartoon, I think the first priority should be the overall plot, style and gameplay.

In general, if it's your first game, the priority is to get a grasp of what game making is (in this particular engine too), learn the technique, so that you are able to produce things more efficiently.

xboxown · Mon 29/08/2022 21:41:54

Thank you guys all for the advise and replies

)

I guess the first thing is finish the video tutorial completely. I didn't even know about having a wall on top of a player so player look like he is behind the wall until I watched one of the videos. I think what I should do is finish the tutorial, make a simple not complex game with my own graphics, fun funny, just to practice and keep doing that until I get the correct and proper mojo and then I can write something great where it requires an artist.

Something about newwaveburritos art style...screams DOS, sierra quality game that I am addicted to this kind of style of graphics. I guess even if my style of art is like newwaveburritos or even worse than newwaveburritos's somehow AGS or this style of gameplay makes it ok if not...special or even artistic. It all goes to the story and hooking the player!!

I am going to draw my arts of a simple game on mind..and go back in the tutorial and import my arts and resume my tutorial using my arts. It works too.

Thank you guys!!

newwaveburritos · Tue 30/08/2022 00:33:34

Quote from: xboxown on Mon 29/08/2022 21:41:54

I guess the first thing is finish the video tutorial completely. I didn't even know about having a wall on top of a player so player look like he is behind the wall until I watched one of the videos. I think what I should do is finish the tutorial, make a simple not complex game with my own graphics, fun funny, just to practice and keep doing that until I get the correct and proper mojo and then I can write something great where it requires an artist.

Yes, I think this is the best thing you can do. Also, the reason is looks like DOS is because I'm using the classic sixteen color EGA/CGA palette at 320x200 just like the good old days. Try it out if you want something similar.

xboxown · Tue 30/08/2022 00:53:52

Quote from: newwaveburritos on Tue 30/08/2022 00:33:34
Quote from: xboxown on Mon 29/08/2022 21:41:54

I guess the first thing is finish the video tutorial completely. I didn't even know about having a wall on top of a player so player look like he is behind the wall until I watched one of the videos. I think what I should do is finish the tutorial, make a simple not complex game with my own graphics, fun funny, just to practice and keep doing that until I get the correct and proper mojo and then I can write something great where it requires an artist.

Yes, I think this is the best thing you can do. Also, the reason is looks like DOS is because I'm using the classic sixteen color EGA/CGA palette at 320x200 just like the good old days. Try it out if you want something similar.

You have no IDEA how addicted I am to these style of games and adventure click games like Adventure Game Studio makes. You JUST HAVE NO idea of how HARD CORE addicted to these games..where text appear on top of the characters and they are colored red, pink, purple, green, and how the head woobles when they talk. I have hard core addiction to Sierra style of graphics, primitive, DOSy like, old retro, pixilated, aaaaaaaaaaaaah!! ART IN ITSELF!! ART IN ITSELF!! I am willing to buy adventure games for four years straight and only play these types of games for four years straight and want more...more...more...more...more....more!! I am like 'cookie monster', I just cannot have enough of it man...I cannot! I mean, looking at your art and looking at that pixilation one the ceiling above there, the eye, the door, the panel...this is it...this is the colors, quality and style I don't mind using for my game. IN fact, you may be officially be my ARTIST! I will finish my simple game with my arts and would love it to "upgrade" it with your arts when I am finished!! Maybe you can use my arts and add into it for improvement if you like!

heltenjon · Tue 30/08/2022 01:25:59

Quote from: xboxown on Tue 30/08/2022 00:53:52
I am willing to buy adventure games for four years straight and only play these types of games for four years straight and want more...more...more...more...more....more!! I am like 'cookie monster', I just cannot have enough of it man...I cannot!

https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/allgames/
https://archive.org/details/adventuregamestudio