April MAGS

Klaus · Sun 04/04/2004 11:05:50

What is MAGS?
MAGS is a monthly competition for all amateur adventure game makers. The idea is to use AGS to create a game in under a month, following the rules set by the previous winner.

For more information please visit the Official MAGS Website

Why should I enter MAGS?
BECAUSE MAGINTZ SAID SO... !

joking

We're not here to tell you that you should enter MAGS, but merely allow it as a creative opportunity to help you work to a deadline, improve your skills, and generally as a good kick-start for the new comers (a.k.a n00bies).

MAGS is the perfect opportuninty to make a game, and the wonderful prize is to announce the net month's rules, and all competitiors get the game placed on the MAGS website.

MAGS is meant to be fun and is aimed at everyone, despite their skill. If you have poor art skills work on graphics, and vice-versa, as the voting is based on "favourite" games, and not the most artistic, you may get help for the competiton, but must not get anyone else to do any part of the game for you.

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Theme - Funkadelic

Geoffkhan set some rules that lead us to the world of funky music.
It's on you to decide where to place the game and what to do. See for yourself...

No restriction on colour depth or resolution.

One of the central characters in the plot must be a musician.
Also, the antagonist must have a weird phobia.

Items (pick at least two) you must have in the game:
- Lava lamp
- Tropical print shirt
- Afro wig
- Roller skates
- Guitar pick
- 70's tinted sunglasses
- Turban
- Skull medallion
- Tuning fork
- Lampshade
- Vinyl record

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All games in by 27th April.
Please post a download link of your game entry to this thread, best with a screenshot. Thanks and good luck.

Mats Berglinn · Sun 04/04/2004 12:06:11

Not bad rules, not bad at all. In fact, they're quite cool. If it weren't because of my computer doesn't let me play AGS games or test my own AGS games I would have started on it right away.

By the way, what is a tuning fork?

Peter Thomas · Sun 04/04/2004 12:23:51

Musicians use them to take a pitch...

it looks kinda like a normal fork except without the 'middle' prong.

You bang it against the side of your head (the most common way, anyway) , and you hear a note, which allows you to decide which note to start on etc.

A bit like the principle of banging the tip of a spoon against the lip of a champane glass. You hear a dinging noise. The idea is similar.

Ginny · Sun 04/04/2004 12:29:27

Err, looks like the rules dictate funky music in the game? or can I have like, mute concerts

.

Well, this will take some thought.

What do you mean by the world of funky music anyway?

Klaus · Sun 04/04/2004 13:10:39

Quote from: GinnyW on Sun 04/04/2004 12:29:27What do you mean by the world of funky music anyway?

Oh, i just mixed up the words "musician" and "funkadelic" that Geoffkhan used in his description. So you don't need to build a whole world of funkiness at all

Quote from: GinnyW on Sun 04/04/2004 12:29:27looks like the rules dictate funky music in the game?

There's this line " the antagonist must have a weird phobia": So for one's game concept this may mean a phobia against funk music - so you don't need to use this genre of sound. But that's just an idea in case you don't like funk...

Ginny · Sun 04/04/2004 14:07:34

Hmm well I was more thinking along the lines that i need at least some music in the game, hehe.
Anyway, I have an idea in mind, but it isn't too original, also, I seem to have slightly forgotten what funk sounds like..
So, just to be clear that this fits in the rules:
You play a music fanatic whose idol musician has come to town to perform. You are the concert with a ticket you got for backstage, but you can't get there.. The antagonist is a lone-wolf kinda person who wants to stop the concert and kill you idol.
How's that for a premise? Does it work with the rules (I won't reveal the phobia yet)Not one of my most original ideas to say the least, but it should work. And this means, walkcycles! I'll work on my main character soon.

P.s. Does this mean the game doesn't actually have to be about funk music, but rather any kind of music, and any kind of musician?

Klaus · Sun 04/04/2004 16:28:30

Quote from: GinnyW on Sun 04/04/2004 14:07:34
... How's that for a premise? Does it work with the rules

P.s. Does this mean the game doesn't actually have to be about funk music...

To me your game idea sound absolutely fitting the rules. Also I'd say "Yes, you're right" as answer to your question in P.S. But to be sure let's better wait for a reply from Geoffkhan

rtf · Sun 04/04/2004 17:39:09

Yeah! These are the best rules yet!
I'm going to definatly enter.

Pet Terry · Sun 04/04/2004 19:20:53

These are the best rules in looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong time. Nice job on this Geoff. I would enter if I had more time...

Gregjazz · Sun 04/04/2004 20:31:47

No, I didn't intend for funk to necessarily be the music genre of the game. Heck, you could make your game about a bunch of baroque music hippies (oops, did I just give you an idea?).

By funky, I didn't really intend to imply funk music (although that'd be cool too), but more like "wacky".

Watch Wayne's World or Spinal Tap for inspiration.

Ginny · Sun 04/04/2004 21:01:14

Ooh, perfect, whacky games ahoy! I'm gonna hammer out the plotline and puzzles and dialogs tonight, maybe part of tommorow, and work on the main character, so hopefully I'll make this in time.

BOYD1981 · Sun 04/04/2004 22:30:42

Quote from: Geoffkhan on Sun 04/04/2004 20:31:47
By funky, I didn't really intend to imply funk music (although that'd be cool too), but more like "wacky".

or smelly

i might actually try do something for this, i've already started designing a character

Evil · Mon 05/04/2004 01:16:20

So more or less a music basis then just "funk"? What about a dis"funk"tional band? $:-\$

BerserkerTails · Mon 05/04/2004 03:35:05

Hmmm... I'm thinking of an idea, don't know if I'll have time to enter... But here's my ploy synopsis so far...

The game's name would be Disfunctional Harmony. It would be about an orchestra that is about to put on a show in a large concert hall and brodcasted live on TV. Suddenly, an evil terrorist rock band hijacks the concert hall, so they can play a show on live TV a get a record contract. Now, the only one who can stop them is...

Luftpause! The maestro/superhero!

You would play as Luftpause as he infiltrates the concert hall and saves the day!

Do you think I should try to work on this game?

ElectricMonk · Mon 05/04/2004 04:30:35

As a German native speaker, I have to ask...
"Luftpause"? "air pause"?
I don't get it.

BerserkerTails · Mon 05/04/2004 05:05:50

Luftpause is eaxtly that. It's an air pause. It's actually a term in music (Mostly classical). It's when the whole band stops, and there's silence for a second or two, and then the conductor tells the band when to start again.

It's commonly used right before the last note/chord of a peice. You know, just as the thing build up and it's all dissonant and stuff. Then everything stops. Then BAM, the last chord.

rtf · Mon 05/04/2004 05:45:38

Under "Items(Pick at least two)", does that mean like Items in the backround, or inventory objects?

Gregjazz · Mon 05/04/2004 06:13:56

Releasethefrogs, 'items' could mean inventory or just hotspots. It doesn't really matter, as long as two of those are in the game somehow.

Berserkertrails, that idea sounds good to me. "Luftpause" the maestro/superhero would be a great character!

Moox · Tue 06/04/2004 03:28:24

you could set an entire game in a skating rink lol

Creed Malay · Wed 07/04/2004 13:28:08

I got a story for this, and I'd like to do the game, but it's music reliant, in part, and I have no talents in tune makeing whatsoever... would any skilled music-type-person like to do some stuff for a game based around a brass band on death row?

Davy

ElaineMc · Wed 07/04/2004 19:28:34

Screenshot!

Mats Berglinn · Fri 09/04/2004 17:40:46

ElaineMc: That seems interresting and pretty good art too.

ElaineMc · Fri 09/04/2004 17:46:09

Isn't it? Sadly, none of it's mine-- it's all RON work. I only edited things.

Evil · Fri 09/04/2004 18:35:55

Â¬_Â¬

Gregjazz · Fri 09/04/2004 22:20:01

Wow, Evil, you're pretty determined! Good luck!

Evil · Fri 09/04/2004 22:28:23

I know. I have to finish all of my art, storyline and characters then script the whole thing and find some music. God, I'm gonna fail.

Rocco · Sat 10/04/2004 00:02:58

Im also in, and i think i have a job for "Luftpause" the maestro/superhero in the game, but i prefer
Franceso H. Airbreak cause it sounds much cooler.

Joelman · Tue 13/04/2004 23:40:57

i'm in, but if I don't submit anything it's because i ran out of time, and didn't want to show an incomplete game :^D

Mats Berglinn · Wed 14/04/2004 09:08:08

Who would show an imcomplete game for MAGS competition anyway?

Evil · Thu 15/04/2004 01:28:19

If I run out of time, I'm just gonna end the game in some freak manner anyway. Heh.

Edit: Well I got on AGS the other day and its changed a lot since I last used it. Not to mention serious errors that I dont know anything about. My computer is crap. I highly doubt I will finish this month. However with all of the other stuff I am doing, I doubt it will ever get done.

Ishmael · Tue 20/04/2004 12:10:19

Quotethe antagonist must have a weird phobia

I just read this topic and tripped on my own strings... what's an antagonist?

Ginny · Tue 20/04/2004 13:21:05

The same way the protagonist is the hero (usually the main PC), the antagonist is a villain.
I'm still unsure what phobia I'll give him, but I don't think either way I'll finish this on time. I haven't worked on it for over a week, all this school pressure... Arg!

Gregjazz · Wed 21/04/2004 22:34:26

Antagonist = bad guy in the story -- force against main character

Pet Terry · Sat 24/04/2004 11:29:25

Surprise!

Freddy Almost has a band. A funk band. But their situation is bad. They're out of money and it may be the end for the band... unless they get more money!

Okay, so I can't access internet from home for a while, so I decided I'll make a short game because rules for this month's MAGS rocks. So made I short one, but I'm pretty satisfied with graphics and music especially (it rocks because I didn't make it

)

WARNING! Game contains a scene of two people having sex etc. So don't play it if you are offenced too easily or something... but if not... download it now!

Thanks you.

DOWNLOADING NOW!

Mats Berglinn · Sat 24/04/2004 14:00:27

Finally a entry-game! If I had my new graphic-card I would have dowloaded the game right away.

It's good that something have happened after a long time of silence.

Pet Terry · Sat 24/04/2004 14:05:38

Heh, I wanted to keep this game as a surprise. I sure hope Elaine MC and Evil will finish their games aswell.

Chicky · Sat 24/04/2004 15:04:25

yey, i have somthing to do

cheers pete

really apreciate it

-OSc

Rocco · Sat 24/04/2004 16:05:17

im also working hardly on finishing my game, so i havent time now to play yours.
it looks very funny from my first impression.
But i need a little help, with control and correcting my text.
Cause im not so well suited with the english grammar.
maybe a native englisch speaker, who is not involved in making games for the competition this month would be fine.
I guess i can finish the lyrics tomorrow.

Klaus · Mon 26/04/2004 11:10:17

So you all remember the deadline for this competition: April 27th.

You have one day left to go until the voting will start in 24 hours from now (check timestamp of this posting). Good luck everyone.

magintz · Mon 26/04/2004 22:26:02

the clock is ticking

Rocco · Mon 26/04/2004 22:45:53

Its done,

This were the hardest 2 weeks of my life so far, and i could not implement even half of the ideas, but i guess this is not unusal.
So here it is: Airbreak

Hopefully its understandable cause i finished the text yesterday (in fact today), and so was not enough time to correct and control the whole text grammar.
Thanks to Scuth who has try to do it.

Here you can download the game: http://www.virtual-illusion.com

EDIT: Sorry I found an bug and repair it, now a better functioning version is downloadable.
If someone have the first version:
The bug was in the first screen, if you try to go in the building without solving the puzzle with the parking-meter, the charakter stucks. So dont try this if you havent paid the parking-meter or download the hopefully buggyfree new version, again.

EDIT: German version included

EDIT: GAME SOURCE AVAILABLE

A few words to the game:
i used 800x600 with 32 bit so its rather huge with 13,6Mb filesize.
But it contains 1 complete song, and a few soundfragments.
So i guess its worth downloading it.
The plot: The player want to be the new funk-guitar player, at the band from maestro
Francesco van K. Airbreak, so he had to step through the musicschool, improve your music-ability
to finally get on stage with The Maestro himself

Le Woltaire · Tue 27/04/2004 04:46:34

Hello,

I have finished a game for april MAGS and would like to post it. It is my first game and I worked a whole week on it.

It plays in the future in the year 105346 AD and is located in a futuristic music akademy. One of the Maestros there turned completely mad and built a gigantic tuning fork that is able to destroy the whole universe just by its sound.

You play a young student, who tries to defeat this guy, but before you can do that you have to find the so called "Horn of Resonance" an ancient and mystic instrument with unknown powers.

I hope it works, I didn't have much time to test it...
It also contains some music played by me on the piano.
It should be possible to download it here....(5 MB)

http://12.22.230.41/MicroTech/Hosted/Games/MOS.zip

I hope these links work if not tell me please.

Mats Berglinn · Tue 27/04/2004 06:30:16

I never expected any more games coming before it was over. Oh well, it did happen to MAGS November as well.

spb · Tue 27/04/2004 08:39:50

After approximately a week's worth of experience with AGS, I offer a wee
little adventurette for the April MAGS competition.

Biwa of Blood really completely avoids the competition theme (`Funkadelic'),
being based on a story from Japanese folklore. It does, however, meet
the competition requirements (although only if a bachi---a biwa pick---can
fill in for a guitar pick).

The story is loosely based on a segment of the film Kwaidan (1964)
by Masaki Kobayashi. The film in turn was based on a book of the same
name by Ladcadio Hearn, in which he collected Japanese folk tales.

The entire game was implemented in somewhat less than a week, so it's very
short. It has also seen very little playtesting, so it is possible the game
contains bugs. Feel free to contact me if you find any.

Obligatory screenshot:

The game may be downloaded from here:
http://www.meshuggeneh.net/biwa.zip

Enjoy.

nope! · Tue 27/04/2004 14:25:11

spb: I love the atmosphere/whole design of the game. However, the standard speech font fits with the graphic style.

VAN_WOLTER: Unusal plot for an unique universe...maybe the intro is a little bit too long (some interactive parts would be interesting)...erkk I'm stuck.

Spoiler

I had the horn, "loaded" twice - book+rabbit trap -

[close]

Rocco: I have a 56K modem...I'm thinking of commiting suicide (less than 2% completed...argggg)

Le Woltaire · Tue 27/04/2004 15:27:21

Yes I was worried that the intro could be a bit too long.

On the other hand I needed a long Introduction to explain the strange plot and to introduce all characters.

Spoiler

Knollo has to change the horn a bit. The mouth piece of the horn is too small. He can find a bigger mouthpiece in his own room at the pupils quarters.

If you already did that, you should be able to play the altered horn by looking it. Try too use it somehow in the laboratory for example.

[close]

Klaus · Tue 27/04/2004 17:17:42

Okay. Time is more than up now. I wanted to wait for ElaineMc but nothing's in so far.
Also this time I'd like to especially remember these famous words:

Quote from: releasethefrogs on Sun 04/04/2004 17:39:09I'm going to definatly enter.

Anyway - let's start. For voting please visit the MAGS site or make your choice right here:

van K. Airbreak by Rocco
Once upon a time in the 70s by Petteri
Masters of Sound by Van Wolter
Biwa of Blood by spb

Please vote only once and be sure to have played all games before sending your voice! Good luck to all participants.

nope! · Tue 27/04/2004 18:42:57

VAN_WOLTER: I finished the game...in my point of view, the music would fit an old black & white movie (metropolis...)

Rocco: I managed to download the game but I couldn't figure out the earing puzzle (it's a little bit hard for non musicians)

Klaus: Don't be rude with releasethefrogs: his game "5 O'clock Lock" was finally done...Moreover, the entries are due by 27th...you have to wait til midinight

Rocco · Tue 27/04/2004 19:14:28

The ear training is no puzzle,its a lesson - it have do be done, no matter how good or bad you are.

nope! · Tue 27/04/2004 20:32:25

yep, I realised later than it was only a lesson.

I made some basic research t understand the "lesson"...I think that it would be interesting to explain in the .txt the basis of intervals.

(or at least, please, reduce, the numbers of possible answers -prim, octave, perfect 5, perfect 4)

Rocco · Tue 27/04/2004 20:51:00

I had it aimed in little pieces, but run out of time to split it up.
But maybe i work further on the game and make all the things i planned in the beginning, but then i need for sure at least another month.

Le Woltaire · Tue 27/04/2004 21:18:40

Thanks for playing my game nope!

Metropolis is an ecellent film I think. I would have been proud to make the music for it.

I just thought, that I could use this game instead for living up my late-romantic music ambitions to underline the drammatic moments of the completely pathetic story.

nope! · Tue 27/04/2004 21:30:01

Metropolis is quite good (and long).

Maybe you could make a game based on some silent films...or something like noir games (Cruise for a Corpse)

Your backgrounds style fits with "retro-futurist design" (metropolis, Blake & Mortimer comics).

spb · Wed 28/04/2004 05:26:31

Quote from: nope! on Tue 27/04/2004 14:25:11
spb: I love the atmosphere/whole design of the game. However, the standard speech font fits with the graphic style.

You mean it DOESN'T fit with the graphic style, yes? Or at least that's
what I thought---but I couldn't figure out how to create an inverted font
from a `standard' font (in the couple of days I had to complete the game).
I would've prefered to use the same (TrueType) font throughout the
entire game (all ten or fifteen minutes of it).

Glad you liked the look. For a thoroughly amateur artist such as myself,
the line between `minimalist art' and `something that looks like a
coffee stain' is narrow indeed.

Klaus · Wed 28/04/2004 07:50:26

Quote from: nope! on Tue 27/04/2004 18:42:57
Klaus: Don't be rude with releasethefrogs: his game "5 O'clock Lock" was finally done...Moreover, the entries are due by 27th...you have to wait til midinight

I see - that game is done in time but it's not a MAGS entry: It's not posted to this thread and there's no info about a participation on MAGS in his completed game announcement. So no...

For the deadline: The stated day is to be seen just an approximate time. Therefore always an info is posted some hours before the voting starts. This time 24 hours, with extension even 30 hours before. And if you actually need some more "minutes" to finish your entry you usually get these after a short message

nope! · Wed 28/04/2004 21:43:06

Klaus: ok, I was wrong.

I really thought that Evil (or Elaine) could finish in time.
(In fact, due to the lack of entries, I started "Who killed bambi II?"; just to make MAGS a real competition)

Spd: Yes, I mean DOESN'T.
Don't depreciate your own work: I love the way you draw rabbits ...what? It was a "monk"? Erkkk...

magintz · Sat 01/05/2004 09:28:24

It's that time of the month again....

*Magintz looks at all the female AGSers...*

sorry...

...OK, It's that OTHER time of the month again, when we get to announce the winner of this months MAGS, but this month is a little different because I am leaving MAGS. I shall begin to tell you about my life with MAGS.

*insert dream like scene*
It all happened a while back, I remember it as though it was yesterday, but considering I don't remember yesterday I shall make it up.

It was a cold and stormy night, we had been sailing for months in the high seas, with no food, no water and more importantly no AGS. My fellow crew member, DGMACPHEE, and I had landed ourselves in sticky water; sticky, salty water. The air was thick and so was the crew. Our sails had been torn apart and it was only a matter of time before we all went down to Davy Jones locker (the bottom of the sea, not RON). The ship was beginning to break apart and with his last ounce of strength DG strapped the only remaining life-vest to me and handed over the keys to MAGS, with his final breath we were taken under by a large wave - the next thing I knoe I woke up on a beach surrounded by strange people in thongs.
I stood up, cleared my eyes, puked over a nearby sea turtle and was on my way to becoming a might MAGS owner.

Since that day I will never forget DG's face as I saw him being dragged under with the ship, him trying to undo my life vest, and the anger and hatred in his eyes as he tried to pull me down with him, never to see him again, but if it were not for my trusty survival knife we would have both been dead.

*end dream scene*

Reminising asside I feel that it is due time to pass on the life of MAGS from me to Klaus. The reason for this is the hard work, determination and effort towards MAGS. I feel comfortable passing MAGS on to Klaus and I hope he can keep it going.

I have spoken to Klaus over the past few days and he has accepted the offer as of May and this month he will be the new owner.

Anyway, lets get back to the winners, sorry this post is a bit late, but I hope it shouldn't effect you guys too much. There were some really good entries this month and it has made my last month with MAGS really fun, but there can only be one winner...

van K. Airbreak by Rocco

Rocco, if you would like to send your rules for this month to Klaus asap

I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has entered and supported me throughout the time with me and MAGS and would also like to thank Klaus for all his effort into MAGS.

Goodbye MAGS... I'll miss you :'(

Pet Terry · Sat 01/05/2004 09:53:34

Man... what a story! Remember to tell that to your grandchildren when time comes...

Oh, and congrats Rocco, I haven't had time to play your game just yet, but I will soon!

Le Woltaire · Sat 01/05/2004 11:56:55

Congratulations to Rocco.

My personal favorite was "biwa of blood", because it had the most esthetical artwork I think.

Rocco · Sat 01/05/2004 14:00:22

Thanks,

im very happy about winning this competition.
Also thanks to Spb, Van_Wolter and Petteri, i guess all games this month are able to win, and worth to be played.
I also like the "Biwa of Blood" very much, cause this style gives an special atmosphere to the game, i will try this kind of style next time.

The rules for May:
I dont want to post it right away, but the most important thing about the rules would be,
to make an open source game, i hope this is compatible with the competition assignement.
I guess it is specially for noobs, very helpfull to see, how other game-creators have solved some things, and can learn from it.
This was my first AGS-Game, and I have learned a lot from the Open source game Exile and the Demo Quest.
So I also give away the complete Source files from Airbreak.
Downloadable on the Game site.
If somebody dont want to give away the artwork and music files, its enough when the gamecode is open source.
The main-Theme would be - ROBBERY - in any kind you like 8)
ok, now its nothing much more, so i Post the complete rules right away, hopefully klaus wouldnt kill me:

AGS-CODE must be open source.
THEME: ROBBERY ( could be all you can imagine from insurance cheating to a Planned Bank Robbery or a house break-in)

Pich at least two items from the list above, and include it somehow in your game:

lockpick
blueprint
night vision device
safe
alarm device
mask
black cape
headset
flame cutter
welding aparatus
gloves
watchmann

no other restrictions

Evil · Sun 02/05/2004 20:57:12

So a detective game then?