MAGS December: "It's Me Again" (CLOSED)

Atelier · Fri 02/12/2011 22:55:49

Topic: 'It's Me Again'

This month's guidelines were set by Duzz:

The topic is not limited, but the protagonist must meet their future self at some point in the game.

Ideas to help you:

â€¢ You give yourself advice on a tough upcoming decision.
â€¢ Your future self brings news.
â€¢ You won't tell yourself whether you hooked up with the woman of your dreams!

An old man carrying his grandson, coincidentally his younger self.
And a diagram of a dinoflagellate.

Incredible deja vu! I decided in October to repeat the really good theme we had so it wouldn't go to waste. Unfortunately it coincided with the Bake Sale and everybody was too drunk on milk and cookies. And almost as if I could tell the future, here it is again! You all had two months to get ready so there's no excuses

So let's end the year with an awesome round of MAGS. Yay!

And don't forget... this is your last chance to be an entrant in Maggies 2011! I'll be holding it much earlier next year in January (not March like last time). So you could be the next initiate into the exclusive Order of the Maggot.

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. 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.

Ghost · Fri 02/12/2011 22:58:08

OMG it's last month's MAGS... from THE FUTURE!

Ponch · Fri 02/12/2011 23:02:52

I have the strangest feeling of deja vu.

Radiant · Fri 02/12/2011 23:24:58

I have the strangest feeling of deja vu.

Atelier · Fri 02/12/2011 23:50:53

I'll take that as three entries already?

Ghost · Sat 03/12/2011 00:08:46

Yeah, well, you see, I just DECIDED to make an entry. I hope my future self will make it (plus a time machine), and then post it here. Time will tell, again and again and again.

If time allows I'm in. I have a cool little idea.

[edit]
Make that a 50/50% maybe yes...

Radiant · Sat 03/12/2011 00:28:24

Quote from: Atelier on Fri 02/12/2011 23:50:53
I'll take that as three entries already?

'fraid not, I've got no time for this in December.

Wyz · Sat 03/12/2011 00:33:02

I was about to start working on a game when my future self pop-up all of the sudden and told me to stop working on it for the good of humanity; so I did.

Ponch · Sat 03/12/2011 01:17:46

December Ponch was hoping to make another MAGS game, but he just doesn't have the time this month. However, maybe January Ponch will be able to deliver a game... through time!!

Atelier · Thu 08/12/2011 20:01:34

Nice sprite Ghost. Anybody else interested? C'monnnnn!

Ponch · Thu 08/12/2011 20:49:01

Quote from: Atelier on Thu 08/12/2011 20:01:34
Nice sprite Ghost. Anybody else interested? C'monnnnn!

Oh fine. If you're gonna pout, I'll make a MAGS game for you and leave it under your Christmas tree.

Radiant · Wed 14/12/2011 12:16:02

I have a meta question... I note that the previous MAGS had only a few more voters than participants. So perhaps we should advertise the contest to get more people involved in playing the games and choosing the best one? More visibility would be nice.

Atelier · Wed 14/12/2011 19:44:12

Quote from: Radiant on Wed 14/12/2011 12:16:02
I have a meta question... I note that the previous MAGS had only a few more voters than participants. So perhaps we should advertise the contest to get more people involved in playing the games and choosing the best one? More visibility would be nice.

This is a good suggestion.

But last round wasn't an average month, because the vote was called twice, so there's a possibility that some people (non-entrants) didn't re-vote. Usually for a round with three entries there's about 10-12 votes which isn't too bad. In August for example, there were 13 votes for 3 games, 7 for 2 in June, and 10 for 5 last month. I think when it gets to the stage were number of entries equals number of votes, that's more cause for concern.

Plus, the number of votes is reflective of theme. It was a rather esoteric month and not everybody would enjoy playing OSD games if they're not in the loop, and consequently not as many people voted.

Another factor which affects stats is whether people vote for themselves more than once (not likely I would hope). In Maggies 2010 for example somebody should have won by about twenty votes, but when I analysed it they all came from the same locality so I disqualified them, the evidence of cheating was conclusive. And sometimes anomalies can arise, like that time mode got featured on a gaming blog and got hundreds of votes

So apart from it being a non-representative month I do agree about more visibility for MAGS:

• If/when the new website goes live the MAGS pages could emigrate there, and this would boost awareness. I know magintz (?) created the original website so he would have to be consulted beforehand. For all intents and purposes there is nothing wrong with the website atm - but apart from me adding the guidelines and things, does anybody honestly visit it? I'm under the impression that people get the guidelines straight from the C&A forum and only visit it to vote. It would be a sensible move to absorb the MAGS pages into the main website. I believe they are based on the same server anyway.
• Another idea would be to add a category under the AGS Awards for Best MAGS Game. This is basically Maggies just sharing (or piggybacking) the gravity and attention of a more prestigious ceremony.

There are quite a few questions to be answered to recognise why people don't vote/enter, and if we can address these then hopefully the competition will gain a lot more interest. But the situation isn't particularly critical... I think MAGS will last as long as the AGS community here does; 24% of all games on the database are MAGS games. Bear in mind that some of the database is just half-assed 'games' like APP-Pack and the real percentage would be much higher

Tldr: I'll make a questionnaire to get info on who votes, how often, who enters, why, etc, then we can go from there.

Tabata · Wed 14/12/2011 20:15:39

Quote from: Radiant on Wed 14/12/2011 12:16:02
...So perhaps we should advertise the contest to get more people involved in playing the games and choosing the best one? More visibility would be nice.

Something simple like a headline when entering the AGS-Forum might also help a bit to remind the members. :

There is enough room in the banner (between the montage of game-pics and the AGS-Name for example) and it would be only for a week or so every month.

The MAGS-games of [name of month] are waiting for you to be played and voted!
... to be found here [link to â€žnormalâ€œ page or thread]

Sane Co. · Sun 18/12/2011 22:34:45

That would be a good idea, but i think that something else we could do is have MAGS voting integrated with the AGS profile. So when you log on a message apears saying that you have yet to vote on a MAGS game. Another thing to increase voting would be to make a point system where if you vote you gain points, and if you don't you lose them. But one would have to have a way to make everyone play before they voted. As for adding more entries, we have to create more awareness, I didn't even know what a MAGS game was until a week ago, but I'm planning on making some MAGS games next year.

Atelier · Mon 19/12/2011 14:35:49

I guess there's a fine line between encouraging people to vote and forcing people to vote. Forfeiting points just by not voting isn't a good idea, as people don't have to even go into the C&A forums if they don't want to.

In fact, for the biggest competition, MAGS is quite tucked away here. The best way to increase visibility (on the forums) is to have a MAGS sub-forum. This would also serve to hold the previous competitions in chronological order, with stickied rules and Hall of Fame, much like in the C&A. This would separate MAGS from the other competitions and increase visibility and ease of access for participants, and most importantly potential participants. I might also suggest this would officialise the competition by giving it its own designated space. Sane, would you have heard of MAGS much sooner if such a thing had existed?

Now I know such a thing is unlikely to happen, particularly since there have long been proponents for a AGS Development sub-forum, which is demonstrably more important. But it can't be too hard to implement and in the long run I think it would definitely pay off.

I also promised a questionnaire on this and I will soon deliver! Even if it did take a while

Sane Co. · Mon 19/12/2011 16:45:40

Yeah, by having a MAGS subforum I would have known what MAGS was. But most AGSers have heard of MAGS, they just don't know what it is and if they search it on google they are never going to find it, so I do agree that having a MAGS forum would increase visibility.

cat · Mon 19/12/2011 16:54:23

It would help if the official page was updated on a regular basis :

Besides, many people might not be interested in MAGS or simply don't have time for it. Participating or voting in a SpriteJam or BackgroundBlitz is much easier.

Sane Co. · Wed 21/12/2011 14:46:21

True, cat, but increasing awareness would actually increase the number of participants thus making it more fun for everybody, and even if there are few entries then there will be more voters and that's good too.

Radiant · Thu 22/12/2011 07:42:50

A simple link in a visibile place should do a lot to increase awareness. A points system for voting is just overly complicated.