MAGS April: Sleeping (VOTE)

Atelier · Thu 02/04/2015 22:39:46

Topic: 'Sleeping'

This month's guidelines were set by Hobo:

The word "sleeping" is the only rule. How you interpret or understand it is completely up to you. It may be a sleeping or sleepy character, a strange dream-like world, insomnia or just something you can do in the game to pass the time. Have a fun narcoleptic month of game development!

Ending 30th April

__________________________________________________________________________________________

What is MAGS?

MAGS is a monthly competition for 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.

Entering MAGS is simple. First, conceptualise your game following the month's criteria (see top). Second, create your game fueled only by coffee. Finally, post your game in this thread, including:

Ã¢Å"â€œ A working download link
Ã¢Å"â€œ The title of your game
Ã¢Å"â€œ A suitable in-game screenshot

At the end of the month, voting will begin, usually lasting for fifteen days. The winner chooses the next month's theme, and their name and game is immortalised in the MAGS Archive. For more information, please visit the Official MAGS website.

Myshkin · Fri 03/04/2015 04:56:18

Nice theme, thanks Hobo... I think I can do something with this one. In fact, I'm determined to complete something for this, whether it's a game or just some kind of interactive experiment. It's been a while since I've made anything, so I'll declare my intention to do so right now to try and self-motivate

Armageddon · Fri 03/04/2015 05:44:23

I love the theme, it's open to so many possibilities. Can't wait to see what people come up with!

Ghost · Fri 03/04/2015 07:51:39

A lovely theme! I just started on a new job and don't know if I can get something done but... oh listen... I hear the siren song of night shifts...

Stupot · Fri 03/04/2015 08:04:01

I will definitely try and do something for this month as I have just moved house and have a couple of weeks before my new job starts. I'll have to give myself a self-imposed deadline of two weeks though.* Currently sitting in a coffee shop with a new notepad and pen. Let's do this!

*in fact, since the Adventure Jam starts tomorrow, might as well make that the target and see if I can enter it there, too

st. · Mon 06/04/2015 09:46:23

I'd like to do something too. So far I have the idea, the title and maybe the music. By the way, the title will be "Sleeping Beauty"; I hope that doesn't upset anyone's plans. March has been a time of starting projects, none I could be excited about though. Now I finally had an idea that is good enough

I know I'll definitely make the game, although it may not be ready in time for the contest. I decided to get it done without pushing myself as hard as in the case of TFS. Ideally I'd have enough time available to add rather than cut parts. I look forward to doing other things differently also, like using less overwhelming speech

Ultimately I'd like to achieve something that more of us can think back to with pleasure.

An April of blossoming to all!

Monsieur OUXX · Tue 07/04/2015 08:27:18

tantalizing

st. · Tue 07/04/2015 12:39:14

tantalizing? For me MAGS is workshop rather than contest

I hope this has to do with what you meant.

Anyway, for your interest you get some concept art

[imgzoom]http://i59.tinypic.com/10clnd4.jpg[/imgzoom]This is the main character, a man figure carrying a woman figure in his arms.

On the lines of 'how is the project coming along?', I already made a few steps in the directions of the story and the game world; I also decided on the interface

Eggie · Tue 07/04/2015 21:53:45

I am also attempting to make mine an AdventureJam entry and tweeting my progress here!

It's about this chucklehead

ArgyBoi · Wed 08/04/2015 03:19:19

Quote from: Atelier on Thu 02/04/2015 22:39:46

I feel honored for Symbiosis to be on the "guidelines" image.

Good luck to all the contenders!

Atelier · Wed 08/04/2015 09:33:43

Quote from: JuaniT on Wed 08/04/2015 03:19:19
I feel honored for Symbiosis to be on the "guidelines" image.

Credit to Hobo, he chose the illustration this month

5* 4 people interested in entering already? Looks like it's shaping up to be a good month.

* counted st twice

Myshkin · Wed 08/04/2015 10:30:46

Well, I've written the music and the opening line of dialogue for my game. Unfortunately this is as far as I've got and I still have no idea what the story, graphics, or actual "gameplay" will be. I'm kind of feeling bereft of ideas. I'm hoping if I just stare at my computer screen for long enough something will come to me

Stupot · Wed 08/04/2015 12:19:55

My game is called "Power Nap".

You play Greg, a guy who got no sleep last night. You want nothing more than a quick power nap, but your boss is cracking down on nappers.
~~Hilarity~~ mild hijinx ensues.

I have set up a GameJolt page for it, though there isn't much to show off yet.
http://gamejolt.com/games/adventure/power-nap/58788/

While there isn't much in the way of graphical delight, I've been working under the hood on a bunch of puzzles and what-not.
To save a bit of time, I was wondering if any musicians fancied donating a track or two (only one is necessary, a second would be nice). If so, I'd be ever-grateful.

Mandle · Wed 08/04/2015 15:03:33

Quote from: Stupot+ on Wed 08/04/2015 12:19:55
My game is called "Power Nap".

You play Greg, a guy who got no sleep last night. You want nothing more than a quick power nap, but your boss is cracking down on nappers.

Could you maybe rename him "Ross" as this is the exact same situation I'm in tomorrow?

(oh....and come and wake me up tomorrow as we live about 60 kms away...7:00AM will be fine...)

st. · Wed 08/04/2015 16:19:13

Quotecounted st twice

I'm sorry if I let my fans down but I don't plan on entering 2 games this MAGS, sorry... Actually I'd be happy if, at the end of April, I'd have enough to start a GIP thread. But there is hope: I recently managed to convince myself to resize a big game world to something extendable (in case of success(not MAGS success, game making success(well, something I won't be ashamed of...)))

Oh and for something to tag my project's third day photo with: Brewing over an idea-story-game_world triangle (no more concept art yet; but there's a rumor that I finally made a tree drawing that I was able to like! Yes, there will be trees.)

@Stupot+: this reminds me of a french comic strip from my youth featuring a wizard's apprentice that kept wanting to go back to sleep while the wizard kept playing jokes on him...Disciplus Simplex or something like that...

Creamy · Mon 13/04/2015 22:12:35

Quote@Stupot+: this reminds me of a french comic strip from my youth featuring a wizard's apprentice that kept wanting to go back to sleep while the wizard kept playing jokes on him...Disciplus Simplex or something like that...

Actually, the wizard is Leonardo Da Vinci. I loved that comic strip

"Power nap" reminds me of Baldur's Gate, where the magicians had to take a nap every 2 minutes to remember their spells.

I've started something too. However, I don't plan on entering the Adventure Jam.

Nice characters, Springthoughts.

Stupot · Tue 14/04/2015 01:01:19

@Creamy Hehe. That reminds me of a prank some classmates played on my teacher during a Geography trip. They bought like 15 of 20 cheap alarm clocks and and set them up in his bedroom to go off at different intervals. He was so pissed off it was hilarious.

As for MAGS. I'm still in and still on target for the Jam deadline. There may be some screenshots soon if I can pull my finger out.

Monsieur OUXX · Tue 14/04/2015 09:47:50

Quote from: Creamy on Mon 13/04/2015 22:12:35
Quote@Stupot+: this reminds me of a french comic strip from my youth featuring a wizard's apprentice that kept wanting to go back to sleep while the wizard kept playing jokes on him...Disciplus Simplex or something like that...
Actually, the wizard is Leonardo Da Vinci. I loved that comic strip

One of the funniest and most crazy comics! "I SERVE SCIENCE AND IT'S MY JOY", says the apprentice (almost always just before being smashed to dust by some device Leonardo just invented).

...But I digress

About the sleep topic:

st. · Tue 14/04/2015 10:42:48

QuoteActually, the wizard is Leonardo Da Vinci.

Thanks

I don't think I understood any word in french back then! Anyway, it would be nice to see those characters in a game...

QuoteNice characters

Thanks, again

But there's only one character! The man and the woman will not be apart throughout the game. And she'll be asleep. Obviously, he won't be able to use his hands

The idea behind the game is one interpretation of the well known tale, but besides that and the character there won't be much else in common.

My project advances really, really slow. The game concept is sufficiently developed to allow me to start drawing, but that isn't one of my strengths... According to my finish-in-time-for-MAGS scenario, I would finish the static components of all rooms, the interface and the walking frames of the main character by the end of this week and I would have a screenshot for you. But I can't promise anything...

A few things that I'm certain of: the action will take place in a forest; there will be fantasy elements, but the theme is somewhere between Fantasy and Contemporary; there will be more action and less talk than in my previous creations. I'm attempting to get even closer to the adventure genre this time

st. · Thu 16/04/2015 20:46:19

It make take a while to arrive at an actual screenshot, but here is something just as good - this is how one of the 'Rooms' will look like, full view and possible in-game-like view:

The wind brushing her hair, the snoring boulders, the dripping wall, the spider hiding behind the rock and the stars playing with their rays look back at you and say hi!

xil · Sat 18/04/2015 03:29:42

My game 'blind to siberia' is finished! It's done a bit early as I entered it into #adventurejam as well

I hope that's okay and not a faux pas!

Here is the completed game thread: http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=52037.0

[imgzoom]http://calicoreverie.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/bts4.png[/imgzoom]

Stupot · Sat 18/04/2015 14:29:04

Same as Xil, I'm hoping to jointly entering this into both MAGS and Adventure Jam as long as nobody has any objections with that.

Ive uploaded it to the database now (~~but for some reason the screenshots aren't showing~~ fixed): http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/1912/
And here is the Completed Game post: http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=52038

_{Gorgeous hand-painted title screen}

_{Gorgeous hand-painted inventory}

_{Gorgeous photo-realistic photocopier}

Enjoy.

Myshkin · Sat 18/04/2015 23:52:19

My only problem is that I wish I thought of it too!
Congrats to both of you for finishing early

Eggie · Sun 19/04/2015 15:59:51

Love both the entries so far!

For my game I ran out of time for Adventurejam and released a janky mess, but I should be able to spruce it up for the MAGS deadline

st. · Wed 22/04/2015 20:50:20

Update!

After advancing as slow as lazily possible (while maintaining the appearance of working at a project) I managed to complete the prototypes of all Rooms (all is a big word in this case... you'll see). By the time I announced that the game concept is developed enough, it was already greatly different from what I initially had in mind (idea and story remaining the same) and the consequent demands for more complex animations, game mechanics and interface indicated quite a long period of labor. But I didn't know how comfortable you people are about MAGS being a place where projects are only started? Anyway, now it's sure that Sleeping Beauty is not going to be ready by the end of April. The new plan is to have in the first half of May one of the two screenshots required by a GIP thread. A second screenshot would demonstrate more complex aspects of the game than walking and talking to npcs and so it will come some weeks later. Working at the same pace I expect to finish by the end of Summer (2015!). A rather long time for what will be a very short game, albeit with some replay value. I feel like saying more about it but it's probably better to wait until the GIP thread is up. Some parting words now, as this is probably my last return to MAGS-April. Thank you Hobo! The idea that started it all came in response to the challenge launched by your topic. Thank you Atelier for hosting me at MAGS, again! And thanks to all participants and to all that expressed an interest in this MAGS - the workshop I'm growing fond of is here also because of you!

Stupot · Wed 29/04/2015 23:34:52

Deadline today. How are those WiPs coming? X

Eggie · Thu 30/04/2015 08:39:42

Uuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... Submitting just before midnight will be fine right? :p

Kasander · Thu 30/04/2015 14:59:32

Well, I've joined forces with Emont a couple of weeks ago, but there was very little chance we could meet MAGS deadline. We should be able to complete it until mid to late June though. I'm helping with art and story to support Emont's idea and Emont is coding and making music (which sounds brilliant, BTW!). Here's one of the backgrounds I'm working on (WIP obviously):

[imgzoom]http://i.imgur.com/RNjnlkM.jpg[/imgzoom]

I look forward to playing your games guys and good luck to those who are still "on the run" (fingers crossed, spring thoughts!)

Eggie · Thu 30/04/2015 23:59:50

SOMNAMULIZER: A Tale From Olympus U
Currently uploading, be sure to download the build that says MAGS VERSION.

FEATURES:
* Play as Hypnos the Greek god of sleep!
* Drug People
* Witness animations when they work!
* Hear nice music that I do not own the copyright to!
* Text
* Images
* Fffffffffff
* Autosave!!!
* Nudity but it's totes SFW because they're Greek gods and my art style is literally indistinguishable from ancient statues
* ARRRGH

I was fixing things up to the last minute but it's nowhere near as polished as it should be and I'm kicking myself for it; you're going to notice a lot of animation glitches and missing interactions though HOPEFULLY I've squashed everything game-breaking. Oh yeah, also the last part of the game's one long cutscene because I cut two big puzzles, AIN'T I A STINKER :|

EDIT: Stil uploading, may I please have a ~~ten~~ fifteen minute extension :| :| :|
EDIT: I've had to take it down I only went an uploaded a version that starts in the wrong room ha ha ha no no no no
EDIT: Back up 00:50, boy I have to go work in four hours

shaun9991 · Fri 01/05/2015 16:38:21

There's some very cool looking games here -- especially looking forward to that game by Kasander and Emont - it looks beautiful

And big congrats to Stupot for killing two birds with one stone - fun game!!

Myshkin · Sun 03/05/2015 02:49:41

Eggie, that is one of the most alluring screen shots of an AGS game I've ever seen! I just HAVE to play that game now to know what the hell is going on there

As Kasander said, we started working on something together that couldn't make the deadline. He's coming up with some really incredible art for it and there was no way I had the time to do it justice in the few weeks we've been talking, so we've avoided the MAGS deadline and are hoping to finish it later in another month or two. Still, the main thing is we've got working on something that wouldn't have existed otherwise, so thanks to all those involved in keeping MAGS going!

Stupot · Wed 06/05/2015 02:33:27

What's happening now? Has voting started yet?

HanaIndiana · Thu 07/05/2015 01:47:57

Do we send a PM to Atelier to vote?

Atelier · Thu 07/05/2015 18:10:28

Sorry guys, May is exam month so my visits are sporadic. Three entries this month:

Blind to Siberia by xil: http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=51959.msg636511620#msg636511620
Power Nap by Stupot: http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=51959.msg636511638#msg636511638
SOMNAMULIZER: A Tale From Olympus U by Eggie: http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=51959.msg636512609#msg636512609

Please PM this account (or the MAGS Host account) with your vote by 20th May. Good luck everybody!

PS. please include the phrase 'mags' somewhere in your PM to make it easier for me to count

Atelier · Tue 12/05/2015 13:05:36

We only have 3 votes in so far. There's still about a week left to play and vote!

Stupot · Sun 24/05/2015 03:27:07

How's the voting coming along? Did more than 3 people vote? $:-\$

Stupot · Thu 04/06/2015 15:37:13

We have been reliably informed by Atelier that the result of April's MAGS was a tie between Power Nap and Somnamulizer. But Blind to Siberia was great, too. Unlucky this time Xil.

So that finally puts a lid on April's MAGS/AdventureJam crossover. Look out for June's topic very soon, once Eggie and I have thought of one.

xil · Thu 04/06/2015 16:37:42

Congrats guys!