MAGS May "Forgotten History" (CLOSED)

[Stupot]

Topic: "Forgotten History"
Guidelines by JackPutter

The winner of MAGS May was Pride and Relatives by IntenseDegree

	We'll Meet Again by Slasher
	Day of the Dimetrodon by Blondbraid
	Pride and Relatives by IntenseDegree

Create a game that focuses on a little-known figure from history, real or fictional. This could be an adventure in caveman times, political intrigue in the times of Henry VIII, or the recollections of an ordinary soldier in the Vietnam war. Perhaps your protagonist's actions inadvertently led to a major historical event, or maybe they are the younger sibling of a famous historical personality.

Science fiction technology, time travel, and magical elements are not forbidden, but the setting itself should be based in reality. (Maybe Joan of Arc's brother, John of Arc, was a struggling magician? Maybe Shakespeare's famous lost play is discovered, and it turns out to be about aliens from the planet Quarg?)

Existing artwork and sound elements are allowed.

[Kastchey]

*lights up Blondbraid sign*

[Blondbraid]

*lights up Blondbraid sign*

I got to say, this cracked me up! 

I've actually been toying with making a Dimetrodon-centered MAGS entry for some time now, if the Permian age counts as forgotten history.

[pell]

I'm in again now that I've gotten my feet wet.

[cat]

This topic helped me find a new Pick of the Month https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/picks/ 

[Riaise]

Oh, thank you, cat!

[Slasher]

I'm thinking about:  "Tales of Parliament".

[Racoon]

I would like to participate this month, but I am really short on ideas. Maybe inspiration will come to me today.

[VampireWombat]

I would like to participate this month, but I am really short on ideas. Maybe inspiration will come to me today.

Open up a map and randomly choose a location. Then use a random number generator to choose a year. Then do research for the time and place you chose.

[Blondbraid]

I would like to participate this month, but I am really short on ideas. Maybe inspiration will come to me today.

Maybe check out National Geographic? They tend to have some good historical articles.

Also, I have just so many leftover ideas that's just been lying there in the back of my mind like forever like;

Something set during the great migration era - it's just such a rich historical period that spawned both the basis for the king Arthur legend and the Nibelungenlied
A chapter in the life of Catalina de Erauso - a woman who escaped a nunnery in order to become a conquistador
A neanderthal needing to save a man's life using brain surgery - I'm not kidding, they've literally found skulls from the era with scars proving the neanderthals were capable of successful head surgery
A stage magician helping British army fool the Nazis - Once again, this was a real historical event!
A story about one of all the people in the army who weren't a soldier - Like a seamstress, cook, blacksmith or similar just trying to do their part to keep the army fed and equipped
A game about Shi Pei Pu - a Chinese opera singer turned spy who seduced a french embassy employee whilst disguised as a woman, and even convinced the man that he'd had a child with him
A game where you play as an Eohippus - they were pre-historic horses the size of a rabbit, need I say more?

Ok, I'll try and restrain myself from derailing the whole thread with just my ideas, but I hope this small sample might be of help to someone struggling with ideas.

[Cassiebsg]

 

[Stupot]

Or just keep tapping 'random' on wikipedia until you come across some obscure person, place or thing from history (technically everything is from some point in history if it currently exists).

[Durq]

This would be a perfect topic to make a game from the perspective of one of Hernan Cortes' soldiers during the conquest of the Aztecs.

[TheFrighter]

A game about Shi Pei Pu - a Chinese opera singer turned spy who seduced a french embassy employee whilst disguised as a woman, and even convinced the man that he'd had a child with him

What a bizarre spy story! 
I hope you realized it soon or later!

_

[Slasher]

I've had a bit of a change,,

We'll meet again somme sunny day Set during WW1 in the trenches...

[Slasher]

We'll meet again...
"In a trench during the battle of the Somme during WW1 in France, the German's are bombarding the British trenches with heavy shells and machine guns. So far you have lost dozens of your friends and there seems no stopping the German war machine. The morale's are very low and every soldier has been told that they will be going 'Over the top' very soon into 'No man's land' to face the German's in bayonet combat like sheep facing lions.
If there was only a way to stop all this bloodshed and madness."

Enter the world of British soldiers (Tommy's) fighting in the trenches under heavy fire from the Germans in WW1. What was it like? Every moment of their lives was spent in fear, and death was only a shot away. At times they would sing and tell jokes as a way to forget the horrors for a short while.... The thought of never returning home brought them nightmares and very soon they would be going 'Over the top'...

This was a time when PC never existed, not like today....

[Slasher]

Hi

I have made a great start to my entry..

I've made around 18 characters for my game so far and will need about 6 more...

The main room scene in the video is just a portion of a scrolling screen and is the intro.

The story requires about 5 rooms in total..

https://youtu.be/BLliOKWL17Q

[Slasher]

Anybody got something to show yet?

I hope we get a turnout like we did for last month...

Meanwhile my entry is about 95% done...

Using my own L/R click custom Sierra Style Template...

[Ponch]

I'm trying to get something together in time, but we'll see if I actually get it finished before the deadline. My MAGS track record is not the best.

[VampireWombat]

I might try to do something this month. I'll have to see how the next week goes.

[pell]

I'm going to bow out unless I get a flash of inspiration for something I can do well in a couple of weeks. I like the idea I was thinking about, but it needs some more time to incubate.

[Slasher]

I'm going to bow out unless I get a flash of inspiration for something I can do well in a couple of weeks. I like the idea I was thinking about, but it needs some more time to incubate.

Really hope you guys come up with something, and something to thrill us all again 

My entry is complete and I am testing/tweaking/adding....

"Think of something, Muffin. Otherwise it'll be Sauerkraut and Knackwurst sausages for tea! Have a word with them.
Lift the men's spirits up! They can't face the enemy like a bunch of crying schoolgirls!" 

[Slasher]

Hi

My entry is ready for you guys to check out and hopefully those with eagle eyes and die-hards will report to me of any issues found.
(Tweaking as required.)



In a trench during the battle of the Somme during WW1 in France, the German's are bombarding the British trenches with heavy shells and machine guns. So far you have lost dozens of your friends and there seems no way of stopping the German war machine. The morale is quite low and every soldier has been told that they will be going 'Over the top' very soon into 'No man's land' to face the German's in bayonet combat like sheep facing lions.

Enter the world of British soldiers (Tommy's) fighting in the trenches under heavy fire from the Germans in WW1. What was it like? Every moment of their lives was spent in fear, and death was only a shot away. At times they would sing and tell jokes as a way to forget the horrors for a short while.... The thought of never returning home brought them nightmares and very soon they would be going 'Over the top'.

If there was only a way to stop all this bloodshed and madness.

You play as Corporal Muffin...

This was a time when PC never existed, not like it is today....

Uses Left Mouse Interact and Right Mouse Examine..

320x200

https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/2445-we-ll-meet-again-/

[heltenjon]

So I finally played We'll meet again today, and had a jolly good time.


My thoughts/bug report:

Spoiler

The message displayed in the screenshot above (Left mouse click etc.) looks like you should be able to click it away by clicking on the x, but it stayed on screen for the entire game, some times gently interfering with the dialogue display. Is this a bug?


In the radio operator's office, his graphic is doubled, so there is another hotspot in the upper left corner, where you can see his feet dangling, like he had hanged himself.


The game heavily channeled one of my favourite tv shows, the Black Adder. I enjoyed the dark humour and the sheer Englishness of the officer. I liked that the protagonist basically said the same to everyone, but got different answers...sort of. In a way, this is another mood piece with story in focus, as the puzzles are easy, even if they require some work.

[close]

[Slasher]

So I finally played We'll meet again today, and had a jolly good time.


My thoughts/bug report:

Spoiler

The message displayed in the screenshot above (Left mouse click etc.) looks like you should be able to click it away by clicking on the x, but it stayed on screen for the entire game, some times gently interfering with the dialogue display. Is this a bug?


In the radio operator's office, his graphic is doubled, so there is another hotspot in the upper left corner, where you can see his feet dangling, like he had hanged himself.


The game heavily channeled one of my favourite tv shows, the Black Adder. I enjoyed the dark humour and the sheer Englishness of the officer. I liked that the protagonist basically said the same to everyone, but got different answers...sort of. In a way, this is another mood piece with story in focus, as the puzzles are easy, even if they require some work.

[close]

I have taken off the text at the bottom which was a reminder about mouse clicks..

The 'hanging feet' in the Radio room was an old object. I have got rid of it..

Cheers heltenjon..

New Build uploaded 

[Slasher]

Where is everyone?

It's lonely here 

[Blondbraid]

Where is everyone?

It's lonely here 

Well, I've made some sprites for the main character of my entry;

But remember, she needs to bask in the sun for a while before she's warmed up enough for gameplay! 

[Slasher]

Looks great Blondbraid... Hope you finish the game...Prehistoric times I presume?

Stick her in the micro for a while to warm her up 

Fantastic

[Intense Degree]

I really don't think I'm going to be able to manage anything this month, but I have sort of started something so hopefully posting it might give me some motivation to try and finish something very small.

[imgzoom]https://i.imgur.com/N1vg7hU.png[/imgzoom]

[Cassiebsg]

If you need someone to push your button, just say so. 

[Radiant]

Is it ironic that I've forgotten to check the MAGS at the beginning of this month? Because I usually do, for inspiration...

[Stupot]

Is it ironic that I've forgotten to check the MAGS at the beginning of this month? Because I usually do, for inspiration...

Don’t worry. It’s all in the past. 

Look out for the next topic on June 1st*

(*Hopefully. That’s also when I go back to work after 2 months off.)

[VampireWombat]

Is anyone still working on a game? Do I need to put something together last minute?

[Deabriel]

Is anyone still working on a game? Do I need to put something together last minute?

I'm working on a game, I hope can finish it in time.

[Intense Degree]

If you need someone to push your button, just say so. 

Wow Cassie, don't know which button you pressed but it seems to have  knocked me out for a few days there! Just a heavy cold/flu type thing I think rather than the the dreaded Covid.

I really don't have much, but It's not nothing so I might try and cobble something very small and partly unfinished together.

[Slasher]

I really don't have much, but It's not nothing so I might try and cobble something very small and partly unfinished together.

Why not make it shorter and complete? Half baked is half done...   But let's see...

[VampireWombat]

Okay, two people still working on games. Then I probably won't push myself to make something. But if either of you needs help in finishing yours, feel free to ask.

[Cassiebsg]

Sorry, didn't meant to push so hard and throw you off the chair. 

But happy yo hear you're making something. 

[Racoon]

I would like to participate this month, but I am really short on ideas. Maybe inspiration will come to me today.

Maybe check out National Geographic? They tend to have some good historical articles.

Also, I have just so many leftover ideas that's just been lying there in the back of my mind like forever like;

Something set during the great migration era - it's just such a rich historical period that spawned both the basis for the king Arthur legend and the Nibelungenlied
A chapter in the life of Catalina de Erauso - a woman who escaped a nunnery in order to become a conquistador
A neanderthal needing to save a man's life using brain surgery - I'm not kidding, they've literally found skulls from the era with scars proving the neanderthals were capable of successful head surgery
A stage magician helping British army fool the Nazis - Once again, this was a real historical event!
A story about one of all the people in the army who weren't a soldier - Like a seamstress, cook, blacksmith or similar just trying to do their part to keep the army fed and equipped
A game about Shi Pei Pu - a Chinese opera singer turned spy who seduced a french embassy employee whilst disguised as a woman, and even convinced the man that he'd had a child with him
A game where you play as an Eohippus - they were pre-historic horses the size of a rabbit, need I say more?

Ok, I'll try and restrain myself from derailing the whole thread with just my ideas, but I hope this small sample might be of help to someone struggling with ideas.

Haha, I love you enthusiasm Blondbraid 
I had an idea at the beginning of the month about a game in wich is explained how Caspar David Friedrich meet the mysterious man in the painting "Wanderer im Nebelmeer". But then came a phase of havng a lot to do and after a while I just knew I was not going to make it. So see you again at MAGS June  I also look forward to all entries this month.

[Blondbraid]

Haha, I love you enthusiasm Blondbraid 
I had an idea at the beginning of the month about a game in wich is explained how Caspar David Friedrich meet the mysterious man in the painting "Wanderer im Nebelmeer". But then came a phase of havng a lot to do and after a while I just knew I was not going to make it. So see you again at MAGS June  I also look forward to all entries this month.

Thanks!
If only making a MAGS entry was as easy as writing down a cool idea, but right now I've had a lot of other things on my mind and it currently looks like my entry will be rather short and not much real gameplay I'm afraid,
so right now my only real reason to submit it is to keep Slasher from winning by default. 

[Slasher]

Aww  Blondbraid.....  If anyone can you can

Looking forward to something from you 

[Stupot]

@Blondbraid - if you need a couple of days extension that could be arranged. :-)

[Blondbraid]

@Blondbraid - if you need a couple of days extension that could be arranged. :-)

Thanks, though I'm worried extra time would just make me work slower.  I feel like my relation to working with deadlines is a lot like that animal in Harry Potter that magically changed size to fit any space, and putting it in a bigger room didn't give it more room to move because it just expanded until it had filled up the whole room anyway.

Anyways, I found a pretty fun image while doing some research for my entry!

[Slasher]

@Blondbraid - if you need a couple of days extension that could be arranged. :-)

Thanks, though I'm worried extra time would just make me work slower.  I feel like my relation to working with deadlines is a lot like that animal in Harry Potter that magically changed size to fit any space, and putting it in a bigger room didn't give it more room to move because it just expanded until it had filled up the whole room anyway.
5c/s1280x1920/41e0d017bc756b15715caa4a27043f91d2f7ecb5.jpg[/img]

You're right, with a time limit you have to adjust your time management...and I mean, you can't change the rules just because they don't suit you, and it is supposed to be a within a month competition after all..

I understand some can't spend as much time as they would like due to real life... I myself work quite slow but I work twice as hard as most..

It's not all about winning, nice as it is, it's about competing and producing a playable game with other like minded people.

I love your graphical idea Blondbraid and I hope you pull though with a game

[Blondbraid]

I love your graphical idea Blondbraid and I hope you pull though with a game

Aw, thanks a lot! 
I've just released my entry, Day of the Dimetrodon, a short little game about a day in the life of a Dimetrodon who's been out searching for food,
and while it's not anything ambitious, I hope somebody could learn at least something from it.

https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/2450-day-of-the-dimetrodon/

Let me know your thoughts!

[Slasher]

Blondbraid.... That was a cute little game...short, but cute..

Nice graphics and story..

I found inventory window/icons a bit small, but that's just me...and the font size small, but that's just me... played full screen..

Fine game and before time's up and that's a thumb's up from me

[Blondbraid]

Blondbraid.... That was a cute little game...short, but cute..

Nice graphics and story..

I found inventory window/icons a bit small, but that's just me...and the font size small, but that's just me... played full screen..

Fine game and before time's up and that's a thumb's up from me

Thanks, I'm so glad that you liked it!
And yeah, sorry for the icons being a bit small, I didn't want to make an entire new GUI and all so I stuck with the defaults, which were obviously not ment for a project with this big resulution.

[Intense Degree]

OK, I think I just made it inside the deadline.

The following is largely untested with half finished backgrounds probably loads of typos and missing interactions... but it is at least here!

Pride & Relatives




It is a truth universally acknowledged that, as a young lady, Jane Austen wrote Pride & Prejudice based on her own observations of polite society.

What is forgotten about this novel is how close it came to never being written at all...

Step up our forgotten Hero William [noLastNameYet]. Can he restore a young Jane's faith in humanity, including the humanity of her own siblings? Will the book Pride & Prejudice ever be written at all? This game is guaranteed to nearly answer some of those questions!


Get it here: https://www.mediafire.com/file/zp3yptu9u9whyrg/Pride_%26_Relatives.7z/file]https://www.mediafire.com/file/zp3yptu9u9whyrg/Pride_%26_Relatives.7z/file
EDIT:
https://www.mediafire.com/file/8hc5gt7auim19ah/Pride_%26_Relatives_1.1.7z/file for a bugfixed version.

OK, bedtime for me, but looking forward to playing your games Slasher & Blondbraid.

[Stupot]

Thanks to all the participants.

Time to Vote
Please vote using the poll above.

	We'll Meet Again by Slasher
	Day of the Dimetrodon by Blondbraid
	Pride and Relatives by IntenseDegree

As always. Please let me know if I've missed anything or made any mistakes.

Happy voting.

[Intense Degree]

Just to say I have uploaded a version with a couple of bugfixes - After the deadline. Post above updated and it's also here:https://www.mediafire.com/file/8hc5gt7auim19ah/Pride_%26_Relatives_1.1.7z/file

Thanks to Blur for finding those little 'Easter Eggs'.

I should say one of them was to do with saving games. I think I have solved that problem, but if anyone has any errors saving please let me know.

[Stupot]

Last chance to vote, guys.

[Blondbraid]

Aw man, I missed the end of the vote by half an hour and my entry got zero votes! 

But congratulations to IntenseDegree at any rate, it was a nice game.

[Stupot]

The votes have been counted (which didn’t take long ) and the winner is Pride and Relatives

Well done IntenseDegree. That’s two out of two wins. I’ll be in touch soon about choosing a topic for July.

[Slasher]

Well done Pride and Relatives by IntenseDegree 

See you in the next round 

[JackPutter]

OH NO! I MISSED IT! I had a lot of unforeseen stuff come up in the last two weeks, I'm only now sitting down to vote and I see I've missed the deadline! Drat! Well, for what little good it does now, I'll leave my thoughts about each game here and maybe the game creators might get something out of it.

We'll Meet Again by Slasher

Spoiler

A lovely take on the theme! I really enjoyed the fact that it is a war setting but the game is more about the people fighting than the actual fighting itself. There was great atmosphere in the trench, I particularly liked the soldiers who were moving to and fro, going about their business. I was rooting for the boys to not have to go over the top! The puzzles weren't too difficult, and I got through to the end without getting stuck. The graphical style is pure Slasher, which I think has a lovely charm to it! The story comes to a nice conclusion, and overall I really enjoyed this game. I have two minor pieces of criticism. The first is that it was a little repetitive (I think more than half of the soldiers had a girlfriend who said they'd wait for him) and the second is that it seemed like the Major character was a bit out of place... All the other characters are dealing with the horrors of war, missing their families, we even see one soldier blown to pieces... then the major starts talking about pajamas with pink elephants? I understand that the higher-ups are not taking it seriously and that the grunts are the ones actually fighting, but to make the higher-up such a clown felt a little off to me. This was minor though, and didn't spoil anything for me. Well done!

[close]

Day of the Dimetrodon by Blondbraid

Spoiler

A wonderful piece of edutainment! This is the first game I've played since Jurassic Park: The Lost World on the PS1 where I got to play as a dinosaur, and I had a great big had a goofy smile on my face the whole way through playing this one! I think it definitely matches the theme well, this is an era of (pre)history that is often forgotten for sure! I thought the character designs were adorable, just from looking alone I wanted to make sure that little dino made it home. It was a lovely reveal at the end to see that I was helping her bring food home for her babies! The graphics were delightful, and I loved the subtle little touches like the trees in the foreground scrolling appropriately as the camera moved. The puzzles weren't difficult, but I had to actually think like a dinosaur to solve the first one which I thought was really neat! I also liked learning a little something at the end, it was nice reward after the adventure. The only real criticism I have is that it is lacking a little in content, I would have loved to experience more of a journey and have a little more polish throughout. Overall this was a really fun, short, cute game, and if I had been on time to vote I would have given my vote to this one. It just made me feel happy!

[close]

Pride and Relatives by Intense Degree

Spoiler

This was a very well done piece, I had a great time talking to all of the characters and finding out so much about the family. It handled the theme really well, I definitely felt like I was getting a glimpse behind the scenes of a historical figure. I liked the way new conversation topics opened up as I explored the house and gardens. I thought the graphics were great, I really like the character style and the environments. The puzzles were pretty self explanatory but I enjoyed the way they unraveled. I would have loved to explore more of the house, perhaps visit the siblings' rooms and so forth, but I understand that time was tight and you already managed to cram a lot in! It was very dialogue heavy but each conversation revealed something new and progressed things forwards, so I never felt like I was reading filler content. Overall I thought this was a solid entry, maybe just missing a few little extra elements to make it really feel like a fully rounded game. (I would have loved an end screen featuring Jane at the high society event!)

[close]

So there are my mini-reviews for what it's worth. Well done to everyone who took part this month, even though there was only 3 entries I think the standard was really high! And congratulations to Intense Degree on the win, too!

[Intense Degree]

Hey, well done all and thanks to all those who played and voted.