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I prefered the original textlayout. Albeit Hobbes is very Marvelish, it is very Marvelish

Aligning your text is also crucial. You don't need bubbles, but whichever shape you use, make sure you don't end up with spaces of white. Try to place the words in a diamond shape, that works swell.

Code: ags

Ã,  Ã, Hi, what Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã, God dammit!
 are you doingÃ,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã, Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã, Will you stop mop-
Ã,  with that?Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  ing around foo!

Okay, what happens if the person wanting to view doesnt have flash, are you going to offer a html based site too?

And also, the writing is rather small at my res, but i guess i can always right click-zoom inÃ,  Ã, :

Actually, Flash is more or less incorporated into all computers, whether you like it or not. It is a part of the standard browsing resources, in the same ways as css and scripts, so I wouldn't worry about this at all.

The text is rather tiny though. You can set the size to be proportional to the screens, eluding such problems

The rpg makers all focus on the good ol grid-based maps of console RPG's. If that is something you aim for, such an utility is simply better than AGS in any means. If that is not what you're looking for, go with AGS. There's no actual boundaries of what you can accomplish, just the problem of learning how to do it.

I WAS planning to write a RPG template for the demo game. Needless to say, it flunked. There's also a QFG-system written in the old versions which could import and export characters even.

A tip is to abuse the inventory system. It's not a boolean, so you can use it as stats for characters, since every character has it's own set of the array.

To answer the "slander", the console/pc RPG's HAVE been a mindless set of random battles inbetween planned battles, but there's some nice evolution going on, the latest KOTOR has included influence and forces in a whole bigger extent in normal dialogues. We likey. Still, nothing adds up to pen, paper and a evily smiling GM.

I have recently found myself favouring small adventure games. Although the amateur serious projects are admirable, there's simply more fun with smaller adventures.

It could be that I have less of spare time, and thus less time to put on games. This is true to an extent. A full length game is not you sit through playing, whilst a smaller game is a fun pass time, giving you the satisfaction of playing it through and you can write it off your list directly. But it's not that I seek mindless pass time, no, I still enjoy clever storylines and well crafted characters.

Is it just me being a weakling adventurer? Or is it me nurturing my adventuring needs in smaller doses, because I really don't play anything anymore. I tend to see this as the natural path of the amateur development; smaller projects for lesser playing time, and I don't find this to be something bad, no, not at all. It's not that I enjoy really small games (and I do put PD amongst them), it is just that I lack the ambition to play through 10 hours of gameplay.

Have you had similar experiences, or do you think I'm speaking complete horsesh*t? What is the natural course of amateur adventure development? Simulating the market, or being happy being skilled amateur?

The nostalgia effect of lower technology is a helluva feat. but the stylization effect of the same is often set aside. The interfaces of "the golden days of adventuring" was a child of it's time, and did wonders with what it had to work with. The AGI-games are still kick ass, the LEC-games are still gorgeous and the first rotoscoping experiements has the impact on me as they had 10 years ago. The technology has increased graphics, reaching towards photorealism and/or skilled stylization, without realizing that each step makes the details even more important. What did I care that the LEC-characters walks in ways forbid by nature, but when I see a highdetail-polygon character turn around on a dime, waggling it's legs in ludicrous ways, I protest and shout.

The essence of a good adventure game was the illusion of freedom. With more detail, you need incredible amounts of thought-out-possible-actions without making the game tedious in it's spare feedback. There can only be a certain amount of witty remarks until you get bored on that too.

I myself never play commercial adventures nowadays. Lack of time, and a lack of a computer may have something to do with it, but I seek my fixes in other genres, and as Ghormak mentioned, they have developed into a nice hybrid of every other game genre out there.

The puzzles are to blaim. No, not really. But where as the adventure games served as a sport for brainy computer owners, making them all fuzzy inside over beating that puzzle of doom, the essence of the adventures was in the storylines, or, in pursuiting some goal, making each trial and error opening a new set of oppurtunities. Easy gaming, easy set-up. But whilst the puzzles were the core of progress, the progress was put to an abrupt halt when you got stuck. In the same way that mega boss with thermonuclear miniguns simply blew you to oblivion each time in that action game, the frustration builds up until you exit, delete and take some soda to cool your nerves. It's not that they need to be easy or simple, no, good action games lie in the fast paced trial. It's all in design and execution. I agree with everything Ghormaks says (in this post mind you) but it is not ALL puzzle design.

The real revolution came with high-end consoles. And adventures are not that simple played with a joypad. Like child of their times, we got tons of more or less crappy 3d games in every genre, including adventures. In my eyes, Resident Evil is very much an adventure game, even though the actual puzzles were reduced to use this on that and get your hands on it before you're eaten. Either way, the game is fairly slowpaced, with lots of atmospherical storytelling within the gameplay (not the hilarious cutscenes.. yuugh..) But the puzzles are pitiful, and it is a child of its time. This is not the fact for PC's though. But the consoles were the no. 1 choice for gamers.. or rather, became the no. 1 choice..

Now, the commercial efforts are still the good ol recipies found out at mid nineties. Mouse support being your first option, the point and click-interface never cease to fade unless there's an action-adventure hybrid out there. So instead of exploring the gameplay posseibilities, you hang on to 10 year old gameplay techniques. That is probably what makes the genre commercially dead. God knows what you can do, because the essence of the adventure game is still the story right. That and a slower pace, or rather, lack of action elements.. or?

Story. And a challenge. That's all you need. Because the game is the challenge, and what makes it adventurous?

It's some kickass photography there, and it wasn't storyboarded? Sweet! You guys should really film a full script, albeit avoid fightscenes unless they're completely pathetic. Always fun to see people that can't throw a punch on screen

You broke the line of interest though.. several times!.. haha! I could find something to nag about!

So, it's the usual result then. Those who've read the book/comic or seen/heard the play/heard the play/hatever is shaking their heads in agony whilst all others say "Uh, yeah, it was ok.. nothing I'll remember though.."

Blergh.

However, they are rumors about making a feature film out of (the acclaimed by some reason) "30 days of night", and that will totally be like the comic, since it's basically a Paul Thomas Wankerson-movie but drawn and lettered. Sucky comic, sucky film. "It's ok, but nothing I'll remember.."

Constantine, anyone? "Dangerous habits" is so much better in so many ways. Why oh why`?!

Is it just me than doesn't think the Power Puff Girls are childish? The whole of CN purely scriptwise is adults writing for adults, packing it in slapstick gore for kids. Some elements are based on experience and knowledge only people thatb has atleast lived 16 years of age, give or take a few, may comprehend.

But the Kings Quest series (looking at the actual SERIES) is a rather sordid affair. It has it bright moments, sure, but it also has dark moments of dooom!

Al: You speak of truth, yet the path of the drawing hand is a strugglesome journey few are willing to take.

..well more or less. I'd say it's not a bad thing to mimic what you like, because in the end, you'll still develop your own favored style. It is usally a mish mash of every great artist you'd be willing to bare children for. Nevertheless, all good art is in thorough practice and a good solid ground of studies - but not always. I've seen simply amazeing work done, where as the stylization breaches realism in favor of subjective portraying (sp? word?).

But yeah, trying to make superhero comic-style drawings will in 99% of all cases lead to BAD superhero-style drawings

I know that feeling..

netmonkey: I've been fine

Are we talking animation or cutscenes here. Because quite simply, ingame cutscenes can be made with ease, but real filmlike animation is not worth the trouble of going through in AGS.

"So colouring a 3D movement cycle would look about as real, or fake, as an early 90's title"

Nope it wouldn't. Because rotoscoping gives you exact portrays of bodily proportions through movement, whilst a 3d dummy gives the bodily proportions of a 3d dummy in movement. It's those little movements, those twitches with the shoulder or tilting of the head whilst looking to the side that gives life to imagery. Squash and stretch is to exxagerate those traits to make a single motion have an impact of 20. Rotoscoping's an excellent way of getting your animations done. Grab a camera and a buddy of your choice and hit the streets

Wow!

That's it.. simply wow. No, not really, curse thee for cutting it off when it was getting somewhere!

Adoring characters, and a storyline that got me from the start. The graphics are well made, and albeit some character seemed inapropriatly cartoony at first, it redeemed itself through characterisation later.

Two thumbs up!

Well, cartonny 3d (I havn't seen Iron Giant so I'll drop that one, but Futurama yup and Invader Zim, oh yeah) fit well into 2d, but it's quite obvious that it isn't 2d. It is 3d that is cellshaded. That's what I feel anyway. But keep any points you feel you deserve

The mistake most people do with 3d is the same they do with 2d, namely animation that's realistic. And realistic animation doesn't look realistic. 2d animator have known this since the golden days, and 3d animators use this technique to get that flow going. Squash and stretch baby, recoils and weight. The only difference between totally goofed out and die hard realism is in how much you use the technique.

..but that doesn't make a lick of difference in static objects! It's just that we're more used to making movement in drawings, but as mentioned below, 3d is like sculpture, and sculpture is oh so static. To avoid the doll-effect, the model need to be really awsomly designed with movement in mind, or so abstract that it doesn't show. It's there that 3d ceases to be an easier option because backgrounds are a piece of cake! 'innit?

..no, I'm lying, I've never managed to get a succesful backdrop in a 3d utility...

And thank you DG, it feels good to be (almost) back.

It was very good! I've seen these Jordan games here and there and thought I had better check one of them out. You managed to deliver and maintain a lovely tounge-in-cheek horror feeling throughout the story. The puzzles were a tad easy though, and why oh why are we not allowed to look where we want to look directly..

Nice to see a rich gallery of characters, albeit the relationship between them get's a bit tossed in your face sometimes. Other times it gives more depth, but mostly it's a bit of "I know where this is going"-kind of set up. But hey, most games don't even try, and other games overdo it more and are praised for it's depth (like a specific series of japanese rpgs.. ho-hum )

Big kudos to all small but atmospehre enhancing animations. I have been away from the scene for quite a while now, so perhaps it is a part of what's expected now, but I really enjoy all tiny things, like the german turning from his computer. Simply great!

Storywise it is quite smooth but stunted here and there. I like the fact that you take a seclosed area and alter it in order to enhance the exploration value. It's something I loved in "Colonel's Bequest" and you do not often see it. Other times it's uncertain what I have to do to get things going further. I had problems getting the meeting in the travel room going, and I don't quite know exactly what made it trigger.

107 points baby  Keep it up! I'm definatly playing some more Ben Jordan I tell you that!

Aah.. another concept art junkie! You handle the painting techniques well, and the designs are nice to say the least. Albeit, you should practice alot on proportions, make some studies whenever you have the chance. Also refine the work a bit, it's speed paintings, but can be finalized more. I know, finalizing is really hard, I don't finalize enough aswell. Hard to add detail and texture without loosing the smooth flow of the picture.

Keep it up!

3d is 3d and 2d is 2d. What I'm trying to say is that is it not wise to try to simulate the either through the other, but to let each medium be its own. It's equalent hard to make something good in 3d than to make something good in 2d, and trying to make something great requires a lifetime commitment.

It may seem that you can whip up much better art with templates and a modeling utility, but it still shows if you know what you're doing.. or if you don't. That doesn't matter for the majority. If each and everyone knew all about art and design, I'd surely be out'a work. And unless you work professionally, I don't think anyone would toss something out just because it aint 1337 gfx0r. Sure, presentation is important, and gfx can make a huge difference, but the aspect of good is so relative. There are reasons Cpt Mostly's adored for his artistic abilities, while others try to gouge their eyes out. Art has been spat at, praised and spat at again. And now it's worth some million of your favored currency.

Now, cellshading. It's a cool feat, and it may produce immense gfx. We're about to see Dead Leaves tonight and darn if it aint cellshaded, but setting up a model in order to get a shortcut in making sprites have a huge downside - you must learn to do it good. If there's people out there that loves 3d and like to do this, there's nothing stopping you. Go ahead and amaze us! Because when you're doing anything really good, it strikes a chord through all of us, no matter how many dimensions you prefer. Just realise that each and every technique needs practice and work. And there are no shortcuts to anything, just different kinds of work.

AGS is suitable for animations where you reuse gfx and animation often. Also, it is suitable when dealing with texts (DisplaySpeech), but for a better grasp of directing the animation Flash is simply better. And there are...ways to make it cheap too. Not saying that it is impossible in AGS, it's just not worth the trouble and bytesize.

Simply wonderful...

MOds: Been there, done that. The worst thing is that they close everything down during the night, no shops, nothing. Also, I spent the night completely broke so I couldn't even attend the arcade to spend some time. I tried to earn some money playing the guitar, but alas, tough crowd tough crowd...

It is 22:19. In seven hours, I'll place myself on a train to Gbg. Now I'm packing the last things. I will not sleep much more than 2 hours tonight, so I'll prolly fit in with you perfectly..