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I recently had the opportunity to interview Al Lowe (a personal hero of mine, if that wasn't obvious enough from my games and the name of my main character) for noisetosignal.org, a general media site I've been writing for over the past few years.

I asked him specifically if he was aware of AGS, and he surprisingly responded that yes, and he'd actually peeked in on us from time to time!

That's about the extent of it...but still exciting.  The complete interview is here:
http://noisetosignal.org/2008/10/the-nts-interview-al-lowe

I think there's actually a lot to glean from this, including some indirect advice on game design.  Have a look.

Evidently I posted this in the wrong forum.  I'm a butt, what can I say.  If this is wrong again, please move it to the correct place rather than lock it.  Thank you.

Original post:
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Hey gang.  Some of you may remember me...but I'm not even sure how many of the old crew hang out here anymore.

Anyway, I created a couple of little games in the Larry Vales:  Traffic Divison series.  I promised a third, but never made it further than a demo.  There were a few reasons for this.  None of them are exciting enough to recount here.

But I recently bought a laptop PC and started poking around with the new version of AGS and, what do you know, I seem to have caught the creative bug all over again.

So I am going to create another Larry Vales game.  A third Larry Vales game, but not the promised LVIII.  It'll be more of a replacement game...entirely free standing.  It's not a series reboot because there will be no series.  There will be just one, big, complete and comprehensive game that I hope everybody will enjoy.  It'll bump Larry up to non-DOS playability, which you'll all agree is long overdue.

Only trouble:  you've seen my artistic ability.  It stunk all those years ago and it's even worse now.  So I'm looking to contract somebody to do my graphics work.  It won't be the biggest or most involved project you've ever seen, but it will be a big job, and for consistancy I have to insist that whomever signs on in that capacity sticks around until the whole thing is complete.

One thing I will do is work out exactly what I need beforehand.  By the time I give you anything, it will all be complete on my end.  This is to ensure that your work isn't wasted by my losing interest in the project, and to protect you from me getting a "better" idea for a scene after you spent time and effort drawing it.  (Oh, and you must be absolutely and totally tight-lipped about the project.  I'm serious.  If any spoilers leak out beforehand, I'll cancel the whole thing.  It's that simple.)

So, basically, another Larry Vales is on the way, if anybody would be kind enough to donate their time and talents to the graphics department.  I have plenty of ideas (reworkings of the first two games, salvaged ideas from the third, and plenty of brand new stuff as well) and can promise you, at the very least, a game with lots and lots of very well written boob jokes.

Reply here or to chickenbrutus [at] yahoo [dot] com.  I'm open to creative interpretation of my world and characters, but please provide a sample, at least, of how you intend to draw Larry.

Addendum:  somebody asked if I'd also be looking for a composer.  The answer is yes. 

Hello, all.  I had a quick browse around the forums and, sure enough, I'm afraid I don't recognize all of you.  Still, one of you may be able to help me.  I'm Phil Reed...creator of the Larry Vales series.

If you've gone to my website (www.phil-reed.com) you've probably noticed the Larry Vales section is a bit understocked.  Well...

1)  I will "need" somebody to host Larry Vales I and II, as my college account (within which they were formerly housed) has been deleted.  (Only because I graduated.  Selfish.)  This isn't so pressing because, if need be, I'll just link to the download page at The Underdogs.

2)  I need a copy of the Larry Vales III demo.  I don't have mine and haven't been able to find anywhere to download it...though I'm sure it's floating around out there somewhere.

3)  If at all possible, I'd also like the Larry Vales II "American Beauty" teaser I did.  That's something else I lost in my computer crash and I'd like to put that up for download as well.

If anybody can help, either contact me through my site (secure) or post here.  I'd very much appreciate it.

Look.  A Larry Vales smiley.  That wasn't here before.  It makes me feel very loved.

See, the thing is, that I've always told people that I've given up television.  It's mindless, it's annoying.  It's like a big electronic bee that you pay to keep stinging you in the ear.  

Of course, there were a few shows that were very good...but they hardly outweighed the mass of junk, junk, junk surrounding them.  But I'd watch The Simpsons.  And Drew Carey.  And SNL, sometimes.  But then, it just wasn't worth it.  I disconnected my cable and lived on DVDs.

Anyway, it's about 2 years later now, and I swear to all you brits on this board, you are the luckiest bunch of clowns who ever sat in front of a TV screen.  Your television is remarkably sound, and I never ceased to be impressed.  While I've always loved certain shows (Fawlty Towers, Red Dwarf) I found a few over the past year that just truly blew me away.

I'm speaking specifically of Series 3 of The League of Gentlemen, and either series of The Office.  Truly beautiful, each honest in its own right, and so intellectually poignant that I can't help but be moved by the comedy.  And that's something American television just doesn't seem to have.  Emotion.  Real emotion.  The fact that I can sympathize more with Steve Pemberton dressed up like a 50 year old lesbian than with most American characters says a lot!

Ah, I don't know.  I'd like to think I'm just bitter...but I keep crawling back to American TV lately and it doesn't seem to be getting any better.  It bores me...and yet I could watch just about any episode of The Office or League over and over and laugh every time.  

If anybody knows of something particularly good that's been on TV over here, let me know...I'll give it a chance.  I actually feel a bit let down that there's nothing I want to watch.

And don't you dare mention the American version of The Office that premiers in February.  I'm trying to forget it already.

Hello everyone.  As some of you know I've been devoting a lot of free time lately to pooping around with Shockwave Flash (version 4.2; only the best for Mr. Vales!) and...well...

Long story short, Guitarman:  The Animated Series is now under construction.  

So I present for you, you who have inspired my creativity through Vales feedback, and helped with my website, and even integrated Guitarman into the RON universe...

Here is my Xmas offering to all of you; Guitarman's first animated short.  www.phil-reed.com/xmas.swf

I hope you all enjoy.  And clod best us, every one!

<continuation of title constitutes opening sentiment> any interest here in reading sample chapters from my next novel?

I'm about a third of the way through, and I've actually gotten a small press (but traditional this time!) to take interest in my query.

Next step is sending sample chapters.  If I posted some to my website (as I did with Her Life Will Be Set to Music very early on), would anybody here be interested in combing over them and being overtly brutal?  To my face this time.

I want to polish up the sample chapters as well as I can.  

OR if you're not interested, do you know of any open-minded groups for literary criticism that don't consist entirely of gentlemen who quote themselves in their signatures and romancing their masturbation instead of offering proper guidance?

In honor of http://www.phil-reed.com reaching its one-year anniversary, AND in honor of HER LIFE WILL BE SET TO MUSIC reaching #44 on the best-seller list at Amazon in March (thanks so much for you support!) I've given the ol' website a major makeover.

More content, and it's much easier on the eyes now.  

And for the true enthusiast, there are 6 more (count em!) Guitarman adventures for the family to enjoy.

Let's shoot for #42 next month.  =)

Well, over the past few nights I made my way through my Red Dwarf series VIII videos (the prison series, for anyone who doesn't go by roman numerals), and I'm confused.

I remember a while back in one of the Vales threads, somebody commented that it was "unfortunate" that I used the Rimmer from series VIII in LVII, because series VIII was junk...or some similar adjective.

The thing is, though, I watched the videos this time through TRYING not to like it...TRYING to see what was wrong with it...thinking maybe I only liked it because there was such a big gap since series VII...

But I really loved it!  I think it's pretty amazing, hilarious stuff with some of the best dialogue the show's ever produced...so why is the overall opinion negative?

I know series VII didn't go down very well, and I understand why.  A lot was missing.  Rimmer.  Holly.  An audience.  etc.  I enjoyed it, but can see why it would have turned people off.

But...what turned people against series VIII?