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So I returned to the forums couple of weeks ago after a while (year or two).
I noticed that there was some problems and pixel art was blurry in Google Chrome. So I decided to do something about it and hacked together an extension to fix the problems.
You can download the unpacked extension here. It is unpacked, so to install it: unzip to folder, enable "Developer mode" on Chrome's Extensions page and "Load unpacked extension".
Feel free to poke around the code to make it better or to use this approach to make a generic extension for enjoying pixel art in Chrome.

Features:

• Sharp zoomable images for pixel art in posts.
• Fixed links to forum and games database. (These have been fixed since, I think?)
• Change the layout of forum frontpage a little.
• Disable animation on avatars and make them sharp.
• Remove Facebook & Twitter.

On this one day I was thinking of searching for some help for an AGS project, but found browsing through the Offer Your Services thread somewhat hard to do. So I came up with this little helper script and I got a little carried away with it.

This is not any finished product and is not directly linked to the AGS forum. It uses local data that is "politely" read from the forum. List of users offering help includes everyone who posted on the Offer Your Services thread and has properly set up the little Offer Your Services icons. List of projects is just test data and most of it is not real. So please don't get offended if your data happens to be in there and it is not accurate.

Maybe something like this could be incorporated on the new AGS website/forums and so it could use real data from the same database as the forums? What do you people think? Would something like this be useful? Discuss!

Here the link: AGS JobBoard
(Remember that project data is not real)

Similar things have been discussed before. For example on these two threads:
Special page for offering/recruiting help and assistance?
SUGGESTION: Searching through members for skills

I have an object that takes about the half the pixels of my 640x480 sized background, but the rectangual area of the object is the whole background (640x480). I want to animate that object and then merge it into the background. So the animation occurs only once in the game. Right now I have done this so that I just animate the object and the merge it to the background.
I was wondering if there was a better way to do this performance-wise?
Would using transparency on the object make it slower or faster?

[TAXI - Grand Touring Auto]

TAXI - Grand Touring Auto

I see some top-down car games have emerged so I decided to share my little piece of sh...program. This was inspired by Roccos Super Pitstop Racing and was supposed to be part of a minigames MAGS game. I spend about a week doing this and then realised that the physics involved were way beyond my understanding. This demo shows how far I got. Driving is really flimsy and there are lots of glitches and bugs, but it might give you some inspiration or ideas for car games.



Download demo
Keys are WASD or arrows for driving and R to change radio channel.

Download source
This source is mainly for educational purposes, but you can use it for anything you like. Some assets are copyrighted (as you can see it has placeholder graphics from GTA) so it could be risky to use them as your own . But the code is free as free beer. I won't provide any official support for the code as it's been a while and don't remember anymore why I did something the way I did. I will try to answer questions however. As I said, this was going to be a minigame in an adventure game, so all the code is in the room script.

This will be in production probably for a long time, I might never finish this, just wanted to share.

Does this function only work on 256-color mode?
I have 16-bit mode and it does return values consistently, but the values are different than I would expect.
For example:

Code: ags

DrawingSurface *background = Room.GetDrawingSurfaceForBackground();
background.Clear(1);
background.DrawingColor = 20;
background.DrawRectangle(0, 0, 320, 100);
int color1 = background.GetPixel(160,50);
int color2 = background.GetPixel(160,150);

and now color1 == 16904 and color2 == 20 but I would have expected that color1 == 20 and color2 == 1.

EDIT:
Well, I was able to find the solution. Have I really been able to dodge this in the manual or is it not in there? 
Anyway: the first 32 (0-32) colors seem to be special so I can't set them as DrawingColor and use the GetPixel to get the same number back again. So solution is to use color numbers starting from 32.

ps. I did it again. Wrestle with something for many hours/days and right after posting about it find the solution for it.

I didn't find a thread where this has been discussed before so here it is.

Recently I found myself creating a design document for a game, which I was to do alone, in English. As this is not my native tongue, I stopped for a moment in when I had several lines of text and noted that I was writing English. Then I though, what the heck, since this was coming out so naturally, why not? And looking at my previous design documents, I can see they are a not so beautiful mix of Finnish and English . It's not that hard for me to switch between them, as sometimes when reading stuff I don't even notice when a language changes, but on some level it does bother me that it's not consistent . On related note, I often catch myself thinking in English.

So my question to you, my fellow AGS people whose mother tongue is not English, is: In what language do you write your design documents? Do you catch yourself thinking in different language?

ps. on not so related note, I haven't really gotten the hang of the usage of commas (not to mention articles) in English, so I just use them like I would in my own twisty language .

I have tried some things with rawdraw and wanted to confirm some performance things.
So I kind of have some statements which I've found to be true at least on my machine and would like to hear if people have similiar experiences.
My program is heavy with some math and have couple of hundred creation of dynamic sprites and RawDrawImages and is for resolution 320x200 and am using 3.02.

1. Using precalculated tables for sin, cos, tan etc. is faster than using Maths.Sin etc. when you only need to have like 360 values of each (this I haven't actually tried with AGS)
2. Using bitwise operations instead of arithmetic operations is actually a little slower. For example: x = x * 64; -> x = x << 6;
3. Using 16-bit color mode instead of 8-bit seems to have no performance hit at all.
4. Direct3D9 is a little slower than DirectDraw5 with RawDraw. (IIRC this was mentioned in the manual)
5. Launching the compiled exe rather than testing the game from editor results in about 1,5x performance.

Feel free to prove any of these statements wrong 

Actually the most important one for me is the number 3. as this would prove that there is no reason to have all that hassle with palettes.

ps. have any tips for performance optimization?

When "Display multiple icons for multiple items" is false and you have multiple same items in your inventory: is it possible to display the number of those items next to items icon?
I saw this done in one RoN game, but I'm not sure if they cheated or not.

I was just trying to figure out how to use Inkscape, so I made this. I just traced it over the original box art by Peter Chan. As I would presume that here are people that like DOTT, I though I would share this.

Here a version with title text.


Here a version without text, more suitable as wallpaper.


Click on images to get larger version.
Or you can grab the vector file here and make your own improved version or print out a poster that is larger than your house .

I seem to have problem running some games and managed to trace the problem to the video (wmv) files they use.
If I remove the video files, game gives me a message that they are missing, but otherwise runs normally.
When video files are present, the game freezes when it begins to play the video and does not respond to close window commands any more. I have to kill the process from task manager. When it starts to play the video it gives one tick of sound and then freezes.
Video files play normally on all of my media players.
For example the problem occurs with Dualnames' LoneCase (AGS 2.72.920) and ONNA (AGS 3.01.1018). With ONNA the problem can be worked around by choosing Direct3D 9 as display driver. But even then, the video does not play, only sound is heard and the game window is transparent.

Is the problem in my computer (Windows XP) or on my video codecs or in AGS? Probably my computer as nobody else seem to have these issues? Does anybody know how I can fix this?

This topic is for hints and tips for Odot Tamat On.
As the game is quite easy and contains only couple puzzles lets try to give few hints before giving the solution

first one

I haven't finished it, but I'm working on that...

Spoiler

I've got the crowbar and the wrench... And I can't get any further.  : (

[close]

Any hints?

Here's hints, reveal one at the time.

hint 1:

Spoiler

You need to get to the castle. But the drawbridge is not down. Maybe if you could fly?

[close]

hint 2:

Spoiler

There is a thing that feels like flying.

[close]

hint 3:

Spoiler

Rollercoaster is the key. What are the bears feelings after riding it?

[close]

hint 4:

Spoiler

If you loosen up the nuts on the safety bars with the spanner you are not bound to the rollercoaster cars.(use the spanner on rollercoaster cars)

[close]

hint 4:

Spoiler

You don't fly far enough, so you need some speed for the rollercoaster. What is making it go and how could you make it go faster?

[close]

hint 5:

Spoiler

Hermanni seems hungry and tired. Maybe someone with lots of energy could replace him?

[close]

solution:

Spoiler

Use spanner on rollercoaster. Go to a place where you can see the cheese and then talk to the Mouse at rollercoaster and ask him if he's tired. Then talk to the turtle and ask him if he could be useful. Now the turtle should be running the wheel and you get to the otherside of the gorge.

[close]

[Odot Tamat On]

Odot Tamat On

So here it is, my game for MAGS April. I plan to make some bugfixes before adding this to AGS database.
This is my first game, it's very short and not very polished.

Download
Download it from game's website at http://odottamaton.raah.fi/.
Download size is 63,6MB (quite large, sorry).
Page does not work with IE7 at the moment, so use of direct download link is encouraged.
Direct download as one piece (63,6MB).
And in pieces (5MB chunks) 001 002 003 004 005 006 007 008 009 010 011 012 013

Screens

More screens

Plot:
In this short game you play as a private eye who needs to save the world from evil. How very unexpected.
Townfolk are starting to act strange and the evil scientist is behind it again. Private eye Nalle Karhu has to step up and stop this madness.

Features

• 640x480x32 pseudo-cartoon graphics
• Easy puzzles
• Unexpected ending
• Silly rhyming
• Unique GUI, left click to walk, right click to look, drag characters hands to hotspots to interact, drag characters mouth to talk, drag inventory items to use them. Note that you can grab the mouth even if the character is facing the other direction. Just grab the lower part of his head.

Notes/Known bugs

• Some rooms can be heavy on the graphics side, so it might not always run smoothly on lower spec machines.
• Sometimes game doesn't seem to respond to mouse clicks, just move the mouse a bit and try again.
• Room exits does not always respond correctly, that is changing to exit cursor or responding to clicks. Same workaround as above.
• Game can sometimes hang when interacting with the rollercoaster. No known workaround.
• Sometimes game can crash when interacting with objects or using inventory items. This should be now fixed, but as I haven't been able to reproduce the crash myself, I can't be sure.

Update 2007-10-10: Source and paper available for download
So I'm graduating as a bachelor of engineering from EVTEK University of Applied Sciences and I just finished my Bachelor's Thesis. Topic for my thesis is development of graphic adventure games and I used this game as a part of it. Unfortunately it's written in finnish so many of you won't understand any of it, but I know there are quite a few finns here who might be interested and there is an abstract written in english. The thesis is available for download on game's webpage.
I'm also releasing the project files and source for the game incase somebody is interested. Please read release notes before downloading them. They are also available on game's webpage.

Update 2013-08-09: Spanish translation available!
I have been informed by forum member cireja that he has done a Spanish translation of my game. Translation is available at the bottom of this forum post (on a Spanish gaming forum).


Hope you enjoy.

EDIT: Seems that my webpage does not work correctly with IE7, so I added direct download link.
EDIT2: Added a note that you can grab the mouth even if the character is facing the other direction. Just grab the lower part of his head.
EDIT3: Hints & Tips thread here.
EDIT4: Updated info on source and thesis
EDIT5: Updated info on Spanish translation.

What is a Photoshop ...Thorsday?

Photoshopping isn't drawing a completely new image -- It's editing images to create a new image, such as editing one image or combining several images. The contest usually lasts for a fortnight. Also, you don't have to specifically use Photoshop -- Paint Shop Pro, MSPaint, or any other programs can be used. Please make sure your image doesn't exceed the width of the screen.

See this link:
http://www.somethingawful.com/photoshop/

And for other examples, see here:
http://www.worth1000.com/

-------------------------------------

This week's topic: Game movie posters

Hope this hasn't been done yet, if so, let's do it again
Pick a movie poster and edit it to be a poster for a game (adventure games preferred ofcourse ). You should try to keep the composition of the original poster, just change the title and add/change appropriate elements.
Also don't edit the Indiana Jones poster to be a poster for Indiana Jones game. 
You can link to the larger version if you want (so you can post a smaller one).
Also would be nice if source was linked, but no mandatory.

Here's an example I did:

Full - Source

You can take some small liberties on the title like I did.
Where to get the posters? My source links to one site that has them and also Google (images) is your friend.
If any questions arise, feel free to ask.

I was thinking how to make animating for people easier (my last sprite wasn't too easy to animate) and I tried going for smaller size and less color.

Ok. Meet a generic protagonist from a generic snes rpg. Your job is to make him/her/it to attack the monster. Monster can be your basic goomba/slime or whatever. Extra points from creative attack routine.


I also provide you with a generic antagonist so you don't have to bother drawing one


Let's get to work. I might also make some trophies for all you trophy lovers

How can I convert char to int so that A would become 64 etc...
Or is it even possible?

I'm thinking of reading numerical data from a file and 8-bit values would be enough for me and it would create unneccasary overhead in the file if I would use 32-bit values there. So I'm thinking I would read them in as char array an use them from there with conversion.

edit:
Or maybe I could read them in groups of fours and then separate them with bitwise operators, but script language doesn't have those?

Phew. I got lots of work to be done for my business and I'm already over the deadlines
So, as it seem to be semitradition, I didn't have time to make a new sprite so here is a old one. And by old I mean really old. Made with deluxe paint in the summer of 1997 

Your challenge is to make him interact with an inventory item. Like taking something from his inventory (his pocket, pants, whatever) and use it on something.

Also here is something to inspire you:


Have fun animating and hope we get lots of entries.

[street merchant]

Draw a sprite of a street merchant who is not afraid to be out selling stuff at night. It should be obvious from the sprite that the guy/gal is a merchant. So you can draw him with his stand or have some merchandise in his hand or something.

Restrictions
Size: minimum 25x50, maximum 200x200
Colors: 10 colors of which 8 has to be shades of gray and the rest has to be shades of one other color.

Why the color restrictions?
I'm thinking that the style should be something like in Sin City. See what I mean here and here.
So basically there is only one real color in the pic and then shades of gray. About the shades of color: for example both green and orange can be darker shades of yellow, but not the same yellow. So if you go with lime yellow with greenish darker shades you really can't use orange anymore.
I really liked that style in the movie and now I would like to see that style in sprites.

Note that your street merchant doesn't have to be in the style of Sin City other than colorwise.

Ok, now try to be creative