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For the sake of fleshing out my underwhelming portfolio, I'm working on another model. I'm more or less done with the basic mesh, but I'm not at all happy with the proportions. I've posted a few reference pictures for comparison. I'm relatively new to modeling, so if anyone has any general advice that would be quite welcome as well.




To avoid any confusion, this is very much in progress: the eyebrows are missing, the eyelashes are too dark and badly shaped, the hair is just a placeholder, and the face hasn't been detailed yet.

I'm already committed to a project and can't justify starting new game right now, but I like this idea and wanted to share it with the community. Consider it free for the taking. The idea is rather gimmicky, but I thought it was cute and engaging enough to be worthwhile. Maybe this would be a fun project for someone who enjoys writing or scripting, but is daunted by the task of drawing characters and backgrounds.


The main character starts out in a land with extremely low fidelity graphics. The pixels in the world are initially the size of haystacks, and the color depth is extremely low. The characters are all single oversized pixels.


As the story progresses the characters embark on a quest to increase the resolution of the world they live in and the number of colors.


The main character has all sorts of adventures along the way...


...and meets helpful characters in unlikely places.


Eventually, after many intermediate stages, the world arrives at 320x240, 256 colors, or whatever resolution the erstwhile developer of the game feels is sufficient. Little Blue Man (with Fingers and Three-Tone Shading) marries a rich heiress who loves him for his charming naivete and rugged good looks. Everyone lives happily ever after.

I hope this is helpful to someone looking for ideas. If not then I hope I've at least provided some enjoyment to my fellow AGS-ers. Cheers!

After tinkering for a few minutes, I noticed a few small improvements in this release. The program opened very quickly; it launches in around 5 seconds now. Once it was open, I noticed that the tablet support seems to have been improved- it feels very responsive, and no longer switches foreground and background colors oddly when you begin a tablet stroke. Another nice improvement is the new blur tool. In the past there was a tendency for dark areas to bleed out into light areas instead of creeping toward the average value. Thankfully that seems to have been fixed, and the tool seems more responsive now as well.

On the negative side, there is still no support for grouped layers, and shared layer masks are still an impossibility. So while I prefer the GIMP's interface and cleanliness, I will unfortunately still be using Photoshop for more complex projects.

For those of you who aren't familiar with it, the GNU Image Manipulation Program (affectionately referred to as the "Gimp") is an open source program similar to Adobe Photoshop. It runs on many platforms and is completely free. Go to gimp.org for more information. I've used the GIMP for years now, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who wants a legal alternative to pirating Photohop. It has nearly all the same basic capabilities in terms of layers, filters, and painting tools, and it's similar enough to Photoshop that switching from one to the other is relatively painless.

This has been in progress for a couple of days, and is a long way from complete. I've never been very proficient with any 3d package, so I find myself working very very slowly and having issues with topology ("mesh flow"). I'm looking for help in two areas:

• If anyone knows the ins and outs of modeling, any tips on keeping a nice clean mesh would be welcome. Workflow advice would also be extremely helpful. For reference here is a summary of the several steps the project's been through so far.
  
  
  The first stage was a blocky sketch.
  
  
  Once the basic geometry was there extra detail was added by slicing in loops. A couple of adjustments to flow were made at this stage (sides of torso, tops of legs). It was basically all old-school subdivision modeling at first.
  
  
  The eye and much of the head are an exception- they were made by using edge extend with lots of messy hand-done adjustments. The flow of the eye area is quite a mess, and for the safety of humankind the techniques used should be locked in a radiation-proof underground vault somewhere under the Pacific.
  
  Once it came time to attach the eye to the rest of the mesh, the extra edges flowing out of the eye were kind of overwhelming. How do people deal with varying mesh detail like this? I ended up running some of the loops around the front and top of the head, and others were run into the mouth (which still hasn't been modeled). A similar set of problems came when ataching the head to the shoulders- which is why there's a nasty ring of n-gons running down the neck.
  
  
• If anyone has more general comments (proportions, style, etc.) please feel free to offer any suggestions that come to mind.

I'm currently working on a small java game. I've never before worked on a game without the aid of a framework like AGS, so it's both challenging and fun. The most difficult part so far has been designing all the classes so they'll work together in a somewhat orderly fashion. I'm really not very familiar with object oriented programming yet.

So the question is, are any folks around here familiar with a forum or resources that might help an enthusiastic beginner learn the ropes? For reference the project is an old-fashioned roleplaying game in the vein of ADOM or Rogue.

I've found a lot of tutorials, but don't have any reference books yet. And I have yet to find a forum that doesn't seem to be populated by neanderthals.

Thanks advance for any suggestions. And as an aside, I'm absolutely not abandoning my AGS project, I'm just temporarily shifting gears because I'm taking a Java class this semester.

What sorts of neat adventure game puzzles could be designed involving Life (or a variation)? Post your ideas here, hopefully this will spawn some neat AGS puzzles.
If you're unfamiliar with the game, there's some info and an applet here. Be forewarned, it's kind of addictive.

How could one integrate it into the game world? As a tile floor? As Myst-style GUI puzzle? As physical creatures or plants that behave like the cells in Life? It would be nice to have it not feel horribly contrived, but this may be a tall order.


An LED Life board from Dropout Design

P.S.- there's a (poorly scripted) AGS version of Life in the works, it'll be up for download later today in this thread.

OK, throw out ideas about parallel video cards, multi-core processors, and four gigabytes of RAM. We're talking history museum technology here.

Due to limited DOS support and hardware compatibility issues, A friend and I have been kicking around the idea of making a computer specifically for playing old PC games. Here are a few games we plan to target: Another World, Flashback, various Sierra and Lucasarts adventures, Prince of Persia.

More recent possible games: Doom, Fallout, Planescape: Torment.

I know a bit about current hardware, but my knowledge of older vintages is lacking. What kind of setup would you recommend? We want to prioritize older titles, and wouldn't want to use newer hardware for more recent games at the expense of the classics. How old should we go?
OS- Windows 95?
Processor?
Sound card?
Monitor?

P.S.- Why not just use emulation? We have and love DOSBox and ScummVM, but we're looking for a less clunky, more 'authentic' experience.

Thank you all for your continued support. I hate to post again so soon after my last query, but I ran into a problem I'm stumped by. The basic idea behind this script is to give the player a concise list of current objectives, such as "Find the four map pieces" or "Catch a golden butterfly". There will be other script elsewhere that sets updates the GUI; the following is just sets up an array for storing the goals.

These variables are declared in the global script.

Code: ags

struct goal {
  String goal_name;
  String goal_note;
  int goal_status; // 0 = not on list, 1 = incomplete, 2 = complete
};
goal goal_list[20]; // array of current goals

These functions are also in the global script. The script compiles without errors. But when the function is called in-engine I get a "null pointer referenced" error that points to the indicated line.

Code: ags

// Goal List
function add_goal(String new_goal) { // add a goal to the list
	player.Say("Right, we're calling the add_goal function now.");
	// add the goal name to the goal list
	int n = 0;
	bool already_added = false;
	while (n < 20) { // make sure it isn't already added
		if (new_goal == goal_list[n].goal_name) { //   <------------------------ NULL POINTER ERROR here
			already_added = true;
			player.Say("The goal '%s' is in slot %d, so we don't need to add it a second time.", new_goal, n);
		}
		n ++;
	}
	// The script after this line seems to work as desired, you can probably ignore it.
	if (already_added == false) {
		n = 0;
		bool exit = false;
		while (exit == false) { // find a free slot
			if (goal_list[n].goal_name == null) { // if the slot is empty
				player.Say("We're setting putting the goal '%s' in slot %d", new_goal, n);
				exit = true; // we found a free slot, so we can stop hunting
				goal_list[n].goal_name = new_goal;
				// add appropriate dialog, etc.
				if (new_goal == "valve") {
					goal_list[n].goal_note = "Find a handle for the broken valve.";
				}
				else { // if the name isn't recognized
					player.Say("add_goal isn't finding a match for that goal.");
				} // goal specific tasks
			} // empty slot check
			n ++;
		}
	}
}

If the while loop containing the offending line is commented out, everything runs without an error. The purpose of the line is to check if a string in the array is equal to the variable new_goal. It's part of a loop that exists to prevent listing the same goal twice. Perhaps there's another way to write the line?

In searching for a solution, the function String.CompareTo came up. It seemed useful at first, but it seems it needs a constant string instead of a variable. Is there a way to use this?

Thanks for answering my previous question so quickly. This one is probably just a syntax error as well:

Code: ags

// ints n, x, and y are set above;
ViewFrame *current_frame = Game.GetFrameCountForLoop;
current_frame = (current_frame + n); // error points here
RawDrawImage(x, y, current_frame);

The compiler says "Cannot convert *ViewFrame to int." I was hoping there was something like "FloatToInt" that I could use here, but I'm at a loss, and a forum search for ViewFrame didn't yield any relevant results.

I would just use Object.Animate, but this is for a RawDrawImage call.

For reference this script snippet was working before the addition of Game.GetFrameCountForLoop. It looked like this:

Code: ags

//ints n, x, and y are set above
int current_frame = 234;
current_frame = (current_frame + n);
RawDrawImage(x, y, current_frame);

Hello all. There's a room script that creates several arrays of the same size.

Code: ags

int array_1[1000];
int array_2[1000];
int array_3[1000];

Is there a way to define the array size only once? The compiler doesn't seem to like the following

Code: ags

int limit = 1000;
int array_1[limit];
int array_2[limit];
int array_3[limit];

The error given is "Array size must be constant value.".

This is a relatively minor character. He's a sort of general purpose laborer for a small airline. He carries baggage and helps passengers, etc. I'm drawing him first because I want to learn as much as I can before starting the main characters.

sketch and shaded version
He's supposed to be in early middle age, slightly droopy and not in top shape. He's wearing a somewhat stiff felty uniform with a row of buttons down the front. His feet are in fairly high black leather boots. I'm aiming to make him look dilligent and nice, but slightly bored.

All comments are welcome. I'm particularly interested in posture/emotion and shading. All comments, particularly ones that question assumptions, are welcome.

By the way, the palette is 16 grays.

When I try to test the project I'm working on I get an EOF error. I've read in previous threads that this is likely a typo like a missing semicolon, or an issue with braces.

The problem is, the error is in the global script. I'm not sure where in its ponderous depths the error is. I've looked for an hour or so, manually checking areas I've recently edited and using the 'match brace' function, but it seems like I'm not going to find the error any time soon.

I'm considering just reverting to the last saved version. If I were to close the document without saving, how much progress would I lose? Would it revert to the last point I ran a test? Would it revert to the way it was before the AGS editor was first opened?

[The GUI:]

I'm not sure I'm posting in the right place, but as far as I can tell from "read before posting" threads this is the best place. I'm working on a GUI for an unannounced AGS project, and I'm putting a lot of work into making it professional and well thought out. The main goals are simplicity and user friendliness. I have a few ideas I'd appreciate feedback on.

The GUI:

• There's an inventory panel that runs across the top of the screen.
  
• Below that there's a line of context sensitive text.
  
• On launching the game, the player is presented with a splash screen containing "New game", "Restore", and "Quit" buttons.
  
• On entering a room, the name of the room is briefly displayed across the bottom of the screen along with a small icon.

There are three modes of interaction:

• Right click is look.
  
• Left click is multifunction- walk to/open/close/interact/talk/pick up. The text line changes to reflect what verb is currently appropriate. For example it might say "pick up matchbook", "close door" or "talk to Mr. Smith".
  
• Clicking on an inventory item changes the cursor to that item. Left clicking uses the item on the target.
  

Unresolved issues:
(1) How should the GUI handle non-interactive objects? To clarify, there are a lot of background hotspots like "painting" or "potted plant" in the game. Should both left and right click look at the object? Or should left clicking give a custom message to the effect of "I can't interact with that."?
(2) Should the text line display both left and right click information? It would be color coded it, and look something like this:
[color=333366]Left click: open chest[/color] | [color=663333]Right click: look at chest[/color]
I'm considering adding a picture of a mouse with color coded buttons that sits where the "|" is in the example above.
(3) How should I integrate the save/quit/restore options? I like how clean the GUI is right now, and would prefer not to add any buttons from that point of view. I'm leaning toward using keyboard shortcuts because of this. However, part of me disagrees and says that a few clearly labeled buttons would be more user friendly. A third option is moving those buttons to a pause screen (popup modal, comes up on <esc> or <space>). Are there other options I haven't considered?

Any and all feedback is welcome. I'd also be interested to hear what interfaces people have chosen for their own projects and why.

[Question 1]

Hello everyone,
I've got a couple of inventory related questions. For reference this project uses no verb buttons- left click is multifunction and right click is look.

Question 1
Currently a left click on an inventory item sets the cursor mode to 4 (use inventory) and sets ActiveInventory to that item. That's fine and dandy most of the time.

For certain items I'd like to alter the default behavior. I'd like a single click on a costume item to automatically change the player's outfit. So if the player were to left click on "sombrero," the character would put on a sombrero instead of changing the active inventory item to "sombrero". How might one go about this?

Question 2
When the player uses an inventory item on a target, I'd like the cursor to return to the normal mode. I've got a function written that changes the cursor mode and resets all the necessart variables. I've been trying to call this using the on_mouse_click script, but I seem to be going about this wrong. Currently if the player uses an inventory item on a target the cursor resets before the interaction with the target object/hotspot/player happens. So by the time the target receives the click we aren't in "use inventory" mode anymore. The cursor resets, but all "use inventory item on" actions are impossible. How can I get around this?

[Edited:]

ABOUT RELEASE SOMETHING:
This isn't a competition as such, just a big free-for-all where we can all showcase our talents. Basically, a date is set for "Release Something!" Day and on that day, people are invited to post to this thread anything they like, really. For example, some sprites,  screenshots of your game, music, sound effects, backgrounds, rooms, a plugin, a storyboard, a demo, or if you can manage it, a full game. Heck, even if it's 95% done or 1% done, if you wanna release it, you go for it!

This round will begin March 26, and end on April 5. Hopefully that will be long enough, but feel free to ask for an extension if you really need one. Anyone working on a project is encouraged to post. Best wishes to all!

Edited:Date changed.

I found an old thread that covers this:
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=20109.0
It seems it was written for the old LoseInventory function, and I'm unsure of how to rewrite it for Character.LoseInventory. I first tried the following loop:

   int i = 0;
   while (i < Game.InventoryItemCount) {
      player.LoseInventory(i); // error here
      i++;
   }

When I tried to compile AGS said "Type missmatch: cannot convert 'int' to 'InventoryItem*'. The error was in the line with the Character.LoseInventory call. So I tried this:

   InventoryItem *i = 0; // error here
   while (i < Game.InventoryItemCount) {
      player.LoseInventory(i);
      i++;
   }

Now when I compile I get the same error message, but it points to the variable declaration. As in the past I apologize for my scripting inneptitude.

I borrowed the first (US released) Phoenix Wright a while ago, and just found a used copy of Touch Detective yesterday. Both are enjoyable if not outstanding titles.

I found Phoenix Wright to be a little inelegant, mostly linear with slightly awkward puzzles. There were many times I knew what the solution to a puzzle was, but found myself going in circles figuring out which dialog choices to pick in order to arrive there. The dialog was a little ham-handed too. The backgrounds were good if uninspired, the character art was stylish but I felt not as well executed as it could have been. Overall I enjoyed the storytelling. The plot is goofy and cliched, but it's presented well enough that I got caught up in the moment  to moment drama of it. There were quite a few satisfying eureka moments. I enjoyed the music as well, it was silly and energetic and fit nicely. Overall it was an enjoyable game with slightly less than optimal execution.

Touch Detective is a very different animal. I've not yet finished playing through, but so far I'm loving it. The stylishness of the presentation deserves mention first. The backgrounds are cartoony with thick outlines and watercolor-style shading. There are huge amounts of tiny details, and the rendering is immaculate. The characters, though prerendered from 3d models, suit the backgrounds fairly well. Their heavy outlines help them blend in, and the character design is in keeping with the background style. I generally prefer hand-drawn characters, but I wasn't at all disappointed. As for gameplay, the game succeeds in entertaining but has shortcomings. There are very few custom responses to clicking on objects, and almost none for using one object on another. On the bright side, the characters are engaging and consistently funny. Almost everyone is quirky in one way or another, and the dialog frequently plays one character against another in fun ways. The humor is mostly lighthearted situational comedy, but there's occasional slapstick and some humor around the world itself, which is downright bizarre (immortal butlers, dream cakes and talking sharks). In all I'm finding it a lovable specimen of the genre. If the dialog were slightly wittier and there was more custom dialog for random actions (use brick on Penelope, etc.) it would be pretty near flawless.

Niche DS titles such as these are getting a decent amout of mass market attention lately. What are your thoughts about the market or platform's effect on the adventure genre? What are your impressions of these or other DS adventure games? Do you have any recommendations?

In comic books and some old RPG's, characters sometimes have tiny drawings over their heads that represent their feelings- stormclouds, flowers, radiating lines, etc.

I'm using this type of drawing during dialog, and I've been unable to figure out how to implement it. Ideally I would have a non-blocking function that would create and animate an "emoticon" for a set amount of time, then delete it.

I've currently got the following:

Code: ags

  RawSaveScreen();
  RawDrawImage(160, 120, 1);
  Wait(80);
  RawRestoreScreen();

This looks exactly how I want it to, but it the timing is interrupting character animation and dialog.

Is there a way to do this in a background process?

I have all the walk-behinds for a room  drawn in Photoshop. I am running into problems when I try to "import mask..." from within AGS. I think it has something to do with the palette slots Photoshop is putting the colors into.

I understand that mask color 0 should be the unmasked areas, and colors 1-15 should be the different walk-behinds. But whenever I convert to indexed mode, I end up with the colors in the image scattered randomly throughout the palette. For reference, I've tried a number of different conversion methods.

When I try to import the image, AGS says:
The GIMP works fine. I'll just use that for now, but I'd like to understand what I'm doing wrong in Photoshop.

Hello everyone. I'm beginning to script my first few cutscenes and would appreciate the insight of people who have done a fair amount of this. I'm learning as I go, so I'm making an effort to work in as clean and proper a fashion as possible. Any tips would be appreciated.

I'm planning on one room function for each cutscene. Within that function, all dialog and character events will happen (SetView, Walk, goto-dialog, etc.). This seems a little decentralized.

What other ways have people organized their cutscenes? Does this seem like a decent approach?