Messages

I went way out of control here.  Expect my "entry" sometime in the next 20 hours from this point.

Sounds like fun!

In general with both games I'm missing the intention that was meant with the 'original' versions. I missed the absurdistic humoristic nonsensical remarks and everything was taken too seriously. Both games were a good effort but (I think) did not match the intention as set by bspeers

I don't know.  I always thought both games were bizarre, but looking back, my memory was a little off.  In my view as long as the the remakes show how AGS has changed over the years, they fit with the spirit of this month's rules.  The mood of each project isn't all that important to me.

I'll try these out and vote as soon as I can.

Hooray for MAGS!

A post with much content:

Yayyy!

Hmm, I might do this.  Right now I like that the text persists as a few puzzles benefit from this (saving you time).

But I might actually implement an F3 function that recalls the last line or something, we'll see.

I don't know about Klaus, but at this point, I think I personally would count any classic AGS remake.

Assuming you're talking about the original and not a remake, here are the rules:

1.You're Stuck: You have missed something earlier in the game, please go back to the beginning and start over.

2. You Die: You have missed something.  Please start over.

3.  There is an animation of any kind or you click the cursor on an object:  You missed something earlier in the game.  Please start over again.  Again.


Nonetheless, there are two things you might have missed out on, neither of which have much to do with the pie shop.

Spoiler

Did you get anything from the cell when the monster captured you?  You must get an item here from a small... using your...

[close]

Here's a broader hint:

Spoiler

The solution is pretty cheesy

[close]

Also, you might have not done the following chain.

Spoiler

Go into the library below his bedroom.  Read the magic book.  Wait, and he will appear.  Wait longer.

[close]

More clues

Spoiler

Did he leave anything behind?  You can use something to restore power to your wand when you reach the laboratory now, but you have to do it quickly.  Also, the recharging machine will need a catalyst.  It's something you retrieved earlier, if you've solved the rest of the puzzles I mentioned

[close]

There will now be a battle between you two.  Hope you prepared!

Nearly half way through the month!   Can we have a robot roll call?  Who's still in?

Remember, these were simple games.  Even if your project is very short, it still fits the theme just fine.  In a sense, you can only go up!  So I encourage anyone to try their hand.  Hey.  you might win!

Looking forward to the end of this contest, as I hope to see some out-there entries!

EDIT: I hope I didn't kill it.  That would suck.

Er... I'm offering $1 000 000 prize to first place*!

Yeah, that'll take care of it.




*Non redeemable in the following systems: Sol.

Oh.  My apologies.  I thought you were rolling your eyes in exasperated sarcasm.

Sorry!

Anyway, I didn't quite find the optimal solution, but mixing various ideas came up with something that works.  I'm still not sure if there's a way to separate nouns and verbs easily so as to isolate one class from another, but my workaround provided by all of you and a bit of playing around seems to work with minimal additional effort.

Thanks folks!

Trent R, you're not getting it, there's a communication barrier between us somehow.  None of your advice was useful or on point, but it must be my phrasing.  Your quotes were taken out of context, unecessarily sardonic and ignorant.

I am trying to COMBINE on_call with a global script that checks for a class of terms.

However, I do appreciate that you tried to help.

RickJ, on the other hand, thanks for that.  That does make sense.  I'll try setting my scripts up and report back if they worked.

Actually, the game is rendered in LDraw a 3D modelling program that works with the complete lego library and custom parts.

The idea is that since it tackles writer's block and the building blocks of a good novel, it makes sense that the actual game is constructed from blocks.

The bit that makes me sad is that nobody even tried the game (I'm pretty sure) before dismissing it as a half-arsed MAGS entry.  The demo has a beginning, middle and end, several novel-based puzzles, 3 original music tracks, and numerous characters.  I personally think it was a more complete game than some (but by no means most) MAGS entries, and has a cute atmosphere.  I suspect though that no one gave it a try because I labeled it a "tech demo."  Doesn't bother me too much though because the final game is going to be awesome!

I'm currently working on it daily, and have added new puzzles, locations and characters, as well as recently developing the live action intro-video that sets up the game.

So far, without a deadline, I'm having less of an excuse to power through it, but it gets more complete every day.

I may end up asking the community though if there is a favourite author they would like to see in the final product, as I have one roster space I haven't decided how to fill yet.  I may just have a think about it first.

All you've done is rephrased my question.  I'm trying to figure out how to detect whether a response has printed on the screen without putting an individual script in each room.

I thank you for trying to help, but it's the bit

that tells you that a response was printed to the screen

AND would allow me to distinguish whether a class of phrases was said and then print a "somewhat" generic response.  Everything else is well covered in the manual, and is actually already running in my game.

There is no documented "did something print on the screen" check that I am aware of, at least as far as I am aware.

Hey there techies.

Maybe this is a basic question, but I'm trying to script a text parser and I'd like to have an easy way to check for generic nouns and verbs in sentences that have no written response, without writing out each individual response.

Note that this the answer isn't simply anyword" or "rol" as I'm not asking about generalizing whole words, but more of contextual check.

In simple terms, I want the player to be able to type "look house."  If there is a response in callroomscript, then I want that response to play.  If not, I want a generic response such as "There is no house here."

Right now, the only way I can see this working is by putting all my parser text in the global script with if statements such as:

Code: ags

if (cChar1.room == 1) {
Display ("Okay, you're standing in the house.");
}

else if (cChar1.room == 2) {
Display ("The house looks enormous.");
}

else {
Display ("There is no house here.");
}

However, this seems exceedingly awkward and bulky.  Surely there is a way to check whether a whole class of words have come up with a callroomscript response and then respond based on this?

What I would like to do, ultimately, in bad psedocode:

Code: ags

if (Parser.Said ("look %s", thinglooked)) {
if ((Parser.FindWordId != -1) && (calllroomscript was null)) {
Display ("There is no  '%s' here", thinglooked);
}
}

That way, every time you looked at anything in the game that was in the dictionary and didn't have an in-room response, you would get a generalized "that isn't here" type message.

Is this possible?  Is it something simple I missed?

Please treat me like a noob on this, since the last version of AGS I used had graphical scripts in it.  I'm an oldbie newbie.

Yeah, Laya, I considered widening the pool to include Lassi Quest, for example, but I was afraid it would get paralyzingly broad.  I originally wanted it to just be a house quest remake contest, but I love Red Flagg to much to cut it from the pack.

I will stay tuned though, and if there are a lot of complaints, I will talk with Klaus about expanding the rules.  For now though, lets keep it simple.

Seriously, don't get caught up trying to get them to work.  It's totally irrelevant.  The idea is just a starting point.  I honestly didn't even think those old games worked at all anymore.

EDIT: Actually, that's not how I remember House Quest at all.  But the idea of exploring a wierd house is fine for this contest anyway, so it hardly changes anything (for some reason all I remember is trying to get inside the house, maybe there was an earlier version?)

As for Red Flagg, okay, it wasn't quite as wierd as I remember it, but it's basically exactly what I described, so that doesn't affect anything.  There is a "save the world" subplot that I forgot about that one could expand on (in the original, it's just mentioned as a 1 off joke).

Basically, for those that can't get the games to work, House Quest is about exploring a house, there really isn't much else to it.  For this contest it could be a house or a mansion, or a castle or a carboard box that a hobo might live in, etc.

Red Flagg basically you go fishing, disembodied faces speak to you, you go back home.  Bloopers follow.

That's it.  So what can YOU do with these simple set-ups utizling the improved powers of AGS?

To be fair to me, although it is a tech demo, I think that if you tried it out, seeing as it does have a beginning middle and end, some interesting mechanics and gameplay, I think it would have done alright anyway.

However, yes it is a bit disappointing to have so few entrants.

My hope is that next month's theme will inspire many entrants, even many short ones.  This was an awesome topic, but since we were dealing with an already existent script (IE: the plot of whatever book), I think it privileged graphic artists (since that is the main way creativity played a part).

IE: A game version of the Illiad, for example would have to feature graphics more than plot, since the plot is already there.

I enjoyed the topic though, and found it inspirational.

This is also a short, busy month, especially this year.  I fully expect more entrants next month regardless.

[Writer's Blocks!]

Get ready for Writer's Blocks!



The tech demo, with puzzles!

A text based interface using mouse controls leads you through a new world!

You are a writer, stumped and stuck, blocked as it were, when a mysterious old man invites you into Blockland, a place filled with fictional characters, both friend and foe!

Can you collect all 10 magical blocks without being eaten alive?

This version has a beginning, middle and end, and a few challenging puzzles, but is nowhere near complete.  Meet Alice of Alice in Wonderland, Virginia Woolf, Bilbo Baggins, Mr. Darcy and others as you quest to find the "building blocks of the perfect novel.



Enjoy!

http://www.cardboardlogic.com/Games/blocks.zip

Graphics:
(Apart from some horrid pink artifacting that needs to be re-imported)
95%

Music/Sound:
60%

Live Acted Cutscenes:
50%

Script/Story:
95%

Scripting:
45%

The graphics are basically done, and the plot is set up.  The engine works great, with a few kinks.  This will be done by the end of April 2009, either that or the end of March 2036 (knowing my history).

Try out the demo!

[Writer's Blocks!]

EDIT: Download being updated with a few reported bug fixes.

Okay, here's a proper post:

Get ready for Writer's Blocks!



The tech demo, with puzzles!

A text based interface using mouse controls leads you through a new world!

You are a writer, stumped and stuck, blocked as it were, when a mysterious old man invites you into Blockland, a place filled with fictional characters, both friend and foe!

Can you collect all 10 magical blocks without being eaten alive?

This version has a beginning, middle and end, and a few challenging puzzles, but is nowhere near complete.  Meet Alice of Alice in Wonderland, Virginia Woolf, Bilbo Baggins, Mr. Darcy and others as you quest to find the "building blocks of the perfect novel.



Enjoy!

http://www.cardboardlogic.com/Games/blocks.zip

I believe I will have a good playable entry in 3.5 hours, the end of the 33 hour period.

Keep your mouses peeled!

Okay, it's a demo, but it's available on my Website as of now!

http://www.cardboardlogic.com/Games/blocks.zip

EDIT: Link fixed - it should be downloadable in about 5 minutes (I had a caps issue).

Well, I definitely won't be finished, but I do believe I could have a full "arc" with a little more work.

Would it be possible to get an extension to the 25th at say, high noon?

I will then submit whatever I've got, and the fine people here can judge whether it ever qualifies as an entry.  It's kind of an interesting idea, at any rate.

If there is no extension, I just won't be able to submit, and good luck to the other competitors!