Messages

Yeah, Vez, I'm taking my time, because I don't want to release anything I am not satisfied with. Besides I  want this game to be really a full-length adventure, not just a lot of something.

Steve, thanks for your offer, but a Beta version is like 7 months away from now

Blackman stay cool on that one. I finished school fine and went to uni without showing up there most of the time for last three years of it. [dream] except in Geography - the teacher was such a babe, and she was always wearing semi-transparent shirts and minis [/dream] um, yeah.

Just don't put yourself down, but try and find a way to keep up with the learning!

An old jewish saying goes: "God would not give you the need to learn something, without sending you a teacher"

Besides in twenty years, when you are a kick-ass game designer. you can say in an interview: "I only started making games back in 2004, because I spent all my days in the AGS Forum, because of a teacher strike..."

Thanks guys! I owe you a bucket of salted herrings if I ever meet you! (harr, that's pirate's thanks )

I went for Gilbot's solution, because a pop-up GUI would pause the game (but I learned a lot from your GUI code anyway, Scorpiorus!).

I use this now (I know my code looks verrrrry n00b, but I promise to learn more, OK?):

Ã,  Ã,  int n;
Ã,  Ã,  int x;
Ã,  Ã,  int y;
Ã,  Ã,  x = 25;
Ã,  Ã,  y = 170;
Ã,  Ã,  RawSaveScreen ();
Ã,  Ã,  RawDrawImage (0, 150, 3000); //get background
Ã,  Ã,  RawSetColor (16670);
Ã,  Ã,  SetNormalFont (2);
Ã,  Ã,  RawPrint (3, 159, "%d", GetGlobalInt (55)); //show player ID
Ã,  Ã,  while (n<60) {
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  if (GetGlobalInt (61+n) > 0) RawPrint ( x, y, "%d", GetGlobalInt(61+n)); //print if value
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  else if (GetGlobalInt (61+n) < 0) RawPrint( x, y, "XXX"); //cross out if negative
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  else if (GetGlobalInt (61+n) == 0) {} //do nothing if zero
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  if (x == 85) { //when end of line
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  x=10; //go to beginn of line
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  y = y+11; //on a new line
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  }
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  x = x+15;
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  n++;
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Wait (1);

At my gamespeed this takes only 1 sec. - I even like the short pause after each turn, when stats are updated!

This has been my pen name (or rather "mouse name") for a long time now. I think it sounds quite good and I choose it before I new I will ever live in Spain. If I ever have the time for the paperwork I might even change it to my real name.

I like being called Al, since it is also a short version of my given first name.

(actually this is quite a boring story - but hell, if reality was interesting, who would play adventure games?)

As far as I remember FFVII didn't have any GUI at all but a text menu instead.

I love that style, why not implement it yourself. You don't even need to touch a GUI, just go for dialogs where the player can choose what to do...

What I am trying to do:

when the player hits a button to view stats on something a statsheet pops up and many little numbers (61 to be exact) are displaying the state of some GlobalInts.

I tried using an Object and

funciton show_stats () {
Ã,  RawSaveScreen ();
Ã,  ObjectOn (0);Ã, 
Ã,  RawPrint...
}

However the printed numbers are hidden BEHIND the sheet rather then printed on it (I checked by not switching on the object - they were just above the bg layer)- can I make it the other way?

I also considered using a GUI for this, but I can't have that many labels, can I?

Maybe the only option is switching the bg frame to one with the stat sheet drawn on it?

Any other suggestions?

Thanks in advance

I draw with a normal HB pencil and ink with a black fineliner.

After erasing the pencil lines I scan in full-color.

I then clean scans in photoshop mostly with the magic wand ( selecting the white areas, tolerance 50 - non continguous). Then I fil the selcted areas with pure white, inverse selection and fill it with pure black. (that's four mouse clicks so far ) After corrections with pancil/eraser(pencil mode) toll I select all black parts and copy them to a new layer I block. Then I erase the original layer and give each individual part I color a new layer bellow the outline layer so I can change things easier.

This takes whole scan/clean process takes me about 5 minutes. But the paper originaly used must be very clean, also after the erasing - this needs some practising.

*the keyboard needs a cable
*there are no electrical cordes or (i don't know the name of it)
the one you plug cables in

also, i have NEVER in my whole life, seen such a tidy room

Maybe his keyboard is a cordless one . Cables and such would add a bit of "life" I agree on that one.

Now that the perspective is fixed, it really bothers me, that the somputer screen is square. Also, ras_maxim, imagine you sitting at that computer, the monitor has to be further back, and mouse/keyboard facing it, or are you looking "around the corner" all the time. Speaking of sitting: some kind of a chair would probably also add the feeling of reality...

And yes, this looks even tidier than the room I was living in when I was a soldier... (I would suggest some magazines piling up on the floor, and maybe a plant in one of the corners. Also posters and such would help.

Maybe some laundry under the bed?

This background is getting real good, you know!

Well Ghostface, I am afraid it will take us those 8 - 9 months to finish this one... unless we lose our "real" jobs or win the national lottery, which would both help speed things up.

Of course if enough enthusiastic, selfless gamers would pre-order this game and send just 50 Euros each to the following account now already... HEY! People where are you going!? It was just a joke, come back!Ã, Ã,  Seriously: I don't think this could ever bring any money at allÃ, 

But thanks for the offer. I will be going for a short one-room "tech check" by the end of the month. Just to see if all the stuff rolls smoothly on different machines - so if you don't mind spending some 30 min. on that, I would PM you when finished.

Same offer for you Barbarian!

In return I am giving you the great offer of giving you proper credit in the game and (more important) giving you the opportunity to be one of the first outsiders to take a peek under that skirtÃ,  )

Judging by the huge improvement from origianl to edited version here, ras_maxim, you are catching up with two drawing lessons per hour!

The curtain and city sight are great, but you should add more details to the beds (and apply DMs perspective).

I am in a bit of a hurry, so I will only post an (quickly scanned and unworked on) haf of a bedroom I drew only yesterday, just to show you what I mean:

Thanks for the comments folks!

I am proceeding with work quite fast!

I like your "painted" looking style of backgrounds.. Ã, 

They are all first painted (gouache on aquarel paper) then scanned and adjusted to look good at the low resolution (I never before made games - so I get really claustrophobic trying do fit landscpes on 800x600 Ã, - but it's good learning to see how much one can tell with three pixels and two colors )

and Sunny sure is lovely to look at too Ã, 

Wait untli you see some of the NPCs...

Damn good looking GUIs

Yes I took my time on these. After I had the first set in place, I returned just two weeks later and redone them completely. Then again... this is version 3.4 or something...

Title Leisure Suit Larry inspired at all?

Finaly someone notices! Ã, 

Yes I always thought LSL was the real reason why god gave us computers (ok I am exaggerating a bit) - the only thing I didn't really like - it looked so "disney" (no wonder considering Al Lowes game design background, not?) - so I felt it would be right to use the Bishojo style, I am familiar with.

I am trying to make LSL-inspired adventure, yes, but I don't want to make it a copy with different names (Larry is just fine as he is, I think).

seems we are gonna have woman`s perspective now

No, I think the female perspective of LSL is worked out well wnough through Passionate Patty.

I am orienting the puzzles and the plot rather on Steve Meretzky and such

I would suggest adding higher cheekbones (they all have the same faceform - as made from a same template) Ã, and more eye-white to "Joshua". This would make him look younger.

do Grant's beard maybe a bit whiter and fuller - I just switched my monitor's color setting and it became just a paler shade of orange (SQ4.5 apparently missed it alltogether, hence his remark about facial hair)

Finally you could make Thomas a stronger shin and maybe a big scar, so he would create a stronger impression of an experienced mercenary (that's what I think of looking at him)

- Skin colour, why not have a british white person or maybe a colered?

though it can be put politicaly and orthographicaly by far more correct Ã,  I agree. Play a bit with skin colors as well, I would say.

I don't know about your project, but they seem to me like a starship crew or maybe a spec-ops team or something.

Otherwise cool!

I think you forgot to apply the same perspective to the roof, as you did to the floor - just connect the lines to same distance points and you will see great improvement.

also draw a line in correct perspective to determine where the poles on the left side connect to the floor.

add maybe (except for a reiling and stuff DM mentioned) a rescue ring (or whatever the orange and white hula-hoops are called, I actually have never been on a real ship, just seen them in the harbor)

Also a big ship would have its name written on such an elevated point.

Aparently I am the only one who does not know - what are the yellow balls?

concerning stars - depending on the mood and setting of your game, I think this could be just the right stage for an humorously-overdone first-kiss-scene (add chello music and rose pettals carried in the warm breeze)

^/topic

This is fun!!!Ã,  Now somebody pick me apart

Adding more than one exclamation sign is not only unnecessary but also makes reading hard (was that right, am I in the game? - who's next on the hot seat?) [/sup]

Ok i suck, il just quit the game because i can't do a caracter

don't despair blackman - that one is not that bad. Try making your own character form the scratch - it is not easy to make an indy sprite look like anything else than indy.

Maybe you should just leave the sprite as it is and make something else for the game. then come back to the character sprites later?

or indy is trying to be masculine, or he's got irritating deodorantÃ,  Ã, 

LOL

You are right. i never before tried to draw a male breast in that little format...

what happens in the B.O.B snes game?

http://www.neoseeker.com/Games/Products/SNES/b_o_b/

or that's what google found...

A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do! (and if it involves a trip to the Swiss Alps, well ... the better!)



After the preparatory work is done, I am glad to announce the first full-length game to be released by Acceeda Studio : Short Skirt Sunny Enjoys A Swiss Summer

A game full of beatiful landscapes, interesting localy-flavoured characters, stunning stories and a all that around several pairs of long legs! (the game will probably not be suitable for most gamers youger than 16)

Features: background art painted for this game only, "bishojo" style characters and animations, an original soundtrack.

Release in May 2005!



Sandra Barbara Frhythcheck and her college roommate Gwenda Larsson truly do not have too much in common. But when Gwenda leaves for a short trip to Switzerland and disappears without a trace, there seems to be only one person who cares - the well-read but ill-experienced heroine-to-be "Short Skirt Sunny"!

Her first adventure takes her to the beautyful valleys and lakes of Switzerland, to claustrophobic caves beneath the Alps and to majestic glaciers above. On her way she meets people and discovers the secret behind a generations old curse in a small village.

A humorous game about friendship, tolerance and heroism.




A webite about this project, including a summary of the plot, character information and a developer's diary is currently in development

Too bad... thanks anyway

I really have do sprites (pages of and such) which PS compreses to 15KB gifs, but AGS makes the 400+KB. Maybe I will try to make each line of the book a single sprite, thus saveing the space between them...

Yeah, zipping will hopefully help - my real concern is the DL-size as a 75-100 MB game would be wuite limited in distribution by this (plus the bandwith costs).

How can I reduce the KB size of my sprites?

E.g. I have a bunch of sprites using just black lines on transparent backgroud. As GIFs those would be very small files, even if they are fullscreen pixel-size.

My imported sprites however are all the same file size, relating only to the screen size (according to the sprite-properties button)

Can I have GIF-like compression on sprites? (as is done with the backgrounds)

If not, can I place it as a suggestion? Thanks.

(a search didn't return any results - can it be none asked this before?)

[meat]

were they meat the seagullsÃ, 

(have you ever read something by Sigmund FreudÃ,  )

Hmm... this can be very nice to make - I would think of the two bird-gangs trying to impress each other and dancing to and from the others (like in the "West Side Story") all flattering wings and shaking the tailfeathers. And turkey-boss and seagull-chief eyeing each other all the time.

For musical background I suggest some really "fat" blues...

Just my thoughts

so what i need is a caracter which is "naked"

Something like this?

my first paint-over ever (and my first naked indy...)