Topics

I couldn't find any info on this problem in the manual -

I have the line:

NewRoomEx (8, 111, 111);

In the Look At script for an item of inventory. When the player looks at the item the screen fades out and does not fade back in.

The first time I tried this I had a DisplaySpeech command before the fade-in in the target room, and after clicking the transition worked. Having removed this line the transition never works. Changing the target room to one I know works fine does not solve the problem - it still gets stuck.

Can anyone help? Am I overlooking something really basic?

[What is a Photoshop Phrenzy?]

What is a Photoshop Phrenzy?

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

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

The two above websites should give a fair idea of what is involved. Also you can check out the earlier Photoshop Phridays in this forum.

Note: 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.

Also, you don't have to specifically use Photoshop -- Paint Shop Pro, MSPaint, or any other programs can be used.

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I'm going back to university this week so the topic is:

BACK TO SCHOOL
I demand professional or AGS characters going back to school, like Minimanny here:

Restrictions:
You will be marked on your spelling.
No chewing.
Please post boy, girl, boy, girl.

That is all.

I hope this is the right forum...

Has anyone played '9: The Last Resort'?

Is anyone aware of problems with the game?

I can't get past a puzzle where I have to play a series of notes into an organ to get a key. I've followed every walkthrough I can find and I'm absolutely certain I'm playing the correct series of notes. It still won't work and I'm tearing my hair out.[size=10]*[/size]

Has anyone heard of anything like this - a successfully completed puzzle failing?

Thanks

-Al


[size=10]*Not literally of course, I have a fine head of hair.[/size]

[What is a Photoshop Phriday?]

What is a Photoshop Phriday?

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.

Also, you don't have to specifically use Photoshop -- Paint Shop Pro, MSPaint, or any other programs can be used.

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

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

The two above websites should give a fair idea of what is involved.

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

Ahem...

This week's topic is Sit-coms

I want to see adventure game characters starring in their own situation comedies, or making guest appearances in real shows.

Like this but less hastily thrown together:


EDIT: Forgot to put a date ... the last day is the 9th.

Farlander's post about international differences got me thinking... What kind of deeply dull or wonderful things are on AGSer's doorsteps across the globe?

If I lean out of my bedroom window I can see York Minster, the largest gothic cathedral in Northern Europe. I can also see a raiway station, a reminder of York's importance in years gone by.

I'd like to know what you can see from your window (bedroom or otherwise).

Hello, I've just been playing around in three dimensions. I had a go at modelling cartoonish eyes with that charming pixar-like glow. I don't really have a game in mind, I'm just playing around with character.

Here's an eye (drag and drop the link in your address bar to view):
http://themonkeyhut.tripod.com/eyeball.jpg

And here's a simple character using the eyes.
http://themonkeyhut.tripod.com/Blob.jpg

I suspect my monitor isn't calibrated so they may be a little dark. Aside from that, what do you think?

[What is a Photoshop Phriday?]

What is a Photoshop Phriday?

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.

Also, you don't have to specifically use Photoshop -- Paint Shop Pro, MSPaint, or any other programs can be used.

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

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

The two above websites should give a fair idea of what is involved.

Also, make sure your image doesn't exceed the width of the screen or terrible things will happen. Seriously, I heard about this one guy...

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Since Esseb has been destroyed is unable to host this week, it's me. Contain your disappointment.

I'm feeling a little fruity, this week's topic is AGS Broadway!

Yes, I want an adventure game musical, stage or screen. Put an adventure game character, or an AGSer, into a musical phantasmoganza.

Remember to give it a title like "7 brides for 7th guest" or "Wilco-klahoma!".

Do any of you ever have ideas for games that for one reason or another you aren't interested in pursuing?

From time to time I'm hit by what I think is a good idea, but one that I know I wouldn't enjoy working on because It wouldn't suit my style.

If the same thing happens to other people, I thought it would be useful to collect unwanted ideas, so that they could be picked up by people who could make a better go of them.

This idea would not necessarily make for a terrifically original plot, but could make for very interesting gameplay. It could work with a realistic or fantastical storyline but for the sake of explaination, I'm setting it in the future:-

The main character begins in prison. Like his fellow prisoners, his memory has been erased. I know it sounds clichéd, but bear with me.

The player guides him in his escape and his search to discover his crime. He learns about four figures involved in his case:

1: A powerful businessman
2: His estranged son
3: A charismatic cult leader
4: An investigative journalist
(Any roles are possible, these are examples.)

The hero learns that he has committed murder (or some equally heinous crime), by rooting around the lives of these 4 people. Ultimately, the player discovers who the hero is.

Now here is the challenging-to-programme part: When the hero is faced with puzzles and interactions he is also faced with moral decisions. Here's an example.

When escaping from prison, the player must get another inmate to help him. He can do this by choosing persuasive dialogue options, or threatening ones, or by tricking the prisoner. During the break-out the player must choose whether or not to use the other prisoner as a decoy for the guards in order to escape himself.

Once the player has solved the logical or lateral part of the puzzle, either moral decision will work out for them. However, the player will without their knowing recieve a score for each decision they make against the following criteria:

A: Forcefulness
B: Violence
C: Lying
D: Kindness
(again, just examples)

So every time the player chooses to lie, or to be kind, they are given a point in that column.

The player is actually forging the character of the hero as they play. At the end of the game they discover which of the four characters they killed, and they discover which of the for characters they are. (The four characteristics corresponding with the four characters, of course).

It wouldn't be easy to make this game well, but if someone succeeded, I think could be very good.


Anyone else have any unwanted ideas? Maybe better ones than mine?

Okay it's not that amazing, but this is an almost exact transcript of what happened to me today.

Ali's Girlfriend: "I have dropped the key out of the window. It's landed on the roof below."

GET KEY

Ali: "I can't reach the key."

GET STICKY TAPE

GET MAGNET

USE STICKY TAPE WITH MAGNET

Ali: "I've made a sticky tape rope with a magnet on the end."

USE CONTRAPTION WITH KEY

Ali: "It's not long enough."

USE CONTRAPTION WITH STICK

Ali: "I've made a fishing rod contraption."

USE FISHING ROD CONTRAPTION WITH KEY

Ali: "The key isn't magnetic"

GET ANNOYED

DROP MAGNET

GET PAPER CLIP

USE PAPER CLIP WITH FISHING ROD CONTRAPTION

Ali: "The paper clip is like a hook"

USE FISHING ROD CONTRAPTION ON KEY

Ali: "The wind is too strong, the hook waves in the wind."

USE BATTERY WITH CONTRAPTION

Ali: "This heavy battery will keep the contraption steady!"

TALK TO ALI'S GIRLFRIEND

Ali's Girlfriend: "Let me do it."

BEGRUDGINGLY GIVE CONTRAPTION TO GIRLFRIEND.

LOOK AT GIRLFRIEND

Ali: "She's managed to get the key."

Ali's Girlfriend: "Hooray!"

SULK



Has anyone else ever found themselves in an adventure-game-esque situation?

[A timepiece...]

Sorry this is a bit late, I wasn't expecting to win...

This week's sprite jam:

A timepiece...

An inventory item with something to do with time.
I want to see clocks, hourglasses and time machines, people!

Size: 50x50
Colours: No more than 36 million.

[After they were adventure game characters]

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.

Also, you don't have to specifically use Photoshop -- Paint Shop Pro, MSPaint, or any other programs can be used.

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


Let us try and put out of our minds the excesses of the reign of DG (thanks for choosing me by the way Mr Macphee). I think Photoshop Phriday should be run as a contest like sprite jams, with the winner setting the next topic and so on.

This week's topic is After they were adventure game characters, I want to see the career path chosen by ex-adventure game star/s.

Olivia for example starred in the hit movie Pulp Fandango:


But maybe some other characters did less well for themselves... what do you think?

I hope this is the right forum, I need some help.

I've just bought Alone in the Dark 2 on floppy disks but it doesn't have the manual so I can't solve the copy protection puzzles.

I have some playing cards that help me work out the password/symbol, but I don't have the manual that should tell me which function keys correspond with which symbols.

I'm not trying to do anything illegal - it's not a copied game - I just wondered if anyone could help me... please?

This isn't for a game in particular I've just been experimenting:



My rendering software is very poor and it isn't really capable of building a whole room without causing errors. What would people think of a game made up of bits and pieces of images like this one, in the vein of the Blue Ice?

I'm just musing, so I'd be pleased to hear comment and criticism.

Thanks.

P.S. the tree isn't meant to be gnarly in the surfer way, just in the tree way.

EDIT: You're right about the top of the bark DM I think I'll change that a bit.

Because this was just a quick job I used photos I'd taken for the texture of the bark and ground, normally I'd have drawn them myself.

Also it was rendered in Visual Reality, the crAzy Grandma of Simply 3d (It's no where near as good as Maya) but I did tweak the grass a little in Corel Photopaint.

Hi, I thought anyone trying to come up with a plot for a game might be helped by this...

About 70 years ago a Russian called Vladimir Propp read a load of fairy tales. He put together a list of characters (or spheres) and events (or functions) which usually appeared in the stories. They are virtually a template for a fantasy adventure game, and can be used to describe stories like Cinderella and even Star Wars.

Characters:
Hero/Victim, Villain, Donor, Helper, Princess, Princess's Father, False-Hero

Events:
1.   A member of the family leaves home.
2.   A prohibition or rule is imposed on the hero.
3.   This prohibition is broken.
4.   The villain makes an attempt at reconnaissance.
5.   The villain learns something about his victim.
6.   The villain tries to deceive the victim to get possession of him or his belongings.
7.    The victim unknowingly helps the villain by being deceived or influenced by the villain.
8.   The villain harms a member of the family
8a.           A member of the family lacks or desires something.
9.   This lack or misfortune is made known; the hero is given a request or command and he goes or is sent on a mission / quest.
10.   The seeker (or the hero) plans action against the villain.
11.   The hero leaves home.
12.   The hero is tested, attacked, interrogated and as a result receives either a magical agent or helper.
13.   The hero reacts to the actions of the future donor.
14.   The hero uses the magical agent.
15.   The hero is transferred to the general location of the object of his mission / quest.
16.   The hero and villain join in direct combat.
17.   The hero is branded.
18.   The villain is defeated.
19.   The initial misfortune or lack is set right.
20.   The hero returns.
21.   The hero is pursued.
22.   The hero is rescued from pursuit.
23.   The hero arrives home or elsewhere and is not recognised.
24.   A false hero makes false claims.
25.   A difficult task is set for the hero (test by fire, drink, riddle or test of strength)
26.   The task is accomplished.
27.   The hero is recognised.
28.   The false hero is transformed.
29.   The villain is punished.
30.   The hero is married and crowned.

All you need to do to write a fantasy, sci-fi or adventure game using this structure is pick out the numbers you like the sound of and add in the "use-magic-dust-with-heavy-lock" bits.

If this is useful or interesting, please let me know. If it's boring, please tell me and I'll stop writing posts about Russian Structuralists.

I use the internet at my university, but they just updated the firewall. Now I can't see any pictures that go through anonymizer. I can't even see my own avatar! I don't remember what I look like anymore...

So to sum up, does anyone know where I can get free webspace that allows remote linking?

[Topic:]

OK, here I go...:

Topic: Pets with Powers!

Any kind of cute/terrifying animal you might keep around the house, with a useful/horrifying ability.

Size: 150 x 150
Animation: Optional.
Colours: Any, but please keep within the visual spectrum, I don't want to have to look out my infra-red goggles.

(Note: If this Sprite Jam recieves less than 400 entries I will send my TERRIFYING animal with a HORRIFYING ability around to AGS mountain, and he will strike you all asunder.)

I just attended a talk by the head of Revolution Software about Broken Sword 3 - The Sleeping Dragon. I looks REALLY good. I mean it!

I've taken back everything I said about it being 3D, because the in-game graphics look excellent! The character's aren't photo-realistically boring or hideously cartoony. They're stylised, some inspiration having been taken from anime, apparently. The quality of light is excellent, and the characters interact with is in a really lovely way casting differing intensities of shadows.

The game play is not point and click at all, but the 'action' sequences (which the other 2 games did have) don't require knife-edge precision or split second timing. It really looks like the game is a cognitive adventure, in three dimensions.

The sound/music is as atmospheric as the first 2 games, but alter live-as-you-play depending on the situations the characters find themselves in.

And BEST of all - there is to be a thematic return to the first game. I don't know any spoilers (and I'm glad) but it looks like we might learn more about the eponymous broken sword, and also the mysterious Voynich Manuscript which some of you might know of. Plus the title sequence includes two extreme stereotypes who are nonetheless likeable. Broken Sword has always been king of pleasant stereotypes.

My message to you all is: go back to your home PCs and prepare for Broken Sword!

My apologies for this wild and incoherent outburst of enthusiasm, but the game looks super-great. Everyone must feel free to lock this thread, delete my account or indeed, send their bigger brothers around to my house.

What do you get if you cross a waffle with a super-intelligent sperm whale?

That's right...

You get Goliath Eclair, the great detective:


Eclair's brilliant analytical mind will be put to the test when he finds himself caught up in a deadly mystery...
...the Mystery of the Singing Fish

In a remote country house, Eclair will uncover deceit, murder and unadulterated use of the word 'tiddlywink'.




I thought I would make anyone who was interested aware of this game, as I've been working on it (*very* slowly) since Christmas. It will be a 2-room, largely conversation-based game. I think I am at least 50% of the way through, if not more. With it being my first AGS game though, it's difficult for me to judge.

- Ali.

Note#1: Sorry for not posting plot info earlier.

Note #2: Waffles are a kind of food. They are yummy and here are some recipies:
http://www.freerecipe.org/Breakfast/Waffles/

I'm running verison 2.52 on windows XP and I was having one of those days when every program I used crashed.

Suddenly, sometimes when I quit after testing my game, the editor window appears white and frozen, and after a while a message appears telling me that AGS has crashed and I should make sure that ACWIN.exe is in the editor folder. It is, but I have a feeling I've caused this with some kind of silly coding mistake, or by wildy clicking in a cavelier manner. This only happens some of the time, and I couldn't find reference to the problem on the forum.

Does anyone recognise it?

I can't find much information about strings and I need some help.

I'm using a list box. The list box is object 0 in GUI 3.

I have this line in the script:

ListBoxAdd (3, 0, string message);

EDIT: Thanks! I didn't realise I needed to totally replace 'string message'.