Messages

[Point-and-click good, direct-control bad.]

As far as the constitution goes, shouldn't we paint a list of commandments on a barn a la Animal Farm?

I suggest we start with:

Point-and-click good, direct-control bad.

Or is that too controversial?

Either way, cp better hurry up and build some barns.

This is a very likeable background. Having seen your character I'd go with the metal door because it's a funnier contrast with the padded room.

Two points though:

I thought the shape on the bed was some kind of cloth, but since it is being the button, it must be a stain? The fact that it has an outline looks odd and it seems inconsistent with the rest of the image. I don't think it's necessary.

Game bgs often have a large floor area because the characters need to walk around a lot. If you are creating backdrops for a cutscene you could try using more dramatic, cinematic camera angles. This looks great, it's just something to bear in mind.

[EDIT:]

I've wanted this feature too. I've also wondered if it's possible to change the colour of individual dialogue options, so they could grey-out after they've been said once.

EDIT: Thanks Strazer, I hadn't heard anything about that!

Taking this thread back to basics for a moment, I do agree that allowing 24-bit BMP import for walk-behind masks, with AGS then automatmically assigned a walk-behind colour to each unique colour in the bitmap, is a good idea and should be supported.

I certainly don't want to jump on the naysaying bandwagon, but I'm not sure how assigning a walkbehind colour to each colour in a 24-bit BMP would facilitate your idea of anti-aliasing, subspark.

I could easily be wrong, but if your idea is valid, you haven't explained it with the clarity that Snarky has countered with.

If the majority of posters in this thread are being short-sighted I'm sure we'd rather not be. Please post a diagram that illustrates your method, bearing in mind this message:

Using only a background image layer, a walkbehind mask layer (with soft edges) and an object layer, create a layer with the effect of an object partially hidden behind a soft walkbehind. Then post it here. Your claim would then either be proven or disproven.

There be a detailed update i'the first post, mehearties. Here be another screenshot for ye to study wi'yer only good eye:


Ahoy,

-Ali.

[Blender]

I really think AGS may not be the best engine for you. You don't seem to want to make adventure games, as flexible as AGS is that's what it's geared towards. I think you would be wise to reconsider.

On the other hand if you want help with artwork the critics lounge would be of great use to you. I'd suggest you study the graphics of Street Fighter and then try to produce something in the same style.

I don't think Bryce is good for character animation. The free programs Blender and Anim8or both allow you to use skeletons to deform meshes which is a boon for character animation. Blender also has an built-in 3D game engine.

I think we should allow the rebels back to the fold I've been wondering what my tea would taste like in one of them thar rebellious red cups...

Rebelicious.

Gentlemen, the King.

*Raises glass in pro-monarchy toast*

[Krysis]

Thanks for the interesting feedback.

Krysis
That's the kind of response I was afraid of! My trouble is that, like MashPotato, I would probably have solved a good portion of the code without reference to the cypher. But that's because I really like codes in a highly nerdish manner.

Snarky
I'm pleased that you wouldn't want a skip button, but I'm also concerned that you'd consider stopping playing. If it was possible to ask another character for clues would that help? I wouldn't want a character simply to say "It's a substitution code, Nelly." What kind of hints would have helped you?

Perhaps I need to clarify the 'poor spelling' thing. It is misleading. Maybe Nelly should just remark that it's written wierdly and another character could point out that it features every letter of the alphabet once...

Mash:
I'm so pleased you solved it! Thanks  for pointing out the typos. It should read:

Spoiler

"One night on my ship, I started to slip, (to sleep in my cabin...)"

[close]

And I thought I'd ye'd every you. I'll have to look more closely, sorry. I plan toreplace the numbers with symbols representing the same numbers, so it won't look so much like text-speak. The piraglyphic numbers will play a part in other puzzles I reckon.

And thank you, my girlfriend is cute. Though Nelly isn't her real name.

Ashen
The message from JMF will appear inside a Pirate's Phrase book that Nelly has been told will help her decode Piraglyphics. I'll try to make it clear that the first message is not in code.

Also, I considered a swanky interface, but the player will have to prove their knowledge of  the oath during a dialogue, so they'd need to have it written down. Would that put a lot of people off?

Hi, I'm working on a cypher puzzle for a pirate game Nelly Cootalot. I'm aware most reasonable people seem to hate codes, but I really like them and so does my girlfriend (for whom I'm principally making the game).

I do want the game to be enjoyable by people who aren't me and the missus, though. So I thought I'd ask for your opinions on this code and cypher.

I've put the code info in a spoiler box, because solving this puzzle now will make my game easier to complete if I ever get round to finishing it.

Cypher:

Spoiler

You recieve a message from an old pirate with the initials JMF which Nelly Cootalot reads as:

"Quick! Gold, Silver and Sea be the prize! - JMF x."

Though the old pirate's spelling is quite poor, and it really says:

"Quik! Gowd, Slva 'n' C B the pryz! - JMF x."

[close]

Code:

Spoiler

Nelly's task is to decode the Pirate's Oath, which is written in Piraglyphics:

(The numbers will be replaced with special Piraglyphic numbers, but for now...)

1 cswdr bc nf edst s prqefgk 2 iast,

2 paggt sc nf iqusc qabcg

& jdgc s qjbvg, s rgaa fby cb lbvg,

s abbvgk ytbc bak kqzgf lbcgp,

dg pqsk, so fg tagqpg 2 aszg bc rdg pgqp

eqtpiqaasbc dggk rdsp ibnnqck,

wb oswdr & dqzg oyc, kescv oaqwbcp b eyn,

uyr pbagncaf eqspg fbye agor dqck,

& dbcbye, fg vcqzgp rdg wbkp b rdg jqzgp,

& pjgqe cbj rdsp bqrd rdqr s pdqeg:

s kb qp s kb, q tseqrg pb reyg,

jsrd tbbeaf vgtr ubksaf dqse!

[close]

What I'd like to know is whether I should put a 'Make-Nelly-solve-this-for-you' option, in case most people would get bored.

Also, if any of you care to decode the message, have I made any mistakes?

EDIT: Here's a picture of Nelly, to make this post a little less dull:


Thanks in advance for any responses.

That's a good point.

Gentlemen, The King.

*Raises glass in pro-monarchy toast*

And what if I'm a vegetarian!?

I am a vegetarian, so I feed meat to Rincewind's ego.

That sentence made more sense before I typed it.

I don't have any words under my avatar, but now I think that maybe I should...

I feel inferior.

The style reminds me of an Amiga game about a murder on a boat. I can't remember the name though...

Cruise for the Corpse?

Exactly! The style reminds me of Cruise for a Corpse.

Less than 24 hours and we've already gone Lord of the Flies...

And where is my swiming pool mansion, cp? Your building subcontractors are lazy and shiftless.

You've created Christopia's first christopiary!

You have my vote for flower minister.

That makes sense, I'd missed Wretched's post. His technique does sound quite nifty.

Sorry for extending this thread unnecessarily!

I'm not sure perspective is that much of a problem:



It's only significantly off around the top left corner of the room, and I don't think it spoils the image. The style reminds me of an Amiga game about a murder on a boat. I can't remember the name though...

My only suggestion would be that you think about the contrast in the room. It's quite dim, rather than dark. Noir films used dark darks and a small amount of very light lights.

On the other hand the gently contrast and sepia tones are quite charming, just more Hercule Poirot than Sam Spade.

This is a great idea. We must have an election to choose the president/prime minister of Christopia.

I nominate SSH.

[slightly smaller]

I understand why alpha blended backgrounds wouldn't work properly, especially for glass, steam or water. I still thing the wouldn't-really-work method could be good for anti-aliasing though.

When I use an anti-aliased backdrop I always try to draw the walkbehinds slightly smaller than the foreground parts of the image. That way the AA part of the backdrop won't appear in front of a character.

If a dodgy method of alpha blending was employed wouldn't it be possible to do the same thing to achieve preferable results:

(my drawings are normally better than this)


The first image shows what my scenes look like now. The second shows what they could look like with this not-properly-but-sort-of method. They aren't 'correct' because the character overlaps slightly, but that would be less noticeable at higher resolutions. I think the overlapping on the right image is less bothersome than the aliasing on the left image.

Do let me know If I've misunderstood the problem. I don't think I have, I just reckon we could work around it if alpha blended walkbehinds were implemented.

I've allways thought in making a collective exercise of creating an imaginary AGS country, with its flag, its president...

I know this is OT, but I've always thought this would be a good idea too. With CJ as king, the presidential election campaigns would be great.

There'd be manifestos, promises, sloganeering, dirty tactics...