Messages

Why is 'you' emphasized in the title?

Because he's talking to YOU.

Ahem.

I'm 20 as of last month. I know what you mean Farl, my dad was visiting Israel when he was younger than me. I'm thrilled every time I visit the park. But it is a damn nice park.

And I'm actually building a time machine with my brother out of chickens.

No wait a minute, that wasn't what I meant to say...

AGS_Guy, if you come up with a synopsis for an original plot then post in the Critic's Lounge to get feedback and constructive criticism.

And I'm glad you didn't take my earlier post personally.

I'm not sure what the value of that would be. You wouldn't rebuild the empire state building using different construction techniques just to prove you could.

I can see why the idea of remaking it is tempting, because you wouldn't need to slave for months coming up with your own graphics, plot, dialogue, inventory, sound...

I've just remembered my own semi-complete first game. I'm going to stop talking now.

Yuf (or her latest alias "Ali")

If Yufster is Ali then who the hell am I?

Could that quick edit be less quick and illustrate the whole painting?  8)

Because I used a vector based draw programme I didn't 'paint' the picture like I would have in paint or photoshop.

I traced your bitmap with straight lines (left) then converted them to curves and fitted them more precisely to the original and added other lines for detail (right).


Any vector-based app should be able to do that, and I'm sure a similar effect could be achieved in programmes like photoshop (though I don't know photoshop well enough to say exactly). If there is any confusion over the difference between vector and raster graphics I'll be happy to do what I can to explain, but I'm no expert.

Of course you can use my version, but I made a mistake with the lid of his head - you can see the bottom corner of it sticking through. If you have got a vector based drawing programme I can send you the vector version, but you'll have to tell me what file formats your programme uses.

I think Jaggies means the sharp edged pixels. I did a (very) quick paintover in Corel Draw to illustrate what I think DanClarke was suggesting.



Also, using vectors the text would look very nice, plus you can make it as big as you like without losing quality.

Was that building drawn by hand? Or is if a photo? Either way, it's very nice.

2 things:

You don't really need to alter the contrast of the backdrop, rather the saturation. The colours are a great deal more powerful on the water than the building, bring the saturation down on the background and it'll look more natural.

In the edit of the pier the flat horizon is a great improvement, however I think it's to sharp a line when the pier itself has soft edges.

[that]

Now that is the coolest sig ever.

I'd follow that blue guy to the ends of the earth.

[he]

I think Farlander's sig is cool.

I don't know if it's the coolest sig ever, because it doesn't have Papa Smurf in it.

Now he was cool.

DG passed Photoshop Phridays onto me, and I changed them to run like Sprite Jams.

They're basically called Photoshop Whatever-the-hell-day-it-was-when-I-found-out-I-won.

I really think they should be called Photoshop Mega-Challenge Turbo, but that didn't catch on for some reason.

You can't start one unless you win one though, just like SJs.

3d is a style just like 2d is a style.

You're absolutely right, that's the point I was trying to make when I first posted in this thread, obviously so poorly that in arguing against me you made it. I wanted to make the point that artistically, 2d graphics can be just as effective as 3d. It's just that some games are more suited to one or the other.

An adventure with a high level of environmental interactivity might well be better in 3d. Plus, it'd be great to finally play an adventure game where when the Maitre'D won't give you his hairpiece you can just push him down and snatch it.

has American culture totally became stupid over the letter X?

Exxon are still called Esso in europe. The US changed the name in the 70s to sound more futuristic.

Who's futuristic now, fossil fuel boys?

why doesn't 3d suit adventure games better than 2d?

In "fighty" games you control a character. In adventure games you control a character.

Same thing.

I'd say 3D can suit adventure games just as well as 2D, but not better. It's not about controlling a character it's about types of interaction.

In most fighty games you need direct control of a character in order (and this is a little symplistic) to react to what the game throws at you. Real-time 3D is particularly good for this because things can be 'thrown' in more ways and with greater flexibility.

In adventure games the real action is in your head - the stories and the puzzles. The simulated physical freedoms of real-time 3D are not essential for that kind of action, though they can be a boon.

Have I explained myself well?

EDIT: Myst rules all

All games are being made in 3D now, because it is the future of graphics.

Not necessarily. 3D technology is a great asset, but that doesn't mean we can forget about earlier kinds of art. Think about the modern games that are cel shaded. They are 3D but they look like comic books.

Games are being made in 3d because it's the present of graphics, and because 3D graphics best suit the most saleable type of games - fighty ones.

[chicken-powered nuclear bomb]

Radio 4 said the Archers was changing it's theme tune to a hip techno version (I'm so cool to know that)

And I also heard about a chicken-powered nuclear bomb from the cold war.

But ... apparently that one wasn't a joke:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3588465.stm

Excellent fooling!

It's also nice to know how many AGSers are goddamn liars.

My college told me Princess Anne was visiting yesterday. Unfortunately that wasn't an april fool, she really did come.

I wonder if this cam studio could be used for cinematic cut-scenes...

Did you draw the sprite by the way? I think it's very nice. My only reservation is when he's typing on his computer I can't help thinking "du-duh-duh-DUMMM" because he looks a little like he's playing the piano overly-dramatically.

[Ali will defend MYST!]

Will no one stand up and be counted?

Who will defend MYST?


A figure moves in the shadows...

Ali will defend MYST!


And after all that silliness: The MYST games definitely are adventure games, and great adventure games at that. I played all three with my girlfriend, they're so thoughtful and atmospheric - it's like going on holiday. You just have to get into the world. Once you come to understand the history of the locations all the puzzles start to make sense, though this is more true for the first games.

I like the plot, it certainly sounds in the Broken Sword vein. Just three small things:

I'm not certain the wife's death is necessary as impetus for a journey - I understand loss of spouse and job are necessary to free up the character to travel all over the world, but why not just give Gary fewer ties. As it stands I think you're going to have a very long intro. Maybe make him single, and have the Sphinx sabotage his job in some imaginative way.

More importantly, don't let Gary discover his lineage too soon. Build up a little mystery.

I must say I like the name Amon Sphynx. Perhaps though, a more interesting forename for the lead? 'Taikner' is good, but 'Gary' is a little bland I feel.

Good luck with this game. If you pull of this plot with good puzzles, it'll work with even the most basic graphics.

You don't have to wait till Friday SSH, just call it Photoshop Challenge, or Photoawesome Megabattle.

Something like that.