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Notice how the thread title is not stolen from another recent thread.

My question is: Do you think the name matters when people buy/play games, and if so, what constitutes a good name?

Would Pleurghburg have been received even better if it was called "9 days some kind of detective"?

Would nobody play Resonance if it bore the name "Mortal science - The quest for danger"?

What's the best/worst names you know of?

[Monday 19th.]

Latest update:
Keep posting concepts/sketches until Monday 19th. Everyone who's published something by then will be transferred to the second round, which will get a separate thread with more instructions.

ILLUSTRATION WORKSHOP - BOX ART EDITION

Alright, summer's not quite over, so before we're forced back to jobs and schools and shit, let's have another round of Illustration Workshop.

This time, we're going to make box art, as in, the type of paintings meant to trick kids into buying games that they wouldn't buy if the box just showed an actual in-game screenshot. I remember buying Bad Blood solely for its amazing cover art, and while the game wasn't exactly lousy, the graphics inside were... different. During the 80s and 90s, painting cover art for games was probably the most advanced form of fraud still legal. Nowadays, the discrepancy is far less flagrant, which makes me a bit nostalgic. Kids these days just aren't being fooled the way I was!

_{Seen here: discrepancy}

THE PROCESS
* Registration will be open for four days. During that time, all you do is write here that you want in.
* You will then be allotted a random AGS game from the AGS game database.
_{That's right, you will not be working on your own game, nor a game of your choosing (nor a silly generated name), but a real, already existing game that somebody else has made. This does entail some legal issues - you'll want the author's permission before using the illustration in a portfolio or another "official" context - or if it gets troublesome, you'll just remove the title.}
* We'll spend one week making sketches and concepts and discussing ideas. We give our fellow artists some feedback on their ideas.
* We then spend a week developing characters, putting text and pictures together, work on layout and composition. We finish this period by giving everyone a round of c&c.
* The last period is used refining and finishing our pictures. We add details, highlights, textures etc.

ABOUT BOX ART
* Box art is used both to give the buyer an idea of what the game is about, but also to attract them. It has to be interesting, intriguing, impressive, while consistent with the style and genre of the game.
* Box art almost always features the main character, so it's important to get an idea of what that character is all about, and to make a - more - realistic representation of him/her.
* Box art also has a title in a nice, fitting font type, so that's one more element to take into consideration.

ABOUT THE GAME SELECTION
I will generate a random game for every participant, but will first make sure that it
* Is less than 3 years old - it's funnier to work with a fairly new product, and it's also more likely that the author is around (to give their approval/disapproval)
* Is playable - it's probably useful to play at least a minute or two to get a basic grasp of the style, and get to know the protagonist.
* Isn't a commercial title - copyright issues will be less of an issue if it's freeware.
* Hasn't already got a cover illustration - the above clause probably reduces the likelihood of there being one, which is good because it probably feels more "real" if your picture will be the only one.

If I choose to participate, I'll simply let another member select my game.

REMEMBER!
The serious, professional-sounding nature of this competition may deter some people from participating, but remember that most members are complete amateurs when it comes to digital painting. Consider this a really good opportunity to practice your skills, in a very educational and helpful environment, and the competition aspect is just a minor part of it.

MITTENS TIME EXTENSION
People attending Mittens will be given 5 extra days to work on their pieces. We could wait until after mittens, but that would delay the whole activity so much we'd risk other members choosing to prioritize work or studies (I will just have started working myself). I hope the 5 extra days is enough of a compensation.

LINKS
Previous workshop: http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=48175.0
and: http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=48324.0
Some really good - and really bad - boxes: http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/slideshow/278111/video_game_box_art_gallery_best_worst/?image=1

My own illustration gallery (couldn't help the plug, sorry!!) for whatever reason: http://andail.cgsociety.org/gallery/

Ok, I've been thinking lately about the trophies for our various competitions. The situation now is that members have all sorts of various - often strange-looking, often non-showing - trophies in their signature, most of which are completely unrecognizable.

I know some people think it's a fun part of running a comp to also design the trophies, but not all do, and not all bother to even create trophies, and again some create trophies that look really... funny.

So, my suggestion is that we implement a set of standard trophies. I present the following reasons:
* It will become immediately clear how many times a member has won a certain competition (people won't have to guess)
* The trophies will - generally - be better made
* It'll save time for competition hosts who really don't want/have the time to design new trophies
* The trophies will be safely hosted so that they don't risk disappearing

If we decide to do this, we'll obviously have to design a set of trophies for each of the most recurrent competitions, and vote which versions we want.

I'll leave this thread open for a couple of days. If a majority of members don't think it's worth trying out, we'll simply keep doing it the old way. If there's enough support for my idea, I'll open a competition thread for creating the new sets of trophies (a competition that will also be given trophies? OMG meta-trophies, J/K).

Now, most people don't think this is a big deal, nor do I, really, but summer is the time for spending time on trying out new things.

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I've encountered a bug that prevents me from (sometimes) open any room backgrounds, or load new images to existing ones. If I have a room background open, it sometimes gets replaced with a red cross, and the editor won't save the game. It looks really serious.

It says AGS doesn't recognize the error, and it likely has to do with a memory being damaged or something.

   vid load_room_file(SByte* )
   vid load_crm_file(UnloadedRoom roomToLoad)
   vid AGS.Native.NativeMethods.LoadRoomFile(UnloadedRoom roomToLoad)
   vid AGS.Editor.Components.RoomsComponent.LoadNewRoomIntoMemory(UnloadedRoom newRoom, CompileMessages errors)
   vid AGS.Editor.Components.RoomsComponent.LoadDifferentRoom(UnloadedRoom newRoom)
   vid AGS.Editor.Components.RoomsComponent.LoadRoom(String controlID)
   vid AGS.Editor.Components.RoomsComponent.CommandClick(String controlID)
   vid AGS.Editor.ProjectTree.ProcessClickOnNode(String nodeID, MouseButtons button)
   vid AGS.Editor.ProjectTree.projectTree_NodeMouseDoubleClick(Object sender, TreeNodeMouseClickEventArgs e)
   vid System.Windows.Forms.TreeView.OnNodeMouseDoubleClick(TreeNodeMouseClickEventArgs e)
   vid System.Windows.Forms.TreeView.WndProc(Message& m)
   vid System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m)
   vid System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
   vid System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)

Is there something wrong with my computer?

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Okay, here are the final versions of the digital paintings participating in this monster workshop. I've removed the artists' names and added my own titles. Everyone's entitled to vote. Voting will close on June 3th.

1. Hunted in the dark:


2. Summoning Cthulhu:


3. Final Orgie:


4. Snakearms in the tunnel:


5. The cave dweller:


6. The guardian of the bridge:


7. Sea monster:


8. Hovering monster:


9. Telling a monster's fortune?:


10. Summoned spiky monster:


11. Hollow shell monster:


12. Hole-headed tree monster:


You may chat freely in this thread, but please don't write further c&c. If an entry is missing, let me know ASAP.

WORK MONSTERSHOP WEEK THREE

So, for those still going strong, please submit your final piece before midnight. Starting tomorrow, we will then vote for our favourite entries. Break a leg everyone!

[* Replace alien mastermind with humanity]

Hey, remember when sci-fi movies were only for nerds, but that didn't matter because there weren't any sci-fi movies anyway? Well, those days seem to be gone, since sci-fi has now turned mainstream. And since we know that 90% of all sci-fi is crap, this means that we have a lot more crap on our hands these days.

Well, Oblivion isn't all crap (wouldn't waste my time writing a lengthy article on it then), but it's far from good, so I've compiled a little list of suggestions on how to improve it.

* Replace alien mastermind with humanity. I think the strongest part of science fiction is when it discusses our own race, our society, and our shortcomings. This huge computer-god doesn't speak to me. I don't know what it's meant to represent. If it turned out that people were behind this deception (trying to quell a rebellion) I'd feel much more enthused. Now the ending brought back memories of Indepence Day, and boy had I been working hard to suppress them.

* Stronger female characters. Okay, first of all it makes no sense whatsoever that his companion, Vika, walks around in high heels and perfect make up all the time. I mean, all they know is that platform and each other, and all she does all day is sit in front of a giant iPad, so why wear anything but a functional and moderately sweaty jumpsuit?

On a side note, Hollywood needs to stop portraying people that mourn by having them stand quietly, stare emptily, and let huge perfect tears drip down their cheeks. That's not how you cry. Most people wipe around their salty crying fluids and sob and cough until their makeup - should they wear some - is smeared out all over their face.

When we're introduced to the second female lead, we meet someone who spends the first half of her time onscreen just looking sad and confused, following Jack around and generally acting like some kind of mute pet. I mean, she's the one who knows what happened, she remembers, so naturally she should be pissed off and vengeful and furthermore she's also an experienced astronaut so she should take command and tell Jack to tag along while she prepares to kick ass.

* Tone down the American references. I know, it's an American movie, but I don't really think even a purely American crowd needs to see famous New York landmarks in each and every scene just to stay engaged. And when Jack starts re-enacting a game of football that he can't reasonably have any knowledge or memories of, he just comes across as a dumb jock. Let him represent humanity, not a nation.

* Skip the cloning part. That's just one twist too many, and a super-clichéed one at that. It's enough to learn that he was fighting for the wrong team all along. Moon has already done the best existential take on cloning that'll likely ever be made, so just don't go down that avenue. Furthermore, the final scene, where one of Jack's clones finds Julia, is just utterly confusing. What's the message here - that his clone is just as good? That it doesn't matter if you die, as long as you have a clone around somewhere? It just seemed like the film makers had to think of a solution where Tom Cruise both awesomely sacrifices himself - since that's the whole damn point of the movie - but still lives, because Tom Cruise couldn't stand not having both? Was the focus group perfectly split between the two endings? Of all the stories ever told where we thought a character heroically sacrificed their life, only to turn out alive in the epilogue, this has to be the silliest.

* Fix the whole memory issue. We learn early on that Jack and Vika had their memories erased (for security reasons). In my opinion, that's just too... drastic. With no memories, there's no reason to come up with an intricate alternative reality, there's no reason to provide any explanations at all, you can just have them perform those mindless tasks like robots, because isn't that what Tet wants anyway? Why keep them even partly sentient? Why let them be humans at all?

I'm spending time criticizing this movie because I think it has some really strong points, and it kept me engaged for very long. First of all it's really well crafted, with lots of authentic-looking details and designs, absolutely stunning scenery and generally awesome special effects that don't go overboard with a million CGI monsters jumping around the screen, giving you migraine. I love how low-key it is at its outset, and how effectively the suspense is built up. The drones seem real and work well (at least the first couple of scenes, then they become increasingly annoying). I actually feel like I'm there.

So, here's my suggestion for a much better version:
There's no alien super computer. Natural disasters (caused by climate change?) have struck Earth and people have started evacuating. The space colony exists, but some refuse to leave Earth. The powers that be need to bring with them plenty of resources, and also to get rid of the rebels who protest about their resources being stolen. The powers that be brainwash two people into believing they're fighting aliens, so that they can stay behind for drone maintainence. Almost all of their memories are intact, only they've been programmed to see rebels as aliens. They are still being supervised and monitored, but not to the extent of Tet's omnipresence.

When the rebels finally manage to smuggle a nuclear bomb to the enemy, we don't have to see more. We don't have to see the space colony, or what the powers that be look like, because it just deprives the movie of its much needed mystery. Most of all, we don't need to see another damn alien mothership interior.

[Update May 13th]

Update May 13th
In order to stay in the workshop, you have to have at least a sketch ready before midnight. This sketch is the one that your finished piece will be based on, and the one you'll received feedback on.

Tomorrow we'll put away our own creations for a while and spend a day or two to discuss our members' pieces and suggest improvements.
Over and out!

Monster

This workshop isn't exactly game-oriented, since I'm asking you to make a full-sized, hi-res illustration. This time your artwork should feature any kind of monster of your own design. It can be a portrait, or a whole scene. It can be cartoony or horrifically realistic, any genre, style or execution.

Monsters like these.

Week one
We present our ideas. We show references and/or describe the scene in words. After the first week, we should have some kind of concept sketch ready.

Week Two
During the next week, we exchange feedback and start fleshing out our illustrations; we set up the lighting and start colouring.

Week Three
After the second week, we give each other a final round of C&C and start refining our pieces, adding details, textures and highlights where needed.

Vote
After three weeks, we present our final versions, and vote for a winner. Only participants who've been active during the entire activity are eligible for the final vote, although people may enter the activity at any point. We give votes for
* Best development - Vote for the one who's been the most active from the get-go, posting updates and explaining methods, laying out plans and elaborating thoughts.
* Most helpful - Vote for the one who's given the best feedback to other participants.
* Best finished version - Vote for the best illustration.

Rules
* The theme is "monster", and people should be able to look at your piece and think "yeah, monster, I get it", so don't interpret it too loosely or symbolically just to be special...
* We're talking illustration here, so it's not a sprite, and it's not a background. While it may be a portrait, it's a portrait with some sort of backdrop (not just a floating face). Preferably, there's something going on, or at least something being expressed.
* The finished piece should be at least 600x600 pixels. You may present sketches and concepts at any size, but do use thumbnails if your pictures are more than 1000 pixels, so we don't have to scroll the board sideways.
* Let's do this 2D. While 3D may be used for the initial mock-up, we'll use 2D software for most of the production. The reason for this is that 3D modelling is so fundamentally different, and your process won't be very helpful or inspirational to other participants.
* We give plenty of feedback, but we don't provide paint-overs. This is after all an individual challenge, and furthermore posting various versions of others' works will probably make the thread confusing.

If you want to participate but have no material or even plans yet, just claim a spot by posting here and you can add stuff later. If you haven't joined the activity within the first week, you may participate outside of the competition.

Posting
We can distinguish between WiP posts and other chatting by adding a title to the WiP posts. Like, everytime I publish updates to my own picture, I write something like
"Balrog, WiP, step 5" in bold at the top. That will make it easier to keep track of someone's progress, in the midst of chit-chat and c&c. Preferably you link back to the previous step, if you want to be super-helpful to your audience.

While cheering and commenting is free for anyone, don't spam the thread with one-liners or just unnecessary blathering, since the thread risks becoming rather unwieldy anyway.

Go!
Alright, so let's sign up and start planning/sketching!

Here's a nice inspirational video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBsLCPYGmUQ

Another AGS workshop:
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=34542.0

[Topic split from here. -Snarky]

Andail: I gave a hint of who I am. I don't add people they add me. I play the role of a very new popular Disney Character.

ORLANDO BLOOM IS THAT YOU!!?

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A rather general topic of conversation, and not nearly random/silly enough for Rumpus.

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Yeah spoiler warning and all that.
Anyways.
You've come across a secret code, just a seemingly random sequence of numbers. But it's sent to someone you know is a chemist, so you suspect it's chemistry-related. 
The solution is that the numbers represent elements, and putting the symbols together gives you the message. Like:
57 10 = Lane (LaNe)

The thing is... how should I best let the player solve this? I could just leave it to the player to obtain a periodic table outside of the game, but s/he still needs to make the game know the code has been deciphered. The only way to do this properly would be to have a text box and a parser, where the player can type the answer and the game will check if it's correct.

The easy-mode version would be that the player finds a sheet with the periodic table in-game, then simply combines it with the code and the solution appears. This takes away some of the detective work, but it does fit better with future Ipad/Smartphone versions of the game (no typing involved). Or use an in-game keyboard?

Thoughts?

Also, do you think it would be enough if the character mentioned that the receiver of the code was a chemist, and that he needs to think of a language chemists know of? Would you think of checking a periodic table, or is it too contrived? Should I mention that the numbers (which are arranged in couples and an occasional single) might represent elements, or is that too easy?