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Almost over

Hi guys, I actually posted the same sort of thing here, the code below is actually monkey's, thanks monkey! I have used it up until now but I wanted to look for something a bit more comprehensive.

Code: AGS

  if (Parser.Said("look rol"))
  {
    int lookID = Parser.FindWordID("look"); // get the word ID for "look" and its synonyms
    String rol = command;
    int index = rol.IndexOf(" ");
    while (index != -1)
    {
      String word = rol.Substring(0, index);
      int wordID = Parser.FindWordID(word);
      if ((!wordID) || (wordID == lookID))
      {
        // word was an ignored word or "look" synonym
        // strip out the remaining word(s), and update the index
        rol = rol.Substring(index + 1, rol.Length - (index + 1));
        index = rol.IndexOf(" ");
      }
     else index = -1; // if the word wasn't an ignored word or "look" synonym, simply break the loop (we found the rol!)
    }
    if (rol != "")
    {
      int i = 1;
      Parser.ParseText(rol); // parse the rol to check for character names
      while (i < Max_Mobs) // fixed this! <= will crash
      {
        if (String.IsNullOrEmpty(mob[i].name)) return;
        String buffer = mob[i].name;
        String name = "";
        index = buffer.IndexOf(" ");
        while (index != -1)
        {
          String word = buffer.Substring(0, index);
          if (index < buffer.Length) buffer = buffer.Substring(index + 1, buffer.Length - (index + 1));
          else buffer = "";
          index = buffer.IndexOf(" ");
          if ((buffer != "") && (index == -1)) index = buffer.Length;
          if (Parser.FindWordID(word) > 0) name = name.Append(word.AppendChar(' ' * (index != -1)));
        }
        if ((name != "") && (Parser.Said(name)) && (mob[i].loc == mob[0].loc)) Print(mob[i].desc);
        i++;
      }
    }
}

The basic idea of doing it like this is that I do not have to rely on the parser to code for every single interaction, but rather a function checks to see what the player most likely means. For example I would have to do

Code: AGS

if (Parser.Said("look monk")) Print(mob[5].desc);
if (Parser.Said("look mushroom")) Print(item[11].desc);
...

for every entity in the game. At the moment, the code only checks NPCs, but I would like it to check other arrays too (namely items and equipment). I could probably work this out myself, but what complicates matters is that if a player/item/equipment has two or more valid terms in their name (for example, 'Feolfest the Porter' - entering "look feolfest" and "look porter" should do the same thing), the code does not work. Even if you make the two terms synonyms or even different words in the parser dictionary, only one will be valid, so typing "look feolfest the porter" does not work.

Basically, my question is this: is there a way of comparing the target of a command with all the names of the entities, without having to enter all their names to the parser dictionary? All of the different words in the dictionary is becoming unmanageable. Ideally, I would like the dictionary to only contain the verbs and game commands (look, talk, inventory) and not all the nouns (monk, mushroom).

So, if a player enters "look" with anything after it, the target word is isolated and the arrays mob, item, and equipment cycle through the names to see if there is a match. If there is and the entity is in the same room as the player (mob[0].loc), the correct entity description is added. This will be intuitive to the player because no entity can be called something if it's not in the full name. Also, the command "look" on its own has a completely different meaning, which prints the current room, so there must be a space between look (or its variant synonyms e.g. x) to trigger the checking cycle. I hope you can help me out, thanks!

I got a pretty strong idea now (yes, that's the third one, I know) thanks to an incredible first-ever free-writing session in which I've drawn up the whole game pretty much. I'll try and get it made now, if for nothing else than the simple fact that MAGS not getting an entry makes me all 

Sweet. As far as I know icey is still entering too?

I'm a database and php noob, but I was just wondering whether something I had in mind could be done with AGS.

Would it be possible to use an AGS game as a client, send a string via the interwebs to be interpreted by a php script which checks a database, and then return a string and/or variables (depending on what the initial command was) to the game for displaying? It would be an online text game with all the information stored in a database. I was thinking that this would allow me to expand the map and make any number of adjustments to the game, without forcing people to download a new version, and only update the client if necessary. Like I say, I have limited knowledge with php and MySQL, but for the moment I was just wondering whether data can be sent from an AGS game to a online script somehow (and for data to be received).

Hell yeah I'm hyped! I also heard of it in passing ages ago but rediscovered it last week. Played the demo today, and I know, people always compare anything like this with Elder Scrolls as it sets the benchmark, but I think the full version will be better than Skyrim (naturally the demo was quite restricted). I like the fact night is actually dangerous and the visibility is so low you can easily get ambushed. Also, fast-travel is possible but only if you use teleportation stones which are very rare, so even though the size of the world is smaller than Skyrim, you will have to travel everywhere the old way. The animations are incredible - bar sprinting and climbing a ladder. Tactics is also really important in the big battles which is fun. When you fight a griffin you need to sever the wings first because they're pretty useless when grounded.

Lastly:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ec5JGtDZWvM&feature=player_detailpage#t=122s

Ok, but you are assuming everybody has the same logic as you. I don't think of petrol when I see 'fire water' but more than anything I think of steam. Even if you did remember all the roots, imagine if you came across the combination 'many flat trees' for the first time in a passage of text or speech. Would you honestly automatically know it was talking about a stack of paper? You would still need to know what 'many flat trees' was referring to which defeats the purpose of the roots. This problem is just based off the examples you have given yet all of them can be interpreted the way you didn't intend. If you do not need to know exactly what the word means, what is the point in the language? :/

Cool BUT

Let's say Fire is "la" and water is "wa" and the word denoting a verb is "ke." "Lawa" would be fire water A.K.A. alchohol or petrol

You would still need to know what the combined words semantically mean, defeating the whole purpose. For example, lawa could be interpreted many different ways by different people, which would be a bad language. I would not associate 'fire water' with alcohol or petrol at all, but maybe steam (in terms of the noun, not lakewa which would be the action of making steam). Another person might call it lava, ie flowing fire. So to interpret the combined word correctly, you would need to know what the combined word means in the first place Everybody learning the language would need to have an identical interpretation to you, the creator.

Also, there could be dozens of different ways of saying the same thing meaning you would have to learn all of these tiny two letter words. In your second example, etaxar means many flat trees -> paper. I wouldn't think of calling paper a flat tree. You could call it flat wood, thin wood, thin trees, timber slivers, log slivers, and so on. Flat wood may also mean fallen trees and not paper (granted, you would know from the context).

So if you can think of a way whereby the words can only be interpreted one way, it sounds good to me.

I began going through the threads in reverse order to find all the trophies with type of competition and date etc, and got about 20 pages in, I can finish it off from next week, if it's still necessary? Also, I think I saved them to my hard-drive so we can preserve them as lots of the links were already broken.

Two weeks left. Is anybody there?

I think I found the website for DWear: link

Haha a clothing brand, you couldn't make this stuff up Please explain icey?

[9 vote(s)]

We certainly have a winner:

Wages of Darkness by Baron (Art by Kastchey, Music by Doc Savage)
9 vote(s)
Between the Pillars of Creation by Cogliostro
5 vote(s)

Congrats Baron, Kastchey and Doc Sav!

Actually the winner was changing all the time until Wages of Darkness got a majority of 4, because of 2 more contributors I assumed 2 more intrinsic votes. Alas first past the post has been upheld in all its glory...
By the way, next month I will be scrapping the vote, and instead you must write an essay of 1000 words min on why strawberry Cornettos are better than mint and chocolate. Whoever has the most convincing argument wins woo!

It's ok, icey and I made a deal Basically he can choose any of the 'ideas to help you' for the plot and it must be something other than PMQ/Final Fantasy. It's like a probationary period to show he can do something original, other than the usual stuff!

Usually after fifteen days or until there is a clear winner.

Thanks Baron and Cogliostro, now it's voting time!


For voting please visit the MAGS site or make your choice right here:

Wages of Darkness by Baron (Art by Kastchey, Music by Doc Savage)
Between the Pillars of Creation by Cogliostro

Please vote only once and be sure to have played all games before sending your voice! Good luck to all participants.


Also, finally cleared backlog of MAGS entries on the site (hadn't been updated since November). This means Maggies 11 can begin in a few days after the Awards Ceremony and its aftermath has passed!

[Topic: 'The Find']

Topic: 'The Find'

Create a game revolving around the discovery of an object/thing.

Ideas to help you:

• A ship like the Mary Celeste is discovered adrift with no sign of the crew's fate.
• The tomb of a forgotten pharaoh is discovered in Egypt.
• A race of aliens discover a watery planet inhabited by bipeds.
• The protagonist finds a body in their garden, but cannot report it because of a previous conviction which may incriminate them...



Ending 5/6/2012 (5th June, sorry for posting late!)



What is MAGS?

MAGS is a monthly competition for all amateur adventure game makers. The idea is to create a game in under a month, following the rules set by the previous winner. It aims to help you work to a deadline, improve your skills, or provide a kick-start into making adventure games. Regardless of skill, MAGS is for everyone. Voting is based on "favorite" games, and not the most artistic, or the best coded. If you have bad art skills, use it as a chance to do some graphic work. If you're sub-standard at coding, use it as a chance to give scripting a go. Ultimately, people will vote for the most enjoyable entry.

You may get help for the competition, although you must end up doing something yourself. You should however be warned that it proves difficult to organize a big team within thirty days. You are not allowed to use material already created before this competition. Your game must be completely new! Music and sound is an exception; you can use free material that is available to the public, if you wish. Modules and templates are also allowed. Please do not enter the competition with a rushed entry (a game created last minute). Sure, you can make a game and rush it - but don't do this just to win by default.

Entering MAGS is simple. First, conceptualise your game following the month's criteria (see top). Second, create your game fueled only by coffee. Third, finally, and most importantly, post your game here, including:

âœ" A working download link.
âœ" The title of your game.
âœ" A suitable screenshot.

At the end of the month, the all-important voting will begin! This period usually lasts fifteen days. Should you win, along with announcing the next month's rules, your name and game will be immortalised in the MAGS Archive. Yet hopefully, at the end of the month, the accomplishment of finishing a game will be your greatest prize. For more information please visit the Official MAGS website.

^ This is over 7 years old.

Looks really good! I'm glad the overall flavour of the old forums has been retained.

However I'm not too sure about the gradient behind the board titles, and at the bottom. I find it looks better if it's just a uniform colour. Or maybe make them a bit lighter? The colour seems quite harsh compared to the rest of the forum colours which are softer. The text in the posts/topics column seems a bit crowded.

Some minor bug things:

• Collapsing forum sections causes the title text to align at the top of the cell
• The "Warning - while you were typing" box, and the 'mark all messages as read' button, has no padding at the top

Is it really against the rules for a person to have an idea for a game weeks or days before the comp?

Like Baron said it's impossible to tell what people have created before, especially so mere ideas, unless we install telescreens everywhere.

I don't think it should be an official stipulation to announce your participation but it is a good idea to do so, cos it's sort of annoying if you don't. And if you can't make it, all you have to do is post or send a PM and it takes about 2 seconds. But icey, you are the only person who has ever done this to me Sometimes you're so nonchalant, it's like you're trying to be caught being sneaky. Surely you can't have forgotten the informal ban from December, so why did you casually post an entry? Anyway I'll talk to you about it in PMs to resolve the issue.

Cogliostro is still in, although there is a quote "50%" chance of him finishing

You got to show a least one picture from which proves that these sprites are already used.

That's a silly ultimatum, if you've already used something it has to have been already made, but it doesn't have to have been already used if it's already been made.

Also, a minor technicality, but you did post about a game using QR codes on the 27th March, four days before the competition was announced: http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=45652.msg612898#msg612898

Now are we supposed to assume you didn't do any work towards creating a game like this at all before 1st April? Later on in the thread you talk about including .txt files which is exactly what was done here. Can you see how it's hard to separate which material is completely new from which was made before?