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I hope the 25% oldest technical forum posts haven't been deleted -there's some useful resources in there that haven't been added to the archive.  Couldn't the 30% oldest topics in all the other (more topical) forums be sacrificed instead?

This thread really interested me so I tried to do some research into the legal lapse period for copyrighted software -and let me tell you, it was a lot harder than it should have been!  I mean, seriously, for something that a lot of publishers and users get really worked up about, you'd think this info would be easier to find.
     Anyway, here's the best I could do.  In the United States the closest thing to applying to adventure games seems to be the Digital Millenium Copyright Act of 1998.  It applies to such diverse media as images (pictures/paintings) and movies, so I will assume it will also apply to adventure games.  This act seems to solidify 1976 legislation that allows a copyright to exist for the duration of the lifetime of the creator, plus fifty years.  After that the material should enter the public domain.  HOWEVER, in lieu of uncertainty about the ramifications of digital technology on copyrights, a moritorium of twenty years was placed on copyrighted material passing into the public domain (*cough* actually it was likely movie studios like Disney lobbying, as they had a lot to lose).  Thus, no new image based material will enter the public domain until at least 2018, and if the creator isn't dead yet than the clock isn't even running.

     ASIDE -> I wonder if publishers pay health care premiums for the artists whose material they own, just to extend the life of the copyright?

      So, legally it looks like no computer games will automatically become public domain for a very, very long time. 
      Having said that, I personally do not believe this should be the case.  The time line is far too long for an information-based culture.  I agree that intellectual property should be protected, but in the medium of computer games I think that a 10 year period from the first release date would be fair.  Where branding is relevant (for example the popular "King's Quest" brand), I think copyrights should be extended so long as a) the product is available for purchase and b) the brand is "kept alive" with new material added at least every three years.
This will encourage the constant evolution (and profit) of valuable intellectual material under the direction of the copyright owners, and leave material without perceived value to the constructive imaginations of the public.  Either way, the fans win.
     As for how to legislate these rules so that anyone without six years of law-schooling can understand them, however, is beyond me....

Every puzzle in Schism sucked my hairy ass.  I still can't believe I squandered all those hours trying to figure out what to do just out of spite.

Best puzzle ever... probably using the used stoggie in SQ4 to see the laser beams.  I still giggle at the thought of Roger taking those big hauls...

The artwork in this game looks top notch -very impressive for a first attempt!

So, like, do they have IKEA in Estonia, or is that just the way people decorate on the Baltic?

Holy expanded project Batman!
...er, I mean Chicken....
Looking forward to beta testing!

Oky-doky,
      So demos may or may not spoil the gaming experience, that much we think we might know .  But what about beta testing?

I reside in Guelph, Ontario.
That's three in a row for Canada!

Oooo.
This game looks really fun, but the Sens logo really puts me off.  Is there any chance you could replace it with an undeservedly more successful one?

I'm 24 -the sunny side of the age graph!

When my dad was my age he was drinking too much and pissing on the pentagon back in the protests of '68.  Me, I just drink too much...

Hmmm...   I knew Easter week was the wrong time to announce this.

Anyway, I've done some research (read 'lurking') around the forums and it seems like members who would presumably know better than I are of the opinion that demos tend to spoil games more than they tantalyze players (although I think it very likely that they accomplish the first thing because they also do the second).  So I'm going to take the safe marketing route on this one and just stick to the screenies and some shameless bumping.

Woohoo!!! 8)

I was thinking, since you were going to have me as a crusty old guy with medals, and since your guard looks like a medieval Beetle Bailey, can I be like the Sarge?

EDIT APRIL 17 2005 - Well, it's been a bit, but this project has FINALLY moved on to the beta testing stage.Ã,  Persons interested in beta testing should read my post of April the 17th (below).


Announcing the 98% completion of 'The Winter Rose', a medieval-fairy tale adventure game.Ã,  I have left off announcing this game until now so that I will be certain to finish it.

SCREENIES:





THE PLOT: You are the daughter of a woodsman, a peasant-girl with some common sense and some skill in archery.Ã,  Your forest home has become blighted by eternal winter and it is left to you to try to save the realm.

BEHIND THE SCENES: This will be my second game.Ã,  I have had something like this in mind from the moment I started working with AGS (some of you might have noticed the plug in AL-Quest , my first game).Ã,  I am experimenting with a few things: for example, I've set the goal of making the whole game using the scripting language and not the AGS editor, I am attempting to integrate much more animation than my first game, and all of the backgrounds are hand painted to try to give a more unique and textured feel to the game.Ã,  All this has tended to keep progress slow, but I have learned a whole lot in the process AND I am quite impressed with what I have accomplished so far.

PROGRESS: I initially planned to have a demo ready for the end of April but, as the game will not be as long as I originally anticipated, I think it will be best to release the game only when it is complete, which I expect will be around the end of August. (EDIT APRIL 2005 -Ha!)

If you're into numbers, the current state of the project would break down something like this:

Backgrounds: 100% complete
Animations: 100% complete
Scripting: 99% complete
Plot: 100% complete
Music & sounds: 60% complete

If you have any questions, feedback or recommendations please fire away!

EDIT: Alright, it's the end of August and the game's not done.Ã,  The good news: it's almost done!Ã,  The game is about 85% complete (EDIT APRIL 2005 - try 60% at this stage).Ã,  I expect to have the game ready for beta testing by mid-September (HA HA HA HA HA!!!!), then go travelling until mid-October, then polish it off and announce it as a finished game.Ã,  That's the plan anyway.Ã,  Anyone interested in beta testing?

EDIT: OK Travelling has snuck up on me.Ã,  Travel first, then beta version mid-October.Ã,  Sorry.Ã,  (EDIT APRIL 2005 -Teheheheheehehehehehehehehe!).Ã,  Ã, 

Sheesh!  I don't lurk for a couple of days and I end up missing the one thing I volunteered for!  Put me in coach -I'm ready to go!!!!!
Uh, except maybe if you need me in late May or June -I expect to be away then, so make arrangements accordingly.
I too have noticed your signature of late and am very impressed with the style and mood of the backgrounds -I think you've set an amazing stage for what looks like will be an amazing game.

Your solution has solved the problem, though, -many thanks!

Sorry if I was unclear.  It works great, thanks!  I was just leaving a record of what exactly I did wrong in case someone with a similar problem is perusing the technical boards (as I do when I get bored or stuck).  Thanks again!

No, I made an all purpose icon for all interactions (including walking) in an attempt to make the game idiot proof (it's for young kids).  So I had under on_mouse_click in the global script:

if (button == LEFT){
  MoveCharacter (ZORK, mouse.x, mouse.y);
  ProcessClick (mouse.x, mouse.y, GetCursorMode());
}

(which I suppose I must have copied from the original walk mode and interaction mode scripts).  Your solution has solved the problem, though, -many thanks!

This seems like a simple problem so I have posted it here.
I want to have scrolling rooms in a game I am working on.  The manual says that to do this simply import wider background pictures than your game resolution and the option to have scrolling rooms will appear.  So I imported an 800 x 400 background into a 640 x 400 resolution game.  A message came up saying that the image was not the same resolution as the game and that all areas had been resized (I paraphrase, but the point is that it didn't prompt me like the manual said).
Undaunted, I created my walkable areas right across the room and tested it out.  The room does in fact scroll to the full dimensions (since it's not really much wider than 640), but the character can not walk to the far right end of the screen.  I've checked this out and it can not walk farther than the 640 x-coordinate.  All settings seem to indicate that the room is functioning at 800 x 400 -the only thing I can think of is that I missed the prompt.  So I made a duplicate room and the same thing occurred.  I have searched the manual and explored the room edit interface and have been unable to find a way to initiate this prompt -do you think this is even the problem?

The download link seems to have gone "phycho".

And after BerserkerTails got my right index finger all itching to play this game too.....

Ah Ha!
I knew you'd slip up sooner or later and give us a hint that would allow me to finish!  

Spoiler

I was a bit frustrated by the ending: c'mon!  Another island?!?  But I guess that makes it pretty easy to make Timothy Lande 2.  Or would it be New Timothy Lande?  Or Terra Timothium Incognita? (Sorry but I think my Latin genetive declination needs some work....   )

[close]

Once again I thought the artistry was top notch -looking forward to more games!

Balmy +2 Celsius.  Marked latest midterms from first year (read freshman in USspeak) geomorphology class -rare excitement indeed.  Wondered idly why they don't just use a computer for that kind of rote testing, but then realized that thousands of unskilled floaters such as myself would then be out of a "living".  Played a bit of shinny at the rink this evening, then watched a surprisingly exciting professional game on TV while drinking unexciting domestic beer and trying to convince my girlfriend to go habsies with me on a property out in the bush where we could indulge in our (my) dream of pioneering.  Perhaps it was the beer talking, for whatever would I do without my computer and AGS??

Deleting the compiled folder and resaving the game seems to have worked.  Thanks a whole bunch: it would have to have been a much shorter game otherwise!