Messages

[##C123456#B#U##]

Just meddling a bit. 
I like the tags idea, and while we can't use [ maybe we could use some other character(s) that would be unlikely to show up in text, like ##C123456#B#U## could maybe work (doesn't need to be #, just something unlikely to show up in text labels?

player.Say("This is a ##C123456#B#U## test.");

Why not just place a always visible bar at the top with these options, and let the dev decide later on how he/she wants it to behave?
After all, these templates are just a starting point, and most devs will end up customizing everything anyway... and those that don't won't mind the bar.

Don't think we need to over complicate things... just my opinion.

Maybe your OS is set to hide ini files?
Try and save it under a different name extension, like .txt. It's just a plain text file anyway (as far as I remember).

[Stable Pete]

Ooooh... maybe this will get me out of the stagnation.
I have a at least 2 I would love to finish, one of them is at least realist to finish (Stable Pete) since most is done (the end is already even programmed into the "demo", just no way to see it). It wouldn't take too much to finish this one... specially since I even still remember all the puzzles and story that I had in mind.

The second one is That day, though this one would require a bit more work and rattle my brain heavier, since I don't remember the puzzles, just the rough story line.

Then I do have 2 other projects, but they would need more work to make them realistic for this current time frame.

I'll probably put Stable Pete in the "let's give this one a try" and That day in the "If I manage to finish Stable Pete and I'm in a roll, I'll try for 2 in one"...

[&]

Khris, when YT started telling me I would be blocked because of Adblok (funny, they wanted US to tell them what WE were using  ) I just started using a private window, never got the msg I would be blocked while running this method. Though, doesn't seem to be needed anymore.

Also, if any of you are on a slow PC and YT  takes "ages" to load, just hit the stop as soon as the black BG for the video loads. Only disadvantage with this method is a) you don't get "recommended" (if you use that feature) and b)the search bar to find a new video will also be missing.
What I do is, have a tab opened on the main page to use the search, and then copy/paste the url into a new tab (and delete everything after the first & in the link, as those are used for tracking and throwing ads at you).

[PopupStyle]

That's actually a bad solution.
Remember that anything you place in  repeatedly_execute, will run 40 times a second (assuming the game is running at the  default of 40 FPS).

Just open your GUI, assuming that it's called gInventory and on it's properties, under Appearance, turn PopupStyle to Normal (or Always show) and Visible to true.

Now unless you code it to close it should be on all the time.

If you're using a specific Template that is set to hide it, then please say which template, so we can tell where to fix it.

Thanks, idea seems interesting, yet I have some reserves about this plugin. I have a feeling it has the potential of producing very bad translations, depending on how good that tool is. 

The same sentence can have different meanings, depending on context, and thus a proper translation might need to use other words to meet this.
The same word might have multiple meanings, depending on how it's used, thus changing the meaning of and entire sentence. Not to mention proper grammar.

I can still remember when Google translate (and other online translation sites) come out. And my internet friends thought they could just throw a sentence in it and then send it to me, as if they knew how to write/read in my language. Unless it was a very very short sentence/word, it produced hilarious sentences and I could tell right away where they got the sentence.

To this day, Google can't figure out the difference between "grandfather" and "grandmother", if I type them in Portuguese... because for Google, apparently, "Avô", "Avó" and "Avo" are all the same word..."grandmother". And "a well" from Danish to Portuguese ends up translated as "good"... not exactly the same thing.
Not to mention proper grammar. As Google will still give Brasilian-Portuguese as a default for Portuguese sentences (apparently doesn't know there's a difference)

Thus you might add a disclaimer to your module, so that people that might use this, will still need someone (and actual human being, that can both the original and translated language) to check the translation and correct whatever is wrong.

Uhm, come to think I never finished Syberia either. But I'm not sure why, I remember I bought it back when it come out, and startet playing it... but why I stopped? No idea honestly! Maybe it was due to the fact that that year I had 3 jobs + uni and just run out of "free time". That was also the last adventure game I bought for many many years.

More recently I got Wolf Among us for the Xbox, and was excited about it "Oh boy! An adventure game!". I started playing and right away I was annoyed with the timed dialog. I had barely time to read the "question and the answers" that I didn't even had time to pick my answer... it just picked it for me. Annoyed, but I said to myself "Well, whatever is said is probably not too important anyway, lets give the game a chance." I picked up a few items, entered the room where a fight has happening and all of a sudden I'm forced to fast press buttons and crap... and die, and try again, and die, and .... multiply this by 10 or so, and then the game saves right before I die again... and from that moment on every time I booted the game up I would instantly die. I gave up on the game at this point.

Then I found out there was a Back to the Future adventure game! Oh joy! 2 favorites spliced together! What could go wrong? Well all I didn't want in an adventure game. Give me 4 options of dialogue to pick from, only to reply the exact same line (even when it made no sense on the option I picked... lazy developer?). After that the game kept telling me what to do, instead of letting me explore, even though I had turned the "help function" off. If there's anything I hate more in adventure games, is when I'm not allowed to figure stuff on my own, since it takes all my enjoyment of the game. So... I dropped it.

Just wanted to wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy new year!

Cheers

(also wondering how there doesn't seem to already be a topic for this)

Personally, I've always took, that a Demo of a commercial game should be eligible for the Best demo, as long as individual entries in the db, independently of when the  final game is/was released. As long as it hasn't been eligible to the award before, that is.

But the hard thing for me, was always to figure if the said commercial game has a Demo and when was it released...

A demo should be a short version of the game, that demonstrates the game, playability, puzzles, story, etc. Normally 5-15 minutes game play (depending on how long the final game it). Release date for the demo should have no baring on whether it should be eligible for the award. Mostly cause one can make a demo to generate expectation and support for the development o said game (early bird, crowdfunding, etc), or be released along with the commercial game for people to evaluate if they want to buy the game.

I usually get an idea inspired by the topic. Then I might use a couple days just figuring out the story in my mind, once I'm satisfied I start (if I'm confident I have the time to finish it). Though, considering that I have a bunch of unfinished games, I might not be the right person to answer this either. But if I do start, I make a commitment to myself (and to others, if I'm not working along) to at least delivery a working version of the game (I'll then call it Demo, if it's not fully finished as I wanted). This means I will make the time to make it happen, even if I have to sacrifice a few nights sleep.

I'm though happy with the type of puzzle you describe, if it makes sense and progresses the story line. Not that I wouldn't love to have mind blowing genius puzzles, but I accept my limitations in puzzle design and story telling.

Also, keep the UI and such simple, since the point of MAGS is to make a game, not the ultimate UI. I usually take the BASS template, add a few of my "usual" stuff from previous games, and go from there.

Then it's art, sounds, music, story & puzzles.

Make sure you have the start and the end of the game done first, the add as much as possible of the "middle". This will guarantee that you'll always have a "finished" game ready to deliver, if you're happy with it that way... if not deliver it as demo and work on it post MAGS (I have a problem when I get to this point though).

What would you gain in making it an object? If it's already a character let it be. Besides, it has a face and an attitude, so a character seems more fitting than an object. Also there's a limit of objects per room, but no limit of characters.

I'm not sure what kind of feedback about the scene you're looking for, the only thing I can see you could quickly do, is run the eating animation in reverse, when dropping the nice guy. It's a bit too abrupt atm, IMHO.

If you have to address if the art if "original to the game" or "free/paid pack" in regards to the awards, then we also have to address the audio. And we have to know which games aren't using non-original stuff.

I thing we should just let the people decide. If the pack fits the game and it's so good that the people decide it deserves and awards, isn't that just credit to the original artist that created the art and the game designer that implemented it perfectly?

Nothing is impossible, here's my VerbCoin implemented in the inventory window:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msWREZ_SlqE

Left clik pickup the item, right click opens the verbcoin.

Yes, yes and yes.

Maybe the "finish the old MAGS theme" could just get a little trophy or some thing to the likes. But we should probably find a month where "nothing special" happens... Like December many time brings x-mas themes, and October is Halloween. Just so those special event months are available, if the winner wants to pick a related month event.

Interesting, I'll see if I can think of something interesting and that can be done in about a week (have seem vacation days during xmas and new year. crossing fingers I can find the time.

Oops. I forgot about his. I did one at work, but I didn't liked it, so never scanned it. And then I forgot. :/
In case anyone is wondering, my entry would be Jake, from The cat from outerspace (loved the movie when I was little and amused by silliness I guess. )

Anyway, might as well contribute with voting. Hard to choose, as all are good and recognizable.

In game usability: jwalt
Capturing original character: Creamy (only because I recognized Babe, and it's a really good looking pig)
Technique: jwalt (I like the pixelated look of him. I good easily see the character show up in MI.)

I guess it depends on how you and the text and fade to work.
If you need/want the text to show during the fade, then you need to use Matti's solution. If you just want the text over the black screen, then a room will do just fine.

Damn Creamy, now you brought me some memories and inspired me to know which "childhood character" I want to draw.

PS - It's not Babe (as I never seen it, nor it come out during my childhood).

For me is mainly time. I just don't have the same time I had to dedicate as I used to. And I also want to finish my unfinished previous entries...

Or posting next month's rules early, giving a bit more time?

This would not help, for me anyway, because that's not the kind of time I'm lacking. I know I can make a game in a month (done it before], because I know I can also make a game in 24H (also done it before). The kind of time I'm in lack is the one where I can sit at the computer and not feel guilty that I should be doing something else in RL that needs to be prioritized (because if I don't do it, nobody else will).