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sunshinegold:

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Check the notice boards thoroughly

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I think there should be some sort of reward for creating games other than the AGS Awards.  They seem to come and go really quickly, and I at least tend to forget about them for a few months at a time.  What about some other way of rewarding good games, maybe a sort of rating (stars?) below the avatar that show how popular games are or something.  A way to distinguish newer or less adept members from the older, more adept maybe?

Perhaps something to fill the empty space on the above part of the back wall.  A hole to get in maybe?  Happy Birthday by the way

I get the same problem too.  It just seems to come and go.

What is meant by having graphics 'on par with Nintendo'?  I'm assuming you mean systems like the SNES since later consoles like the N64 deal mostly with 3D graphics.  I thought that the Nintendo games had very good graphics for their time, and since the technology bar has been raised I find that few AGS games can live up to the new expectations.  Do you instead mean the resolution or number of colours, or general clarity?  Because otherwise I would've thought that Nintendo would be the outright winner most times, not to affront AGS games or their makers, but because Nintendo has professional artists.

I've really come to hate the way games have been rated by the 3D engines they run on in recent years.  It seems that in the developers' quest for ultimate realism, they've overlooked the appeal of hand-drawn graphics.  Yes, some games would only work well in realistic 3D, such as Half-Life 2, which I enjoy very much.  But 3D adventure games in particular seem to feel much colder than their 2D counterparts, and I also require much more motivation to actually be bothered to clear out the several gigabytes of harddisk space, install the game with the latest Direct X and video drivers, and load it up and learn how to use the complicated controls.  Or I could load up a 2D game and get stuck in within minutes.
Take Beneath a Steel Sky, a game that has continued to inspire me since the day I loaded up the Amiga demo.  While the graphics are only in 320x240, I would prefer that so much more than the latest 3D.  I really loved the backgrounds, and at times prefer 320x240 to any other resolution.
I think developers have tried to make games more complex and visually impressive, instead ending up with unoriginal games with the added inconveniece of pages of controls and irritating camera angles.  Who wouldn't prefer a simpler game with straightforward backgrounds from which you can tell exactly what things are, and a use/look/inventory interface?
And in the persistence of developers to produce more graphicaly impressive games, they've ended up brainwashing the players into thinking that's what they want, and when I see the newest releases in game stores, every single game uses 3D.  I would pay a good £20 for Beneath a Steel Sky if it had just been released this month amongst its 3D rivals.

My entry's out this month, sorry.  I've kinda lost the zest for MAGS competetions by now.

I'd recommend using the porrasturvat or rekkaturvat simulators to get a better feeling of how the body reacts to impact.  http://jet.ro/dismount/ might be the official one, there are download links there.  They're free to download and I found them really useful, as well as interesting.
It also appears that the animation program you're using is quite primitive.  I'd google for a better one, but I'm too tired to do that right now, I'm sure there are better things that you can acquire.

I took the rules to mean that there should be no lingual communication in the game at all, text or voice, but I'll still keep it that way despite clearing up the rules.  I think it's a very good set of rules because it means that the game can be played by people who can't speak or read English.

I might have a go this month.  I really should stop enetering competitions and actually make a real game
If I can be bothered to get my entry done, it'll be a sort of abstract, experimental game.  I won't let on more because I can't say it'll get finished.

I would advise against using gradients unless there really is a place for them.Ã,  It seems to be more of a fast way to shade things, at the expense of great inaccuracy.Ã,  I think that the best way to use computer generated gradients is when shading very shiny objects, usually metal, such as pipes and chrome.Ã,  In my opinion, anything else though looks out of place, whatever the style.

This is a good resource for metallic shading, I don't know if you'll find it useful for anything:
http://elfwood.lysator.liu.se/farp/metal2/Reflective0.htm

In the image above, there are many gradients, most of them circular, and yet it is very difficult to have a situation in which there is a completely circular gradient, and least in that strength.Ã,  If you really like to shade with CG gradients, my best advice is to keep the colour gap low on dull surfaces, and use linear shading in most cases, ensuring a consistent light source too.

This image could look really nice with some careful shading, I think either gradients or cel-shading would work well with this style of background.Ã,  Here are a few types of shading you could use on the pavement, but for anything else too:



Notice I also fixed up the perspective a bit on a few things in orange lines.Ã,  I think this is how it should look, since vanishing point(s) are towards the left (?).Ã,  The lines on the road should parallel the other diagonals, and should probably be closer to the centre of the road.Ã,  Some things might be inaccurate, it was a very quick edit.

Since glass is quite transparent, you should be able to see some of the building's interior, although lighter and perhaps slightly bluish since it is seen through the glass.

I know I've been really, really critical about this background and I shouldn't, it's great work, and I'm no expert.Ã,  I hope at least though that some of it has been useful, and I haven't made too many mistakes

What do game makers give themselves?

Yes, maybe having four key objectives is a good way to divide the game, but it might be nicer to introduce the player with a simpler goal, such as finding one these objects of people.Ã,  Then the rest of the story can be introduced.Ã,  Not saying that you wouldn't take a similar approach, but I lose interest in many RPGs that throw a storyline at you as soon you start the game, and I never make it to fun things like battling and questing because I'm too bored to slog through all the stuff before it.
Crystals are probably the most overused objects in fantasy, and yet there really is no reason why they should be crystals.Ã,  There could be 4 libraries, each with a tome of enlightenment or something, or 4 sages that you need to learn from, or 4 planets with different objects on each, or 4 spaceships of moons that you have to destroy, or 4 missiles whose launch must be prevented, or 4 races that you need to befriend to fight this evil power (although that has been used somewhat in Shannara).
This said, I'm sure there are plenty of unused or un-flogged-to-death storylines around.Ã,  They'll come to you at some point, and you'll be better at thinking of them if you read lots of fantasy novels, if you don't already.
Regarding the knife, there should be some reason why only that is used, and not a 2-handed bastard sword.  Is it blessed or something?  Is it the only weapon available because the world lives in poverty, or the towns have been taken over by corrupt people, or there is so little metal available?  Is it the best weapon around because the master craftsman of the town has been savaged and monsters and troops are blocking routes out of town?  Everything should have a reason, and the player should never be left thinking "why am I doing this?".
Keep trying though, I'm sure you'll get some really good ideas at some point.

Perhaps some of the lines, especially on the door and floor, could use some antialiasing?

Well...i made quickly a photoshop drawing...

Quick?Ã,  What would a 'long' one look like then?Ã,  Seriously, that's a very nice background, reminds me of the swamp from KQ2VGA.

I'm such a loser:

if(GetWalkableAreaAt(mouse.x, mouse.y) == 1) { //walk
  MoveCharacter(0, mouse.x, mouse.y);
}

Sorry, about that, it's my first game where I've altered the main mouse click scripts.

I don't think I'm using MoveCharacterDirect commands for just normal walking

Yes, I'm pretty sure. Ã, I've even tried placing a square of this walkable area inside the working one and it breaks it. Ã, Any area other than 1 seems unwalkable.
Also, I seem to be able to walk through an unwalkable area if I click a walkable area on the other side of it. Ã, Should this happen anyway?

I have a main walkable area in my room (A), and two walkable areas disabled after fadein (B and C).Ã,  I can walk around fine on A, but when I try to enable C I can't walk on it.Ã,  Even if I don't disable C, I still can't walk onto it.Ã,  I've checked the repeatedly_execute and global scripts, and they don't disable this walkable area.Ã,  Neither do object scripts.
It's so irritating, and I can't find any way to work around it.Ã,  A prompt reply would be nice, I'm looking to get this game done within the next 24 hours or so

I'm using AGS 2.62.509 if it helps.

When we're voting for games, do the makers give themselves a 5, or is it up to them?  I don't want to be unfair to other people nor do myself an injustice.

And also, when exactly are the entries due?  A warning about 24-48 hours before would be great, I'm never any good with time zones.