Messages

I don't want a sequel.

It's ended perfectly -- Why unend it?

But many famous graphical adventure games have had shocking graphics.

To name a few: Mystery House, Kings Quest, Maniac Mansion.

Like I previously said, better graphics are just a way to show off the latest hardware -- past adventures got along just fine in conveying narrative without flashy graphics.

Okay I don't really think we're even disagreeing that much here.

Suggesting that Kubrick or Hitchcock could make a very different looking game kind of supports what I'm saying about games having the potential to be as visually evocative as films.  I don't think only filmmakers are capable of doing this but anyone with a strong visual sense.  I see a lot of people like that in this community and I think its selling their efforts short to say graphics have no impact on overall game quality.

Personally I put a great deal of effort into finding the right compostion and framing of the backgrounds for my game.  If that's all that mise-en-scene is then I'd say games are capable of it.

But the thing is no one has really done it yet -- Most of the background I've seen are fairly plain when it comes to a meaningful composition.

Okay, let me throw you an example -- Ever see Psycho?

Remember the scene where Janet Leigh is eating bread with Anthony Perkins?

Have a good look at the background (if you haven't seen it) while you listen to their conversation.

I've never seen an adventure game that utilises backgrounds to establish meaning in that way.

He's in the "handy-man contracting" business, and I think we all know what that really means.

Yeah -- "light contracting" business! *wink wink*

By the way, C.leks, I need you to "install some lights" on a "friend" of mine. *wink wink*

* DGMacphee accidently drops $10,000 dollars into C.Lek's hands.

P.S. Good luck with the REAL business venture.

*WARNING: The following quote is so lame, I don't even have to reply! *

And DG: I hate CJ as much as anyone, but for crying out loud, that must be the absolute worst mockery photo I've ever seen! Come on - You don't expect us to be amused by it, do you? Please piss off to Polynesia or whatever that place you live is called.

[What is a Photoshop Phriday?]

What is a Photoshop Phriday?

Photoshopping isn't drawing a completely new image -- It's editing images to create a new image, such as editing one image or combining several images.

Also, you don't have to specifically use Photoshop -- Paint Shop Pro, MSPaint, or any other programs can be used.

See this link:
http://www.somethingawful.com/photoshop/

And for other examples, see here:
http://www.worth1000.com/

The two above websites should give a fair idea of what is involved.

Also, make sure your image doesn't exceed the width of the screen -- If it does, I will delete it.

-------------------------------------

What do I have to do?

This week's Photoshop Phriday is: "Adventure Games in the Past"

Adventures games have been popular since the 70s.

However, many adventures have origins dating way, way back in history.

Your job is to place any adventure game in a historical context.

For example:



Be excellent to each other and party on dudes!

DG: Stop trying to sound clever, because let's face it, your execution lets you down as does your failure to grasp basic English.

"Look at me!!! I'm the creator of a brilliant computer game engine AND I GAVE IT AWAY FOR FREE!!! HOW MUCH OF AN IDIOT AM I!!! Not only that, I still do updates and help people with their tech questions!!! Hyuck hyuck!!! My pants smell like my toilet!!!"

Face it, Chris -- you're the biggest n00b of them all!

First of all, Minimi: Eminem is an autistic manchild --Anyone who quotes his lyrics would have to be twice as moronic as him.

And don't suck up to me with this forumking nonsense -- The day I get crowned, it'll be for giving you a good kick up the arse

Paranoia: not only are you stupid but you're also a liar -- I checked your profile and it said you registered in August, despite whether you've been lurking here since April.

As for the dogs gentials comment, I'm sure that's sophisicated humour on the planet Melmac, but around here it makes you look like a pissweak bitch, you n00b!

Ah Trapazoid -- the answer to a question no one asked.

Go back to making your stupid animutions or what ever they're called (I don't really care cause it's just a bunch of stupid crap with some Pokemon music in the background -- pfffft, who the hell watches Pokemon anyway? "Ooo! Trapazoid! I choose you!" What a load of horseshit!)

Migs: How about we GROUP PISTOLWHIP you until you lie unconscious in a pool of your own blood?

Go back to your commune and hug your dirty hippy friends if you want love and affection -- If you want to flame, go somewhere else as well.

Everyone who I've stated above is a n00b -- not because they've been here for a short time but because they are so lame.

They are n00bs based on principle.

The Dame Edna one really does it for me!  

Makri's photoshops always are first-class!

Mise-en-scene is the composition and framing of scenes in films.

You are right to suggest that both films and games use visual elements -- However, both mediums utilise them in different ways, as I stated.

And yes, the potential is there, except very few games have done so.

Let me put it this way: If Hitchcock or Kubrick were still alive and made a game, imagine what it'd look like.


Eric: I thought In Cold Blood was great -- not sensational but it was great.

But as Quintaros said, it does have first-class cinematography done by a master of his industry (and it's a pity he died last year).


On a related note, Conrad L hall repeated his raindrops on window motif in Road to Perdition -- you'll see it in the scene after the first shooting where Tom Hanks is alone in the car with his son.

The cinematography in that film was also first-rate and practically summed up Hall's career, in my own opinion.

STFU Paranoia! You are such a n00b! You joined up like a month ago! Get out of our forums! You, and only you, made all the cool people disappear! Now this forum fucking sucks all thanks to you, loser!

Quintaros, I disgaree with your comparison between graphics in games and cinematography in films.

Cinematography can be utilised to establish a mise-en-scene to symbolically create meaning (And for a brilliant example, see Conrad L. Hall's cinematorgraphy in Richard Brooks' In Cold Blood, especially the final scene with Robert Blake at the window.)

Graphics in adventures, on the other hand, are purely cosmetic, as I have yet to see an adventure game that creates a mise-en-scene with it's graphics.

Grim Fandango came close, utilising a mise-en-scene to satirise certain famous scenes in noir and classic films (e.g. Touch of Evil, Casablanca).

But that's a very rare example.

* DGMacphee forwards this thread URL to Officer Mancy. (Boy, won't Mancy be surprised!)

I thought Night of the Hermit was good.

In fact, I always thought Herman was very deserving of his own game.

When placed alongside Monkey Island, it's like what Fraser was to Cheers.

I think dimi is looking for fan games.

My game isn't there.

:'( :'( :'(

Graphics really are just a measure of the technological standards for games -- better graphics don't actually contribute to the game.

Look at early adventure games such as Maniac Mansion, KQ1, etc -- They have shitty graphics yet manage to be some of the most playable games.

To a further extent, look at early Infocom games -- no graphics, just text and yet manage to be brilliantly playable.

Compare this to the Interactive Movie boom in the 90s -- Phantasmagoria, Critical Path, The Daldeus Encounter all had great graphics but shitty gameplay.

Thus, even though the technological standards inproved, the gameplaty didn't.

In reality, great graphics are used only to show off what new hardware standard can do -- they're really quite superfluous.


As for fan games: Try 'Night of the Hermit', graphically it's not brilliant (which doesn't matter, as I said in the above) but it's a great fan game and spin-off to the Monkey Island series.

Acutually, Rode, can you confirm something else music-related?

There's a band playing somewhere in Canada that annouced during their performance there will be a suicide on stage.

No one knows where the actually location of the concert is (for legal reasons), but they'll put a recording of the whole concert on the web -- suicide and all.

Is this true or is it just an urban legend?

This is just a stab in the dark, but have you tried finding out when the hours are for the media room and then, oh I don't know, say, avoiding the media room outside those hours.

It might help.

Eric, if you'll reread my first post, you'll notice that I am calm (i.e. I teabagged him as a joke via a forum message -- Yes, I placed my virtual testicles upon his forehead, and if that doesn't say lighthearted joke, then I don't know what does) -- I'm also merely demonstrating the effect of writing in Caps for the entire message, which as you can see leads to misinterpretation of my words, hence your scripting:

if (CalmTheFuck(Down)==1){
AddInventory(Cinnabon);
}

And to make it clear that I was calm when I wrote this "joke", I added this:

P.S. TURN YOUR CAPSLOCK OFF, CAUSE IT GIVE THE IMPRESSION YOU'RE YELLING AT PEOPLE -- IT'S EVEN MAKING ME DO IT!

I didn't call him names, nor did I say anything that was actually offensive, not did I accuse him of demanding anything (Like we've both said, he even said 'PLEASE').

I figured I'd add a humourous little quip before someone else tells him where the webhosts are.

He told me to go fuck myself and I told him to "settle down" (and virtual-teabagged him again )

I think Rap4Life and anyone else who accuses me of "being off the mark" here are probably thrown off by my use of Caps, which creates an aggressive-like tone, which proves my point that a full Caps message is a dangerous thing.

I have no real problem with Rap4Life (at least, until he told me to go fuck myself and said I accused him of demanding stuff, but I'd like to think I'm not petty person that continually holds grudges against people -- You'll notice I even directed him to Noele's web host too).

It was a joke, and a very obvious one.

There is no need for people to get their knickers in a knot when when someone makes a joke.

Foe example, lets just say hmmmm... someone stuck my face on a picture of a penis ( ) and posted it on the internet  for the world to see -- Would I go apeshit if I saw it?

Just the opposite: I laughed my balls off, because I recognise it's a joke (and an honest one too   ).

Now if everyone wants, I can assume a stolid, Ingmar Bergman-style persona that abandons all forms of, at least, trying to be "funny" -- but I'm not pretty when I'm like that.

In fact, I'm very very fugly when I'm like that.

Now, if anyone still believes I'm "off the mark", then you're entitled to believe that, but I maintain my position as being calm and lighthearted -- and not blowing my top here going " STFU N00B, YOU MADE 2 POSTS ON THE SAME TOPIC OMG YOU LOSER   DONT SPEAK IN CAPS   "

I know I've given a broken down explaination here (and not upon why I thought his post was stupid -- Incidently, I didn't think his post was stupid, just a little under-researched considering we have a pre-registration questionare and rules posted in practically every forum) but I think I had to explain myself a little better.

I hope everyone is f*cking friends now.

And on that note...

* DGMacphee teabags everyone, before brown-eyeing Eric!