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Hello!  I am having a problem importing an image with an alpha channel.  I could swear that I was able to once do this, but for some reason it's beyond me now.

Here is how the background looks in Photoshop:



The light coming from the window is on a separate layer.  I exported the light source as a PNG (which is here for reference) which I imported into AGS with an alpha channel included.  The result?



Holy blindness, Batman! The alpha channel/transparency is definitely there, as my character is able to stand behind the light.  But obviously the light itself is waaay too bright.  Is this a problem with the current version of AGS?  I used to be able to import light sources this way without any problems.  I'm a bit confuzzled!  Any tips are appreciated!

Thanks,

-Dave

Hi all!  I've noticed that Winsetup.exe can only be run on Vista if your windows user account is set to "Administrator."  Is there any way around this?  The error message says to right-click on properties and to select "run as administrator" but that option is greyed-out.

Any help on this is much appreciated.  We're trying to get our game onto a big distribution portal and they are refusing to take the game because of this.

Edit: Additional info. You can RUN the application fine, but you get the error message if you click the save button.

Hi all!  I've got a big problem here.  I compiled Puzzle Bots using build 3.1.2.82.  I am trying to get it up on distribution portals.  One of the bigger portals (Oberon) found an error that I can replicate, but oddly nobody else has discovered despite it sounding like a big issue.

Basically, the game won't run on Vista if the player's username uses non-ASCII (unicode) characters.  You try to run the game and you get the message "Unable to write to the current directory.  Do not run this game off a network or CD-ROM drive.  Also check drive free space (you need 1mb free)."

I tested this myself by creating another user account on my Vista machine using some random Korean characters.  And yes, I get the same problem.  However, I am curious why none of my foreign customers have encountered this.  Am I missing something?  Is there something I should be doing to the build in order to avoid this issue?  The portal refuses to take the game unless this is resolved, so it's kind of worrying me.

Edit: I read an earlier thread where someone has a similar problem with saved games, and offered the suggestion to set the compatibility mode to Win 98.  This didn't work for me.

[The robots are escaping.]

Puzzle Bots is a joint venture between Wadjet Eye Games and Lively Ivy.

The robots are escaping.

There’s a big secret at Dr. Hugo’s Factory for Making Robots. When the inventors aren’t looking, their tiny robots go on big adventures. They never expected to stumble onto a plot so diabolical it threatened their very existence. With lasers.

It all starts when Zander - possibly the world’s most absent-minded inventor - trips over a metal box buried outside the factory. When no-one can figure out how to open it, the robots sneak out and try it for themselves. What they discover is the first step to a grand adventure, leading to a mystery as old as the factory itself.

Join the robots as they outwit mischievous children, curious animals, and dysfunctional inventors in their quest to find the truth. Will the robots solve the mystery before it’s too late?

Find out by visiting Dr. Hugo’s factory yourself!

Price: $14.99





Reviews:

"If you don't like it, YOU'RE A FLIPPING ROBOT!" - Gaming Daily UK

"Puzzle Bots is a game that has been lovingly put together." - Geeks.co.uk

"An incredibly charming adventure, packed with plenty of humor and some deviously clever puzzles."[ - Gamezebo

Screenshots:


A strange device awaits you in the courtyard.


The bots get ready to storm a toy castle.


Nature and technology don't always mix.


What is the mystery at the heart of the factory?  

‘Puzzle Bots’ is a light-hearted adventure game guaranteed to put a smile on your face.  It’s got quirky characters, laugh-out-loud dialog, and brain-tickling puzzles.

Help the robots save the day - play Puzzle Bots now!

Here are some of the many delights that await you!

* devious and original puzzles
* robots and rayguns
* a geeky love story
* vibrant cartoon graphics
* an evil plot just dying to be foiled!

Gameplay

* Play as 5 different robots, each with their own abilities and quirky personalities
* Help the bots work together as a team to solve puzzles
* Bomb, burn, push and swim your way through 17 intricately designed levels
* Explore the hidden secrets of a crazy robot factory
* Unwittingly meddle in the humans’ lives

For more details on the game (like character info, trailers, and other goodies),  please mosey over to the Wadjet Eye Games website.

I was thinking it would be nice to be able to script mouseover sounds for buttons, so they play ONCE when you move the mouse over them. 

I tried to simulate this with the code below:

Code: ags

 GUIControl *theControl = GUIControl.GetAtScreenXY(mouse.x, mouse.y);

 if (theControl == btn_a1) 
    if (IsChannelPlaying(6)==0) 
       PlaySoundEx(56, 6);

But all this did was make the sound repeat itself over and over again.  Is there a better way to go about doing this?

Thanks!

-Dave

Hi everyone!  I'm having a little issue regarding scaling in a hi-res game.  Normally this would be solved by choosing the "Direct3D" option in the settings file, but I learned when I released Blackwell Convergence that at least 10% of my users have computers that aren't compatible with Direct3D, so they were unable to run the game and had no clue how to fix it (which caused a lot of problems and lots of lost sales!).  So, I'm sticking with DirectDraw.  However, I am noticing a problem with scaling in that mode, even when the "smooth scaled sprites" option is enabled.

The following screenshot was taken with Direct3D enabled:



This was was taken with DirectDraw enabled:



This background required the characters be scaled down a bit, and as you can see, the quality gets downgraded significantly with DirectDraw.  In low-res games this was never an issue, but it's much more noticeable at higher resolutions (especially in full-screen mode!).  I am using AGS version 3.1.2.  I've resisted upgrading up till now, but I'd do it in a heartbeat if this was fixed in the most recent version of AGS.  Otherwise, is there a way around this?  Is there a way to detect if a computer is Direct3D compatible at runtime and change it on-the-fly?  

I wrote this article several weeks ago and it's finally been published.  It's a longish postmortem about the ups and downs of the production process of Blackwell Convergence and what I learned from the process.  Fun times!

Anyways, here it is!

Well, according to Plimus anyway.

Over the weekend I've been giving The Shivah away for free in honor of the Yom Kippur holiday. Lots and lots of people have been taking advantage of the offer, but I think it's confused Plimus's accounting system just a bit.

http://www.davelgil.com/32bill.png

Sooo either this is a mistake or I'm moving to a villa in the south of France.

-Dave

Hey everyone!  Dunno if you heard the news, but it's Labor Day weekend here in the U.S., and I've decided to hold our very first sale.

For this weekend only, EVERYTHING in our online store is marked down by 50%!  Simply use the code "labor" when making your purchase and poof!  Twice the usual awesomeness at half the price.

This offer ends on Monday, September 7th so nab your games for half price while you can! Or just buy everything twice.  Either way is cool.

-Dave

edit: This offer doesn't include Emerald City Confidential, which is sold via PlayFirst and not by me. 

[Screenshots:]

It's out!  It's oouuuuuttttt!!!  There was a bit of trouble with the online store so I put off announcing it here, but it's all fixed now so here we go...



A new film opens to rave reviews, despite its bloody history.  A beautiful uptown office remains unoccupied, despite its prime location.  A downtown artist berates himself for selling out, while a Wall Street investor congratulates himself on a job well done.  Just normal life in the big city?  Or is somthing more sinister binding these events together?

Bizarre connections are a dime a dozen for the Blackwell family, but just how far back do they go? Medium Rosangela Blackwell and her spirit guide Joey Mallone are about to find out.

View the teaser/trailer here!

Buy it:
HERE!

Screenshots:


A job well done.


Rosa's not in New York anymore...


Hot on the trail of a killer ghost.


Joey is asked a difficult question.

Team:
Writer/designer/coder: Dave Gilbert
Background artist: Luminous Arts
Portrait artist: Ian Schlaepfer (Big Brother)
Sprite/animation artist: Shane Stevens (ProgZMax)
Music: Thomas Regin
Poster art: Dan Lee

Some voice samples:
- Rosangela
- Joey
- Rosangela and Joey

Demo:
Get it HERE

In case you missed it, view the teaser/trailer here!

Price:
$14.99

For more details on the game (like character info, concept sketches, and other goodies),  please mosey over to the Wadjet Eye Games website.

I was rooting through my brother-in-law's PC Gamer magazines and found this article on RoN in the February, 2009 edition.  I hadn't seen any mention of it here or on the site, so I thought I'd share.

Page 1
Page 2

Hi all!  I've produced a few cartoon shorts as a way to promote the new Blackwell game.  It's been in the works for awhile, but the first episode is up!

Blackwell Cartoon #1: "On the Town"

Joey encourages Rosa to get out more, with interesting results.

I was emailed what appears to be a flattering review of Emerald City Confidential (8/10 stars), but it's all in Russian!  If anyone is willing and able to translate it for me, I'd really appreciate it.

Hi everyone. My fiance and I have been having a bit of trouble with her old house, and we're not sure what to do.

Years ago, she was living with a guy and they bought a house in Stoke-on-Trent together. Eventually, they split up with the understanding that he'd buy her half of the house from her.

Two years later, he still hasn't done it. He has the money, but he says he just "can't be bothered" to fill in the paperwork. So basically he's living in a house that he only half paid for, while my fiance is out over ten thousand pounds.

She has consulted lawyers, but they told her there is not much she can do because her name is on the deed.

So, my question is this. Is there any way to FORCE him to buy her half of the house? What are her options? We've tried pleading with him, we've tried being patient, we've tried everything, but he just puts us off or says he'll "get to it soon" and never does. 

Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

-Dave

[Screenshots:]

Abount ten months ago, I was approached by a games publisher (PlayFirst)to do an adventure game for the casual audience.  I've had to keep mum about the project since then, but the game was just announced on their website so I am off the leash.  I'm really excited to announce...

The magical land of Oz, as written by L. Frank Baum, is put through the gritty filter of 1940s film noir.  Harsh city streets, grey rainy skies, femme fatales, tough guys, trenchcoats, fedoras and plot twists.  It's Oz, seen through the eyes of Raymond Chandler.

You are Petra. Emerald City's only private detective.  One dark night, she is approached by a strange woman named Dee Gale.  It appears Dee's fiancé is missing, and Dee is willing to pay high and above the going rate in order to find him.  Lacking any other prospects, Petra agrees.  What starts off as a simple missing person case soon takes Petra deep into the seedy underbelly of the Emerald City's criminal underground and beyond.  She will encounter many characters both familiar and new, learn several magic spells, and uncover the answer to a dark secret that has haunted Petra all her life.

Features:

- over 40 hand-drawn 2D backgrounds
- over 6,500 lines of spoken dialog for 35 characters
- a story that takes place over 5 chapters.

This game will published and sold by PlayFirst.

Available now! 

Purchase HERE.

TRAILER HERE


Screenshots:


Petra's office.  It's not much, but it's home.


Ruggedo's pub is the best place in town to speak to the criminal element.


Petra speaks with Jack Pumpkinhead, a notorious smuggler.


Petra and her trusty steed, the Sawhorse, explore the far corners of Winkie country.


Petra has run afoul of a ruthless lawyer.


A chat with Betsy Bobbins, a local debutante.

Team:
Writer/designer: Dave Gilbert
Background artist: John Green
Animation and character artist: Flash Potatoes
Programmer: Andrew Goulding (cmonkey)
Engineer: Dan Filner
Music: Thomas Regin

Purchase HERE.

For more details on the game (like character info, concept sketches, and other goodies),  please mosey over to the Wadjet Eye Games website.

I'm not sure if this applies here, but since a number of you are starting to sell games commercially I figured it would be of interest to some.

Last week I presented The Blackwell Convergence at a demo event here in New York.  I've presented at this event before (The Shivah in 2006 and Blackwell Unbound in 2007), and each time it was video recorded and placed on Youtube.

This year, however, it was not.  I was a bit disappointed, since I always create these presentations with the greater indie community in mind and not just for the people physically present at the event.  So I decided to make a mini-recreation of my presentation in a vidcast.  I mostly talk about what I've learned about marketing over the last year, but if that seems boring you can also watch me get slobbered on by a Boston Terrier.

Link to the youtube video is on the Wadjet Eye Games site.

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3760/the_gamasutra_20_2008s_.php?page=21

Apparently I'm a breakthrough!  And the Blackwell games are being published without my knowing it!  Anyway, read.

[Wadjet Eye Games announces publishing deal with Lively Ivy Studios]

Since things have been pretty good with my company lately, I've decided to take some of the money I've earned and reinvest it in another aspiring developer.  We've been doing the pre-production on the game for the last few months, and have reached a point where we can announce it.  Here is the press release:

Wadjet Eye Games announces publishing deal with Lively Ivy Studios

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(July 10, 2008/New York City) 

Wadjet Eye Games, the indie game studio focused solely on adventure games, today announced a publishing deal with Lively Ivy Studios, an independent game developer who won several awards in 2006 for its PC adventure, "Spooks" as well as for its more recent critically-acclaimed PC game "Nanobots." Under the terms of the agreement, Lively Ivy Studios will develop a new adventure title to be published by Wadjet Eye Games.

"When we first worked with Lively Ivy back in 2007, we knew that we found a unique and energetic talent," said David Gilbert, CEO and creative director of Wadjet Eye Games.  "It has always been a long-term goal for Wadjet Eye to become a publisher for other indie developers. Now that we are in a position to do that, we knew just who to call. We are very excited to work with Lively Ivy in creating a fun, challenging game that will appeal to both adventure and casual gamers alike."

Wadjet Eye Games will fund the game's development and will take over the sales and marketing of the game, allowing Lively Ivy to focus purely on development.

"I'm thrilled to be working with Wadjet Eye once again," said Erin Robinson, the creative force behind Lively Ivy Studios. "I hope to continue in the Wadjet Eye tradition of producing entertaining and thoughtful games, and I'm honored that Dave has granted me this opportunity."

About Wadjet Eye Games

Founded in 2006, Wadjet Eye Games has developed a reputation for producing award-winning and critically acclaimed adventure games for the PC.  Committed to creating unique character-driven game experiences around recognizable brands, Wadjet Eye Games has grown from a small homebrew operation to a company sought after by major publishers.  The company's portfolio includes the award-winning "The Shivah" and "Blackwell" series, both of which led to a Game Developers Choice nomination in 2007.  For more information, visit http://www.wadjeteyegames.com.

About Lively Ivy Studios

Lively Ivy Studios has been producing distinctive freeware adventure games since 2005. Notable for their original storylines, lovably quirky characters, and trademark humor, Lively Ivy's games have enjoyed considerable popularity in the independent games community. Erin Robinson, founder and creative director, recently won first place in Gamedev's competition for Aspiring Women Game Artists.  For more information, visit http://livelyivy.com.

Hi all.  I have an area of my game which uses a large GUI that takes up a lot of screen real estate.  The only problem with it is that it blocks all the character dialog portraits.  I spoke to some AGS techies about it and it seems the only way to fix this is to create another GUI entirely for the talking portraits and push that to the front. 

It seems like a lot of work for something that appears relatively simple to fix.  Is such a thing possible for the next release of AGS?  Or is there a way to fix this using the existing system?  As a last resort I'll bite the bullet and build another GUI, but I'd prefer not to if there's an easier way.

It's back!

Took ages to clear this site of malware, and took even longer for Google to agree and stop listing it as a dangerous site!  Go ahead and go there (www.davelgil.com).  I know you've been missing it.