Messages

This is Father Raoul.  I like the way he looks, but I'm having a lot of trouble with that bloody priest's collar.  Can anybody help?



enlarged:

Ooh Noir.

I might enter this time.

Hey Eric,

Glad you liked the game.  I recommended playing the game at 640 x 400 because I had to shrink Davy and Elandra down to fit on the IG backgrounds properly.  When played at the 320 x 200 resolution, they get all pixelated and funky.  At the higher resolution they look fine.

I did the "use every spell on everything" thing on purpose. The idea being that Davy's spells never work right, so you have to experiment to find out when the spells actually do.  

Thanks for the comments, everyone!  I wrote it and finished it so quickly I was worried that it would seem rushed.

As for beta testing a MAGS game, I don't see the problem with it. If someone finishes early and takes advantage of the extra time to beta test, what's wrong with that?  Beta testing is part of the whole game-making process, isn't it?  There's an annual Interactive Fiction (text adventure) competition, and the rules encourage beta testing - and those folks have a whole year to write their games.

Incidentally, testers.  I just discovered a walking dead in "Mousetrap" that nobody picked up on:

Spoiler

If you cast the ice spell on the helmet of water after getting the green mud, you'll be stuck.  

[close]

Finally downloaded and played this game the other day and I'm very impressed!  A bit on the short side, but the humor and fun graphics more than make up for it.  The GUI is very slick.

-Dave

Hello!

So I was sick and home from work today, and finally decided to download this game and give it a go.  I spent the whole day playing it and, having consulted the walkthrough only three times, solved it.  Here are my comments while they are still fresh.

In a word: wonderful! As the other folks said on this thread, the beautiful backgrounds and the major attention to detail showed that a lot of time and effort went into it, something most AGS games lack.  The notebook was a nice touch, the laptop was an even cooler touch.  I was hoping that the laptop would be used more in the game (like that one email Susan received), but that's not a big deal.  It was also cool that Susan changed clothes on the second day.  Her black miniskirt wasn't the most practical adventurer-wear, but it was certainly nice to look at!  

My only real beef with the game was something you mention already: that the characters weren't that developed.  I had no reason to care for Susan,  or Phil or Colin because I knew very little about them.  Also, the background info sort of fell by the wayside.  You started out describing this wonderful political dynamic - that of the "off limits" people, etc... but then it's not mentioned again until the very end of the game when I'd forgotten all about it.  It would have been interesting if you could see the effects of the "Divide" throughout the whole course of the game, which would make the Big Choice at the end that much more meaningful.  

But don't get me wrong, I loved this game.  I'm just a big advocate of characters and atmosphere and tend to be very picky in that area.  Maybe too picky.      As I said, the game was wonderful.  Four thumbs waay up.  

Cheers,

Hello Joacim!  Here's a subtle clue...

Spoiler

Thakbor is a knight.  Nothing will affect HIM.  However, maybe you do something to yourself...

[close]

Thanks William, I'm glad you like it.  I had fun making it.  But I must give credit where credit is due:  those aren't my backgrounds.  I made the game using the pre-existing sprites and backgrounds, as per the March Mags rules.  All the backgrounds in the game are from the Insta-game pack, except for the pics at the beginning and the very end, which are RON backgrounds.

Thanks, Squinky!   Spoilers ahoy...

Spoiler

Did you find the little green alien, yet?  TALK to the red lobster alien creature and go through all the dialog options.

[close]

Debug mode???

I never used it!  Must have turned it on by accident somehow.  Sigh... looks like I'll be uploading a new version tonight.

The shoelaces spell was for a puzzle that never got used, so I took it out of the game.  

You might have missed a room.  Did you go south from the cave exit?

Glad you guys are enjoying the game!  Petteri, here is a subtle hint:

Spoiler

You're right.  Davy needs to be green.  Experiment some more with Davy's magic.  Don't be such a stick in the mud!

[close]

And I forgot your other question:

Spoiler

The skull is out of your reach.  If you keep fishing, you'll eventually find the solution.

[close]

Yee-ha.  This is now ready.  And three days before the deadline, too.  

BSpeers' rules stated that the game must use a combination of "Insta-Game" and "Reality on the Norm" sprites/backgrounds, and I think I've followed that pretty faithfully.  So here is my Insta-RON game: "A Better Mousetrap!"

Davy and Elandra are trapped on an alien world.  The jury is out on how they got there.  Did Elandra's new invention go horribly wrong?  Or did Davy's magic cause havoc again?  Regardless, it's up to the both of them to find a way back home.

Features both Davy and Elandra as playable characters!

Download it here:

http://ron.the-underdogs.org/games/trap.zip

(I haven't put it into the RON database yet, but you can download it directly from that link)

Enjoy!

Guess i might as share another one.  

This is me and two co-workers at a karaoke bar during a business trip to china last summer  (I'm the short guy on the left).  Somehow we had drunk enough to let ourselves be convinced to get up and sing "Copa Cabana."  



Also, I was at the office late one dark rainy night and took this picture from the window.  This is Times Square in New York City, and if I had taken this an hour earlier you could have seen a bunch of police cars redirecting traffic during an anti-war rally.

Debating whether the war is "right" or not is kind of a moot point now.  We're there.  We're levelling the city.  It makes me ill to think about it.  Regardless if this war is JUSTIFIED OR NOT, this "Shock and Awe" campaign is complete overkill.  Is all this destruction really recessary?  I heard on the news Friday that "Ten major buildings have been destroyed in the last three minutes."  Is that what we're trying to do?  Take the September 11th attack and unleash the same horror ten times over?  Beh.

Gosh, being  in New York City at this time is the most surreal thing I've ever lived through.  I see bombing and war footage on the news and then the commentators go on to say how NYC is at a "high risk" for another terrorist attack.  They've said that before, and nothing has happened, but jeeze louise, it just permeates your brain after awhile.  The WTC attack is still fresh on our minds.  Everyone's on edge.  There is beefed up security everywhere - cops patrolling the harbors and populated districts.  NYC is probably the most secure place in the country right now, which should probably make me feel better but it doesn't.  

I work in Times Square, which is a popular place for rallies.  I left the office late last night  It was raining - a thick, heavy rain that covered my glasses and made it nearly impossible to see where I was going.  There was a large crowd on Broadway, and I could hear a loud muffled woman's voice shouting through a megaphone.  There were police cars redirecting traffic.  It was so surreal - the rain, the indecipherable voice screaming at the top of her lungs,  the bright neon lights of Times Square mixed with the flashing strobe lights of the police cars... just weird.

Nothing really to add to this debate, just thought i'd share my feelings.  I've just been feeling odd lately.

[everyone]

There's a much greater risk to everyone if nations don't cooperate with each other, in the way Iraq refuses to do.

You mean the way the US is "cooperating" with everyone right now?

I suppose this war was inevitable.  I don't like it, but I can't pretend like I have all the facts.  However, there's no denying that Bush has turned this into a PR nightmare.  The majority of the world hates the US right now.  If Bush used a little bit more diplomacy and tact, we might have had a bit more support.

Personally, I don't like install screens on AGS games either.  But that's only because I know how AGS works and I just want to get right to the game.  For those who don't use AGS, it's nice to have an install screen.  I'd make one for my games if I knew how.    (although it's probably very easy, from what I hear).  

Hmm.  This American is starting to think about going to Mittens.  Am I gonna be the patriarch of the bunch?  (Me ares 27)

It's up on the site, everyone!  :-)