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I don't have time to explain the way I would do this to you in detail, but here's a very quick description, maybe someone else can go into detail:

- Look up the DynamicSprite-functions (and the DynamicSprite.rotate function particularly) in the manual (you need a version >2.71 for "DynamicSprite.rotate" I believe).
- This function allows you to rotate a sprite by any degree, first try to implement this. Only continue if you have the first part of simple rotation working.
- Then add momentum and mousewheel control. You'll need to play around with this. Just add a value to a variable when turning the mousewheel up and subtract a value to the same variable if turning the mousewheel down.
- Finally rotate the sprite by the variable.
- Then you could add momentum. Just make the variable decrease slowly by itself over time.

I am so obsessed with the Firefox zoom plugin, that I do stuff with it when I'm bored.

It works like this: You right-click on any image on a website. While holding the right-mouse button and turning the mousewheel either up and down, you can zoom in or out. It will basically resize the image. So I either make all images super-small, so that they are almost gone on a page (once you reload its all back to normal) or I'll turn the mousewheel in rhythm with the music I am listening, so that the image gets bigger and then smaller again in rhythm with whatever I am currently listening to. That's quite hilarious at times (depending on music and image)...

[Name:]

Name:
Jan H. Simon

Age:
17, I'll probably turn 18 in June 2006.

Female/Male:
Male

1. How long have you been involved in the AGS community?
I joined the community on the first day I found AGS and this forum. So - taken from my profile - I started being involved in the community since the 14th Oct. 2003 (09:18:44). This makes it two and a half year now.

2. Why did you get involved in AGS?
Me and a friend of mine played Lucas Arts adventures as children (especially "Maniac Mansion", "Day of the Tentacle" and "Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis"). Once we were older, we wanted to create our own adventuregame. I knew how to program things with C++, but I wasn't quite up for the task yet. He was gonna draw stuff for it. Well, we never quite managed to get anything done together, but I stumbled upon adventuregamestudio.co.uk while searching google for an adventure game creator.

3. How do you feel that the fact that AGS is a freeware programme affect the community that has built up around it?
If AGS wouldn't have been free, I wouldn't have tried it out and looked for one of the other (free) adventure game creation engines. I wouldn't have been part of this community either. That's why I think that this community wouldn't be as strong as it is, if you had to pay for the program. Additionally, AGS wouldn't be as well-known as it is either.

4. How big a part does the AGS community play in your life?
Well, I never attended Mittens and I don't intend to do so (not because I don't like anybody here, but because I accept this as online community. I don't want to mix it up with "reallife" contacts). I check the page almost everyday and quite frequently most of the time. I don't always post as much as I could, but I still recently broke the limit of 700 posts.

5. Have you been involved in making any games using AGS? You may list them if you want.
My first game I ever produced was called "Plants!". It was only available in my native language (german) and is no longer available for a damn good reason. It was crap! I intend to do a complete rehaul of the story, the art and the whole idea sometime in the future.
Then there is "Troopers". This one is officially still in production. It's a realtime-strategy game made with AGS (just like any Command&Conquer title and looks nearly as good thanks to graphics from Neutron and sounds just as amazing as the original games thanks to an impressive soundtrack by The Scorposer).
Then I am working with Hobbes on Buccaneer II (on the fighting engine particularly), this one isn't released yet either.
Last but not least, I am the lead programmer for Screen 7's "Indiana Jones and the Fountain of Youth". I don't think I have to mention that we're still working on the final beta version for the demo... The constant delaying of the release date is already legendary in the community.

6. Answer these questions if you have been involved in making AGS games:

a. Were you interested in game design/programming before you started using AGS?
Definately. I already drew screens from self-thought games as a child and always dreamed about being able to program. Later, I created modifications (including programming, creating models, sprites and maps) for games such as Half-Life and Max Payne 2.

b. If no, do you feel that you would have got into game design without AGS?
N/A.

c. Do you make games using other programmes, either freeware or not? How does the eperience differ?
I don't use any other game creator, but I program a lot with C++ and OpenGL (and SDL). This is the "real" thing when it comes to programming. It can be quite a hell compared to the nice AGS Editor script language, but still quite amazing.

d. Has AGS inspired you to try and take up game design professionally?
Not professionally. While creating stuff with AGS is a great hobby of mine, I would never intend to go into the game/application programming business for a job.

7. Do you feel that there is a gender divide in the AGS community?
No, not at all. But I do think that girls usually get more replies to their posts. That's just natural though, I guess.

8. Are you likely to feel differently about a game if you discover it's made by a female? In what way?
I wouldn't feel different about the game, but still I'd probably replay it, just to see if there really aren't any major differences. I haven't played Cirque de Zale or Spooks yet (those are the two only games that I know are made by a female, I think).

9. Do you feel that AGS makes it easier for females to get involved in computer game design? In what way?
Why would it? Of course, you could say that it simplifies the technical aspect of creating a computer game, but then again - how says that girls can't code?

10. Do you feel that there is a difference between the types of games created by males and females?
No. While girls are known to be more detail-loving, I think it comes down 100% to the individual.

11. Any other comments?
I hate pie!

You can scale your characters using AGS, but it will obviously never look as good as if you had drawn the character in the proper size from the beginning. Try it out, draw a quick character sized 10x30 and then scale him up to 150% in AGS.

If at all, you should downscale only (<100% in AGS).

Hint: Click on the link on Pumaman's post. His name is Andail. You can send him a PM. He's a nice guy.

Please show us what your room script file for room 39 in line 77 and around says!

EDIT: Oh, you're NOT the author of the game! Sorry for that, I completly forgot about that possibility.

That's great news, Steve. Sounds really good, I can't wait to take a look at the next release version.

"Does she take her coffee black, like her men?"

Okay, let's just wait until someone makes the obvious joke...

This is not the right forum area, but I'm sure a mod will be so kind to move this thread.

As to your question: You could always paste your character image into the paint program in which you are drawing your background to check the proportions. There's no rule, just keep checking if your proportions are okay.

As I said before, I agree about the feet. But I did make his legs small on purpose. Remember that I am not trying to draw in a realistic style, but in a cartoon style. Thus, his head is way too large and his legs are too small.

Heh, I was talking about a 1500$ head. The cab would be <500$. Still, I won't buy it, because (although I have the money), I'd rather spend it on a car and a house and everything later. I just decided this two days ago...

Ah yes, his feet are really strange now that you pointed it out to me. Thanks for the hint, I'll change it asap!

[www.myspace.com/subrockspace]

Thank you to you, too, Nikolas. I probably won't go through the hazzle of re-recording all the tracks for that song, it's not really worth it. But I will make sure to follow your advice when I produce my next songs.

Track No.48? WOW you have 48 tracks already???

Actually I have far more than 48 songs produced, but they are not all done to the end (and some of the first ones are plain crap).

Right now, I use a Behringer V-Amp 2 Multieffects-processor for effects. The patch I used for the dist. gtr. in my track wasn't the best. It sounds real good played through a real speaker/cabinet though! I recently played with the thought to buy an ENGL Powerball 100W Head amplifier, but I need the money for other purposes and this bitch is 1500$ (and that's only the head, I'd also need a cab).

Anyways, I'll probably stick to clean stuff, because that always seems to sound better somehow with my equipment.

If you want to check out some more (and different stuff), feel free to check my myspace: www.myspace.com/subrockspace.

Wow, thanks a lot for all this helpful insight, Helm! I'll try to follow your help and improve my stuff. Thanks again.

[DOWNLOAD HERE!]

Hey guys,

I am working on a new song, it's pretty heavy, but has an emotional part. It's still in work, right now, there's just an intro, a chorus and a bridge (the clean part). It misses a verse and a solo (maybe more)...

Anyways, DOWNLOAD HERE! and make sure to leave a comment/suggestion/whatever.

I wrote, performed, recorded and mixed all of it myself here, so please do not only judge the music itself, but maybe also the patches and overall recording quality.

EDIT: Oh, this thread is called "Vol. II", because I used to have a similar thread months ago. I hope I made progress since then!

[Standing Left (6x zoomed)...]

Ok, I got some more done on him today. This is everything I have right now:


Standing Left (6x zoomed)...


Standing Right (6x zoomed)...


Standing Up (6x zoomed)...

I didn't want to simply flip a copy for the right/left frames, because then his little bag would've switched sides obviously...

I also drew a walking animation for the sideviews, but I am still working on the arm and head movement on that one (I used Eric's template as source).

So, anymore comments etc.? I'm still looking forward to improving the second guy (the green one) I posted above...

Thanks ahead of time.

I am downloading version 11 at the moment. Looks very interesting, Miez! I never knew you were into programming as well, with what tools did you create the application?

I am constantly influenced by music, movies, life and just about everything that impresses me. Then I express my influences through making music, writing stuff, drawing or creating stuff in AGS. I hope that I can influence others with what I do, just as I was influenced by stuff that others did.

When it comes to music, I usually look up the notes for a song that I thought is great from listening to it. Then I play it on guitar and learn it and I think about the theory behind the second and how it was composed. Sometimes I would even copy a whole sequence and start to modify it (transpose, change the rhythm/time signature) and start to build up new ideas based upon this sequence. And then - BAM! - what used to be a simple idea from a song I liked turned into - to quote Mark Portnoy - "a 12-minute epic".

Anyways, in the end it all comes down to taste...

So, let's stop cluttering up this thread with music-related questions the thread wasn't made for...

Hehe, thanks Skurwy. Your critique isn't harsh at all, thanks for pointing out those tutorials. I'll take a look at them asap.

EDIT: Hmm... Allright, I took a look at the tutorials and they sure are helpful, but they don't seem to fit my style here. I think my problem with the new character is that I lack any ideas of what I could add to him. He's just so plain.