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[imgzoom]http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah206/durinde/railway_zps67161896.png[/imgzoom]

I gave it a shot. Inspired by songs like 16 Tons, Big John and King of the Road I present Railway Randy. Randy wanders the tracks during the depression, taking jobs where he can get them, and sometimes righting wrongs with his hammer.

[imgzoom]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B5m2IlaIgAEkzWQ.png:large[/imgzoom]

Gave it a shot.

EDIT: Now with less JPEG

Thanks for the tip from Cassiebsg on saving as a PNG. Shows how little I make graphics.

Concept: Aikexx222 - You can tell "bad things" happen at this location. What those "bad things" will be is left of to the imagination.

Artistic Execution: Kastchey - A level stuff. Feels like I'm looking at a screen shot for '90s horror game from a top studio.

Playability: Aikexx222 - I feel this is the easiest thing to plug and play here.

I had fun. Can't wait until the next one. Gives me something productive to work on.

Best Character: Stupot+
Best Atmosphere: WHAM
Best Word Choice/Style: WHAM/Stupot+
Creativity: monkey424
Efficient Story: Mynah
Best Scenario: WHAM

Had fun reading everybody's work. Look forward to the next round.

[Dear Charlie, when the outbreak hit, I lost touch with my boyfriend. He and I shared some very special times. Whenever I was down, he would make me smile. I don't know if he is alive, or even if I will ever see him again. I managed to build this drone out of pieces of a lawnmower, blueprints that I found scavenging in an electronics store, and some bathtub moonshine for fuel. I use this drone to search for him every day and I'm frightened that I will see his face in the horde. Charlie, I would like you to play 'Last Kiss' by Pearl Jam and dedicate it to Stephen. I miss him very much.]

Night descended on the city.

As the sun fell in the west, the skyline began to turn into a silhouette of blocky, man-made mountains. Scattered points of light came to from those lucky enough to have a way to generate electricity. Then, the crackling of radios.


"Goooood evening New Zed City!", the tenor voice boomed over airwaves. "We've survived another day here a NZRadio and we are glad you have as well! I'm Chainsaw Charlie and it is twilight, which means it is time for another show. Coming up a little bit later, we will have Shotgun Sam in the studio with tips on how to get those pesky relatives out of your closet or basement using a broom, some nails, and the door to a washing machine.

Have you drained too much of your batteries by listening to our broadcast? We will also have tips on building your own "Zombie-powered charging station" using a lump of flesh, some string, and a semi-mobile deadhead. First off though, this long-distance dedication came to us from Beth by way of drone.

It reads:

Dear Charlie, when the outbreak hit, I lost touch with my boyfriend. He and I shared some very special times. Whenever I was down, he would make me smile. I don't know if he is alive, or even if I will ever see him again. I managed to build this drone out of pieces of a lawnmower, blueprints that I found scavenging in an electronics store, and some bathtub moonshine for fuel. I use this drone to search for him every day and I'm frightened that I will see his face in the horde. Charlie, I would like you to play 'Last Kiss' by Pearl Jam and dedicate it to Stephen. I miss him very much.

Beth, here is "Last Kiss" just for you and Stephen. I hope you two find each other."

Oh where, oh where can my baby be..................

Nice BG Kastchey, before I even read your description I felt your piece was very Lovecraftian!

[imgzoom]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B1X5WC4IAAEB88B.jpg:large[/imgzoom]

I'm trying to teach myself to do background art so at least I'm not stuck in a loop of "It's pointless to code because I don't have any graphics." I thought I would take on this theme.

Anyway, one can make sacrifices 10x easier if you have a handy-dandy mine-cart for all the corpses. Hope you enjoy.

I made a couple of false starts. Couldn't really find my muse for the theme though. Best of luck to the other writers.

My take on it:

THE SOMETHING

The something felt smooth and cold as it always did.

Mygar had discovered it 3 winters ago when he journeyed into the forest his on annual trapping trip. Since his 16th year, he had gone into the woods like his father before him to trap beaver and martin. That winter, while following a game trail in the fresh fallen snow, he smacked his forehead on "something."

There was no visible sign the something was there. To Mygar, the trail continued into the forest beyond. Mygar reach out his hand, and it was the first time he had felt the cold smoothness. He ran his hands up and down, left and right, and even walked along it in both directions, but there seemed to be no end of the something. 

Grabbing a fallen branch, Mygar poked the something. The branch brought up as Mygar expected it would. Mygar then threw the branch at the something, it sailed through into the woods beyond.

The light was fading quickly when Mygar decided to leave the something behind. A long winters night was ahead and he didn't have long to get his cabin before it became unsafe to travel by snowshoe. As he turned around one final time to look at where the something was, snow had started to fall. Snow didn't seem to have any trouble passing through the something.

During the rest of the trip, Mygar would experiment with the something. An arrow would pass through it, so Mygar suspected that quick things like a rabbit might be able to cross the barrier. Giving himself some distance, he built himself up into a quick run and slammed into the something, knocking him unconscious. He had to nurse a bruise for several days afterwards.

When he returned home, he said nothing to his fellow villagers. Travelling outside of the valley was frowned upon and considered taboo by the elders. Rumours of dark and frightful things in the woods kept most of the villagers in the valley where they had made their home. From time to time, a stranger would wander into the village, covered with strange wounds all over their bodies. They would never know who they were or how they had travelled through the forest. The elders would always assign the strangers a name and find a family to take care of the them until they could provide from themselves. It had always been that way. These strangers were a victim of the a terrible beast. Mygar's grandfather came to the village this way.

Mygar's father had always doubted the existence of the beast. He had travelled many miles and had never seen tracks nor sign of any such thing. Fur kept people warm in the cold winters and it was a luxury few would wilfully do without. Despite the taboo, the elders granted permission to Mygar's father to go in search of fur, under the condition that he knew nobody would search for him the beast got him.

The summer went quickly and once again it was time for Mygar to go trapping. Mygar wanted to be prepared for his next encounter with the something. With his normal supplies, he had requested the elders provide him with some parchment, a quill, and ink. The elders asked him why he would need such a thing. Mygar told them he was making a map to remind him where he had set his traps.

After the traps were checked and set for the day, he would make his way to the something and start walking leaving one hand outstretched as he made his way along the something through the forest, making a map of the something and the surrounding area as he went. He would find the end of the something, and when he did, he would know exactly where it would be.

Game seemed less abundant that winter and the fact that he was spending a lot of his time mapping did not help. By the time he returned to the village, he only had half of his usual amount of furs. The village elders were not pleased and had threatened not to give him any provisions for his hunting trip the following winter.

Mygar had fret over the summer that he would not be able to continue his investigation. Time passed, and when the days began to grow short, the elders recalled how cold a winter could be and the desire to be wrapped up in a warm fur drove them to finally granting him the provisions he would need for his trip - minus the map-making supplies.

It was the third winter and Mygar now stood in front of the something. Once again, he placed his hands on its cool, smooth surface. Mygar hadn't even gone to his cabin to drop of his supplies. His plan was to follow the something to the very end. He would camp each night in the woods. The something had become and obsession and he would find the end or not return to the village at all.

Mygar strapped on his best pair of snowshoes and began walking. As always hands outreached. The pack was heavy and would slow him down, but Mygar didn't care. He would take his time and be patient, just like he would be stalking prey.

Three nights went by. On the morning of the fourth day, Mygar awoke to a raging snowstorm. The folly of his obsession was starting to dawn on him. On stormy day, he would normally huddle down in his cabin and wait for the storm to pass while curled up next to a warm fire. Even in the lean-to, covered in the warmest furs he was exposed to the elements. He had to move to survive.

Mygar grabbed what provisions he could and started off. His hands now buried beneath his armpits to keep warm. He would reach out from time to time to ensure the something was still next to him.

It seemed like hours had passed, but there was still no end to the storm or any end to the barrier. Mygar felt that if he could figure out a way to cross it, he would be safe. He grew weary and cold but pressed on. 

Finally, Mygar knew he was done for. He placed his back against the something and slid down to the ground in a heap. He was so cold, but also so very sleepy. He would close his eyes and let the death sleep take him. 

There were dreams. Dreams of shadowy figures covering him in a blanket and moving him. He saw bright lights, hear unfamiliar noises.

Blackness overcame him.

---------------------------------
"How's he doing?"

"We treated him for frostbite and exposure. Nothing Major. He will be OK."

"So what do we do with him? We normally don't interfere with the prisoners. They are criminals after all."

"His grandfather was the criminal. This is just a young man caught in a system."

"So what's the plan?"

"Mygar has become famous in the past couple of years. Ever since he started experimenting with the wall of the enclosure, ratings has gone up. People loved watching the goofball try and figure out a way through it. Did you see the footage of him running into the wall? People ate that up. The higher ups are considering touring with him. That's why we were ordered to save him. We clean him up and hand him off."

"What about our other guest?"

"Two counts of rape, and one count of attempted murder. The villagers might have lost Mygar, but at least they will have someone to replace him."

"I'll schedule the mind-wipe."

(EDITED FOR A COUPLE OF SPELLING MISTAKES)

That was fun. It's been a while since I got a chance to flex my creative muscle. Congrads to Sinitrena! Also, thanks to anyone who voted for me.

I'm working on a pretty simple game where you are a beaver. I haven't touched AGS in a couple of years, so I'm spending most of my time just relearning how to do things.  I'm just planning a couple of puzzles around gathering building material and attracting a mate.  I've only managed to get a couple of hours to work on it so far due to real life commitments. All I managed to get done was drawing the character with some VERY basic animations and roughing out some puzzles on paper. I am the opposite of an artist so I've wasted a lot of time just trying to get a half-presentable beaver. Still a ton of stuff to do, but I'm hoping just by making this post I can motivate myself a little.

Anyway, it isn't pretty


I hope to have some time off this weekend to work at it in earnest.

Hi guys,

It's been a while since I did any creative writing. I've been trying to force myself to start writing up an adventure game idea I have... but I'm pretty much stuck on what to do next. Anyway, I threw this together. Not sure if it fits the theme as intended. Anyway I hope you enjoy it.

The devil on my shoulder was talking to me again.
"The store is on your way home. Just drop in, grab a six-pack and enjoy the weekend."
As always, the angel was there to respond. His voice always seemed a shade weaker.
"You know you don't need it. You've gone a three months without touching the stuff. Everyone has been telling you how proud they are."
I continued to tidy up my desk. Killing time really until the clock hit five and I could finally leave the office.  The devil always had a counterpoint. Always pushed his agenda.
"Exactly! Three whole months! It's not like you had a problem anyways. Besides, you have a reason to celebrate! The car is finally paid off!"
The angel never usually raised his voice. He usually was the calm one. I could hear him starting to lose patience. "The car WE almost lost! If it wasn't for the fact that the cop that pulled you over was a friend from high school..."
The angel trailed off. He was always so logical. He always had a point. He also seemed to be losing his will to fight.
The clock continued to tick. Why was the boss in this afternoon anyways? He was usually had meetings at the head office friday afternoons. Of course he was around this week.... the week where everything I did was wrong. The week of early morning and late evenings to make up for MY mistakes.
I pulled up my bank balance on the computer. I was hoping to give the angel a bit of ammunition by pointing out my lack of funds. The devil was delighted.
"Ahh, looks like your bonus came in! You're up a couple of hundred bucks with nothing to spend it on. Hell, you could even afford to hit McGill's for a bite to eat and a few pints. Maybe that cute waitress is still working there!"
I licked my lips. It had been ages since I had a nice basket of wings and had hung out with the guys at the pub. After the week I had, the thought of just being able to cut loose sounded really appealing.
The clock ticked. It was 4:58... close enough. I knew the clock on the boss's desk was a couple of minutes ahead anyway. People began slipping away from their desks. As I pulled on my coat, the angel attempted a hail mary.
"You promised your mother."
The devil knew he was defeated. I could feel him shrink away and leave the battlefield all together. My shoulders felt lighter.
I sighed. Tonight would only hold a quiet movie and some popcorn. Nothing extravigant, but I knew it was the best thing for me.
It was exactly five when I passed the door to the bosses office. I stopped in my tracks when he called my voice. He would probably ask me to stay late again.
"I know it's been a tough week, but we made it to friday!" My boss smiled, "Want to come with me for a drink?"

I think I was looking back to my high school days when I had to start from scratch if I messed up the combo for my locker. Part of the reason was I wanted to have the experience scripting it like that. Is it poor game design on my part? Absolutely.

I think if I were to actually have a safe combination in a game, I'd probably go with a interface similar to what was used in 6 days a sacrifice and full throttle.

Maybe I'll try something like that next.

Thanks! Looks very logical and clean.

Any coding/scripting that I've ever done has been self taught, so I sometimes feel after coding something a certain way, that there may be an easier/quicker way.

I'm working on a test game right now to learn the various features of AGS. I wanted to make a safe cracking puzzle, so here's how I went about it.

First I set six global variables (3 pairs of ints and strings).
I also set a variable for how many numbers the player has correctly entered.

Here is the code.

{
if (scrack == 0) {
Num1 = Game.InputBox("First number");
Num1a = Num1.AsInt;
if (Num1a == 17) {
Display("You hear an audible click. Your first number must be correct.");
scrack = 1;
}
}
if (scrack == 1){
Num2 = Game.InputBox("Second number");
Num2a = Num2.AsInt;
if (Num2a == 7) {
Display("You hear an audible click. Your second number must be correct.");
scrack = 2;
}
}
if (scrack == 2){
Num3 = Game.InputBox("Third number");
Num3a = Num3.AsInt;
if (Num3a == 8 ) {
Display("You hear an audible click. Your third number must be correct. The safe is open!");
scrack = 3;
}
}
else
Display ("Nope, something isn't right.");
}

Is there a more efficient way of coding this?  I'm also planning on setting scrack back to 0 upon the player entering a wrong number in the sequence, making them start from scratch.