Messages

I think the road is too big a surface. It should probably contain a sidewalk on the camera end or something. But maybe it will look better with road lines and texture. I would put some perspective on the lines as you suggest.
---
Edit, when I posted first, the last image didn't load properly. This one lookds much nicer already! Yes, I feel that the road llines should follow the "vanishing point lines" just like everything else in your drawings. Including the pavement edge on the left.

The ghetto is the only cartoon style building. Make (some of) the rest more juicy, cartoony too: curved walls, perspective, shading etc. Don't go overboard by doing everything to every building, but add some juice to each one. And redraw some of them to be in perspective, instead of being isometric. Make a nice mix.

His dress needs more detail. His feet are in a very unnatural position. His head is off to one side, without being tilted over to any side (it it's straight up but a few pixels to the side). The hands are too straight, try twisting them (putting a perspective on it).

Hope this helps.

I won't redraw anything, but I would go with Dr Scary's bust line (instead of a bust "plane" all the way down) and use a skirt. But make it longer, SBsLoVeNiA's skirt looks like shorts. Make the skirt reach down to between her knees and calves.

I think that's the best way to make her look feminine without deviating too much from the style.

P.s. it's amazing what you can do with some talent and 2 shades per colour! Nice work guys.

Neat! Good shading etc.

Add some texture to the asphalt and the grass. They're too much like smooth surfaces but in reality they're more, euhm, "textured". Well "coarser" might be a more useful word. Add some flowers in the grass, you have some by the side but put them all over. Shade the garage walls, the colour isn't supposed to be that uniform. Dare I use the word "gradient"?

Finally, the road in the background looks like it's slanted toward the viewer. It should look flatter and the road stripes should be vaguer.

I hope this helps. If I soudn too critical it's because I've been playing DOTT again and man, any work that any one of us mortals do on the BGs is doomed by comparison!

(but do keep up hope, it *is* a very nice BG)

Mugogrog,

How you fix it is as follows: (I'll describe it by heart so the details are wrong but you'll get the idea)

- try to test the game (Ctrl+T). You get an error and get directed to line 631 in the script.
- change the function call's "string" into "const string", do this for a few parameters.
- There's a "translate" block nearby. If you can't find it, save the text by Ctrl+W and retest by Ctrl+T. You will be redirected to that block if you choose to debug.
- comment out the function call "translate {" and "}", but leave the actual code (DefineMode function calls, or DefineINVMode or something) intact.

It should now compile properly.
------------
Edit: here's how you do it in the global script:

Line 82 change "string" into "const string":
function DefineMode(int mode, const string name, int AGSmode, char extension)

Line 91 change "string" into "const string":
function DefineInvMode(int mode, const string name, const string preposition, int onlyinv, int caninteractwithinv, char extension)

Line 659 onward, comment out the "if" statement and the call to func "translation" but leave the code inside the "if" statement to work:
//  if (Translation("default")){ // if no translation file is being used
//         mode   button   normal   highlighted
//            number   sprite   sprite
    DefineButton(   GIVE,      0,   13,   22);
    DefineButton(   PICKUP,   1,   14,   23);
    DefineButton(   USE,      2,   15,   24);
    DefineButton(   OPEN,      3,   16,   25);
    DefineButton(   LOOK,      4,   17,   26);
    DefineButton(   PUSH,      5,   18,   27);
    DefineButton(   CLOSE,   6,   19,   28);
    DefineButton(   TALK,      7,   20,   29);
    DefineButton(   PULL,      8,   21,   30);
//  }

You need the DefineButton calls for the menu to work properly. But you have now disabled translation.

There are more places where old-style strings are used, but the code seems to function with only these changes. In fact when I changed more bits of code, I just got lots of different error messages.

DutchMarco: You can get it by copying and pasteing the download link into your browser:

http://www.angelfire.com/dragon2/prefontaine/scytheisland.zip

Thanks Pablo, I got to the website by going to the website http://www.angelfire.com/dragon2/prefontaine/ then I started downloading the file from there. The screenshots look nice, let's hope the game is just as good!

Hi guys,

Has anyone got a link to "Scythe Island"? See http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/games.php?action=detail&id=384
The file's hosted by Angelfire, but they don't allow deep linking so I can't get to it. Thanks in advance!

Hi Peder,

I enjoyed the game and (iirc) I got 49/55 points. Your English was perefctly understandable, but there were some small typos. Nothing serious, but I appreciate your comment that "it should be perfect"!

I tried making screenshots with F12, but that didn't work. Here's an idea: I believe that it's possible to unload all comments / dialogue in AGS as a text file. Why don't you create one and send it to me? I'll correct any glitches that I can find. It might still not be perfect but it'll be a bit better at least

Send it to marco - ooijer - com (antispam format, you know where to place the @ and .) if you're interested. I'm no good graphics artist but I can do this

Another Dutch guy here (really? ), I stumbled upon the Indy game sites (FoA and FoY) and found my way through to BBC.com. Got very excited an dalready played a few rather nice games, looking forward to playing more! I've experimented a bit with AGS, it seems very nice but my drawing, animation, story writing and puzzle making skills may need upgrading before I make my own game :'( knowing how overambitious I can get when I get excited...

This place really brings me back down memory lane to the times I wasted playing MI1 and Indy 4 as a teen, and now I'll probably be wasting even more time playing your games and perhaps even trying my hand at one of my own!

Anyway I hope to stay around here, learn some and maybe even be helpful to the community.

If only I had a tablet...

If the graphics are as good as this one's then I'm looking forward to it!

Just a tip though - double-check the English before you do.

OK this is getting a bit tedious but I really liked it too. Fortunately most of the bugs were ironed out when I played it! Loved the puns re the original MI games, including your take on

Spoiler

Look! A three-headed monkey behind you!

[close]

I must say that the drawings could be improved upon, they were good but would have been better with more colour (and sometimes, more detail). I suppose if you'd had at least an extra month...

There should be more MI-style games, especially in the drawing style of SOMI. Later editions, including MI2, were not as charming as I had hoped.

You mention that pirate games aren't very original, does that mean that there are more MI-style (AGS) games around that I don't know about? Also, looking forward to playing the sequel to this one!

Sektor 13, a fabulous looking piece of art. In fear of repeating other comments, there are 3 small things that keep it from being perfect (imho):

1) single mountains don't look natural. Keep the valley idea (no mountains in the middle of the horizon) but put some vague mountains on either side, behind the existing ones.

2) the waterfall will have eroded the edge. This waterfall just seems like a "brand new" straight edge.

3) I think the darker water in Tomas' drawing is more realistic, just like the darker cliff face.

I like what you did to roughen up the terrain a bit, it makes it more natural. Keep up the good work!