Messages

[FreeNode]

I wasn't sure if I would be able to create a problem-free temporary chat environment in TokBox, so I have created a room in the FreeNode channel:

#ags1hour_tmp


The address of FreeNode is irc.freenode.net, joining the channel is easier with ChatZilla. I'm the Loreance person there.

[Chat Environment:]

Chat Environment:
I don't think it is going to be such a big deal as I am intending to announce the theme in the forum at the certain time. I have signed up TokBox though, my profile is http://www.tokbox.com/Ahmet73# but I am not sure if any unsigned users are able to see my texts and camera.

I can create a temporary room in FreeNode channel, which can easily be reached. I guess it's securer than TokBox.

Optional FTP space:
I have created http://coolbluefiles.net/ags1hour/ in case anyone needs a new host space.
Server:      ftp.coolbluefiles.net
Account:    ags1hour
Password: TheLost1  

[Timeline:]

I'm the host of the week.

------------------


The purpose of Hourgame Saturday is, to encourage the amateur game-making, or to put it bluntly, to make you tear your ass off your chair and finally make something.
In this activity your task is to make an AGS game within a strict and a very short deadline (i.e. one hour).

Timeline:
The event takes place every (surely hope so) Saturday, starting at 7:00 pm GMT, when the theme is revealed on the IRC and in this thread. The participants then have one hour to make their entries and 15 more minutes for uploading. In brief: the deadline for entries is 8:15 pm.
Then the voting takes place till the Monday Morning (since I can't use internet on Sunday afternoons, that's what we'll have to settle with).

Basic rules:
- Participants should join IRC for rules and updates, but stickam/tokbox is fine as long as there's someone to relay the information. (crap, I hadn't noticed this rule!)
- The theme is set by the previous week's winner and by the contest's host in event of his/her absence.
- While it is not forbidden for the theme-setters to participate in the activity, their games cannot be voted for (to prevent accusations of cheating and to discourage regular participation).
- Instead, theme-setters are encouraged to draw trophies for the contest's winners.
- Making your game from scratch is strongly encouraged, though it is not forbidden to use music or artwork from public sources if you are allowed to (e.g. using public domain music tracks in your game is OK, but not really necessary). It is also possible to use a pre-existent AGS template for your game (e.g. that Verb-Coin GUI template).
- You cannot use the stuff you've made earlier, because this competition is about making something new.

Uploading:
Suggested hosts to upload your entry to are:
- http://www.mediafire.com/
- http://www.sendspace.com/
- http://www.rapidshare.com/
- Or your own place.

Voting:
Just tell us your favourite game (and possibly a couple of less favourite ones), and hopefully someone will do the counting.

------------------

The competition is going to start approximately 24 hours after this post, when I announce the theme.

I am trying to create a new FTP account in my hosting space so that the participants will be able to upload their games there instead of the free (and probably slower) hosts. I will update this topic as soon as I prepare them  (yes, I have misunderstood the concept of hosting. Of course uploading to my space is not a rule, it's just something that I thought to be helpful.

Another solution for individual GIFs is to use

Code: ags

int i = StartFrame;
while(i<LastFrame) 
{
object[2].Graphic = i;
i++;
}

for a certain room object that's going to be used as the video displayer. StartFrame and LastFrame are the numbers in the Sprite Manager, so you don't need to prepare them as views.

For sounds, you can add the

Code: ags

 if(i==CertainFrame) PlaySound(2);

conditions into the loop.

Another advantage of using this system could be the quality of the video, as it's not going to be compressed (I'm not sure of this, making the frames GIF's may decrease it more than AVI's), but I guess the main advantage is frames being controllable.

Am I stuck or is it only

Spoiler

the 'look' command?

[close]

Don't expect much:
http://coolbluefiles.net/Cat_owning.rar

Especially the voice acting is quite successful. I'd love to see the future games.

About the hint system,

Spoiler

it would be better if the following Woodcutter and Dragon hints get visible only after they get on the scene. Because it is a bit spoiling to see the list of 'rescueres' at the beginning.

[close]

What's the deal with really poorly photoshopped movie posters? That poster looks like garbage.

Hahahaha 
Movie creators should've get this feedback ...

It's like, funny things happen if you show people some poor piece of art drawn by a famous artist, and don't tell who's the author.

The funniest: Show people a poor piece of art drawn by a child (or a really bad artist who is not famous) and tell them they were drawn by Picasso.

And haven't anyone pointed out the typo in the thread title?

[cover]

Being one of those who used commercial tracks without permission for their games, I am guilty. I don't perceive this unethical, because nobody isn't going to avoid buying a Rammstein album just because I have used Rammstein/Rammstein in a Lost in the Nightmare scene (personally, I think that track fits my scene as good as the one in Lost Highway). This embrasses me though, because the music authors aren't going to perceive me as anything but a ripper if they find out my game.

I am unable to change those tracks with original ones, because I have lost the source files of the game (yes, it is my idiocy deleting my whole works during a tantrum). I guess I will need to remove the music.vox file after re-opening my website, because that fact is a shame for me.

On the other hand, I don't understand why it is illegal or unethical to cover a song for a freeware game as long as the proper credits were given.

Gord10: The fact that there was no ending was slightly disappointing. However, I was actually quite impressed by the game's mechanics themselves. I enjoyed the way you didn't bother with animation and just had a number of still images. I would probably really enjoy playing a longer game in this style, actually. Very creative!

Thanks!
I could barely complete the game in one hour, it would take one more hour to prepare animations.
But being with no ending is intentional, I couldn't express the main idea of the game better.

Voting for Mazoliin's Study Tree, because I loved the graphics.

Here is my entry: Study Hard!
http://coolbluefiles.net/studyhard.rar

What I believe is that a CG is successful as long as the audience doesn't think it of being a CG. We all know a plenty of CG's were used in the Lord of the Rings films, but I think only a few people would think of "How a nice effect, it must be hard to make it!" or "That's not a successful one" while watching Gandalf on work, the only thing audience perceived was Gandalf creating miracles. A CG must be persuasive.

Can't help making this joke, sorry:

Spoiler

If you ask on a Soviet Russian forum, the answer will receive YOU!!

[close]

7. ?
8. PROFIT!!!

We can be more helpful if you state why you have to make a freeware game.

The easiest way is to place advertisements (like Google Ads) into your website that contains the information about your game.

As it's stated before, making a really successful game first is the necessary part. We don't make freeware games to profit, our incomings (advertisements, donations, etc, if they even exist) hardly pay the costs. You need to start with your own money or find a way to finish the project without any cost. Nobody said that's easy.

Voting for Babar, because I really liked the

Spoiler

dialogue when we examine Moon

[close]

.

I wasn't expecting to be able to complete a good game in one hour, but at least I managed doing some artwork: http://www.coolbluefiles.net/where_light2.png

It's actually a render from a Half-Life 2 map that I made and arranged in Photoshop. The graphical style that I'm using for my recent game.

There's a rumor that the theme is GRAVEYARD.

Psychonauts was a great mixture of action, adventure, platform elements. Definitely one of must-have-tried games.

Ben & Dan!