Messages

ARGH!

My game is almost completed, and now I've run into a very annoying error. I'm doing something wrong, but I can't really figure out what.

My goal is this: To have my female NPC distract another NPC. This is done is a style very similar to "Fate of Atlantis" where Sophia distracts Charles Sternhard.

So, as soon as GlobalInt 11 hits the 3, this starts to take place.

So, this is the code in the room's Repeatedly Executed Event:

 if (GetGlobalInt(11)==3) {
 DisplaySpeechBackground(MARGE,"Blah blah blah....");  
 DisplaySpeechBackground(MARGE,"...yadda yadda yadda...");
 DisplaySpeechBackground(EDW,"Hahahaha! That was in my fourth year...");
 DisplaySpeechBackground(EDW,"Blah blah blah....");
 DisplaySpeechBackground(MARGE,"Blah blah blah! Haha!");
 DisplaySpeechBackground(MARGE,"Blah... Blah... Blah blah blah...");
 DisplaySpeechBackground(MARGE,"Yadda yadda yadda...");
 DisplaySpeechBackground(MARGE,"Blah...");

 }

Etc. It´s a total of 15 lines of BackgroundDialog.

So, when this happens, the game crashes and tells me I have too many overlays created. So I´m thinking the game is trying to spawn all these dialogs at the same time.

I´ve pondered putting in a Wait command, but that would mean that I loose control of my player character. So whatever code I add, should not interfere with the player character...

...Help?

I seem to have a door-proportion problem.

Anyhow, I've finished all the rooms. And only one more character to go... About 70% of the scripting is done, so all that needs to be done now is the grand finale.

LOL!

They got Dark Stalkey...

...I didn't mean to!

Honest!

I guess my reflexes aren't what they once were... I'm just not cut out to be C. Lex.

I could have him sell leather jackets, taryuu.

Liked your picture.  

Trap, thanks on that. I'll see if time permits me to alter the door a bit... I do hope so, since now it's VERY large compared to the main character.

Also, I've spent some more time on this game today and finished the second room (it's a 4-room affair in all). Also have the first supporting character in there. (Total of 4 supporting characters). So, does it have that nice retro 320x200 feel?

(I've never tried doing this kind of work. Before, it was all cartoony wacky 640 x 400 stuff I did.)

That's good motivation to keep on working on it, then.

As the restrictions were "Use your own graphics", I've modified Juncmodule's template a bit. But other than that, the graphics are entirely my own...

How does it look?

I love this idea!

I couldn't help but notice you said "send me your stories"... So, here's my first but I'll prolly throw a few more into this thread. Although the thing stands on its own, I already have a few ideas where to take it.

Read and enjoy! Birth of the Dark Devil!

EDIT by Andail:
I saved your story, and will publish it on the dead line day. That way, it will remain secret and people won't be influenced by it. Thanks for your contribution.

EDIT by Hobbes:
Okeydokey.

Once again, I'll say it: WOW! (Feel a bit like some overrated movie here )

It looks great, the character animation is smooth, Marcus seems to have his mouth, but that's the only thing that niggled me.

Good work, excellent graphics and what looks/sounds like an interesting plot!

However, I would place some doubts on the "biting myself" stuff. Auto-mutilation doesn't sound like a healthy form of "management".

Sure it's a good therapy?

As the functionality of PDF lies in being a platform-free document, they haven't lost their function. True, you need an unzipper to view it now, but there are few alternative OS'es out there who yelp in frustration at the sight of one.

Even BeOS can read the E-Zine's perfectly well.

And I kinda like it that they're zipped, personally. I hate it when I'm browsing in Windows and click on a PDF document, to find it's opening it directly in Acrobat. Slows the whole system down.

[Eric's article]

Eric's article
http://www.oldmanmurray.com/features/77.html

He's a real adventure-lover, that man.

Gabe vs. Gracie

What makes Gabriel so appealing to me is that he's willing "to go there". For example, in GK1. Grace is continuously playing his conscious part, warning him about bad karma and all that. She's against stuff that puts him in personal danger. She's very bright, though, and does all the research.

Grace is a bit of a "do-goodie". She's important to the plot, to Gabriel and all that, but she's not exciting. She's a level-headed person who is very rational about things.

Gabriel, on the other hand, is impulsive. He goes where his desires and/or instincts take him. He is also a charmer, something that Grace is not. His sense for danger is somewhat lacking, and it's sheer luck that made him survive the Voodoo meeting at the swamp. And a little help from Gracie, of course.

Plus, he just looks COOL. Like I would want to look, like how I would want to be.  That's a strong motivation to like a character, I think.

Place the Guybrush sprite next to him.... there's distinct difference in pose, colours, expression.

So, yes, he doesn't look like him. Nor will his character resemble him in any way.

As mentioned above, nice issue!

It's a good way of bringing stuff to attention, just like A. It helps bind the community together, by providing opinions on projects and having interviews.

[1) Why do you like this series of games? What, in your opinion, sets it apart from other adventure games?]

1) Why do you like this series of games? What, in your opinion, sets it apart from other adventure games?

It's darkness has been a very appealing aspect of the series for me. Gabriel's character is just wonderful. He's like Batman in that aspect (not the later Joel Schumacher f*ck-ups, think Tim Burton & Michael Keaton). Dark, on that border between legal and illegal.

Also, Jensen's really good at developing her story. As mentioned above, her research into stuff is very thorough. And then she takes fact and mixes it up with her thought-up stuff in such a manner that it is believable. Even the thing about a secret temple underneath a park in New Orleans fit.

2) Which, if any, of the three games do you prefer? Why? What set it apart from the others?

The first one, beyond a doubt. I loved the handdrawn graphics, loved the sprite of Gabriel (It's still the only real Gabe as far as I'm concerned). Also, it's the only game where Tim Curry *works*. In GK3, I found him rather annoying. Dean Erickson probably is a fine actor, but he's not Gabriel for me. His voice wasn't manly enough, I think.

Also, I loved how Gabe has to find out who he is, and what is goals are. This made the first game a rather exciting thing. Also, the puzzles were good. GK2, I never really got into. Perhaps it was because I got the game very late (only last year, due to a lucky coincidence). Then, the whole Interactive Movie thing just looked stilted. Still haven't been able to play the game.

Also, GK3.... bit special there. Read Eric's article on Adventure Games commiting suicide. The story just rocks, but the puzzles left me wanting.

3) Which, if any, of the three games did you least like? Why?

I would have to say GK2. The rendition of Gabe there was just not good, for me. Did like the story and music, though.

4) Did you prefer playing as Gabriel or Grace in the last two games? Or maybe you liked it better when it was just Gabe?

I loved playing as Gabriel. Grace is OK, but more as someone to dump research upon. I did really like doing stuff on SIDNEY, though.

5) Which parts of the games did you like/dislike? The conversations, the detective work (finding clues, comparing hairs/scales/fingerprints), museum visits, reading books or database entries, sneaking around where you're not supposed to, action sequences (ending of GK2 and 3, the African tomb in GK1), spying on people? Anything I forgot?

I loved the conversations, mainly due to the fact Jane Jensen made you believe you were talking to real people. Gabe's ineffable charm only works on him, though. There are games who have tried a similar "loose manly attitude" but they come off as cheap and overdone. Jensen pulls it off.

Also, the part where you had to dress as a priest to the get the snake mould out of clay was COOL. Very hard to figure out, but it was amazingly done. The comparing bit (detective stuff) was also cool. The action scenes, I could do without them. But they belong there. They made my heart thump quicker and nervously clicking in the wrong places... that's GOOD. Although, for my mental stability, it's not.

6) What were some of your favorite puzzles/tasks in the games? Why were they special?

As mentioned above, the snake bracelet thingy in GK1. Also, getting Vévé drawn by the artist. Cool.

7) What did you think of the atmosphere in the three games? Not scary enough, too scary, too silly, not enough humor? What about the violence, gore and sex? Too much, too little?

Perfect. They're mysterious, at times scary, at times enjoyable. The growing tension is a hallmark of the series. You get the feeling of people creeping up on you. Just wonderful.

8) Any favorite characters in the games? Anyone you really hated? Were some characters too stereotypical or did you feel they were well developed? Too many or too few characters in any of the games? Or would you like to see more character interaction, beyond the interviews?

Once again, I liked this.

Got 'em URL's bookmarked. They look good. Thanks!

I know. It is the person at whom my praise was directed.

I've been wondering for some time now, how do you guys go about getting sound in your games? I've tried to record stuff with my microphone, but it's hardly practical.

I've visited some websites, but the overall quality is rather poor (lots of hissing, 11khz sound, for example).

I think sound is a very important aspect for a game, and I'd love to have good sound in it. So, I'm wondering, how do you all go about this process?

Looking good! It has that professional appearance that suits the zine very well.

Good job!

LOL, yup. It's a European game... not clearly decided, but I'm thinking of going for London.