Messages

[Sughly]

Idea: Sughly
Design: Tier
Technique: Tier
Functionality: Jim Reed

All good entries that fit well with the theme, well done all!

[Entries may use content from any source, including pre-made.]

Entries may use content from any source, including pre-made.

Looks like you should be fine. 

I may well manage an entry here (or at least I intend to!), just depends if I can make enough time...

It does cover the same part of the game as the demo but it is not exactly the same by any means.

It looks better and there is more in the way of cutscenes (and thereby the story element), voice acting etc. (but not really gameplay) and most, if not all, of the bugs seem to have been sorted out!

As a KQ6 fan I greatly enjoyed wondering around the Isle of the Crown again but I have to agree that there wasn't really much in the way of gameplay in this episode, and I can see that this would be disappointing, esp. for those who haven't played KQ6 and therefore don't have the nostalgia plus point.

On the whole i'm impressed with the production values, from the point of view of a fangame, but reserving judgment on the game itself until I see more.

Great to see another epic adventure in production!

Looking forward to this. 

It's abstract art, Piet style.

Yep, and that is the art I am best at, i.e. which is

1. Simple
2. Stolen based heavily on someone else's idea! 

[Idea]

Idea - Crimson Wizard.
Design - Crimson Wizard.
Technique - Victor6
Functionality - Straydogstrut

Well done everyone though, tough choices.

My vote goes to SookieSock. The sprite somehow reminds me of Emily Enough (although admittedly not necessarily the artwork!) which is definitely cool! 

Someone had to do it!

1. Ilyich - really lovely.
2. Darius - great pixels!
3. Jimathan Reed - love the sonic!

All entries were really good though, on another day any one could have won.

I'm glad i'm not judging this, as the standard is so high!

Great job everyone! 

Thoroughly enjoyed this game, looks good and plays well.

Short, but a lot of effort has obviously gone into graphics and animation etc. Well done!

EDIT: I need spelling lessons.

I think it is quite hard to find for many people. On opening weekend it was only showing at one cinema near me with two showings a day, 21:30 and 23:45! Definitely worth watching though.

However, it was made by Film4 so at least it should be on TV at some stage (BBC etc. initially refused to make it as the subject matter was seen as too controversial). I think it is one of those films where you wouldn't lose too much by seeing it on a smaller screen.

Just wondering if anyone else has seen Chris Morris' (of The Day Today and Brass Eye fame) new film 4 Lions. For anyone who doesn't know it is a comedy/satire about radicalised muslim suicide bombers from Sheffield. Trailer here.

Personally I'm a fan of Chris Morris and I really liked the film, a mixture of the seriousness and absurdity of the position and ranging in style from laugh out loud funny to serious and poignant. I know that many people are of the view that Morris is just sensationalistic for the sake (and attention!) of it, but to my mind this was not the case in the film. Although clearly there is the idea of getting you to laugh at something you wouldn't normally, I think it is an honest (although I have no idea if it is accurate or realistic) look at something that scares a lot of people and about which the fear surrounding it in all likelihood massively distorts the average people's view of it.

Anyway i'd be interested to hear anyone else's opinions.

Congratulations on getting this done Dual!

Downloading now with feelings of pleasant anticipation...!

My advice for a first game would be "lower your expectations!". 

Seriously there are a few who can produce a great game first time but for many people (including me!) that's not going to happen. Therefore, from my own experience:

1. Start small. You may have a full length epic in your head but start with something small to get a feel for the whole of game creation from start to finish. You will virtually always improve from one game to the next so why waste your best ideas in your first game, which is very unlikely to be as good as any later games in many other ways? Also this helps with the "first game blues", that stage in the process when you finally realise exactly how much work you're going to have to do on a longer game (surprises me every time!) and the lack of time you have to spend on it!

2. Accept it's not going to be a critically acclaimed masterpiece. It's similar to music, literature or films, there are very few people whose first finished creation is anywhere near the standard they are capable of. That doesn't mean you should just churn out complete rubbish, but you shouldn't necessarily worry about getting everything perfect for a first release.

3. Once you have started properly, mentally commit to releasing it however it turns out. No one will judge you too harshly for a first game unless they are an idiot. I started several projects over the years which I thought were all rubbish (and I wasn't wrong! ) and so gave up on them. When I finally did release a game it was nowhere near as good as my initial hopes, but just the fact of having released a game, the experience of the completion of the process, taught me way more than all the other 1/4 and 1/2 finished attempts previously. When I finally release another game (if I ever have the time that is!) I know it will be much better (even if not necessarily the bezt gaem evar!) than my first one, even from the rough drafts of second games I already have. And in fact I did get a few positive comments even for my first game which is very encouraging.

4. Mags/OROW/Progz' finish something could be a good plan just to get something out. You will feel much better about the whole games creation thing then!

As I say, this is just my opinion and my only released game isn't all that good, so factor that in while reading!

I am a big Agatha Christie fan and "And then there were none" is probably my favourite book of hers, so I was definitely looking forward to it.

My first impressions were on the whole good, I really enjoyed being "on the scene" of such a good book, and this meant I wasn't too fussed with the annoyances, of which there were quite a few. Obviously they have messed around with the story and characters quite a bit, which I was prepared for, and I found it really interesting to compare them to those in the book and note how they had adapted the story for an adventure game. The alternate endings were also interesting.

However, I tried to play it again a couple of months ago and found it nigh on unplayable. The puzzles are almost entirely arbitrary, most not serving the story at all, and as you say the ridiculous number of inventory items, the purpose of most of which was entirely unclear, and long distances between locations are a serious problem. It does look quite good and the soundtrack was quite nice in an understated sort of way.

Probably foremost in my complaints is the protagonist (forget his name) who is in no way likeable or memorable and the general feeling of not knowing what to do next or why. In terms of gameplay I think this game fails fairly badly and second time through I gave up after about an hour, not being able to force myself through it again! Nothing in the game is anywhere near interesting enough to justify a second playthrough.

Also i'm more than capable of suspending my disbelief when it comes to the size of adventure game protagonist's pockets but a massive ladder? Really?

Having said that I would still recommend it for anyone who likes the book, but otherwise stay away!

Calin - definitely no need to defend your writing here, on any view it was really good and objections from idiots like me count for nothing!

If anything it was style and not substance that has been mentioned and therefore is subjective in any event. Many people absolutely slate Dickens & Shakespere etc. after all!

Beautiful game, nice idea, generally great voice acting and good soundtrack (maybe not quite stylistically consistent but that is nitpicking!). Nice weather effects and good solid scripting (at least in appearence and effect! )

The only criticism I have (and this is meant as 100% constructive) is that the dialogue does verge on the pretentious side here and there, esp. gargoyles(?) and trees. This may just be my opinion but I find that often simpler is better.

Great job Ben & Calin!

@Merte - I think Steve meant anyone who picked it up before the "reveal" at the end, and I add my "Bravo!" to that.

So....... i'm stuck!

I have (potential spoilers):

Escaped from prison, given the guard a green flower, commited arson and murder in the shop, cooked a fish and successfully taken the Lion King quiz.

I'm guessing I need to de-rust the robot, paint the apple green and somehow extract the spores from the mushroom. Unfortunately my ingenuity seems to have run out or (more likely) i'm being thick.

Any hints or downright answers?

Looks very nice!

Also if we're talking about good AGS platformers I have to mention Mazoliin's Plumberboy. Great fun once you're used to the controls(!) and some pretty tricky levels too!