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Thanks chaps/chapesses.

Added a mini-shot of the (really cheap) CLI I made for one of the computer puzzles. The harddrive is kinda stylised a bit modern-y but in the game it pretty much works like a floppy disk.

Other note you might find relevant... I'm using a two button BASS-style interface aside from the type-y bits (left - interact / use item, right - look / cancel item).

[sync::routine]

sync::routine

Good evening. It's about time I posted my first delve into the world of AGS development.

In sync::routine you play Roman, a character who we meet in the process of conning his way into an office building trying to reverse engineer a connection into a company's network, and on the way find some information about the his former female partner who left without a trace...

The game will be quite short, but it will involve a range of puzzles, including some close up inventory examination, and dabbling in computer interfaces...

Current Progress (29/07/10):
Story: 99%
Backgrounds: 95%
Sprites: 95%
Coding: 95%
Sound/Music: 100%

Minor Progress Update (31/01):
The last inventory object is in, with just two of the major puzzles left to code and no more backgrounds to draw. Need to finish animations for the intro, and decide on how to present the ending. I reckon it might take about half an hour to get through it by the end of it.
Update (02/02):
Almost there. The intro animations are done, but there may be some extra sprites in the ending... I'm not sure yet. It's now fully playable up to the last puzzle. And there will be some minor alterations to the ending depending on whether you solved the side puzzle. First round of testing started...
Update (04/02):
Okay, after an initial round of testing...it has been tweaked and now I've just gotta write/code the ending... I think someone is on-board for the music now as well. So ETA... 13th/14th Feb (goes and prepares his gallows for announcing a release data).
Update (07/02):
Still on track. Ending is now in. All SFX (pending interactions I may have accidently missed) are in. Lot of tweaks to animations, backgrounds, script and code have been implemented to make the game work a little better.
Update (12/02):
More little animation frames in and redrawn intro and outre scenes. Looking for a musician also! See latest post!
Update (14/02):
Found a musician,  but it'll be sometime in the week when the game is released... sorry peeps...
Update (14/03):
One month later, got music for the most part... just waiting for one more track.
Update (29/07):
Err... don't what happened. I kind of didn't like how it played anymore and then my life workload got ridiculous.
And now I'm rejigging the ending, adding a scene and then we're good! Maybe a week? Hah!
Update (4/08):
Can't be long now... maybe this weekend...

Congrats indeed! Nice article on Hardydev as well...

Is now the time to announce a release date?  *nudge**nudge*

Finally got around to playing this.

Enjoyed it! Played start to finish without a break, which perhaps helped.

Some unexplainable things (like the window being fixed in the night ) and some unforgiveable typos (man, when will people ever get it's/its right ) but yeah thought it was a great mood setter.

Is the final song the one in 28 Days Later? Or is it a cover of the one (I say one, but I mean several minutes of a piece) by Godspeed You! Black Emperor? Sounds very familiar, but used very well all the same... EDIT: finally read through the comments... it is! Didn't realise they were (almost) the same thing - (thanks Wikipedia!)

Good luck with the next one!

Yes! I hope the soundtrack has been suitably been expanded as well, I loved those tracks...

You was robbed of an IGF nomination! (as was PuzzleBots)

Dayum

We'll just have to hijack the Audience Award or something

Wait, you read a game review in The Sun!? of Machinarium!?

Mind = blown

Thanks.

I think I'll take the cheap way out and just move the label out of the way of the cursor when holding inventory objects. But I'll bear that alternative solution in mind.

I have a GUI label that follows the cursor around when it is over hotspots, and that works fine.
When my cursor changes to an inventory icon, it obscures part of the text and I wondered whether it is possible to have the GUI draw over the cursor when this is the case.

I've tried altering the GUI Z-order for the label but I guess that only works in relation to other GUI objects. Is it possible a different way?

Otherwise I'll just have to move the label further out when an inventory item is 'in hand'.

Cheers.

Yer, I do try to get all the graphics done before the coding, I guess that's my problem 

Couple of characters...

I really wanna make something for this competition but I very much doubt it will be done before the month is out, but I've already mapped out the puzzles, characters and such like... then again, I've still not got far enough with my other 'first' AGS game. Damn having all these ideas! 

[Smokescreen]

Here's an interesting game

Called Smokescreen, its a flash game where you basically do missions in an adventure stylee (well okay, just point-and-click) where you use a series of social networking sites to stalk people and other less interesting tasks... very 'young generation' based, but quite amusing all the same. With sites such as 'Fakebook' and 'Tweetr'... and stalking a potential date... not that I'd do such a thing...

Basically it's telling the kids not to be an idiot and post all your life online... not just because people don't care, but because people will most likely steal everything off you...

As other relevance, it's also an interesting way of representing computer systems in a computer game other than replicating an entire operating system. i.e. MSN conversations are done by clicking the edit box, entering your chosen response then clicking 'Send' rather than typing everything. And web pages can be navigated, and things happen in real time also... quite a cool little system behind it...

Pledged to the max (okay, not quite), it's seems relatively cheap compared to a full price game of any sort so I'm glad to help out. Plus, I'm feeling a little flush at the moment and the suns out, and I'm feeling pretty good... it's like a sign or something... 

I'm currently moving from Glasgow down to Bristol... so I've not had chance to record anything... should do by the weekend though...

Haha, like you say on your blog, very Deep Blue Something and a delivery that if you didn't have the lyrics in the video you'd completely miss out on.

My main problem is that there's no real dynamic between the verse and chorus...which after four minutes gets a little bit too much, but some good lines in there, if some do sound a little forced when you're trying to fit all the syllables in

You've got a very Ben Gibbard style voice as well (only drowned in reverb ), which for me adds to the amusement... thinking it could make the next Death Cab album...

I'm only just starting to enter the realm of writing for adventure games but here's my comment anyway.

You say your male lead should be defined by his 'past'. Well thinking about my own past has been pretty much defined the relationships I've had (with friends/lovers/colleagues etc...) and the places I've been too along with, probably most importantly, the change in outlook I've had regarding these things... every new place, new face, new event you meet will inevitably change that... and you (subconsciously) relate things in your current world to your past, new people you meet seem to show traits you may have seen before, creating an opinion even before you actually know them (don't lie, we all do it).

I think you can kinda show that within an adventure game with the snippets of past recollections, items you recall or actions the character has done before. Everyone remembers their past mistakes, successes and missed opportunities, we just don't talk about it, yet in an adventure game you do have a chance to be within a person's head (as sickly voyeuristic as it sounds, it's true).

So you talk about your 'flat' male lead being shaped by his current world, all it takes is to show some relation to his past with regard to what he's experiencing now (e.g. maybe he's more guarded towards certain personality traits because of a past event) then you can add a so-called extra depth that you are looking for...

Err yeah... I have had a large glass of gin... so I may be talking rubbish...

Moving to London in a few weeks to start a Masters so thought I'd put me name down on the list of interested parties... and those interested in parties...

Seems like it's all gonna kick off around the new year as the TIGSource forum people are planning a TIGJam in London/Cambridge around December/January as well...

Did you ever get to that free venue in Battersea? What was the capacity?
I wouldn't be too coy about asking certain places, they will be getting money from you after all and providing a service, you can always just say no even if you do visit the place and get quotes etc... Ask hotels, universities (they obviously have decent lecture facilities and most probably areas for conferencing etc...), games companies for their offices... its not a ridiculous thing to be asking for...

The more and more quotes you get will give a better idea whether you need a sponsor at all and what you will need them to provide for you... a location is definitely the key thing here to be focused on first... and you can always upgrade if you find the demand increases (making sure you look up cancellation policies of these places of course)...

Anyhow, good luck, hope to see you there...

Might have a go at Michael later... need to test out a vocal mic I got along with one of those USB guitar/mic jack interfaces so seems ideal to try it out. The character sounds intriguing, although as a Lancastrian the groundskeeper maybe a more likely fit

Finally bought and finished the first Blackwell during a seven-hour train journey... good stuff.
Might have to sneak in the second two before the weekend is up

Haha, yeah just saw this on Rock, Paper, Shotgun...
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/08/31/the-slowest-ship-han-solo-adventures