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But the real reason why I post this is to ask why we never see any statistics about the votes. I think it would be interesting to know how many people actually vote for the MAGS - and how many votes each game gets. I don't know if this has already been discussed before, since I've only been voting since january '06 (where I tried making a game but failed to finish it), but I would like to know if there is any reason why things are done as they are 

Hi JuuL. Yes there are reasons, let's go back in time: When the online voting first started in 2003 it was possible to see the current statistics right after submitting a vote. For "nice" voters it was good to see how their favourite game is placed but "bad" voters also had better control to push their game up in the list. That's why the statistics are no longer displayed that way. But the system now - after 3 years of improvement - works different and it might be possible to go back to this style of statistic info again.

You might say: "It's not neccessary to see the statistics during the voting period, just show it at the end". This was practised some times. In the last months the time between end of voting and start of the new competition were very short so it wasn't really useful to show the results for just some hours. Displaying the results of the previous month (if they are shown longer) might confuse.

But there's two other things that stopped me from showing the results:
a) Some people were "diappointed" about the number of voters. Seeing about 15-20 people taking part in the voting is actually a very good result but some expect (much) more. So there already were some strange postings about this...
b) If you submit a game (maybe for the first time ever) and see it left back with 0 or 1 vote only this might discourage you from creating more games. Of course this depends on the person: Some try to improve, others just give up. So I guess it's better just to say Game ABC made the race.

Now to help adventure creators to improve their games there's the question during the voting period about your experiences with the entries, pros and cons... That way a participant also can see where his/her game is placed even more detailed.

Perhaps this is a good point to ask you all about how the statistics should be handled. Do you agree with my opinion or should this work in a different way?

Time is up. I guess we're complete now...

For voting please visit the MAGS site or make your choice right here:

The Witch the Wizard and the Blue Cup by Sinitrena
The Last Harvest by nihilyst
Snake by Stefan Z
Operation Save Blue Cup by Peder Johnsen

Please vote only once and be sure to have played all games before sending your voice! Good luck to all participants.


For the time of voting now you're invited to post your opinion about all entries: Pros and cons of the games. What did you like, what not. In this case it's interesting how you compare the games - if this is possible at all.

Two entries are already posted and we're going to reach the deadline soon. So for all those who still want to enter: Please submit your games within the next 48 hours from now (see timestamp of this message). Then the voting will begin.

since nihilist was kind enough to inform me i'm up against not one but THREE (maybe more, who knows) former winners, my hope has kinda vanished.

There's always a chance to win - even with 100 other participants...

If I win (maybe hope not totally vanished  ) do I have to set the rules for next month? Or can I also decline?

Decline in what way? It's of course possible to say "I don't want to set up new rules at all". For this case (and in case noone enters) there's a list of possible themes and a new rule will be picked from here. What is not possible is to say "I want to set the rules for a special month". It's always the winner of the previous month's competition. An exchange isn't possible as noone knows who's to win of course. You can also make suggestions for the themes list. But this is not limited to winners - everyone can do this and there's no guarantee if it is ever taken as a topic then.
So the only thing you can do is to say "no rules from me" or "here are my rules..." - I guess you'll have at least some ideas in case of a winning. And don't worry: As the rules are checked before publishing they are filled with some additions or reduced in some points in case of need.

should we make our game smaller? since I'm entering a full lenght game.

No, keep it as big as you want it to be. One person has one month to create the game, so if it's two working on one game each should have half of a month. Sure this is no fix, you can use this in various ways.
On the other hand one participant goes to school or is at work while the other one has nothing to do and can spend all the time for game creation. Of course this is not forbidden...
In the end nothing can be checked and so it all isn't really strict here. Noone should fear any disqualification.  It's about having fun on creating games...

scorposer is doing music for me. just so that you guys know. I'm finishing the game, even if you are disqualifying me.

if he didnt do the music, i would just go and steal music on the net, where a lot of the previous mags winners (cedric and the revolution, the family treasure) have done the same.  8) they didnt do the music themselves, did they?  8)

It is not forbidden. You can ask others to do it for you, you can get music from wherever. If you're sure about the copyright it's okay. It's just a question of fairness if one game is set up by a number of "profis" working all fulltime on it and has to compete with another entry made by one person alone. Of course this example is oversized but you know what I mean. So to be fair keep it compareable - that's all...

Is it fine if someone else other than me does the music? I have zero music skills and I have someone who is gonna help me (another AGS member), someone skilled in the art

Well, not really "fine" but allowed. You know it's nicer to see an entry completely done by one person. But if you ask someone else to do this please keep in mind not to "double" the time for development. (Two persons can do much more than one and it must be compareable with entries developed by one game creator).

Can I have people beta-test and proofread the game before i submit it?

Sure, this is no problem at all...

Anyway, as far as I can remember, I am aloud to enter right?

Yes, that's correct.

[What is MAGS?]

What is MAGS?
MAGS is a monthly competition for all amateur adventure game makers. The idea is to use AGS to create a game in under a month, following the rules set by the previous winner.

For more information please visit the Official MAGS Website

Why should I enter MAGS?
We're not here to tell you that you should enter MAGS, but merely allow it as a creative opportunity to help you work to a deadline, improve your skills, and generally as a good kick-start for the new comers (a.k.a n00bies).

MAGS is the perfect opportunity to make a game, and the wonderful prize is to announce the next month's rules, and all competitiors get the game placed on the MAGS website.

MAGS is meant to be fun and is aimed at everyone, despite their skill. If you have poor art skills work on graphics, and vice-versa, as the voting is based on "favourite" games, and not the most artistic, you may get help for the competiton, but should try not get anyone else to do any part of the game for you.

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With the ruleset of last month's winner Peder we're going popular again:

Topic: Fantasy World

The whole story has to happen in a fantasy world.
In other words: There can be talking animals, floating things (like houses, tables, ...), wierd skies and landscapes etc. Use your fantasy!

A few restrictions:
- There MUST be a wizard as non-playable character in the game.
- There SHOULD be an old magic book in the game as an inventory item (for example, the wizard has lost his magic book and you have to search for it).
- There HAS TO be a blue cup somewhere! Don't have to be possible to pick it up. Since it is supposed to be fantasy it can be a talking one as well.

That's all, no further restrictions.

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All entries should be in by April 25th.

Please post a download link of your game entry to this thread, best with a screenshot. Thanks and good luck.

[Peder Johnsen]

Time for voting is over now.
What a finish. All games received votes and in the end two entries collected almost the same number of voices. "Almost" but not "exactly" - so there is one winner:

This time it is Peder Johnsen and his entry Fallen Angel.
Congratulations and many thanks to the other participants, too. Keep up the good work.

So how long will the vote take, it's only 48 hours left before the new month starts?

The results will be checked late this evening, so the winner can set his rules tomorrow. Just to take it all into account: Does anyone of the early voters want to change his/her voice over to Sky Adventure? Just asking as this game was not listed from the very beginning. If so please contact me via PM (and tell me what you voted for before). Thanks...

 :o Ouch. Sorry Culun_dog, but I really didn't know about your game when I started the voting.

i didn't know how to enter competition.

Well, you can find it all in this thread. I now added the entry to the list. Don't worry - you still have all chances to reach the top

Here we go... For voting please visit the MAGS site or make your choice right here:

Sky Adventure by Culun_dog
Fallen Angel by Peder Johnsen
Death of an Angel by Sinitrena

Please vote only once and be sure to have played all games before sending your voice! Good luck to all participants.

For the time of voting now you're invited to post your opinion about the entries: How do the games fit the given rules, what did you like, what not?

I decided to enter.

Welcome back to the competition and thanks for such an early entry. For all the others that want to enter: You still have 3 days left to submit your games (this is 72 hours from now  ).

hmm... I suppose I can just use the game engine I made for the last MAGS and change the setting a little bit to make it compatable, is that allowed?

I think so, if it's just the game engine.

Depends on what is the game engine!? Did you rewrite AGS? 

Well it's yet another question of fairness: Time is a part of the rules - you know one game in one month. So if you are using already existing parts you have more time for doing all of the rest. But the entries should be compareable also in the "category" of time. If you simply do not work on the game this month now for the time that you needed to develop the already created part it's quite okay. So if you get this "time thing" in a way that you think is also fair to others it's always allowed.

[What is MAGS?]

What is MAGS?
MAGS is a monthly competition for all amateur adventure game makers. The idea is to use AGS to create a game in under a month, following the rules set by the previous winner.

For more information please visit the Official MAGS Website

Why should I enter MAGS?
We're not here to tell you that you should enter MAGS, but merely allow it as a creative opportunity to help you work to a deadline, improve your skills, and generally as a good kick-start for the new comers (a.k.a n00bies).

MAGS is the perfect opportunity to make a game, and the wonderful prize is to announce the next month's rules, and all competitiors get the game placed on the MAGS website.

MAGS is meant to be fun and is aimed at everyone, despite their skill. If you have poor art skills work on graphics, and vice-versa, as the voting is based on "favourite" games, and not the most artistic, you may get help for the competiton, but should try not get anyone else to do any part of the game for you.

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The new rules are designed by Abisso. The base of this month's rules is this location:

Topic: The Skies

"Skies" means at least ten thousand meters above the sea, and maybe over the clouds (not just the top of a mountain, instead). The space is not valid, either.
The world under it can be an earthly one or not, as you prefer.

The game must feature:
- A flying city of some kind (built on the clouds, or just magically floating, even flying thanks to an engine)
- An angel sort of creature (even a fallen one, if you like, but not demon-like) as the main character, or as a secondary character, but NOT just an item (like a statuette) and NOT just an image (a picture).

No other restrictions.

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All entries should be in by March 27th.

Please post a download link of your game entry to this thread, best with a screenshot. Thanks and good luck.

[Abisso]

How long time do we have to play the games before the vote ends?

Actually the time for voting is over now. We have a winner...
Yes, there is an obvious difference between the voices for Mickey and Bog.
Now let's see who made the race:

The winner this month is not the all-time-winner :o Seems as if there's a break in his series.

The big collection of voices goes for Abisso and his entry Mickey Mauser.
So congratulations to Abisso and thanks to both for your games.

Abisso please check you PM (for setting up the new rules)!

Ouch! Sorry, the web played tricks on me and for some reason I wasn't able to see your entries. Anyway you had time to play the two games and so we now can start the voting and see your voices rushing in, right?

For voting please visit the MAGS site or make your choice right here:

Mickey Mauser - The Wrath of the Rat by Abisso
Bogs Adventures in the Underworld by Wretched

Please vote only once and be sure to have played all games before sending your voice! Good luck to all participants.

Buloght, or Klaus: what's the exact dead-line of the competition (hour and minutes of Feb 24)?

Any chance of a 2 day extention?  Just so that I've got the weekend to finish it?

This time it's a question for me. First of all: No extention! February is a short month and people should have time to vote and the winner should be able to think about the new rules. So the deadline is February 24th.
Talking about hours and minutes: Starting from now (see timestamp of this posting) you've got 50 hours left to post your games, then the voting wil begin... If we face some entries then...

Thank you, but I'd prefer Klaus to answer my question, seen that he's the one who wrote the rules.

Not really: This month's rules are set by buloght. I'm just organizing the competition and check the rules before posting. So sometimes parts are added or in special cases elements are deleted. Usually the rules are always set by the winner of the previous month's competition.
Actually I already had an answer in mind but first wanted to see if buloght would post a reply - as he set the rules.
I'd have said something like: The rathole could be a door to a world underground or even be a world for itself for certain creatures. This idea fits the rules and therefore go for it
But you're also right as when there's no answer by the rules author - and noone is forced to reply - it would be my part to give you an answer.

Actually I made the UNDERWORLD rules. The winner of previous MAGS makes the rules. Look at Klaus's first post on the first page.

Oh I see buloght now already made things clear about the rules while I was typing on this text. So go for the rathole now, you don't have much time left for the project...