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[BLOGS:]

Also with mags I think it would be fun to have progress blogs.

BLOGS: You know it's always possible to edit a posting in this board. So everyone could show the progress of a game within this thread by easily editing a message.

... without knowing the rules for this month's MAGS ...

QUALIFICATION: Hey aussie, you caused me deep, deep trouble with your question. Actually I do not see "Abducted: 10 Minutes" as a MAGS game and you had no real deadline or guidelines as it's a separate project apart from the competition. On the other hand it fits the rules, you released it in time and made it withing one month...

WINNING WITHOUT VOTING: Special situations need special solutions. So this month we have two winners: chicken and aussie. I know that's not much of a competition but I'd say it's a way to bring it to a fair end. And you know it's not about the winning here.

FURTHER COMPETITIONS: In upcoming contests the creation of an entry must now start with (or after) the rules were set. I think that's the best way to handle this issue in future. If someone already started on a game (s)he's always welcome to post the game in the MAGS thread but just as a reference not as a regular entry.

I hope this decission is okay for eveyone. Thanks.
Congratulations to the winners.

Okay - so you all still have the weekend left for you creations...
Let's say 60 hours from now (see timestamp of this posting).
Good luck

[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 opportuninty to make a game, and the wonderful prize is to announce the net 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 must not get anyone else to do any part of the game for you.

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After "Fantasy" we now come to this month's guidelines set by Rani a.k.a AGS-GD. No special items need to be included this time so you can be very free in what you create:

Theme - Conspiracy

There is something going on! You can barely notice it! But you are sure that something is going on behind your back that -in a way or another- is related to you and is not good!

- Any kind and length of conspiracy is acceptable:
It could be as simple as co-workers trying to give you some hard time with the boss by trying to steal your files â€"and how you'll stop them or revenge!- or it could be a deep "realistic" story of finding your wife stabbed to death, your finger prints all over the knife and your two close and dear neighbors claming they saw him/her do it â€"and how will you deal with this conspiracy and find out who really did it- or whatever may come to your mind.

Again, the main aspect is to make the player feel and know that something wrong is going on behind the scenes and force him to deal with it.

- The game has to feature at least three scenes.

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All entries need to be in on October 25th.

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

Voting time is over now. Unfortunately we have yet another try of cheating here... This isn't nice! Not nice for all participants that do their best, not nice for all that do it the right way in only voting once and finally not nice for me as it means more work in administrating the system.Ã, 

The additional votes were removed and so we got the new result - and a winner that Max and Maggie will tell you in the new Winner Announcement Movie. You may want to download it here (1MB). Sorry for the filesize.

If you better do not want to get the file you can also check out the winner by visiting the MAGS site.
Congratulations to the winner... The new rules will soon be published.

Okay, time is up now. This month we have a wide range from easy to difficult riddles, from newcomers to more advanced scripters, from point-and-click to role-playing-styles. Obviously a good topic but also very difficult to decide on who should be the winner in this competition as every entry has its own charm. So let's go.

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

Dragon Tales by Boris Zdero
Constance the Barbarian by Pelican
Asporia Hidden Threat by CoolBlue-Gord10
A Tale Of Betrayal by AGS-GD
A Magic Stone by Sinitrena

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

[Klaus]

I'll be posting the game in the coming 8 hours, even though I wanted to add more content but it's the one month rule ...

Klaus, if only you could grant me a one day extension I'll be grateful, if not I do respect the rules and will post what I have finished by the deadline.

Well, it's all very short in time in this month's competition: Only some days for voting, creating the Winner Video and even less for setting up and checking the the rules to post them on October 1st then. Anyway:Ã,  You get 20 hours more (see timestamp of this posting),Ã,  then the voting will start. It will end in the early evening of September 30th. The winner will be informed by e-mail and has to set up the rules very quickly in just some hours. So all entrants please already make up your mind - just in case... The video will be released just some hours before the new rules are published then - on late Oktober 1st.

P.S. I won't be voting myself, as I didn't have time to play any of the other submissions.

The good thing: You have some more time for playing all submissions now

So again the deadline is coming closer. Remember: On monday the voting will start.
For all those who still want to enter this competition, please submit your entries within the next 70 hours from now (see timestamp of this posting). Thanks.

... nostalgy indeed, It's a year ago, and a lot has changed :

But I'm hoping it's not worse now compared with the "early days"?

... So I will have finished the game in a time span shorter than a month. I hope it's accepted.Ã,  Ã, 

Yes, that's okay.

can I put it up for C&C, and get some feedback before submitting it? ... I just want to check this doesn't violate any rules.

This is absolutely allowed and recommended for the beginners.

POST FROM THE COMPLETED GAMES AREA: I wanted to wait util the august mags was oficialy ower, since it was sayd not to post here when you make a mags game.

I have no idea who said something like this. With a MAGS entry you can do all the things that are possible with other AGS creations. So for sure you can also promote it in the Completed Games Announcements (rules here).
Anyway you should post the entry to the currentÃ,  MAGS thread as searching all the forums for a new game and perhaps also taking a screenshot for the MAGS site is an unpleasant thing to do...

... EARGH, I'm into this again, like so may months in the past...

Count me in

Well - every entry is in that's just published in time. That's the whole thing :-)

I want to join, too. Can we join the comp. with a RPG which we had been working on for 2 weeks? (but releasing the game about 2 weeks before September 27th)

Difficult ...
Barbarian asked something similar for August MAGS. Here's my reply. If you feel comfortable when entering it's no problem at all (as you take the same time span and might adjust some things to fit the rules I'd say it actually is possible).

[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 opportuninty to make a game, and the wonderful prize is to announce the net 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 must not get anyone else to do any part of the game for you.

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

Theme - Fantasy

Many adventure games are set on Earth, be it in the city, the countryside or a high-tech supercity. This month though, the games will be set in a fantasy world, an entirely different place with few similarities to the world as we know it.

There are many different ways you could approach this - you could go for the medieval Zelda-ish world with strange monsters and colourful personalities, elven kings and an endangered princess. Or maybe you could go for a Discworld-style game featuring strange characters with even stranger livings. You could mix the two ideas together or make a totally new approach.

Inventory items (at least two, plus any of your choice):
- A dragon's egg
- A magic potion
- A feather
- A fake crown
- An apple
- A chalice
- A crystal ball
- An anvil
- An arrow (the type used in bows)

Colour depth: Any
Resolution: Any

Remember that although it is a fantasy setting, you should try to keep everything believable (it's fine to make a huge dragon as it could exist, but a stick that explodes without a reason is just silly). Other than that, just use this opportunity to make a fun, creative game. It'd be great to see some original ideas coming about.

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All entries need to be in on Septemper 27th.

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

I just wanted to ask if it is alowed to take part in the next competition right after I took part on this one. I just thought it was so much fun that I would like to hawe a nother go at it.

Of course. You're always allowed to take part.

To this month's winner:
Don't forget to soon PM your new rules to me as they should be posted tomorrow! Thanks.

Again voting time is over and again there is one clear winner in this month's competition.

Max and Maggie will tell you in the new Winner Announcement Movie.
You may want to download it here (1MB). Sorry for the filesize.

If you better do not want to get the file you can also check out the winner by visiting the MAGS site.
Congratulations to the winner... Please check you PM, thanks.

is here any way to actualy see if someone is wining. Like some % or somethin...

The first version of the online voting system offered this feature (and it's still just one click to activate it). But we later decided to keep the votes hidden until the end - so the final result is more surprising. Also now the new revamped winner announcement movies wouldn't make sense if you could already see who's on top before.

Can the creators of games vote for themselves?

Yes they can. But of course as written: Please vote only once!

Time is up - already 3 hours over, so let's start the voting.
Due to your postings and e-mails there's now an additional check of your voting click.
So be sure to also confirm that new request.

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

Ray and the Guitar by Rap4Life42o
Operation Red Dice by Akumayo
Korins Mines by Simon Benfold
Jail House Breakdown by Viktor

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

I'm not sure whether the time displayed above your post is the same for differing timezones, it says 17:36 for me.

No the time displayed is adjustable by each user - so it shows the time in your timezone (at least it shouldÃ,  ).
That's why I'm talking in hours and not about a special time.

40 hours? ... If I live in GMT -00:00 will I be able to theoretically submit one minute before midnight at the end of the 26th August?

Not really. Add the 40 hours to the time of the posting. So for you it's August 26th, 9:36am. Okay?

Can I enter the MAGS? My computer clock says its the 25th of August. I have my game started and if I can enter I will send some screenies.

Of course you can. Still about 26 hours left...

To everyone: If you know you're close to finish a game but can not make it in time - if it's just some hours more that you need - just post this information. We can expand the deadline in special cases for let's say one day. But it's always difficult to do that as other participants create their games to fit the time limit and therefore eventually took out parts of the game just to finish it in time. So not everyone is happy about an extension.

So the deadline is coming closer now... Two entries are in already so for all the others that want to take part please submit your games within the next 40 hours (see timestamp of this posting). Then the voting will begin.

Ah, these are really some interesting theories about my avatar ...

I believe thats Max Payne layered on a kickass background.

I kind of thought it was Tex Murphy myself.

Well, it's neither the one nor the other. Actually it's not even an avatar as it simply shows ... me.

It would be nice to have the link to thins site in the first post instead of having to go through Klaus's sig. Just so people know where to go for more info

Quite correct and it would be there if I'd have started this thread as usual... But as SierraFreak "got a little overexcited about winning" (see above) things are a little different this time. Sorry...

.

This is my first attempt at directing other people to make a game, but I'm hoping that this will be a fun idea.Ã,  So this month's theme will be: DESTRUCTION!

Ouch. So you posted new rules without a pre-checkÃ,  :o You should have better read the last line of the "Congratulations" PM you received after the voting...
Well, so now it's like that and I think we can go along with these rules, even if they are a little "thin". Also I'm not sure if anyone will come along with this theme in a "correct" way. But let's give it a try.

If I've already been working on a not-yet-released game ... then could I still submit it as a MAGS entry?

Actually you should make the whole game withing the given time limit. So it wouldn't be really fair to publish a game you might have already worked on "for years" (sure it won't be taht long). But actually noone can prove when you made this game. So think for yourself...

... would you prefer screen-shots of the "destruction" scenes?

The screenshots on this thread are mainly to make it easier to grab a picture for the MAGS site. So you can post whatever screenshot you want to. Of course the shots also promote your game but for doing this you can also post to the "Completed Game Announcements" forums.