Messages

We should make people play this before they join the community. Had some very witty dialog.

-MillsJROSS

I'd probably download it, if it were a good game. But I have a fasr connection, and not too worried about filling space in my system. Putting it in two seperate packs, if the size comes from music, is a good idea.

but if people with dialup don't want to just because they have dialup then they need to stop feeling sorry for themselves...

Um...some people don't have a choice, either because dial-up is their only provider, or they live under their parents rule. So if you have dial-up, be strong, use and use some sort of download excellerator.

-MillsJROSS

Are you sure you actually travelled? Because sometimes eric just makes beeping noises and pretends like the time machine worked, so he can limit his plutonium intake.

-MillsJROSS

Good Idea: Me laughing at the above post.

Bad Idea: Me laughing as I murder and rape as many people and animals as I possibly can.

-MillsJROSS

I think the hardest part for me is just grinding through the game aspects I don't enjoy making, like art. Now I'm no expert on motivating myself, mostly because I don't have a lot of free time anymore...but the fasted I ever developed is when I worked on one thing got bored, worked on something else. Like I'd work on backrounds, then switch to music, then go to scripting, and so on. Usually the change of tasks helped move things along.

Also, the best advice, is to make shorter games and work yourself up. It's like writing books. Most authors don't start writing making a novel, they generally make short stories, and move on up. The same goes for games. Good luck!

-MillsJROSS

Just wanted to say that I played this game when it came out, and enjoyed it. It was something new with AGS and one of the best programmed games I had seen back then. Two thumbs up!

-MillsJROSS

Not nearly Jewish enough.

-MillsJROSS

Speaks well of the market many of us are going in, even though the games one your site aren't quite adventure games. Also, just want to give props to m0ds's music. He's got some very memorable tunes to the AGS community.

I'd go for it myself, but I'm on a bit of a music block at the moment, and wouldn't have the time even if I was commited. Good luck in your adventure endeavor.

-MillsJROSS

So in other words...wait a couple days and repeat the question.

-MillsJROSS

Alright. I want to go from the shitty 2-dimensional games to the 3-dimensional games, like Everquest. I would like to upgrade the story a little bit, give Roger more of a logical part and then to expand on the maps, like giving the Arcada a Bridge.

As an avid SQ fan and adventure game fan, this statement makes me cringe.

I wouldn't mind seeing a graphically updated SQ, mayber even a digitized music upgrade based strongly on the current music...but changing the plot and adding rooms?

I say if it ai broke, don't fix it.

But in any event, good luck with the project.

-MillsJROSS

Oh no! Mills is single! Did the long distance relationship with CJ not work out?

You looked so happy!

Oh it worked out alright, but we got in a huge fight about how he thought the chocolate tasted better over there, and I was like "Nuh-uh, it's better over here!", then he was like "fine!", and I was like "Fine!", and so we didn't give each other presents. Not that I'm bitter or anything, bitter like Englands chocolate!

-MillsJROSS

I love Valentine's day! I'm single, but whenever there's an excuse to eat chocolate I'm all for it. The trick is to wait the day after Valentines day, to buy everything. Because, let's face it, Valentines day is an expensive day.

But even without a girlfriend, I still got free candy from my big sis (fraternity sister), and repaid her with more candy.

I've had to portion off my box of chocolates so I don't eat it all in a day, which is what I really want to do...mainly because I want to try all the different flavors. Damn sampler box!

-MillsJROSS

The motion passes.

-MillsJROSS

AGA better not be messing with my man!

-MillsJROSS

One reason this forum is so easy to get accustomed to, and welcoming to newbies, is the fact that AGS is about preserving older games. To have an interest in perserving and making the type of games AGS is built for, for the most part, you're an older maturer person than one tends to get in forum about FPS games. And most of the younger members reflect a maturity beyond their years.

All of our moderators have proven themselves, one way or another, to be hard working. They weren't just selected because they've been here longer. There still is a distinction between a newbie and an older member, but there's no reason to punish a new member, when insulting them could mean they won't produce a game, which is what AGS is about.

And I agree, an informal list wouldn't be a bad idea at all.

-MillsJROSS

Or threads like "Which is your favorite cola?" The thing that makes polls tricky, is that there are always people who don't definatively fit in any of the choices given (assuming that there isn't a non of the above type thing). You aslo have to worry about a constant onslaught of polls that push more interesting threads to other pages, which usually means the death of a thread.

The problem with the a poll like yours is the word abandon. I prefer to put my games on the back burner. I haven't abandoned them, so to speak, but I haven't made progress with them either. But I expect to get back to work on them once I get out of college, and don't have so much on my mind. So the real question is, what do you consider abandon? Is it someone who gives up the project and vowes never to touch it again, or is it someone who doesn't have the time/motivation to be able to work on their project at this time?

Also, the results, don't necessarily lead to anything. What can one conclude if 10% of the people responded have never abandoned a project, 30% never even tried to make a project, and the 60% had abandoned at least one project? Sometimes people abandon their projects for good reasons, like they got way over their head and tried to make a 5000 room game with 300 characters and L3N2 FL4R3! Or mayber you were working with many people in hopes that a combined effort would help make a better game, but when everyone starts to forget their responsibilies to the game there gets a point where work can no longer conclude, and the project must be abandoned. There are many other applicable reasons. I'd really rather know why someone abandoned their projects vs. how many did.

But to help you out in numbers, I'll give myself a 2. I've been in a few group projects that never got anywhere.

-MillsJROSS

Larry Vales is still the top funniest game out there. Even after all these years. But after that...Ace Quest.

-MillsJROSS

The only real problem I have, and it does tie in with what Andail said, is merely the size of PDF. Two pages. For an official looking document, I expected at least five or six pages of information. And yes, I understand you were going for concise.

That said...most of what you said was good advice. As far as including default reactions for hotspots. I agree wholeheartedly, that there should be some sort of message provided if the author didn't tailor a specific message. It makes the game seem bare when you're clicking here and there, and you don't get anything from the character. It is also annoying when the character walks over to look at things. Unless, of course, he goes in for a close examination. One thing you might want to add to that, if there is a reaction where it makes sense for the player to be near the hotspot, make sure they're not covering the hotspot. It's annoying to have to move the character just to click somewhere you already did (Assuming the character is set to clickable).

I don't mind trial and error, too much. As long as it makes sense, and perhaps if you were somehow able to get knowledge which told you where to go. Using your three doors example. If you had the ability to attain knowledge about which door wouldn't kill you, but were still able to use the doors without that knowledge. But yes, cruel trial and error, where you have no ability except by guessing which is death or life, should never be used. Or if the author of the game is saddistic enough, he should at least provide the player with a go back button, that would essentially put the player back before he made whatever mistake he made.

-MillsJROSS

I'd also have to agree. Dialog would be the key way to go. Make it to your characters observations on things are unique, in a good way. It might make him likable. It's not that much harder to make him likable. Other that dialog and character responses to things, though, I see no other way to flesh the character out.

-MillsJROSS

Voice acting, or proper voice acting, takes time and is tedious. I remember playing around with the idea of a short voice acting game a while ago. You have to make sure what you recorded doesn't sound ackward within the context of the game. And a person like me who tries to make a response for everything the player can interact with, makes even a small game seem tedious and booring. Since I'm the one who has to make this thing, and give it out for free, it's not worth the effort, to me, to record voices.

Now, for a commercial game, I almost always expect voice acting. It does  have the ability to make a game more enjoyable. Look at SQ6 with Gary Owens doing the narrator voice over. Some of it isn't nearly as funny without the sarcasm that he is so able to put in almost every sentence. However, there are games, where I think reading it to myself, might make it more enjoyable. Some jokes are made that wouldn't sound natural if someone were to actually read them.

However, don't let any of what I said or anyone else deter you from doing your own voice acting. If you think you can do it, and do it well, then by all means go ahead. No one will fault you for it. It might not get as many downloads, but if it's a really good game, even those with dial-up will eventually get around to downloading it. That and you could very easily make two versions of the game (one with the voice acting, and one without).

It's funny, though. Even with voice acting, I almost always end up reading the text while the voice acting is going on. I don't know why, I'vce turned it off before, and found I wasn't enjoying myself as much.

-MillsJROSS