Messages

[BUT]

The short answer is "I don't know".

You have to decide if there is any harm in trying. I don't *think* (but also don't know if) a restore touches the BIOS so essentially all you *might* do is install a broken Windows on a partition of your hard drive that you can just reformat when it doesn't work. The second issue would be if the restore installed a bunch of incorrect drivers what would happen? Would they just not work or would they damage the hardware? Finally would Windows register properly? Dell copies of Windows don't need registering with Microsoft if they're installed on Dell machines, but they still might get picked up at some point if you were running the same windows as a friend.

I'm afraid I can't answer any of those questions, maybe someone else can shed some light.

BUT I have a Dell Dimension 2150 and it DOES have a restore option somewhere during startup, so I assume your computer will also. I can't remember quite how to get to it, but I think its either press F8 or press Delete during startup, then look for a system recovery option or something similar.

If all else fails don't you have a Windows CD that came with the machine? Problems to watch out for with that is finding all the right drivers (most of which you can get from the Dell support page by putting your service tag in, but a better idea would be to backup your drivers folder before you format the windows partition then search for drivers in that when you're adding them later) and losing DVD playback when you don't get a DVD codec installed. Unfortunately I'm going to have to do a restore on my computer shortly after I did a reinstal for exactly these two reasons.


Edit: Here's a link with some more information. It suggests the restore hotkey is Ctrl+F11

Edit 2: Ah no, my PC isn't actually that old. Its a 9150

Bump for generally supporting Kris and the hard work he does answering peoples questions, newbie or otherwise.

The general point is that you should go through the tutorial in the manual, search the manual, search the forums THEN post a question. The reason you couldn't find something in the forums is because a quick search in the manual for 'Speech' would have got you the answer. We would just like you to search both thoroughly before starting a thread. Kris is understandably a little annoyed when you have asked several of these easy questions recently.

Personally I'd go for the method of refining. Start with a rough idea, add puzzles as you go along, take out those that don't work and generally tackle the most important areas first. A problem that is (more or less) never going to occur is not really a priority.

I suggest you open up a text document and make a list of this and any other non-game-breaking bugs you have then, when your game is 99% finished, go down the list and decide which ones you're going to fix, whether you run the risk of breaking other bits of the game doing so, and whether its important. If you spend all your time on details before you've got the overall picture you'll never finish the game.

All that said I'd lean towards the second option. Changing a character's birth date is no big deal, changing their age by four years seems somewhat... major.

Inform- great for interactive fiction. Not too hard to learn if you already know a programming language, and highly versatile.

Ah yeah, add ADRIFT and Inform to my list. ADRIFT was too limiting and Inform was crazy, like a 3rd generation language pretending to be 4th generation. Very interesting, but far too wordy for my liking.

there was a time when I designed my own game engine and then abandoned it when it was almost finished.

Me too, a very very simple choose-your-own-adventure gamemaker. Unfortunately my Delphi knowledge wasn't good enough to let it run from anywhere on the computer, and seen as I can't remember the file path it needed I can't run it anymore.

I used Klik & Play, which was great apart from the lack of scrolling. I then used the Games Factory (which I still have), but it had a habit of breaking when you did so much with it. Also they seemed to have broken the nice platform engine that came in Klik & Play, so you had to do your own. Also played with Game Maker briefly, but you couldn't do too much in that without learning the language and I couldn't be bothered.

I've spent most time on the RPG Maker series which are very nice (but limiting). They more or less taught me how to program without me realising it. Then there's the O.H.R.R.P.G.C.E. which was the first game maker I ever used. Horribly menu-driven DOS program. Made "Dollar's Quest" on that one.

Out of everything AGS is most definitely my favourite.

Creator's point is the most likely answer; you always have to link your code to an action. Make sure that when you choose the inventory item and click the Events lightning bolt you have iBottle_Look written next to Look at inventory item.

If you've already done that let us know.

I though SUPER was mainly for converting video? I always use Audacity for audio stuff, but people seem to like DBPowerAmp too.

Wow. Just wow.

Oooooh sweet! That's got to be one of the most fitting licences for an adventure game

[Don't start with your dream game]

Don't start with your dream game
Instead of trying to make the game you've always wanted, make (or at least start) several small games which you can use to learn how to do all the things that it'll contain. Make your awesome adventure when you're thoroughly familiar with AGS, know how to do things in it and how long those things will take.

If you don't like drawing use place-holder graphics
Instead of letting your game grind to a halt because you just can't face that walkcycle focus on completing other areas. Its a lot easier to motivate yourself if you've got 90% finished code than if you're just starting out.

Glad to hear it. Can't think what would have been going wrong before

[EDIT:]

EDIT: Khris got in first with a very similar post

That's... odd. I replaced it with the on_mouse_click code in the default game template and it works fine, so unless I've overlooked something vital you're down to checking that your character is on walkable areas and so on.

Standard debugging practice: try putting the line
player.Say("I should start walking");
just before the
ProcessClick(mouse.x, mouse.y, eModeWalkto);
line to check that the if functions are working properly, and make sure that the character says that line when you think he should start walking. If that happens its most likely a walkable areas issue, because ProcessClick(mouse.x, mouse.y, eModeWalkto); is pretty much the AGS default walk to control.

Here's the code I used in my game, which had the same control method (written in AGS 3.0):

Code: ags

function on_mouse_click(MouseButton button) // called when a mouse button is clicked. button is either LEFT or RIGHT
  {

  if (IsGamePaused() == 1){
    //Game is paused, so do nothing on any mouse click
  }else{
    if (button == eMouseLeft){
      //left mouse button
      if (GetLocationType(mouse.x, mouse.y) == eLocationNothing){
        //not over hotspot so walk
        ProcessClick(mouse.x, mouse.y, eModeWalkto);
      }else{
        //over a hotspot/object etc
        if (mouse.Mode==eModeUseinv){
          //using inventory on hotspot
          ProcessClick(mouse.x, mouse.y, eModeUseinv);
        }else{
          //not using inventory, so interact
          ProcessClick(mouse.x, mouse.y, eModeInteract);
        }
      }  
    }else if (button == eMouseRight){
      //right mouse button
      if (mouse.Mode==eModeUseinv){
        //inventory item out, so cancel it
        mouse.Mode=eModeInteract;
      }else{
        //no inventory item out, so look
        ProcessClick(mouse.x, mouse.y, eModeLookat);
      }
    }else if (button == eMouseWheelNorth){
      //mouse wheel up
    }else if (button == eMouseWheelSouth){
      //mouse wheel down
    }
  }

}

Essentially you just need to perform a check to see if your mouse is over something or not before deciding whether to use or walk. There's also a bit extra in there for handling inventory items. If you need anything explaining further just ask

[Edit:]

Okay, we aren't having a SHAGS today!

What is the second 'S' for?

...

...

...

...studio?

Edit: though I really hope its something more interesting

I really need to finish Firefly at some point.

YES!!  You definitely do!  It's my favorite show of all time.

I said something similar to a friend of mine and his response was "What? You didn't watch it all in one go?". Relax Darth, I'll go watch the rest the next time I have some shirts to iron or something I'm also waiting for the AGS fan game...

On another more topic based note, what was the ending about? My interpretation was

Spoiler

He got one of the things he always wanted but lost the other in the process. He pretends to be really happy with his new status but in the final shot we see he'd rather have her back

[close]

but then my brother suggested

Spoiler

that the final webcam shot of him in normal clothes meant it was all in his head or something

[close]

I reckon I'm right , but how did you guys see it?

(And yeah, got to love the twisting the jar lid and dropping the money bags jokes from Moist)

Thanks for the link, its fantastic. I really need to finish Firefly at some point. The moist guy provides a way to get an insight into what Dr Horrible is thinking, proof that he's not a complete loner and some comedic moments

http://onedollarproductions.googlepages.com/OneDollar.zip

My mess of an entry

Yeah, that looks quite SCUMM-like. I reckon the reason it looks empty is because of the high contrast between the dark background and brighter colours of the caravan etc. Perhaps you could paint some light from the fire on the tree and the foreground image. If the fire's animated you could animate that too.

I watched it a couple of years ago when I was ill and didn't like it. I re-watched it a month or two ago and completely changed my mind. I really like how it feels like we're getting a glimpse of just one of the adventures of the Goonies, and there's no messing around with "Ooh maybe we shouldn't do this our parents might get worried" or whatever. Nice and imaginative too, you can tell Spielberg wrote it.

Not one of my favourites, but a good one anyway

Also in the bathrooms they have a sign telling us not to crap on the floor or rim of the toilet. Which it must have happened enough times for them to have had to make a sign about it.

In the toilets of the physics department of my old university we had instructions on the cubical doors that the toilet seats were for sitting on, not squatting on. Instructions and a lovely crossed out picture of what not to do.