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My own preference as a player is to never have control taken away from me.Ã,  I'm pulled out of the experience by cutscenes in which my character takes actions that I didn't get to make him do.Ã, 

As a designer I try to create the experience that I would want most as a player.Ã,  But I also want to create an experience that would appeal to the broadest audience possible (at least in terms of gameplay…perhaps not story-wise).

I know a lot of purist adventure game players detest action sequences in their adventure games.Ã,  So how many of you AGSers are purists?Ã,  Would you rather have a cutscene depict an action sequence or have the chance to play through it yourself?Ã,  The stock answer to this question is that action sequences are okay as long as I make them skippable.Ã,  But if everyone who plays is going to skip it anyway, why should I labour to program it?Ã, 

I suppose what it could very well come down to as a player is, “How good are the action sequences?”.Ã,  I'd rather have 2 tools that each did 1 task well, than 1 tool that did both tasks poorly.Ã,  Ã,  If you are an action enthusiast, would a weak action sequence in an adventure game be better off skipped?

[I'm working on a platform-type room for a game and I've encountered a strange problem with the walkable areas.I have display commands for testing the character's x and y coordinates as well as the walkable area he is currently standing on:]

I'm working on a platform-type room for a game and I've encountered a strange problem with the walkable areas.

I have display commands for testing the character's x and y coordinates as well as the walkable area he is currently standing on:


function on_key_press(){
if (keycode==75) Display("x= %d y= %d z= % ", character[GetPlayerCharacter()].x,character[GetPlayerCharacter()].y,character[GetPlayerCharacter()].z);
  if (keycode==50)Display("walkable area is %d", GetWalkableAreaAt(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].x,character[GetPlayerCharacter()].y));
}

Strangely though the message for the character's current walkable area does not always agree with his coordinates.  When the character is to the far right in the room, the walkable area goes wrong so that he gets stuck.  This does not seem to occur on the left side of the room.

Can this have something to do with the room being greater than 320 pixels wide (ie. Scrolling when the character walks right (east))?

Or maybe it's related to using the cursor arrows to control movement? 

if ((IsKeyPressed(377)!=0)&&(GetWalkableAreaAt(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].x,character[GetPlayerCharacter()].y) != 0)){
   
   if(float_to_int(speed)<40){
     speed=fadd(speed, ints_to_float(0,500));
     }
   move=fdiv(fmul(speed,int_to_float(scale)),int_to_float(100));
   move=float_to_int(move);
   if(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].animating==0) AnimateCharacter(GetPlayerCharacter(),2,4,0);
   if(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].frame!=lastframe) character[GetPlayerCharacter()].x+=move;
   lastframe=character[GetPlayerCharacter()].frame;
   Vx=fdiv(speed,fmul(int_to_float(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].animspeed),int_to_float(GetGameSpeed())));
   
}else if ((IsKeyPressed(380)!=0)){
   if(GetWalkableAreaAt(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].x,character[GetPlayerCharacter()].y) == 4){
     if(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].animating==0)AnimateCharacter(GetPlayerCharacter(),6,4,0);
     if(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].frame!=lastframe){
       if(GetWalkableAreaAt(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].x,character[GetPlayerCharacter()].y+1)==4){
         character[GetPlayerCharacter()].y+=1;
       }else if(GetWalkableAreaAt(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].x-1,character[GetPlayerCharacter()].y)==4){
         character[GetPlayerCharacter()].x-=1;
       }
     }       
   }else if(GetWalkableAreaAt(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].x,character[GetPlayerCharacter()].y) == 5){
     if(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].animating==0)AnimateCharacter(GetPlayerCharacter(),4,4,0);
     if(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].frame!=lastframe){
       if(GetWalkableAreaAt(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].x,character[GetPlayerCharacter()].y+1)==5){
         character[GetPlayerCharacter()].y+=1;
       }else if(GetWalkableAreaAt(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].x+1,character[GetPlayerCharacter()].y)==5){
         character[GetPlayerCharacter()].x+=1;
       }
     }       
   }else if(GetWalkableAreaAt(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].x,character[GetPlayerCharacter()].y) != 0){
   
   if(float_to_int(speed)<40){
     speed=fadd(speed, ints_to_float(0,500));
     }
   move=fdiv(fmul(speed,int_to_float(scale)),int_to_float(100));
   move=float_to_int(move);
     if(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].animating==0)AnimateCharacter(GetPlayerCharacter(),0,4,0);
     if(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].frame!=lastframe) character[GetPlayerCharacter()].y+=move;
     lastframe=character[GetPlayerCharacter()].frame;
     }
   }else if ((IsKeyPressed(375)!=0)&&(GetWalkableAreaAt(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].x,character[GetPlayerCharacter()].y) != 0)){
   
   if(float_to_int(speed)<40){
     speed=fadd(speed, ints_to_float(0,500));
     }
   move=fdiv(fmul(speed,int_to_float(scale)),int_to_float(100));
   move=float_to_int(move);
     if(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].animating==0)AnimateCharacter(GetPlayerCharacter(),1,4,0);
     if(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].frame!=lastframe) character[GetPlayerCharacter()].x-=move;
     lastframe=character[GetPlayerCharacter()].frame;
     Vx=fdiv(speed,fmul(int_to_float(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].animspeed),int_to_float(GetGameSpeed())));
     
     
   }else if ((IsKeyPressed(372)!=0)){
     if(GetWalkableAreaAt(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].x,character[GetPlayerCharacter()].y)== 4){
       if(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].animating==0)AnimateCharacter(GetPlayerCharacter(),5,4,0);
       if(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].frame!=lastframe){
         if(GetWalkableAreaAt(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].x,character[GetPlayerCharacter()].y-1)==4){
           character[GetPlayerCharacter()].y-=1;
         }else if(GetWalkableAreaAt(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].x+1,character[GetPlayerCharacter()].y)==4){
           character[GetPlayerCharacter()].x+=1;
         }
       }
     }else if(GetWalkableAreaAt(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].x,character[GetPlayerCharacter()].y)== 5){
       if(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].animating==0)AnimateCharacter(GetPlayerCharacter(),7,4,0);
       if(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].frame!=lastframe){
         if(GetWalkableAreaAt(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].x,character[GetPlayerCharacter()].y-1)==5){
           character[GetPlayerCharacter()].y-=1;
         }else if(GetWalkableAreaAt(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].x-1,character[GetPlayerCharacter()].y)==5){
           character[GetPlayerCharacter()].x-=1;
         }
       }
         
     }else if((GetWalkableAreaAt(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].x,character[GetPlayerCharacter()].y) != 0)){
   
   if(float_to_int(speed)<40){
     speed=fadd(speed, ints_to_float(0,500));
     }
   move=fdiv(fmul(speed,int_to_float(scale)),int_to_float(100));
   move=float_to_int(move);
     if(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].animating==0)AnimateCharacter(GetPlayerCharacter(),3,4,0);
   if(character[GetPlayerCharacter()].frame!=lastframe) character[GetPlayerCharacter()].y-=move;
   lastframe=character[GetPlayerCharacter()].frame;
   }
}else{
  ReleaseCharacterView(GetPlayerCharacter());
speed=int_to_float(8 );
}


Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Has anyone here used Photomodeler (full or lite version)?Ã,  It seems like it would be a great tool but I'd like to hear from those who have used it before getting myself a digital camera.

I'm not sure this is a Bug in AGS but I get strange results when using my Mouse wheel to cycle through the cursor modes.

If my cursor is somewhere in the middle of the screen and I use the wheel, the cursor is "thrown" to the extreme right of the screen when the cursor changes modes.Ã,  However if I use the right click button to change modes, the change occurs at the cursors present location.Ã,  What is stranger is that if I use the mouse wheel after having already used the right mouse button, the "throw" doesn't occur.Ã,  Unless I switch the direction I roll the mousewheel, in which case it resets to throwing my cursor about.

<Edit>I seem to be using an older version of AGS.  Maybe I'll just download the latest version and see if that takes care of it. </Edit>

I've always felt that there was something a bit silly about the inventories of adventure games where a player can carry virtually anything.Ã,  Its not bad when a light game pokes fun at the convention but it sort of undermines the serious tone I'm going for in my own game.

Some time ago, I posted regarding a system that would assign inventory items mass so that the player was limited to a maximum weight he could carry.Ã,  That might still be a viable solution but I had another idea that might also be good.

I'd like to create a secondary inventory for larger items, that are stashed by the playercharacter somewhere within the game environment (one of the first game puzzles would be to find a suitable location).Ã,  Ostensibly when the player accesses this inventory, the player character is actually retrieving the item from the stash offscreen.Ã,  For this reason the 2nd inventory would only be accessible when the player has the freedom to retrieve it.

I'd also like to have a 3rd inventory.Ã,  This would be in the form of the player character's brain, storing ideas rather than objects.Ã,  These ideas would be obtained through observations, conversations, etc. and would be used to ask NPCs questions, and specify what it is you're trying to build when you combine object x with object y, etc.Ã,  Should the player get ahead of the player character so that he/she knows the idea without having obtained the idea inventory object, a text parser should be available so the player can type in the idea that he thinks he needs and be awarded the idea object.Ã,  (Is that clear?)

Anyway, GUIs and text parsers are two aspects of AGS that I have not delved into previously, so I wanted to get some feedback about these ideas before I try to implement them.

Thanks.

For some time I've had a problem with designing a signifcant element of my game.  My policy has always been "learn as I go" so I figured the answer would reveal itself eventually.  However I'm starting to wonder if there even is an appropriate solution and don't savour the notion of rejecting this element of the game.

Here's the situation:  My player character is a prisoner in an internment camp.  Half the game focuses on his attempts to escape.  The other half focuses on his resistance to interogation.  The escape portion is typical adventure game fare and I have a pretty good grasp of how to proceed.  The interogation aspect has me somewhat boggled.  

It's supposed to be a battle of wills but I'm uncertain how to get this across through conversations.  How do I make it challenging for the player to keep a secret?

The only idea I have now is to use an integer value that holds the players level of anixiety, bewilderment, etc and have that number increase and decrease depending on the topics he uses during interogations.  If it reaches a certain level than the player character "cracks".  

I don't love that solution and would like to solicit ideas from the community.

Everybody seems very excited about this new feature but I feel totally left out as I have no idea what an Alpha Channel is.  

Can someone please explain?

I'm sure this would fit very low on the list of priorities as it wouldn't add any new functionality to AGS.  I'd like it to be easier to organize characters, views, sprites, etc.

As it is views are numbered in the order that they are created and that order cannot be altered (AFAIK).  My player characters walk animations are view 2, but the talking animation and running animations are views 28 and 37.  It would be great if I could round them all up and put them into a single folder or at least renumber them so that they are consecutive views.

Something that would be even nicer would be if the view had additional default functions for its loops.  By that I mean that loops 8-12 be the talk animation loops for each direction, and 13-17 be the idle animations for each direction the same way as 0-7 are the walk animations.  Having a checkbox for each would allow you to use the loops for something other than the default if desired.  

I'm not sure how difficult this would be to implement or even how well received it would be by other users but I put it out there.

Is there a way to set that a character ignores specific walk-behind areas rather than all/none?

Is there any way to script a change in a character's scaling without using walkable area scaling?  Something like character[CHARID].scale?

Is there a way to specify which of the sprite's coordinates act as the handle?

I've been working on a template for fight sequences within my game.  Its currently working to the point where I have trouble even beating the computer opponent but there is certainly room for improvement.  Would anyone mind downloading the game and giving me some feedback for how to improve it? It would be much appreciated.   The source code is included for anyone who is interested.

http://f1.pg.briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/quintaros/

You'll have to sign in using my userid:

userid:quintaros
password:AGSfriends

The game is controlled with the keyboard using the cursor keys to move, space bar to change directions, and f & d for attacks 1 & 2 respectively.

Pixel Hunting appears to be the most loathed element of some gameplay but I'm not precisely sure what it is and if I am properly avoiding it.  Is it simply when there is no cursor change to indicate a hotspot or is there more to it?

  I rented a couple horror movies tonight, The Ninth Gate,  and The Haunting (was this movie remade I rented the Robert Wise version).  I haven't seen either before but The Haunting is supposed to be a classic.  I have low expectations for the Ninth Gate but it is directed by Roman Polanski.  Polanski made the only film that ever really scared me, Rosemary's Baby.

Anyway thought I'd start a threat to ask what other peoples favourite horror films were.  Please don't say Psycho or Silence of the Lambs because true horror films, I believe, have a supernatural element to them.

Some of my favourites are: The Exorcist, Angel Heart, An American Werewolf in London, Don't Look Now and Rosemary's Baby.

I've been using a lot of scrolling rooms in my game without any incident but they'd mostly been rooms that only scrolled in one direction (ie x or y) now I'm trying to import a room that would scroll in both the x and y directions and its messing up.  My game is supposed to be 320x200 but on the room in question it always makes 320X240, showing more vertically than is intended.  I don't think its a big deal as I can use an overlay to mask off the appropriate area but I am curious as to why this is happening.

On a scrolling room, is there a way to keep an object in the same position on the screen regardless of where in the room the character is?

What I'm trying to do is have a letterboxed room scroll up/down (I know there is a built in letterboxing function but I've chosen to go with a slightly different aspect ratio).

I thought that I could create the letterboxing as an object and than manipulate the objects postion based on what part of the room was visible by putting something in the repeatedly execute script for the room:

MoveObject(0,160,bottomscreen);

where 160 was the centre of the width of the screen and bottomscreen was the room's y-coordinate that was on the bottom edge of the visible area of the screen.  But I'm not sure if there is a function to get the coordinate for the screen position rather than room postion.

I need a couple of translations.

The first is for French.
A taxi drive asks the player character where to take him and it sounds something like: "Ou est tu voir allez?" but I'm not exactly sure.

The other is the common German fairwell that sounds something like:  "All vie dezane".

How do you set up a conversation when there is no NPC present (ie Player Character talking on the phone)?

Currently I have created a phone character with a blank view but I thought there might be a simpler approach.

I'd like to make my game as realistic as possible but am wondering if some of what I have in mind might actually be seen as a detriment to the playability of the game.

I'm thinking in particular about the player's inventory.  Within the context of a cartoony game its perfectly acceptable for the player character to have a limitless capacity to carry ridiculously large inventory items. This is convenient for the player b/c he just picks up everything he can and generally most things will be used at some point during the game.  But I think that leads to trial and error.  When a player gets stuck on a particular puzzle he just resorts to trying everything in his inventory on the puzzle regardless of the logic behind it.  

The approach that I'm considering is to make virtually every item you come across pick-up-able but give the inventory limited capacity.   Possibly assign a mass to all objects so that a player can carry more small objects than large ones.  Many objects would never get used in the course of the game.    I hope that this would discourage systematic trial and error for puzzles but force the player to really think about what he needs to complete a task.  I could see it causing a lot more doubling back to rooms you've been in to retrieve items.  Also items could get lost if a player dropped them somewhere and forgot what room he was in.

Any thoughts on this approach?

When I open the AGSedit file its not responding as it normally does.  Instead of opening up and asking what game file to load, the window just minimizes.  I can see a tab for it on my task bar but I can't open it into a window to access it.  Anybody have any ideas what the cause is?

I'm looking for a way to change the appearance of the walk icon when it is over an exit to make it a little more user friendly.  All of my exits are made using  regions with a "Player-Go to another room at specific coordinates" interaction.  While hotspots have interactions for when a cursor passes over it, I can't find one for Regions.  Do I have to make hotspots that correspond to all my exit regions to make this work or is there a way to do it using only regions?