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In the world of AGS game creation, you must think of a plot, draw the graphics, record or compose the sounds/music, then slap it all together.  AGS has come to the point where you may not even need to do any programming to make a decent game.  But, there comes times where you may want some more creative parts in your game.  

For this competition, you must make a 'game' that does what I say it should do.  This first one will be easy, and as we go on, they will become more difficult.  You don't need dazzling graphics or quality sounds to win this competition.  The one who can create a 'game' doing said task with the neatest and quickest code will win.  

The task is: Create a one-room, 8-bit game that will fade the background out and in depending on which hotspot the player steps onto.  

Limitations, new and as said above:
- One room
- 8-bit
- You CANNOT use the standard AGS fadein, fadout functions!  I suggest you learn how to read and write to and from files, for loops, and palette manipulation.

You have two weeks.  Begin!

If it doesn't load, tell me.

Picture number eleven.  The one on the...right?  Or is it the left?  Yes, left.  I couldn't tell for a minute.

(Well, since it's me, everyone will like the idea this time!)

j/k

This is a proposal for a programming competition.  What I have in mind is for people to try to create something that does what I say it should.  For example, I may say: "Create an 8-bit fading program.  You must have the program fade out to black, then fade back in.  You must make your own functions to this task.  You may not use the built-in fading functions to do this," then anyone can upload the program and post it for judging.  Whoever can do this and have the code as efficient and quick as possible will win.  This competition may be useful for people to practice their programming abilities in AGS and newbies to be able to see some cool code.  What do you think?

He almost looks like Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa in some of those pictures.

Ah, well:
My friend and I were huge Sierra game fans.  He had played every game from Leisure Suit Larry to Police Quest to even the earlier ones by Al Lowe.  You probably haven't heard of them.  Hell, I'd never heard of them until he told me about them the first time we met.  It was in the first day of our Junior year.  I had just bought my lunch and was looking for a place to sit, when I noticed a table by the window occupied by a long-haired kid in black clothing.  The right side of his mouth was curved upward in a strange concentrating smile as he scribbled away on a piece of paper.  Nonchalantly, I walked over to the table.  He saw me and thrust the sheet of paper into his open bag.
"What was that?" I asked him, trying not to seem too eager to know.
"Uh...just some ideas."
"About what."
"...About games I'd like to make."
"Oh, yeah?  What kind of games?  Like Doom, or something?"
"Actually, no.  Have you ever heard of Sierra?"
"Uh...like, mountains?"
"No.  They're a company that made some adventure games.  Have you ever heard of Space Quest?"
"Uh, I've PLAYED King's Quest.  Did they make that?"
"Yeah!  They made a bunch of games that ended with the word 'quest'.  Like King's Quest, Space Quest, Police Quest..."
"Cool.  Can I download some of them somewhere?"
"No, you have to buy them.  But, I burnt the games onto a CD.  You can have it if you want."
"Alright."  I guessed I could give them a try.  The name Police Quest sounded familiar.  I'd heard on the news about someone who killed people in town after the Police Quest games.  I didn't really know what they meant by that at the time, but it seemed that I would find out soon.

The period was almost over, and I had finished my food.
"Hey, do you use AOL?"
"Yeah."  He gave me his nickname, and I left.
"Later."

It took me a minute to get the game running, but when it did, I couldn't help but enjoy it.  It was getting late, so I decided to save, and start with my homework.  While I was taking my books out, I noticed a little piece of paper flutter to the ground.  It was his nick.  I sent him a message, and was slightly freaked out that he responded literally seconds after I sent it.
"which game did u play?"
"I played Police Quest four."
"did u like it?"
"Yeah, it seemed pretty cool.  I got to the part where he gets called to rapper's house to investigate another murder."
"that is my favorite 1. im glad u liked it. i have a program that can make adventure games but i cant program do you know how?"  I had been programming since I was ten.
"Yeah, I can program.  What language is it?"
"lemme check"  I waited four minutes and was rewarded with this answer.
"English."
"Of coarse it's English  I mean, what programming language is it?"
"y didnt u say so? c"
"C?"
"yeah"
"What's the link?"
"www.adventuregamestudio.com"
"Alright, I'll check it out."  

The program seemed very flexible.  I caught on very quickly.  In about a half an hour, I made a little game where you had to find four stones and put them in the correct position.
"It's a pretty cool program.  Sure, I'll make a game.  I can't draw well, though.  What about you?"
"i can draw good. i already have a plot."

A week later, the two of us had started putting together a game he told me he had wanted to make after playing Police Quest four.  It was quite similair to it, but it was based in our town.  We had gotten to the first murder.  The vistim was a kid whom I knew.  I didn't know him personally, but I had heard his name and seen him in the halls.  I had spent most of last night finishing the room.  I went through my regular morning ritual to see a very strange piece on the news.  The kid who we had killed off in the game was killed the other night the same way he died in our game.  School, of coarse, was closed.  I bolted back up to my room to see if he was online.  He was.
"Hey, did you see the news!?"
"no.  what happened?"
"You know the kid we had die in our game?"
"yeah"
"He was killed last night!"  He didn't reply for a few minutes.  My mind was racing.  I was trying to see if there was any way he could have done that.  He didn't seem the kind to do that at all.  I was hoping against hope that it was some sort of concidense.
"thats aweful. do they know who did it?"
"No."
"i hope they find him.  he should burn in hell."  This was only slightly encouraging.  I decided to let it go.  My mind couldn't let the thought of him killing people enter and make me panic.  Besides, we still had a game to finish...

I was a moron.  It happened again.  This time, it was a girl I had known throughout my whole life.  He played his whole "Dude that sucks" thing, but I had to know.  He grew angry with me.  Two days later, he sent me some new sprites and the next part of the game.  What I saw sent waves of panic through my body.  The sprites were of me.  I was the next victim.
"What the hell is this???"
"what"
"You're having me die next!"
"so?"
"So, every time you have someone die in the game, they really die!"  He was silent.  I waited twenty minutes, but he didn't respond.  I had no choice but to call the cops.  While I was telling them what was going on, the words "Meet me at my house" appeared on the screen.

I pulled up at his house at eight.  There was only one light on, and no cars in the driveway.  I tried the door, and found that it was unlocked.  I entered into darkness, and fought quickly to adjust my eyes.  After I was satisfied, the lights suddenly came on.  He stood in the middle of the hallway, with boths hands behind his back.
"What the fuck is going on, Steve?"
"Joe, have you ever loved a game so much, that you wished it would never end?  After I played Police Quest four, I tried to keep it going.  I just got mad and...continued to play.  I got to watch on TV as they tried to solve the murders, but it wasn't enough..."
"Holy shit..."
"I'm sorry, Joe, but I need to finish this!"  As if in slow motion, i watched as he pulled his hand, which contained a gun, from behind his back and pointed it at me.  He was about to pull the trigger when a loud noise blasted through the air.  He didn't shoot, but instead jolted backwards, screamed, and fell to the ground.  I couldn't move.  I could only stare.  When I regained my senses, I felt a hand on my shoulder.  I saw a hole in Steve's forehead.  There was a cop standing next to me with a gun in his hand, and other cops tending to Steve's body.  He looked down at me, and said "Thanks alot kid.  You've been a great help."  

I wrote this in the past couple of hours, so some parts may seem rushed and out of balance.

No, I didn't say "What would happen if a chimp became president."

Next: What would happen if a famous convict became president.

You shoud've gotten a Mac.

Most of the deaths were for comical purposes.  Great examples...Leisure Suit Larry and Space Quest.  Another one that many people have never heard of...Martian Memorandum.  I, personally, enjoyed watching the death scenes, but despised having to go to the 'load game' menu to load a saved game only to find that I hadn't saved recently.

I'm surprised you knew, but then again, much of what you've done lately has surprised me.

http://www.thedierks.com/allowe/video/YouFeelBetterInaPeugeot206.mpg

If anyone knows what song that is that plays at the end of this little commercial, please let me know.

(This commercial can be found on Al Lowe's website.)

Super poorly-drawn hand claw guy.

Bilingual?  No, I don't like men.

I speak English, French, and a little Italian.

The only bit of German I know is 'Ich habe kleine Hoden' which was told to me by a friend.  He said it means "Hi, how are you" but no germans will ever reply to me why I say it to them.

I wish I could play it.  What software is required to view the file, Gromhak?

Yeah, I apologize.

Edit: If you can't see it, refresh your browser.  Get it a soda or something...

If you still can't see it, hit yourself on the head with a hard, blunt object until you do.

I shook hands with Dave Attell (the comedian) a month or so ago when he came to Hampton Beach to perform.

* Robert Eric deletes his $100 "fool-proof, professionally made" spy-ware program that doesn't work at all

A "" sign?  What's that?