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Here here.  You should put it together as a training course and sell it on Lynda.com , "AGS Essential Training."  

If there was a "Densming tutorial" for Xcode or XNA, my life would be complete.  Great job!

-s

Am.  Freaking.  Azing.  Congrats on taking it commercial, I think you could have something great on your hands here.

-s

This is a major issue for me, since I think it's safe to say most people are buying widescreen monitors these days, and although I *highly* applaud the black bars in 3.2 (#1 priority for me is that the artwork be presented as intended, and un-squashed), I would really like to support widescreen and the 640 size is just a bit too blocky and antiquated for my next project.  Right now I'm working in 1024x768, and although the image looks nice, I would much rather work with a widescreen composition since the game is very cinematic in nature.

A smart resolution system like GarageGothic suggested sounds like a dream solution.  I'll also throw in, I would love the option of still having the wide composition "pan & scanned" inside a square resolution viewport, as an alternative to 4:3 players having black bars.  It seems like these kinds of flexible solutions could be built into a smart resolution system like that.

Thanks!
-s

New thought on the resolution issue.

I suppose what I'd really like to see is this scenario:


* a higher, widescreen resolution is implemented (1280x800, or even better 1920x1080)

* a game is developed in this resolution

* when played, player is given choices of resolution.  At full res, the game plays as it looked when it was designed.  On a lower res of, say, 640x480, the screen is vertically reduced to 480px, but the image retains original aspect ratio and the remaining areas of the screen simply scroll left/right. 

In this way, you could design a room that is one single screen at high res, but when played in low res the screen would be a scroller.


Is this something that would be doable?  And, how would it effect the GUI?  Could the GUI simply scale down with the screen?  Or would the designer need to include alternate sets of GUIs for each res?  (worst case scenario, probably unnecessary but I wanted to throw it out there).

I am really interested in this feature, as the only way to play AGS games on modern screens now is to play in a window, or play it vertically squeezed.

Thanks Chris!
-s

I know this is really old one, but I thought it might be worth asking the question over again, since it's been a few years and I notice this is still in v3:

NOTE: The conversation will not start immediately; instead, it will be run when the current script function finishes executing.

I was just wondering today why it works this way, and then I ran across this older post.  Is there a reason a function can't pause to run a dialog, then return to the same spot in the script?  As opposed to continuing through the script and then running the dialog afterward?

As it stands, I have just been using indenting to write truck loads of code within each dialog.

Is that the best way to do it, or has this issue been addressed in some way since this message?

Thanks,
-s

Yeah that's me, and after posting a photo of my working screen, I actually had a few commenters on my page point out "hey you're developing a Windows game on a Mac!"

IMO, yes there are other adventure game engines like Wintermute, etc, but you are going to spend a lot more time learning those things than you would setting up Parallels or something.  By an order of magnitude.  When it comes to smooth learning curve and all the features you'd want, nothing really compares to the level of development and polish put into AGS over the years, it really blows away even the tools they had at LucasArts and Sierra.  The only reason to look at other engines, I think, would be to move to 3D.

I develop on a Mac using Parallels.  The setup is basically: install parallels, select Windows XP, insert the Windows disc, click "next" several times, wait about 5 minutes, and viola.  You have a whole PC running in a window with its own hard drive and everything.  It's quite transparent, and you really don't need to learn anything about how it works, it's all pretty simple.

As for learning AGS, check out Densming's tutorials on YouTube.  That'll get you started quick.

-s

I make a movie.  That's usually such a horrible, gut-wrenching experience that I come back to games really excited to be doing anything BUT making movies.  I've always found it works to jump back and forth between two very different creative outlets.  Rob Zombie uses music and movies, he claims he escapes from one to the other.  Like, he churns out some catchy disco/metal tunes that sounds just like his first twelve albums, and then he jumps over to horribly massacre the craft of film.

Maybe that's a bad example.

Anyway, I agree with Dave too, finishing your work is paramount.  Anyone can start a project, but a real designer/director *has* to finish the work, no matter how tough it gets.  You just have to.  Otherwise, it's just a hobby.

-s

Thanks guys!  My counter just broke 40,000 over the first weekend.  Freakin' a.  Guess that's the power of Star Wars for ya.

I've also put up a BB, and I'll be sure to add an AGS forum for shop talk. 

* Place and drag hotspot WalkTo coords with mouseclick functionality.
* Implement FaceDirection command for more precision over character views.

These two would definitely save a little legwork while coding.  I'd love to be able to make generic hotspots I can just make on the map screen and name, and use for whatever I want in the game without having to worry about flipping back and forth and remembering X/Y coords.  Nothing earth shattering, but cool nonetheless.

-s

Just wanted to let the readers of this thread know that, as many have suspected, this demo was in fact part of a larger game, and I have opened an official thread for it in the Games in Production forum!

Han Solo Adventures
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=38668.0

Go easy on him, these poor kids are having their brains warped with battledroids and Gungans.  It's never too late to learn about the "real" Star Wars.  

Notice how cool Han looks in the top graphic on my website.  Hayden Christensen could never... ever... look that cool.  A Harrison Ford only comes along once every few decades.  That's why he had to pull double duty as Han Solo *and* Indiana Jones.  The only other dude cool enough to pull it off was too old by that time, and all warn out from schoolin' the James Bond series (no worries though, he eventually got to play Indy's dad)...

[Story:]

Story:
When a gun run goes bad, Han Solo finds himself stranded on a strange planet somewhere along the outer rim.  Now, he must use his wits to ingratiate himself with the local crime lords and establish himself as an invaluable resource if he is to survive.  To find a way off this rock, Han will need his trusty blaster, a little money, and lot of luck.

Development Progress:
Story: 100%
Screens: 25%
Characters: 20%
Puzzles: 15%
Sound Effects: 0%
Music: 25%

Development Diary:

Aug 27, 2009
Game starts at the beginning and is playable through the first couple of puzzles.  Lots of various screens have been made, but I've recently begun working at the game's assets in a more linear fashion.  Next milestone is to get through the first "chapter" of the gameplay and introduce the first main NPC.

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


Hey guys, just wanted to announce my new pet project.  Well, I say new, but this was actually a game I started designing on paper about 20 years ago, and only now find myself drawn back to it with the ever advancing AGS editor being so easy to get into and use.  Densming's awesome video tutorial also really got me kick-started.

The game is standard 320x200, and the style is intended to mimmic the FOA SCUMM interface fairly closely, as if it had been developed along side it and released six months later, essentially.  Although the backgrounds are a little more realistic in most places.

It all began as a way to learn the basics of the engine, and I was scanning in all my old sketches just to get something up and running.  I guess seeing this design I drew up, way back when I was a teenager, actually moving around now and working onscreen, it just ignited a fire under me to drag out all my old notebooks, fire up Photoshop, and do it right!  

I actually used the in-game graphics to create a clip for the StarWarsUncut.com project last week, and it's already gotten some awesome response on Vimeo: http://www.vimeo.com/6174830.  Maybe some new blood will come check out AGS.


Here's the Han Solo Adventures dev site:
http://www.hansoloadventures.com


Thanks guys, and I will surely chime in with new screenshots and stuff as the project progresses!
~s

EDIT: Thanks for the reminder!  Two screens up... plus a video

Thanks Dual!  As a matter of fact, it's actually a little more than a mock-up.  (innocent whistling)

Gilbert: I used AGS, so I figured it was relevant.

You know, the only thing that ever gave me trouble was getting the video screencap software to talk nice to Final Cut Pro (mostly PC/Mac codec issues).  That took me hours, everything AGS related went like clockwork.   :

That means it's no longer available to "re-film".  I should say, when you click on the link, click on "Watch Finished."

So, this guy apparently decided to chop up Star Wars into 15-second clips, and put up a site where people are encouraged to film their own version of the movie slice by slice:

http://www.starwarsuncut.com

Of course, this is obviously the dumbest, most ridiculous idea of all time, so I totally had to get involved in it as soon as humanly possible.  I'm happy to say, I snagged--I think--the best scene in the film. Let's just say, it's a scene I have been aiming to set right, after recent events totally screwed the blasted thing up, shooting it off in a strange direction and leaving it a bit dodgy. 

Fully intended puns aside, I just uploaded my clip tonight.

It's #196, about half way down the page on the left, with Greedo on the thumbnail.  Or just go to: http://www.starwarsuncut.com/#/scene/196

AGSers who check it out should get quite a laugh.   

-s

I've seen a lot of discussion on widescreen resolutions, and this is definitely a topic that concerns me, as I'd like to be able to offer the best gameplay experience possible to people with modern machines, and these days just about all the monitors you find are 16:10.  However, I do see the problem with alienating those with older monitors, and 1024 is definitely the best overall option out there there, because pretty much any machine made in the last 8 years or so will at least have that.

Can you answer me this one question, though: say there is a 1280x800 mode implemented, and my game is designed for that resolution.  When the player with an older 1024x768 SVGA system fires it up, could that 1280 game be scaled down and have black bars added to the top and bottom of the screen?  Or would a 1280 game simply be an impossibility for a 1024 user?

The black bars for widescreen monitors in 4:3 mode is a fantastic addition, BTW. Thanks for implementing that!

Thanks!
-s

I don't see either of those in the global script.

I'm using the newest MI2 template modded to work with 2.72.  I've tried to use the "Use Selected Inventory Graphic For Cursor" option, setting the CursorImage in the editor, but when I chose to "use the item",  no matter what, all I get is that blinking crosshairs cursor.

Any ideas?

I'm thinking about going with the 2.71/2.72 Beta compatible MI2 template from the LucasArts thread and just re-tooling it to my needs graphically.  I suppose that might be a better way to go.

-s