Messages

[Time to vote]

Time to vote

Very sorry for the delay in getting this up. I just haven't been able to squeeze out a moment with my laptop.

Hopefully you've been enjoying the games and thinking about your favourite one.

Please vote using the poll above:

The Zoo by 4KbShort
Carnival of Shadows by GooseKult
The Stew of Las Moras by Babar and jfrisby

Sorry for the delay with the poll. Keep your eyes peeled

Here are my votes:

Spoiler

Sinitrena: 3
Voh: 3
Mandle: 4

[close]

(Feedback pending)

I don't think you've missed anything, just pay close attention to what the guy on the couch says! Thanks for playing!

That was the nudge I needed. And thanks for making a very enjoyable game! May be a bug if you click on the fuse box a second time after getting the Ferris Wheel to move. Seems to lock up the mouse movement and stall the game.

Glad you enjoyed and thanks for the info. I will look into fixing it after the jam ends!

It's fine to go in and fix game-breaking bugs during voting, so feel free. We want people to be able to finish the games.

[Nature]

Theme: Nature
Set by: speksteen

Well done to ddavey1983, aka GOC Games, for winning MAGS July with Becalmed.

	Becalmed by GOC Games
	Hoopoe's Inferno by Babar and jfrisby

Whether you dislike or love certain aspects of nature it's hard to avoid it in real life or in videogames. It could have a comedic theme like the office worker having to go to work in wet clothes from the pesky rainfall.

Nature can also be menacing. Tornados, earthquakes and more, while terrible in real life, can make for some heart-racing scenarios in games.

For example, the funghi and overgrown green in The Last of Us.



Nature has also been used as a theme of exploration and a sense of adventure and part of some beautiful storytelling. Like the game Firewatch.



What does nature mean for you? Something good or bad? Do you live near nature that gives you good feelings? I hope you feel complete freedom in coming up with ideas and concepts that speak to your mind. Have fun!



What is MAGS?
Started in 2001, MAGS is a competition for amateur adventure game makers. The idea is to create a game in under a month, following the guidelines set by the previous winner. It aims to help you work to a deadline, improve your skills, and provide a kick-start into making adventure games. Regardless of skill, MAGS is for everyone. Voting is based on "favourite" games, and not the most artistic, or the best coded. If you have bad art skills, use it as a chance to do some graphic work. If you're sub-standard at coding, use it as a chance to give scripting a go. Ultimately, people will vote for the most enjoyable entry.

Rules
Entering MAGS is simple. First, conceptualize your game following the month's criteria (see above). Second, create your game fuelled only by coffee. Finally, post your game in this thread, including:

* A working download link
* The title of your game
* A suitable in-game screenshot

At the end of the month, voting will begin, usually lasting for fourteen days, and the winner chooses the next month's theme.

Remember that this is a challenge to see what you can do in a month, so any tinkering you do after that, including fixing minor glitches, is against the spirit of the competition. The exception to this is that you may go in and fix major, game-breaking bugs only during voting. We want you to have a game that voters can actually play and that runs on their machines.

So to reiterate, during the voting period fixing major, game-breaking bugs is okay, fixing minor glitches or making cosmetic changes is cheating.

Tips
Here are some ways to make sure you have a game to submit at the end of the month:
* Make a tiny game. Plan small, then cut it in half. Find shortcuts (e.g. if making walkcycles is time-consuming, make the characters static or have it in the first person).
* Plan to have your game playable and submittable with a week to spare. This way you have a week to fix bugs, add some flourishes and maybe even get someone to test it.
* Plan to submit it a day or so early. This way, if there are any technical issues with uploading, they can be sorted out in time.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Need a little help with graphics? Perhaps The AGS Trove has something you can use.
Don't want to go it alone? Try the Recruitment board.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

That looks like 3 entries to me. Good job everyone.

I'll rig up the poll etc tomorrow, as I'm busy today, so there's still time to sneak in a late entry before then.

There are some gorgeous-looking games in there.

Two games already, and days to spare.
Amazing scenes.

A quick heads up to say that I almost certainly won't be able to enter this round. Apologies. I was working on a story, and have it basically plotted out, but I'm not going to have time to actually write the damn thing.

Truth be told, I am probably going to take a bit of time off from FWC. The chances I get to practice writing are already extremely few and far between and depend on a lot of factors. I have a few projects in various stages of unfinishedness, and I want to give them a bit of attention.

I might still enter something very short sometimes if I get a good idea, and I'll still check the threads and read/vote whenever can.

Imma try to get in on this one.

Woah. Welcome back, Voh.

I noticed that even though my bookmark includes 'www', when I click on it, the non-www version of the url is what is printed to the address bar, and that is not loading. I actually have to physically type the www into the address bar myself for it to work.

Very strange.

Not a huge deal but the main forums site's title is now just "Index"

Could this be related to why the forum does not seem to be loading on my phone? Oddly, when I go to the main homepage and navigate to the forum, its fine, but when I go directly to the forum URL from the address bar, or from a bookmark, it just comes up with a white background, even though the URL is exactly the same.

The same is true for both: https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/ and https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php

Would be cool to see more competitors. Would it maybe be an idea to also post the jams on Itch.io to attract more people?

I like that idea.

We tried this once last year and it honestly made no difference.
https://itch.io/jam/mags-august-2023

Well done to @speksteen.
Good stuff. I'll be in touch soon about choosing a theme for July

@dharmadischarge

Spoiler

This story seems to be a kaleidoscope of intriguing things, which I like, but I can't really get a sense from this synopsis of what is going on or what to expect. That could well be the point, with the trippy nature of the story and all, but I was left wanting a little bit more to hold onto.

[close]

@Sinitrena

Spoiler

I like the concept you've got here. Sounds similar to the "novella in flash" I've been hearing a lot about lately, with lots of shorter peices making up a whole story. I'll have to refamiliarise myself with the various stories in this world. Do you have them all in one place somewhere? Or do we have to wait for the book?

[close]

@Baron

Spoiler

I like the sound of this one. It feels sort of like the set up to The X-Files but in a fantasy setting, which I haven't seen done before. It sounds like you're actually going ahead and publishing this, which is exciting. Let us know when it's ready to order.

[close]

Votes

Spoiler

I am sharing my votes between Sinitrena and Baron. Both synopses told me enough about their worlds, characters and plots to give me an idea of what to expect from the books. Unfortunately, Dharma's left me scratching my head a little, although I would still love to learn more about the project. Baron's pips it for me because it feels more like my cup of tea.

Baron 2
Sinitrena 1

[close]

Probbleham High
Book One: Probbleham Child

Welcome to Probbleham High, the worst school in England. The pupils don't care and the teachers have been driven to despair. It's scatterbrained Jax's first day, after being kicked out of High Browton High for accidentally having the hem of her skirt half an inch too far above the knee.

Jax, unused to the chaos of Probbleham High, finds herself at the centre of a playground turf war between three rival gangs, each led by teachers. She is knocked unconscious during a brutal game of British Bulldog. She vows to get out of this shithole and back to where she belongs.

However, the knock on the head must have done something to her. She begins to open up and forms a relationship with Max, Probbleham High's resident prankster, and his motley club of misfits. She begins to realise she has more in common with these crazy bastards than with the posh twats at Highbrow

One day, after a parents' evening in which three parents showed up, Jax finds Principal Trembly in the school gym on the cusp of suicide. Tragically for him, she saves his life. He tells her that the Ofsted inspectors are coming, and the school is on its last legs. The only way for Probbleham High to survive another term is by uniting the three gangs and pulling together as one. Jax has an idea.

Jax, Max and their rag-tag group of losers begin the task of infiltrating each of the gangs to slowly sow the seeds of reconcilliation. It's an almost impossible task, but Jax has a few tricks up her sleeve, as we'll learn.

As the story progresses, we learn about the difficult home lives of Jax's new friends and some of the other students. Meanwhile, dead animals start turning up at Probbleham High, and someone in a Highbrow High uniform is seen fleeing the school in the early hours of the morning. The heads of the three gangs call a ceasefire to work together and get revenge on the posh bastards at Highbrow.

All out war breaks out between the two schools, and things quickly spiral out of control. News that Probbleham High is on its last chance begins to spead, and the pupils are suddenly faced with the reality of their situation: if their school is closed down, it will affect their futures, and they will all amount to nothing.

Newly-united, the pupils begin to work together to save the school. Then, at the worst possible moment, the poshos at High Browton get revenge by setting fire to one whole wing of the school, almost killing a hopeful Principal Trembley.

Jax is forced to come clean. It was she who had earlier left the dead animals in her old High Browton uniform, and started all of this. But instead of hating her, the kids of Probbleham High are driven even harder to make her plan work and save their school from closure. As the book ends, she is titled a true "Probbleham child", a title made up just now, because until today, none of them cared enough to give themselves a cool nickname.

So concludes Book One of a planned "Probbleham High" duology. Book two will explore how the pupils of Probbleham High use all of their weaknesses as strengths in their attempt to turn their school around before the inspectors arrive, followed by the inspection itself. How bad could it be?

As it turns out, very very bad.

[Mathilde's Dream]

Time to vote, chaps and chapettes.

2 weeks to vote. Please use the poll above.

	Mathilde's Dream by Speksteen
	Blackbird Pie by Radiant

I'm not participating this month, since we submitted the theme and I'm crazy busy, but... 

For future reference, it's perfectly fine to enter two months in a row, even if you set the theme. I think everyone trusts that no one is going to give themselves a secret head start.

[OneDollar]

Tourist Attraction
Guidelines set by OneDollar

Please vote using the poll above:

The Zoo by 4KbShort
Carnival of Shadows by GooseKult
The Stew of Las Moras by Babar and jfrisby



There are many ways to bring in the tourists and, more importantly, separate them from their money. Themed restaurants, sketchy fairground rides, strange art installations, museums about bizarre subjects... all trying to tempt you in with promises of unique and unforgettable experiences.

This month your task is to set your game in or around a tourist attraction of some kind. What sort of place is it? Is your player visiting the attraction, do they work there, or do they have some other reason for being there? Is it the hot place to visit, or just barely staying open? Maybe it closed years ago and is sitting abandoned... or at least you think it's empty...



What is MAGS?
Started in 2001, MAGS is a competition for amateur adventure game makers. The idea is to create a game in under a month, following the guidelines set by the previous winner. It aims to help you work to a deadline, improve your skills, and provide a kick-start into making adventure games. Regardless of skill, MAGS is for everyone. Voting is based on "favourite" games, and not the most artistic, or the best coded. If you have bad art skills, use it as a chance to do some graphic work. If you're sub-standard at coding, use it as a chance to give scripting a go. Ultimately, people will vote for the most enjoyable entry.

Rules
Entering MAGS is simple. First, conceptualize your game following the month's criteria (see above). Second, create your game fuelled only by coffee. Finally, post your game in this thread, including:

* A working download link
* The title of your game
* A suitable in-game screenshot

At the end of the month, voting will begin, usually lasting for fourteen days, and the winner chooses the next month's theme.

Remember that this is a challenge to see what you can do in a month, so any tinkering you do after that, including fixing minor glitches, is against the spirit of the competition. The exception to this is that you may go in and fix major, game-breaking bugs only during voting. We want you to have a game that voters can actually play and that runs on their machines.

So to reiterate, during the voting period fixing major, game-breaking bugs is okay, fixing minor glitches or making cosmetic changes is cheating.

Tips
Here are some ways to make sure you have a game to submit at the end of the month:
* Make a tiny game. Plan small, then cut it in half. Find shortcuts (e.g. if making walkcycles is time-consuming, make the characters static or have it in the first person).
* Plan to have your game playable and submittable with a week to spare. This way you have a week to fix bugs, add some flourishes and maybe even get someone to test it.
* Plan to submit it a day or so early. This way, if there are any technical issues with uploading, they can be sorted out in time.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Need a little help with graphics? Perhaps The AGS Trove has something you can use.
Don't want to go it alone? Try the Recruitment board.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Thanks @Radiant and @speksteen.

I know the forum was down for some time yesterday, so I'll leave this open for a bit longer, in case anyone else has been trying to post an entry.