Messages

I got my first dose of Pfizer this morning (thanks the Mandle, who hooked me up with a doctor who had enough stock.

I felt a bit weird a few minutes after the jab, so they kept me waiting a bit longer just to make sure I was okay. Then by early evening I already had a low-grade fever.

- the game story, graphics and scripts must be original and created during the month

Actually not quite. The story should be original, but as a way to encourage more entrants we recently changed the rules to allow existing assets such as sprites and pieces of script. Technically the topic setter can decide not to allow this, but I don’t think anyone has yet prohibited it since we changed the rule.

- the UI/Inventory scripts can be used from any standard template, or even reusing some existing scripts that you have (?)

Yes, this is fine. Any official template is fine (always was) and now you can use pre-existing templates, if it will make your life easier.

- the sound effects and music can come from any legally usable sources

Yes. Any sound/music is fine as long as you are using it fairly and legally.

All that said, games made with original assets invariably get the more attention. But if your main purpose is to just a game up and running in as short a time as possible, then I can’t think of a better way than entering MAGS and using all the templates and assets you can.

I will say though, that I think [The Lord of the Rings is] unfairly painted as difficult and challenging to read, whereas I had no problem whatsoever reading them all in a breeze.

Yeah, it’s not the most difficult fantasy out there. But it can be daunting to see that big slab of paper full of hard-to-pronounce names and places. I honestly never did finish my copy of the book, but then I’m a slow reader anyway. You can buy them separately, which I might consider doing if I ever buy it for my boy.

Out of interest, what would you say is some of the most difficult high fantasy out there? I haven’t read much.

[Win a Million]

Time to vote on August's games.
Please vote using the poll above.

Option 1:  Win a Million by Slasher
https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/2562-win-a-million-


Option 2:  Guy: By Hook or by Crook by remz
https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/2563-guy-by-hook-or-by-crook


Option 3:  Trade it forward by Cassiebsg and heltenjon
https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/2564-trade-it-forward/



By Hook or by Crook
Topic set by: Slasher

You want something at any cost and will try anything and everything to get it!

Start creating. You may use previous assets...




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.

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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.
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I'm glad there have been a few entries because I'm not going to be able to submit mine. Maybe I'll do a rewrite in the coming days and post it after the voting.

[Castle Escape: Chapter 1]

Sorry for the delay.
From what I can see, Castle Escape: Chapter 1 by Fernewelten is the only entry, and therefore the winner. Well done for completing your entry, Ferne. I'll be in charge touch in due course, about choosing a topic for September.

I’m going to be out of commission tomorrow, so you have a de facto 24 hour extension if anyone needs it.

I’ve got something of a rough draft but not sure if I’ve got time to sit and make it readable. I’ll see what I can do though.

I love my meat, and I don’t feel particularly guilty about animals being farmed for food, but I am feeling increasingly hypocritical the more I read about the effect the industry is having in the environment. I never used to imagine even considering vegetarianism, but I have recently thought about cutting down and just not being too greedy with it.

Unfortunately, the simple fact of humans enjoying cows and pigs for dinner is not really the problem. The problem is there are too freaking many of us (by several billion). If there were a reasonable number of humans on the planet we could chop all the trees and eat all the meat and burn all the coal we ever wanted.

TL;DR Thanos was right.

I’m still in the port but have gathered a crew and plotted a course to the treasure, though my navigator is still drunk on rum, and there’s a storm on the horizon. So it’s not looking very hopeful at the moment.

I’m in. Not sure I can think of a way to use this theme for a story set in my book’s world, but I’ll have a think.

How are things looking, folks?

[EjectedStar]

So here are a few thoughts I had about each story. Not much that hasn’t been said already but anyways…

EjectedStar I loved the idea and you managed to create some vivid images in my mind with your descriptions. What you have here though is an epic fantasy saga summarized in few paragraphs. I would read the hell out of this exact story if it was given the page count required to tell it fully.

Sinitrena Maybe I was sucked in by the novelty of the rotated text but I chose this as my favourite. I loved the idea of the misunderstood demons who just want to play. I thought that would make a great concept for a manga and/or anime.

Mandle Part 1 had some solid world-building and set-up for the rest of the story. On it’s own I couldn’t choose it as my favourite, but I was glad I read all four parts because it really paid off, and then some. I’m very much looking forward to the next draft.

Wham The writing style was very cool and you managed to paint a vivid picture of the bar.  You also managed to create good tension between the three wiseguys and the band manager. But I didn’t really understand exactly what was going on. I also feel that the three men could have been condensed into one, maybe two if you really needed the dialogue to drive the first part.

Out of curiousity, did anyone bother to read the upside-down text or did you all jump right to the easier to read version?

Congrats EjectedStar. I look forward to your next theme.

@Sinitrena. I read the upside down text with little difficulty. There were only a few times I got hung up and had to look more carefully to work out a word. And occasionally my eyes saw an entirely different word than was actually written. Very cool idea but I’m glad it was just a short story. A whole book like that would drive me loopy.

I’ve voted. It’s really hard assigning points but what’s done is done. I’ll try to give a couple of comments if I have a moment. But for now just to say that Mandle’s story is worth seeing through to finale, it is absolutely bonkers.

Stupot: I love the idea and the concept of the story, so much so that it ended up as my favorite. Nevertheless, there are some things I think could be a bit better, first and foremost that the story leaves too many questions unanswered: What did actually happen, being the main one. Also, is this new job of Gayle something that is normal in this world, or is she the only person doing it? Again, the consept of a different kind of psychic is great and has a whole lot of potential and I'd kinda like to meet this character again.

Thanks for your nice comments. I’m glad you say that because Gayle is actually the protagonist of a book project I’m working on. I wrote this as a bit of world-building for the longer project dealing with memory. This scene might not even be in the book but it really helped me work out a bit about the rules of this world. Those unanswered questions you have will be answered in the book. Except the question of what actually happened in Prague. That was a deliberate decision to show the rules of Gayle’s ability (she can’t read Smith’s memory of certain parts because Smith wasn’t conscious to form those memories).

I think I’m going to keep entering FWC with stories set within this world, if I can make it fit the theme.

I've stumbled on this woman Hazel O'Connor who apparently was quite famous in the 80's but I can't say I'd ever heard of her before.

She's got a massive catalogue but I'm currently enjoying her debut album from 1980, Breaking Glass.

Still no word for me. My wife’s getting hers in a week or two through her company, but it turns out that doesn’t include family after all, so I have to wait for my official invitation, which who knows when that will be.

[How Can I Help You Remember?]

Slight content warning for those who might need one:

Spoiler

Suicide and implied sexual abuse, though they aren’t described in detail.

[close]

How Can I Help You Remember?

“Your phone’s ringing,” Natalie said. It wasn’t actually ringing. It was vibrating. Gayle hadn’t set her phone to actually ring in the whole three years she’d had it. She noted that she would have to change the setting now that, she hoped, she would be receiving more calls.

“Oh shit. My first customer.”

“Client. It’s better to use client.”

“Shit shit shit.”

“Just answer it.”

Gayle pressed the green tick to answer the call. “Do people still call it ‘picking up’?” she wondered before saying “Hello?”

Natalie smacked her palm into her own face and shook her head, cringing.

“I mean, er. Good afternoon. Gayle Ward speaking. How can I help you remember?”

Natalie peeled her hand away and mouthed “better”.

The call lasted just two minutes and was businesslike. An appointment was arranged for Friday afternoon. Gayle was to visit the lady, Mrs Smith (pronounced Smiff), at her home on Roulade Street.

Friday came and Gayle was standing in Mrs Smith’s hallway, admiring the decor. She didn’t actually admire the decor â€" flowers upon flowers upon petals. Not a plain surface in sight â€" but she was admiring the decor.

The lady had gone to shut the dogs in a back room somewhere, so as not to disturb the reading. When she came back, she giggled with excitement and led Gayle into the living room.

“I’ve prepared the photos, just like you instructed.”

“Thank you.” They both sat down on the floral sofa, peppered with floral cushions, and the Gayle wasted no time in picking up one of the photos laid out on the coffee table. “Tell me about this one.”

“Ahh, that’s my husband Cliff.”

Cliff Smiff, Gayle noted to herself. “And he’s…”.

“Deceased, yes.” A solemn single nod. “Jumped off Beachy Head.”

“I see,” was all that Gayle felt was needed in response. “And what is it you’d like me to help you remember?”

“The honeymoon.” The woman’s face took on the cartoonish expression of someone who is certain that the crossword setter has surely made a mistake. “I just can’t remember it any more. It was so long ago.”

“Where was it?”

“Prague?”

“Nice?”

“Oh lovely, we stayed in a gorgeous little room in the old town. I could see Saint Vitus Cathedral from the window. We walked along the river and crossed the Charles Bridge, and found the John Lennon wall. Dined outside in the cool evening breeze. Found a couple of bars. And the absintheâ€"“

The blood drained from the woman’s face, and Gayle felt the same happening to her own.

“H-how’d you do that?” Smith said, trying to put on a curious tone. “What’s the t-trick?” But she was shaking. She was scared.

“Errm. Gayle started. But she was scared as well. She’d seen something in Mrs Smith’s memory that had shaken her life out of her. Out of both of them. “I, err, I should go.”

Smith looked panicked. “No. Please. Stay… I haven’t paid you yet.” She fussed around as if looking for her purse, but she looked like a scared horse ready to bolt.

“No, please. I can’t take your money.” Gayle couldn’t get the images out of her mind.


Cliff and Julie Smith, newlyweds. Drinking in an underground bar. They’re approached by a couple, Australians, Toni and Russ, who befriend them and invite them back to their hostel, a short walk away. A bottle of absinthe is introduced. Cliff is out cold after just a couple of drinks. Toni begins kissing Julie and Julie is enjoying it. Then Russ begins taking his clothes off and Julie looks over at her unconscious husband.

The rest is blurry. When she blinks herself awake she sees Cliff standing still with a kitchen knife in his hand. Toni and Russ are lifeless, covered in blood. Julie Smith loses consciousness again.


“He killed them.” It was a moment before Gayle realised she had said these words, not Mrs Smith.

Mrs Smith began to sob.

“I’m sorry I came,” said Gayle, gathering up her belongings, “I won’t be asking for any money.”

“What’s gonna happen to me?”

“I’m not going to call the police.”

“No, I mean… what’s going to happen to ME?”

“I’m sorry. I just read memories. I’m not a fortune teller.” It came out much colder than intended and she was genuinely sorry. “Look. Your mind worked hard to bury your honeymoon memories. I should never have undone that. It was wrong of me to come here.”

She left. Mrs Smith screamed after her, “What about meeee?!”

Gayle would never know exactly what happened in Prague that night. But something told her Cliff and Julie were not murderers.  Whatever happened, Julie’s mind had mercifully blocked out her limited memories of that night. Cliff had not had the same luxury, instead being consumed by the memories for ten years before he put a stop to them.

Three days after Gayle’s visit, Julie Smith’s car was found abandoned near Beachy Head, though her body has yet to be found.

Anyone else in?