Messages

Apologies for the delay. Six entries, though. Well done everyone.

Please vote using the poll above.
And then go and rate and comment on the databse pages

	Ice Station Zero by Slasher
	Rain & Snow - The Bouncer by Intense Degree
	The Cabin by TheBitPriest
	Not My First Apocalypse: Stormpuncher by PlayPretend
	The Cradle by Creamy, Kastchey and Julia
	The Cat Case by Racoon

As always. Let me know if I've missed anything.

Lovely stuff. Merry Christmas, Barb x

Some cracking looking entries. Thanks everyone. I’ll draw up the voting poll some time in the next few hours.

You posted that alright :-)

I know you’re all still hard at work on November’s games, but just to let you know, the thread for December is finally up if you wanna peek?

https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=58622

[Companions]

Voting time. Please vote using the poll above.

Companions
Chosen by PlayPretend

With so much isolation in the world, we could all use a boon companion to help us along!

- A companion must accompany your main character everywhere in the game.

- They must help your main character solve puzzles - by giving advice, taking physical action, or using a power/skill, etc.

- They don't have to be visible or a separate character sprite - "carrying inside your inventory", "riding on your back", "constant voice inside your head" are all good to save on art/animation, as long as they're regularly used to solve puzzles.  If you separate to solve a puzzle, get back together quickly.

Other than that, go nuts, get wild, be surprising with your interpretations!    Alien chestburster?  Talking parrot-headed umbrella?  Sentient hammer?  Floaty ghost following you?

Can't wait to see what you come up with! 



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.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Between you and me, an extension would suit me too. Let’s say 3 days. But as part of the deal you all have to promise to rate and comment on all the entries when you download them (if they have an AGS game page).

This looks amazing. I look forward to having a browse. Any idea for the name of the website or is it too early for that?

Final furlong guys. Now would be a great time to start putting your finishing touches on and testing for bugs.

I finished watching Erased. While I think the atmosphere in the life-acting drama series was better, I enjoyed the ending of the anime more (it is significantly different).

I enjoyed the drama (a rare Japanese drama that I liked - I generally find them unwatchable). I didn’t even know there was an anime version, so I’ll check it out.

[Lord of Light]

Congratulations PlayPretend. A very convincing win for Lord of Light.

Thanks to all participants and voters. Don’t forget to rate and comment on the game pages if you haven’t already.

Bumping this as it starts tomorrow. Who’s entering?

Happy birthday Snarky. Have a great day.

Ghibli don’t have a bad movie in their catalogue. But I do think overall they are a little over-rated. Spirited Away is one of my favourite films but I wonder if that’s just because it was my first Ghibli, and came to me at a time when I was just developing my interest in anything to do with Japan.

There seems to be an expectation that all foreigners in Japan should be at least Ghibli fans, if not outright anime otaku. But in honesty, I’m sort of with Mandle. Naussicca, Mononoke, Totoro. These are films I’ve only seen once. I enjoyed them at the time but they’re not top of my list for a rewatch. The only one I rewatch from time to time is Castle of Cagliostro but I’m coming to that for Lupin III, not Ghibli.

Which reminds me of another film for this list. Grave of the Fireflies. Great, beautiful movie. Not for me, thanks.

Nose hair.

No, I think it’s more that you just haven’t got used to it. Nose hair is actually there to help protect you.

@Jack - I asked you a straight question and was rather hoping for a straight answer. You instead cut that question out of my quote and then proceeded to tell me that my expressing nerves about an unstable political situation is somehow going to cause World War 3.

You got in though, didn’t you? Welcome to the club.

Something that grinds my gears is when you come up with a [...] thought [...], making sure to point out all of the evidence and reasoning for how you came to this conclusion.
Only to have someone say "No, you're wrong." and that's it. No rebuttals, no other comments. Just that. All because [people are assholes].

@Jack. Forget Donald Rumsfeld. Are you not at least a little bit nervous about what Trump might be up to? Because I am. And if you genuinely think I shouldn’t be, please tell me why. It would be a weight off my mind.

I’ve got a bad feeling about this.

Trump is purging the Pentagon and replacing everybody with ass-lickers. He ain’t planning on leaving the White House without a fight and it’s going to get ugly. I don’t want the title of this thread to come true, but until Biden (or Harris, or anyone) is safely installed in the Oval Office, I will remain very nervous for all of us.