Messages

Innnnnteresting, I never played "Unfinished," which would probably explain why I didn't get Bluber's joke earlier.Ã,  Unfortunately now the download link doesn't seem to be working, so I can't see what all the buzz is about.Ã,  Heh, I happen to think parody is the sincerest form of flattery, so hopefully I'll get a chance to check out his game someday.

And Alun, don't worry, I didn't think you were complaining.Ã,  Glad to see you liked the game, tricky parts and all.Ã,  Now, on to my next game...

Love it.  Very original style and idea, I can't wait to see it finished.

"Does she take her coffee black, like her men?"

Okay, let's just wait until someone makes the obvious joke...

Um, I thought that was the obvious joke.Ã,  Hey, I don't discriminate.
For the record, though, I prefer tea.

Well, a friend of mine and recent media darling (I'm going to get kicked in the shins for that one) The Ivy, introduced me to the blue cup with her game, Spooks. Though I doubt she thought I would join this forum and embarrass her infront of her internet friends.

ps. she is slightly more sassy in real life than she is on the board.

Sassy?  Well, maybe they just haven't made the right emoticon for sass.   I hope you realize that as the only one on these boards who knows me in real life, you'll be subject to all sorts of interesting questions.

"What kinds of shoes does The Ivy wear?"
"Can she recommend a reliable automobile?"
"Does she take her coffee black, like her men?"
etc.

Welcome to the boards, SmootH.

P.S. I found AGS through a friend.  If you beat my game, she's mentioned in the credits.

[1. How long have you been involved in the AGS community?]

Name: Erin Robinson

Age: 19

Female/male: Female

1. How long have you been involved in the AGS community?
Less than a year.

2. Why did you get involved in AGS?
I learned about it from a friend.

3. How do you feel that the fact that AGS is a freeware programme affect the community that has built up around it?
It means we're cheap? Ã, I dunno, I would assume a lot more amateur games are being made, and it's very accessible to anyone who wants to give it a try.

4. How big a part does the AGS community play in your life?
I like the people here, they're generally very helpful and encouraging. Ã, Since we all share this interest in adventure games, a lot of good criticism and suggestions for making games can be found. Ã, I also like the fact that you can post any art in the critic's lounge and hear suggestions from all levels of artists (including some very talented ones).

5. Have you been involved in making any games using AGS? You may list them if you want.
Yep, I just released a game called "Spooks."Ã,  Play it, I worked hard.Ã, 

6. Answer these questions if you have been involved in making AGS games:


a. Were you interested in game design/programming before you started using AGS?
Yeah, essentially since I first played a computer game. Ã, When I was about 6, I'd draw pictures showing how Commander Keen would be so much better if he was a girl who hopped around collecting rainbows.

b. If no, do you feel that you would have got into game design without AGS?
N/A

c. Do you make games using other programmes, either freeware or not? How does the experience differ?
Nope, I don't have enough experience with programming for that.

d. Has AGS inspired you to try and take up game design professionally?
Haha, no. Ã, I imagine I wouldn't be as motivated to work on things if it was my job, anyway.

Do you feel that there is a gender divide in the AGS community?
Divide? Ã, Nah. Ã, I'm not even sure what that would be like. Ã, Anyone who suggested that women are unable to make computer games would probably be mocked by the rest of the community.

Are you likely to feel differently about a game if you discover it's made by a female? In what way? Ã, 
Yeah, if it's a good game and it's made by a female, I feel a "Right on!" kind of sentiment.

Do you feel that AGS makes it easier for females to get involved in computer game design? In what way? Ã, 
Personally, I haven't had much programming experience since that's not where my interests lie. Ã, That's why I was so excited when I found AGS, since you don't need a background in that sort of thing before you can make a game. Ã, It certainly made it easier for me to get a start, but I think a lot of community members can agree with that, not just the females.

Do you feel that there is a difference between the types of games created by males and females?
Not that I can tell. Ã, I have a few ideas for gritty psychological thrillers, and then I have ideas for quirky puzzle games. Ã, It depends on what I feel would make a better game, not the fact that I'm female.

Any other comments?
Will you be posting your paper here once it's done?

SmootH: Hey, sorry aboot any frustrations with the puzzle, but I'm glad you were able to figure it out.Ã,  Thanks for the encouragement!

Neil Dnuma: I appreciate your specific comments, I'll do my best to address those types of things in the future.Ã,  Heh, "MAGS Syndrome" is a good way of putting it, but I made the decision at the start that I could settle for less-than-perfect graphics if it meant getting a game finished, and that's exactly what I did...eight months later, with a ton of help.

Thanks for the other nice comments too.Ã,  I can safely say that hearing things like this is the best part of making a game.Ã, 

splat44: I'm glad you liked it.Ã,  As for a sequel...I dunno.Ã,  I've got lots of other ideas kicking around that I think would make better games.

Mr Flibble: Wicked, let me know how it goes. :-,

SSH: A wizard did it.

Alun_Clewe:

Spoiler

Yeah, the chandelier business is tricky, but I'm glad you got it solved in the end.Ã,  SmootH mentioned in a PM that the tricky part was finding the candle and knowing to take it.Ã,  You're very right that some people have difficulty with different parts of the game, but maybe buloght has a point too.Ã,  Wouldn't want to make a game too easy now, would I?

[close]

buloght: Thanks, bro.

Now for some Spooksy news!

I recomment you check out this week's PODQuest, which you can listen to right here.Ã,  In it, Zooty and Grundislav conduct a review of Spooks, and give it a diabetic shock-inducing "five cups out of five."Ã,  Ã, 

Later on, you can also hear an interview with me (woo, me!), wherein Grundislav and I discuss important things like which is the best flavour of muffin and where to buy obscure action figures.Ã,  He also mentions that ridiculous award you people have saddled me with, making this interview one of those things I won't be sharing with my parents.

So, in conclusion, listen to the PODQuest.



Seriously, all the cool kids are doing it.

Hey, thanks Jess!

I admit I checked out your web site, and I think my sprite was kind of influenced by the colours and themes of some of your work.Ã,  You're definitely the kind of artist I aspire to be.

(For the rest of you, this doesn't count as sucking up since she already named meÃ,  ).

Oh, and congrats to Mr. Frisby, CCM was very unexpected and funny. :-,

Yeah, you can almost hear the sense of grudging obligation in my voice.    Hope y'all liked the PODQuest, it was a lot of fun to record.  True to life, I say "awesome" a lot and declare my love of muffins and the occult.  Er...just muffins.

Oh, and Zooty, finish the game, eh?  The ending bit only took me a month to do. 

Oh. It looked the same color of gray as most of the other books, but i dont know if thats because of my monitor or because I'm slightly color blind, since its hard for me to notice slight differences in shades of colors if its over a small surface area.

Hmm, okay, sorry again about that.Ã,  Luckily, I don't think any of my future games will rely on that kind of colour scheme.

Anyway, it was a fantastic game, and after reading the credits i was surprised to find that you drew that whole game in MS Paint. Thats pretty impressive.

Hey thanks, Superabound!Ã,  I had a fun time creating this game, but I think I'm ready to move on to other software like Photoshop.

Spoiler

Well, the book she needs is actually slightly red in colour, but it might be hard to see on some monitors.Ã,  Whoops, that's my bad.

[close]

Spoiler

Hey, sorry about that.Ã,  It could just be a pixel hunting problem; I know it's tough to tell where exactly the hotspot on the hand cursor is.Ã,  Clicking angrily on and around the book might help.Ã,  Also, it could be that you have no reason to get the book yet.Ã,  Has one of the other characters mentioned it?

[close]

Impossi-girl is having one of those days.

I'm stuck underwater...

Spoiler

I have a plank wedged under the rock and a jug, I think I need to knock loose the spike or get under the bowl but I have no idea how, not even a clue!

[close]

Spoiler

Try having a closer look at that jug.

[close]

Spoiler

listen to his little bit about his myopia being miraculously mended again...Ã,  he's lying.Ã,  You haven't helped him.Ã,  Did you perhaps leave something of his lying about somewhere in the carnageval?

[close]

Well done, Vince...I think you know this game better than I do.

Wow, these comments make me feel all warm and fuzzy.

Fisher: Merci beaucoup.

Fizzii:

Spoiler

Heh, yes, the hair...I didn't think it would hold up well under real gravity.Ã,  Uhhh, no pun intended...sorry.

[close]

Ã, Glad you liked Mortia, she was lots of fun to write for.

magintz: Professional?Ã,  Heh, I don't know about that, I think I just like to make my sprites hurl insults at each other .Ã, 

Grapefruitometrist (er...whatever ): I've asked Vince to create a zip file, which should also make the game more accessible to the Mac users out there.Ã,  Any luck with WinRAR?

Rosie: Aww, you're welcome!

CosmoQueen: It was actually only about 8 months of moderately hard work to get this game done (although I can't speak for the rest of my team on that one).Ã,  Hope you like it.

ggp: Excellent, glad you liked the jokes.Ã,  As for starting another game....AAAUUGH!Ã,  Er, I mean, I think I'll take a few weeks off. :PÃ,  Ã, 

buloght: Can I borrow a pair of socks?Ã,  Mine have been rocked off.

Afflict: Gracias!

Mordalles: Wow, thanks!Ã,  I'm sure a few of those comments will make it into my diary .Ã,  I must be one of those crazy people who considers pixel pushing a legitimate form of artistic expression.

ManicMatt:Ã,  Thanks!Ã,  Glad Spooks made the top 10.Ã, 

provost:Ã,  Jumped out of the mind of Tim Burton?Ã,  Hey, that sounds like a plot idea in itself .Ã,  Seriously, thanks for the compliments, I'm very appreciative.Ã,  Chris, you have cool friends.

vict0r: Hey, thanks again...Norway.Ã, 

Khaaaaan: Cool, can't wait to hear what you think.

Ashen: Hmm, I'm not sure about the future of 'Mortia.'Ã,  I have a few other game ideas fighting for attention right now, and I'm still deciding what I want to do next.Ã,  My next game will probably be in a different graphics style, since I have a Wacom tablet now and I'm just learning to use photoshop.Ã,  What I may end up doing is sketching a few ideas for games, maybe doing some mock screenshots, and having people vote on which idea I go with first.Ã,  I think I can trust that the people on these forums have good taste in games.

calacver: Cool, I'm glad you think Spooks is a nice game.Ã,  Hopefully my artistic abilities will get better with future projects.Ã,  After all, the independent game making community wouldn't stand for anything else.

Take care guys, you've really made my day.

Sweet, this might give me an excuse to use the new graphics tablet.

Spoiler

Maybe there's something you haven't read yet.  Something...book-like...

[close]

Joyce,

Spoiler

It seems as if you've 'missed' one location. When at the merry-go-round, go NORTH.......there's someone you may wish to talk to.

[close]

Spoiler

Actually, she said she'd already put the egg in place, it just sounds like a Scary-Go-Round problem.  Hopefully the hints above will help you out; after that, more things should fall into place.

[close]

Thanks for the encouragement, everyone!Ã,  This is more of a response than I expected to get, I'm so glad you liked the game.Ã,  Hopefully this'll launch my line of Spooks-related merchandise.Ã,  Would anyone pay $15 American for a t-shirt that said "It's a ghoul thing" with a picture of Mortia? Heh, I kid

Petteri: Ha, so you're the tricky person who found the game within 30 seconds of it being posted. :PÃ,  Man, I was hoping to keep it a bit under the radar until I got back from class and had time to post the Completed Game announcement.Ã,  Clearly, I underestimated you and the 15 others who found it.Ã,  Hey, thanks for your lovely review on the games page.

Totoro: Cool, glad you like the "colour" scheme.Ã,  I just thought I'd add that one day, I hope to understand your avatar.

i k a r i: Thanks, the story and the dialogs were a lot of fun to write, although I think Mortia accidentally ended up with my sense of humour.Ã,  Or, what I imagine my sense of humour would be like if I were dead and slightly more destructive.

Scorp: I hope everyone who plays this gets at least one of your songs stuck in their head.

Nikolas: Awesome, let me know what you think when you finish it!

buloght: Heh, sorry about the "false advertising." You must be just be a gifted adventurer.Ã,  The animation that you mentioned took me almost a month working off and on to get right.Ã,  Hey, would you make a "cutey monster" sprite of Mortia?Ã,  Heh, if you want...

Vince: Aww, stop it...

Xenogia: Wicked, let me know how it goes :-,

SimB: Yay, thanks for the encouragement!Ã,  I might just have some other game ideas floating around in my head already...although I think I'm going to give myself a few weeks "vacation." :PÃ,  By the way, the typo just got fixed "without evidence" according to Vince.

Barbarian: Whoa, that means a lot coming from you, thanks!Ã,  I did put a lot of time into this game, but I hope it came through that I had a lot of fun while I was doing it.Ã,  Most of the characters took on their personalities shortly after I doodled them in Paint, and it was really enjoyable to think of ways that Mortia would react to them (or how they would to her ).Ã,  If there's one thing that'll be a big part of any game I work on, it'll be the story.

SteveMcCrea: Aw, thanks, that's a really nice analogy...

Spoiler

and kinda fitting, I think, given the circumstances

[close]

Ã,  I wanted the ending to be a real reward for the player after going through the whole adventure, and hopefully I didn't disappoint :-,.Ã,  Oh, and I'll be more careful about my typos next time .

ProgZmax: Thanks, I appreciate it a lot!Ã,  One day I hope my pixellation skills will be as good as yours...let's just say there's a reason I only used nine shades of gray .

Erenan: Er...sorry! Geez, I wonder how I missed that, I don't even know who Luke Wilson is!Ã,  I've sent a fixed version of the credits to Vince to put in the game from now on,Ã,  Ã, I hope that sounds okay.Ã,  I'm really glad to hear that you liked the ending scene, though. :-,

Edmundo: Oh, don't worry, I'll make sure it's not forgotten ( ::puts on brass knuckles:: ).Ã,  Hehe, thanks for the "craftsmanship" comment, that makes the game sound very classy!Ã,  I'll have to share that designation with my team, of course...I know they're lurking around here somewhere. ;)Ã, 

Bluber: Eh?Ã,  Didn't you win that competition?Ã,  I'm a little confused.

ManicMatt: Sweet, let me know how it goes...I'll be here.

Afflict: Thanks, it was actually my little sister who coached me on MSPaint.Ã,  You might see a game from her too, eventually...she hasn't been around for a while but she goes by "AllThatGlitters."

Love the feedback, guys, can't wait to hear what more of you think .

Hey, thanks for the encouragement guys!  Some of the puzzles involve tricky thinking, I'm glad so many of you seem to be enjoying them.