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There's really that much difference in scripting commands in beta 5?  I tend to stay away from the betas as they always give me chlamydia.

So, are there height coordinates that are kept track of?  The performance was grand (>/= 33fps) except when causing clipping errors (>/= 22fps).  Fun was ruined when I fell off the world and wasn't greeted with an inspiring death scene.

It's awfully daft of me to try, but this version doesn't run in conjunction with AGS MacRuntime.

Code: ags

Error: run_text_script1: error -6 running function 'game_start':
Error: invalid instruction 69 found in code stream
in Ags3d with Texture Mapping (line 315)
from Global script (line 17)

Based upon how you drew the initial rooms and then the perspective-corrected one, you might look into isometric or orthagonal views. 

Perspective can make a drawing look more correct but can also lead to poor design choices or sterile, lifeless areas.  I prefer to use it, but more in a loose, guesstimated fashion. 

The line-drawing is more similar to an orthagonal view, one that doesn't take diminishing dimensions into account but rather presents objects as they would be without perspective.  Isometric places everything into a set grid of dimensions (typically at a 3/4 angle with 30° and 60° angles (IIRC)).  Either of these leave the design choice of the room fairly open without having to take artistic merit into account when doing the outlines.  If they appeal, just google either term with the words drawing or tutorial in there.  DarthMandarb's excellent isometric work might serve as inspiration for this. 

As for the goose, if you're becoming familiar with Photoshop, dividing it up into layers is probably the best bet.  Try putting the legs on separate layers, as well as any major section you can segment off that you plan to animate.  That way, you can manipulate areas without affecting the rest of the drawing.  You can also save that .PSD and do all your animations from one source. 

As you do the animation, just add another layer with everything posed how you like.  Hide your working layer and export as .GIF using "Layers as Frames" checkbox.  Both Photoshop and Photoshop elements have a decent .GIF Save As option that'll let you tweak transparent areas, total colors, and frame rate.  The GIF file will give you a nice preview of the animation before the AGS export. 

That suggested amount of versatility and artistic license sounds awesome.  Having never attempted computery-comicy-thingies, I'll wholeheartedly vote for Eggie to kick it off.

I'm thinking it'll stray to humor (or attempts) eventually.  The interesting parts will be when it's got a dramatic plotline and some genius actually introduces on-topic comedy.  I don't know which topic people would have the most in common with, even a modern tale would vary quite a lot between nations.  Why not try a mini-topic to give it a head-start and see how that goes?  Something like one guy's (or a couple for variety's sake) journey around the world.  Who knows? Might even see cool contributions by people from the nation they're visiting at the time.  Sci-Fi or Medieval might be easier, but it'd be more easily diverted, IMO.

I'm not sure where the skepsis about whether my background would work in a game comes from, but I added a testsprite to see how it could look and it seems ok to me:

[Not necessarily correct judgement, but my "vibe" from it:]

My statement was less that it wasn't possible and more than it didn't seem conducive to a background.  It says less "saloon" to me and more abandoned room.  Maybe it's the moose head but the overall feeling is more of a small club (like a poker joint) like a moose lodge or something.  It seems claustrophobic and too intimate for chaotic drunkeness.   The low contrast and low brightness also mean that objects you placed in the room would either be out of place or difficult to see. 

If this were a cutscene wherein a bounty hunter hears about his prey from a barkeep closing up shop, then I take it all back - it'd be perfect.

Agree with most of ildu's points.  However hold Guybrush's view: It's kickass as-is, why emulate a style when you've got a very nice one yourself.  More detail would do wonders and it's definitely going in the right direction.  The only thing I don't care for is the bush - it's a little too sharp and detailed.  Depending upon whether you're adding a lot of detail or keeping the same "clean" look, it could either be left as-is or simplified greatly (i.e. basic shading similar to the clouds', but less wispy).

on a side note Yak, what do you think of the Canadianism "First Nations"?

While the doctrine (and primarily the organization) does a lot to educate its students concerning theory of North American population and cultural development, it seems rather flawed to me in that it proposes belief in the mythical (or at least rather hypothetical) idea that life could've originated in the US.  Maybe it's the fact that I've read up on Mormonism, but it seems an egocentric proposal seeking to bend facts in order to support its vain conclusions.  Despite the pride of the European cultures, the most logical theory is that life originated in a continent of darker-skinned peoples in the neighborhood of Northern Africa or the South Mediterranean (hence the origin-coordinate oriented name it acquired later). 

It seems every major people has some theory that their race was the first.   The Pangean continental drift theory or at least the land-bridge theory seem far more realistic, particularly given the cultural development and external features acquired by the North American settlers.  I find it sad how little is known about the varied cultures from the North American contient and worse still that little is commonly known beyond stereotypes of peyote-smoking, feather-wearing, and the dichotomy of their reputation (bad guys v. good guys).   

Much like the concept of the "Noble Savage" which arose out of enamoration of "cultured" peoples with the victimized American settlers; it's more likely to bring more scorn and ignorance and the whimsical theories it carries with it are discarded.    Alright....   way off topic..  just an interesting subject for me.  I suppose it could've been a PM, but it's at least less caustic than some of the Atomic discussion mutations.

This may be going too far off-topic, but... 1/5? How does that work? Do you have five biological grandparents?

Rounding.  My mother being 1/8 and father being 1/16 =3/16, pretty close to 1/5.  Damn you for pulling me off topic again.  Oh, and Vince . . . utterly brilliant.

On atomic bombs: I abhor being a country that was the first and only (thus far) to use them against another country.  However, the loss of life was theoretically less than it would've been in a war theater scenario and it did one great thing - it showed the world what they (not the US, the bombs) could do.  If we hadn't, some other nation would've been the first to test them.  Japan's now prosperous in the world economy.  I shudder to think what might've happened if our initial nuking took place in a major high-population city (like Hong Kong).  I wouldn't have been able to make the decision to drop 'em but I can't argue that the decision was the utterly incorrect one, there's not enough evidence not based upon a "what if" scenario.

On Native Americans: The name's ridiculous.  Current evolutionary theory and even most creationist theory demonstrates that the "Native Americans" were immigrants in a not too distant past (talking circa 1000 vs. 10,000 years here).  The only major group that disagrees are the Mormons, but they're insane.  I have to grant that Native American is less silly than Indian, but I'd assume the preference would be Cherokee or Mewok.  After all, the French would throw a shit-fit if we only called them Native Europeans. 

On New Orleans:  The response is horrible.  The FEMA director is an idiot and has been less well-informed than the average internet user.  Our resources being occupied overseas is utter BS, but it'll have worse results in a few months: I can well imagine the administration using this as an example: "We need troops overseas, but also need them at home.  Just look at the response to New Orleans." This'll be used to boost military numbers and spending, and potentially to institute a draft.

Apart from the female part (I've got a fairly deep voice) this one kicks ass.  Excellent choice, sir. 

Edit: Farl interjected with that while I was posting..  I'm taking no heed of the obvious sign from fate and posting anyway.

Americans killed all the Indians (assuming you're talking about the previous North American inhabitants and not India - Indians) and Americans are just dolls of the USA system.  I'm 1/5 (not 1/4.. asked me mum.  Liked the simpler explanaion better) Cherokee.   

Ergo: I'm an Undead Puppet!  Creepy.

While LJUBI has every right to respond the thread (likewise my ridiculous response in return), couldn't we avoid littering this thread concerning sympathy towards victims of a natural disaster with propoganda and name-calling?  If people want to rant like a loon, they could at least rant on topic.

It's times like these I miss DG

[I vote rharpe]

The mid-eastern theme of yours was pretty damned cool.  So, deadline's today. [Edit: Re-read rules and noted keyword "vote"]

I was fairly embarassed by mine, but it was an awesome learning experience both delivery-wise and logistically.

Since the style is open to interpretation (i.e. doesn't necessarily have to sound like characters from the LOTR movie), I vote rharpe.  I liked much of Haddas's but after the impressive beginning lines it began to feel wooden.  rharpe actually kept up character personality and delivery throughout. 

One suggestion, in deferrence to those for whom English is a second language, might I suggest everyone have the option to translate the dialogue and deliver it in their own language?  After all, we're going for pauses, tones and delivery more than understanding the meaning.

Loominus's is very professional and - in my case - jaw-dropping (It is, however, more art and less background, particularly with low contrast darkness even on this painfully bright Mac LCD) .   Neutron's has a nice, gritty, old-fashioned feel to it that makes me happy, and its daylight filtering in as well as consistency of style wins me over . 

I vote Neutron (unless his nudity is too subtle and disqualifies him, then Loominus). 

And they're all dead.  I'm a living time-space paradox being 1/4 Cherokee.

Back on topic: Bungee entertainment's selling Halo t-shirts for $19.99. $5 covers materials, the rest goes to the Red Cross.  This has a couple perks:
1) You get something out of giving (which isn't really the point) even if (IMO) it is kinda crap.. and I'm not much of a Halo fan unless there's alcohol and friends involved.

2) It shows that the "slacker" gamers populous is capable of some pretty impressive acts of giving. 

An additional note, all profit from their on-line store for September's going to the same cause (which kicks ass), so it might be a good time to pester parents for Halo goodies if you haven't gotten them yet.  They encourage people to go for the t-shirts since a larger percentage goes to the Red Cross. 

We could spend all day plugging causes and our favorite charities, but this one at least is somewhat related to this community's hobbies (if somewhat vaguely).    -FIN $plug$

A horrifyingly scary monster:


Next: Person found asphyxiated by bizarre means.

My words were much more blunt, but less eloquent, than your own. If anybody needed censoring, it would be me.  Delete my post, not his.  I am Spartacus.   It's similar to how: despite Iraq's many sins (in particular those of its leader), I'm still against the conflict and have the utmost sympathy for any victims in the general populous.  It's not out of any particular generosity or the big-heartedness but a little quality I like to call, "Humanity."  But I digress. . .

Ah, and the forum has its own Pat Robertson - equally insane and equally informed. 

Despite its "sins" the US still has a lot to be proud of and its distressing to hear of this scope of tragedy in any nation, regardless of its political allegiences. Congratulations LJUBI, for helping to maintain the world's average level of stupidity.

On another note: A decent read about the crisis by a New Orleans native, Anne Rice

But at least Darth's company name makes sense, seeing as how he's one of those creepy clone-people.

For those without artistic skill, scripting muscle or dialog-writing ability, it might not be bad to form a team with a pseudo-publisher.  It wouldn't necessarily have to be pimping the game on every website known to man but more of an organizer/deadline-setter and, perhaps, someone capable of making sure everything in the game matches its overall feel.  Then again, it sounds more like a easy cop-out for those that don't feel like putting a lot of work into things. 

Maybe a better idea is publisher/sponsor - those that've released 2 or more games kind of guiding and prodding a team of newbies (or just apathetic persons) in the right directions.

Now I've got to try the game.  I'll likely be unable to play it for long.  I'm masochistic so dark room with 5.1 system ought to twist my intestines nicely.  The only part that creeped me out (and not too much at that) in the first Resident Evil game was that damned shark's POV coming at your avatar's legs in the water.. made my spine squirm.

You can't measure tradegies by their bodycount.  It's still horrible and I have a great sympathy for any affected.  The most tragic part about it is that some people are saying, "Well, they had notice, they could've evacuated."  A great many people who stayed didn't have the resources to evacuate - for some, an impossibility, for others, they would've been in a nearly hopeless situation anyway.

Politically, it's great that the Prez is pledging aid and everything but why isn't he accepting aid from other countries that've offered?  Russia, Venezuela, France, all pledging resources to help but we'd much rather take care of it in-house and allocate more of our budget towards something other nations are willing to help with but our pride doesn't allow it.

It's also appalling that some religious nuts are claiming that it's God's judgement of a contemporary Sodom/Gomorrah city.