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[Removed]

Alert!  Removed you've got about four hours to get back to me letting me know you've got your assignment!  (And then 24 hours after that to complete it)  Get back to me! NM. He made it!

Calin and Ben,

I finally had the chance to play this game today and wanted to say congratulations to both of you.  This is a gorgeous piece of artistry.  Ben, you really outdid yourself with the flowing-into-eachother scenes.  I loved the twist at the end into the desert and then panning over further to see the wood holding it up.  Really nice touches.  Calin, the writing and concept were perfect.  Very touching stuff.  And I loved the pre-rendered (I believe) particle effects on top of the scenes.  I'm surprised they didn't lead to any slow down.  Oh, and the voice acting was very well recorded and acted.  Good sound quality.  Great music.  Well executed all around, gentlemen!  Fine work!  Already my game of the year!

The activity has begun.  The first writers have been notified and given a selection of sentences to choose from that they must use to start the story.

The starting sentences were provided by our "celebrity" guest writer: Britain's reigning "Lit Idol" (because they cancelled the competition after he won it in 2005), my father, Otis Twelve! 

Ok, I'm cutting off signups now.  I'll randomize the team and start this soon.  This thread can be locked by a mod.  Continue in this thread

Thanks for signing up everybody! 

That's the plan!  There will be teams similar to last time.  The number of teams and lengths of stories to be decided by how many people we wind up with.  I'm tentatively planning on having three teams for a length of 6 to 7 people, but might go to four teams.  I think a min of 5 to and a max of 8 is about the right number, so I'm trying to keep it around that.  Let me know if you think otherwise.

We've got 22 right now, so four teams= two teams of five and two teams of six.
three teams = two teams of seven and one of eight

So, yeah, maybe four teams would be better.  If more than two people sign up in the next day, it will definitely be four.

Rules posted: http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=40882.msg540376#msg540376

[Story status updates!]

Story status updates!

Chain Story 1	Images 1	BPT Story 1
7/7	7/7	7/7
Chain Story 2	Images 2	BPT Story 2
7/7	7/7	7/7
Chain Story 3	Images 3	BPT Story 3
7/7	7/7	7/7

Overall
63/63 (100%)

Fast turnarounds: 

Stupot
Dualnames (x2)!
Tuomas
Privateer Puddin' (x2)!
[Cameron]
NsMn
Jim Reed
Ascovel

[The participants will be divided into three teams. Each team will participate in three "events."]

OK, here are the rules for this edition of the AGS Chain Story activity.

The participants will be divided into three teams.  Each team will participate in three "events."

Each team will write a regular chain story, each adding 200 words.  But each story will start with a sentence chosen by the first participant from a list of sentences provided by a special "celebrity" (in quotes) guest writer!  These three stories will continue as normal until all participants have contributed to the stories.  This is the main Chain Story Event.

While that is going on: After each participant finishes his 200 (ish) word contribution to the chain story, those 200 words are passed on to someone from another team who will see only those 200 words.  That person will then have to create an image that illustrates the scene. This can be an illustration drawn on paper and scanned in.  It can be an elaborate piece of photoshop art.  It can be a bunch of stick men drawn with your mouse pad in paint.  It can be a photo you take of people acting out the scene.  Or it can be a single image or collage of images from a google image search.  Anything within your skills that somewhat illustrates the 200 words you were assigned.  The only rules for the creation of this image is that it can not contain any writing to help convey the story.  No speech bubbles, etc.  This is the Image Event.

And during all this: When an image is done, it is passed onto a member of a third team who must take that image and turn it into a 200 word contribution to a new chain story.  So, the first person of this event will have just an image and will write 200 words.  The second person will have the story-so-far, plus a new image and must continue the story with 200 words that relate to the image provided.  The third person will again receive the story-so-far and another new image.  Since the images might not relate to the story-so-far it might be a challenge and might result in some wacky stories.  This is the Broken Picture Telephone Chain Story Event.

This way, each of the members of all three teams will get three turns (not necessarily coming to them in this order since they'll be shuffled randomly for each section):

1. Each member will  participate in one regular chain-story, passing it down one-by-one until all members have contributed.

2. Each member will also have a turn interpreting a 200 word slice of a story from another team into an image.  (Not seeing any of the rest of the stories or images, only the 200 word section they are assigned)

3. Finally, each member will have a turn with another chain story where they get the whole story so far, but their contribution must be created based on the (quite possibly) unrelated image that they receive.

Complex enough?  Here's an image to help illustrate:

Again, I'll serve as the hub, so each contribution will be returned to me and I'll pas it on to the next person.  People will have 24 hours to reply to me saying they've got it and are working on it, and a total of 48 hours to finish and return their submission.  If someone doesn't meet the time limit, they will be skipped to keep the activity moving forward.  This worked pretty well last time.

This thread will be used for discussion of the rules and any discussion about the game while it is going on.  Try to keep all discussion in this thread non-spoilery regarding the contents of any of the stories or images!  I will also use this thread to update you on the progress of the stories.  Thanks!

One day left to sign up!  I'll cut off sign ups in 24 hours so that I can randomize the teams and orders and the game will start shortly after!  I'm going to post the rules for this round so everyone knows what's going on when we start!

[two]

Just a bump to say that you have two days to sign up for this activity!  We'll start Wednesday.  There's always space for more! 

Here's a hint at this round's twist:  There will be some broken-picture telephone elements! 

AND: We're going to have a "celebrity" guest to start us off! 

Oh yeah, boobs are fine.

Plenty of room left!

Oh, and I suppose at this point I can reveal the theme for the chain stories this round:

"Stories without any asteroids in them!"

Like last time, everyone will have three turns.  During your turn, you'll receive a partially-completed story and have 48 hours to add 200 words to that story.  So as long as you think that in any given 48 hour period over the next couple weeks you'll have enough time to:

-read a story
-consider how to continue it
-write 200 words
-and pass it on

then you're good!  Of course sometimes people's turns overlap and you might have two stories piled on you at once and still have to complete them in that 48 hour period.  This happened to one or two people last round.

Mainly people just need to not be vanishing for extended periods.

Thanks for signing up to everybody so far!  And Jim, I take it you've volunteered to create trophies!     I'll PM you later since we'll need a couple different variations on the trophies since there will be a couple different prize categories!

[Be sure to post your email address as well, or if you don't want it posted here, email it to me at vince.twelve@gmail.com or PM it to me. Please post below regardless!I also need a volunteer to create the trophies! Last year they were generously created by Atelier Games.]

It's been way too long since our last chain story!  So, let's do it again!  Last time was very successful with six awesome and weird stories created by 20ish awesome AGSers.  See the results here.

I've got a fun idea to keep things fresh for this round.  A little simpler than last time, a little zanier than last time.  I'm going to stick with the three teams idea and again make it a competition with a vote at the end and signature trophies for everybody!  So, post below to sign up for this round!

Sign ups will go for one week, and we'll get underway on May 12th-ish.  Don't sign up if you know you're going to be busy or away from the computer for a couple days in the week or so after May 12th.  People disappearing really breaks up the flow!

I'm hoping for around 20 people again.  When I have an idea of how many peeps we'll have I'll announce the rules and then we'll be underway!

Thanks!

Be sure to post your email address as well, or if you don't want it posted here, email it to me at vince.twelve@gmail.com or PM it to me.  Please post below regardless!

I also need a volunteer to create the trophies!  Last year they were generously created by Atelier Games.

Signed up so far:
1) Dualnames
2) AtelierGames
3) Stupot
4) discordance
5) asuka_mercury
6) Babar
7) Wyz
8) Bulbapuck
9) Jim Reed
10) [Cameron]
11) ShiverMeSideways
12) NsMn
13) Tuomas
14) tzachs
15) wonkyth
16) Akatosh
17) Phemar
18) Ascovel
19) Privateer Puddin'
20) Andorxor
21) Scarab
22) Andail

Wow.  Love this latest one, Andail!  By far my favorite of the bunch!

Resonance needs a specialized font made of a bunch of abstract symbols which I will sketch for you.  If you know how to make ttf fonts and want to donate some of your time in exchange for a free copy of the game, a place on the beta team, and your name in the credits, shoot me a PM/email!  Thanks!

[Relax. When you put your creative work out there for all to see and enjoy, you might not get the response you were hoping for, but you don't have to let that dishearten you. You can either shove it aside and chalk it up to a few people who didn't "get" it (many great artists do), or you can take their comments and criticism to heart and try to improve. OR you can make a big stink about it and come off sounding juvenile and whiney. You are mostly sounding like that last one.Clearly a large number of people have found enjoyment in your games. Take heart in that. Keep making them. And keep trying to improve. The more time you spend obsessing over a single rating, the less time you spend making games.]

1. Explained in previous post.  If the panel member's rating or comments are questioned (by another panel member or anyone else), the panel discusses it and comes to a decision, thus making it the opinion of the panel.

2. 68 percent of respondents to the poll use the rating somewhat.

It doesn't look to me like you were banned.  Now, let it rest, Harg.

Relax.  When you put your creative work out there for all to see and enjoy, you might not get the response you were hoping for, but you don't have to let that dishearten you.  You can either shove it aside and chalk it up to a few people who didn't "get" it (many great artists do), or you can take their comments and criticism to heart and try to improve.  OR you can make a big stink about it and come off sounding juvenile and whiney.  You are mostly sounding like that last one.

Clearly a large number of people have found enjoyment in your games.  Take heart in that.  Keep making them.  And keep trying to improve.  The more time you spend obsessing over a single rating, the less time you spend making games.

[ONE]

Guys, this is my battle against AGS Panel, which is ONE guy who decides the destiny of your game. How will you get serious review from serious site when in AGS site (your game engine site) are written these terrible comments. How to explain to another sites that this review is an opinion of 1 man. They read "AGS panel left comments...", but they don't know that this is one guy's opinion.

How many people, do you suppose, write each review at Reloaded?  Is there a reason that they can have one person review a game and that is somehow more valid than one person from the AGS panel?  Tell the truth, is it because you agree with their review?

The AGS panel score, represents the view of the panel.  I have seen how the panel process works.  Every score is given an explanation in the panel-members-only forum and is open to discussion.  If a score is called into question, by either another panel member or by anyone else on the forums, it is discussed by the panel members and a decision is made.  Scores and panel comments have been adjusted as a result of these conversations.  That makes the score the view of the panel.

The panel member's comment is not a full review, no.  To compare it to one is apples to oranges.  It is a few sentences meant to give some explanation as to the reason for the cup score.

If you disagree with the panel score of your game, that's fine.  The most drastic measure you can take is removing your game from the database.  You've done that.  I would argue that removing your game will lose you more players than a low cup rating, but the decision is ultimately yours.

Quote from Andail's poll:

3. How important are the panel ratings (the 1-5 blue cups system) for you?

I disregard them      33%
I generally avoid the 1-cup games, but I don't let the ratings govern my decisions further that that      54%
I rely heavily on the ratings and only play games above a certain level      14%

A review by any other website has more words than a panel rating, but that's the main difference.  One person writes each review for almost every major review website.  This goes for games, movies, books, everything.

Relax.  When you put your creative work out there for all to see and enjoy, you might not get the response you were hoping for, but you don't have to let that dishearten you.  You can either shove it aside and chalk it up to a few people who didn't "get" it (many great artists do), or you can take their comments and criticism to heart and try to improve.  OR you can make a big stink about it and come off sounding juvenile and whiney.  You are mostly sounding like that last one.

Clearly a large number of people have found enjoyment in your games.  Take heart in that.  Keep making them.  And keep trying to improve.  The more time you spend obsessing over a single rating, the less time you spend making games.

As amazing as it is, your games are not as bizarre as your posts which is... actually... disappointing?  Keep on keeping on.

I won't bother with advice as you've just ignored it in the past but I would say that performing home surgery when you're worried about dying is probably not a good idea.  America may have a shitty healthcare system for anyone who doesn't have health insurance, like illegal aliens, but we're not a country who denies people care.  You can go to an emergency room and get care.  Any financial or legal consequences of that trip would definitely be preferable to dying, yeah?