Messages

Hello everybody!

Recently I've decided to develop some graphical style of my own which could be suitable for making games. Having tried different approaches and directions, I've come up with the following backgrounds (two of them were posted in Background Blitzs)







My first and foremost question is what kind of images should I stick to (they are bit different in approach) or should I try something very different? And, of course, I'll be very grateful if any of the professionals around here could point out main flaws and hints how to get rid of them :-) .

Looking forward to your (constructive) criticisms.

I've given the theme a bit of thought and came up with this idea:

A field hospital (somewhen near WWII, I guess).

And here's a small mockup of how could it look in an actual game (I was kind of impressed by the entries of the previous contest):

[Idea]

Idea - oraxon
Atmosphere - Ilyich
Design - Ilyich
Composition - Mordalles
Technique - Ilyich

[A mini-golf site on the roof]

I'm sort of ashamed to place this entry here, along with Mordalles's and Ilyich's, but still...

A mini-golf site on the roof


"...Mr.Johnson liked those 'trips' outside with his companion Harrieth, a chief manager of H&J Company. It felt like you were on the top of the world - literally and metaphorically speaking. But today it looked like raining since morning. Not the cause why Mr.Johnson wasn't here, though... But why wasn't he there?.."

2x                     1x

- There he is, Inspector, I think we've got him! He's the only person that doesn't appear on the collective photo!
- He was the man with the camera, Constable...

Using one of the latest AGS 3.2's I've come across the following problem when it came to the essence of this version - the sound.

The point is, any sound (ambient or just a sound - I mean the internal type of the audiofile) is almost inaudible when the music is playing.
When I check them together on different tracks using sound editors - everything sounds quite okay, because sounds are twice as loud as music initially. But when it comes to actual gameplay/-test, the result is quite queer - the sounds are very quiet.

I've already tried to adjust the volume manually via the script, using Game.SetAudioTypeVolume - Sounds at 100, Music just at 40, but it has little effect apparently.

Is there anything else I should have known about the new sound system? I just remember I didn't have similar problems with previous 3.1.2 (but I didn't use a great deal of sounds then, too).

Sounds interesting. More than a game in an hour, but less efforts (it seems) than a MAGS entry.

Let's try that

Okay, thanks everybody who've played and commented the game so far.

I've updated the opening post with the latest game release, which now is clear from bugs and glitches, and moreover features two translations: Spanish and Russian.

Enjoy!

P.S. And can anyone tell me how can one retrieve his lost password from the database entry to modify it as well?

Except for dualnames, he'll have to keep tabs on two competitions at once...

Why? The voting will be open only for one competition at the time... Only two threads will be running at these forums...

...if I understand the procedure correctly, of course

Glad you enjoyed it.

Thanks for the feedback so far also. Now I'm planning to make the game more polished, which includes fixing minor things that do not spoil the gameplay, but still look 'unprofessional' (as these I mean hotspots for exits, some hanging lines, 'missing responses' for which I originally really didn't have time, etc.)

What concerns the notorious mixing puzzle

Spoiler

Well, I'll try to make this one clearer... I just thought the hint given to you by the guard, that one of the cooks is very nasty, was enough... And another hint: As Jasper said - "Rely onto your senses"
But I'll try to fix it

[close]

The cards give a maximum score of 100 points,
each time you use a card at the wrong place or time it will lose a quarter of its value:
100 75 56 42 and so on.

A-ha! Now I see why I got only 500+something points in the end
Hm... Now I definitely should go and play once again to get the full score... Is there any reward for it in the end?

And have you voted for yourselves?
Really, I was surprised to see the voting ended so early... though it was mentioned aforehead Still, I didn't want to cast my vote before finishing all entries (how, btw, tzachs voted without playing my and Wyz's entries? )... and in the end didn't manage to do it.

Just finished it and rushed here to say something: Well, I really liked the game! In the end, I had just one feeling, that the only weak point were the graphics and animations. But as you were making it alone, it doesn't count
Everything else, the plot: the dialogs and puzzles were about right and sensible (well, almost always, as it got very challenging when it came to the use of the cards, but the idea itself I find very good and original!).

Very good work. And quite long one, too, which also an advantage.

I think that there's no need to flood the MAGS thread anymore. So I'll put my question here (it's the same as Lisa's, but still): is there any hint (other than Gary's words about 'heating sight') that can help to solve the fence puzzle?

Okay, it got nothing on the MAGS competition... Still, I don't think the game is SO bad

From now on, please count it just a usual entry in the game database

Congratulations to tzachs!

Well, seems, I've lost any opportunity to get any comment on my game except Wyz's (I'll give you feedback after I finish your entry)... But let me now, is there anybody else who played and finished??

How would you go and make them better so it wouldn't feel clumsy?

Well, first thing is that may be it bothered only me But nevertheless it didn't dissuade me from finishing the game.
Though, I can suggest as an idea, e.g. to use for all the game actions not standard cursor, but verb coin with one layout for standart interactions with hotspots/objects and other layout for clicking on the Eldritch. Because, as I understand you use x;y calculations and sometimes it's difficult to 'catch' the action

[warning! solution ahead!]

Secret of chunky salsa:
Also stuck at the mixing puzzle.

Ah, I knew it would be the stumbling block of the game...

First,

Spoiler

I can advice you to use common sense and find out which ingredients are completely out of question...
One of cooks is always giving you the right information, and one of the others is almost always lying.

[close]

Second,

Spoiler

Try to google the actual Chunky Salsa recipe There was some implication for it in the elder's speech.

[close]

Third (warning! solution ahead!)

Spoiler

You need to use everything but mushrooms, alcohol, cereals, laminaria, and beans

[close]

Is there someone that has finished my game?

The same question

I'm trying to do it now... but find it difficult.

[The Quest for Holy Salsa]

Having finished one entry, I'm ready to give my comment on it (not ready to vote yet, because need to finish another one):

The Quest for Holy Salsa by tzachs

Spoiler

Overall, it's a nice short game with good humour in some lines and along the way, nice quotatinons from everywhere outside the game world Smiley
Story is nicely woven (within the restrictions given, of course Smiley ), and puzzles are challenging, but with 'human' (not abominable Wink ) logic, which appealed to me.
The thing that frustrated me a bit was the innovative things in control. I liked the fact that these 'jump' and 'raised tentacle' functions were used in various ways throughout all the game, and not just because the author fancied to add them... but the implementation (and, btw, the upper panel with menu/inventory as well) I found rather clumsy.
But again, within the given time/rules restrictions, well done.

[close]