Messages

The answer to the secret puzzle lies in the Herculean Effort Productions Forums.
http://www.sonic.net/~schlae/herculeaneffort
(click on the forum tab on the left)
You should check it out, since there are a few spoken lines of dialogue.

Actually, there's a early A2 screenie on the boards at:
http://www.agsforums.com/yabb/index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=7231;start=100
In the game, it won't look like it does now, since I made a bunch of changes. It also may need color correction.

Oh man, Czar. You're in trouble now!

Foz will undoubtedly cut off you hand and masturbate with it.

Sorry, Foz, I couldn't resist.

If you want...

You could interview me about Apprentice 2 for the next AGDzine. It could be kind of a sneak preview, complete with some exclusive art.

Let me know if you're interested.

The character style reminds me of that cartoon show, the Critic.

Excellent game, great atmosphere! Reminiscent of the DIG with a retro GUI (retro = good in this case).

The only thing I didn't really like was the background outside the big building. The building itself was pretty simplistic and used some weird dithering patterns. Other than that, great game!

(I was half thinking that Snake would be that red alien thing from the Instagame art. That or Roz from Monsters, Inc. "Surprise!")

Loom was clever, innovative, and stand-alone, definitely top ten on my list.

I don't think that anyone could make a sequel (or prequel) with comparative story or execution.

The story doesn't really have room for a sequel anyways.

Just out of curiousity, has everyone played the 256 color VGA version? Outstanding.

Usually sex is associated with a two categories rather than a quantifiable scale. Though according to Psych, gender is more of a scale...

It looks like some kind of dance he's doing. Maybe a fandango?

His expression is pretty grim though.

More elaboration --

Nellie:
I agree that immersion can exist without puzzles. But puzzles provide an exigence for interactivity. The player doesn't play a big role if the game's a graphic novel, and he just clicks to turn the page. Of course, that example is interactive, since the game requires input from the player. If that same graphic novel added puzzles, it would require a greater level of interactivity to play. Providing a challenge isn't really a focal point.

You say a memorable story doesn't necessarily make a "good" adventure game. In this case, you don't define "good," which is a subjective adjective anyways. When I said memorable, I was trying to re-define "good" in terms relevant to a game designer.
I want people to remember my games as an experience that transcends mere button-pushing (so I use "memorable" as my paragon of achievement).

On the surface, Simon the Sorceror's plot was simplistic and weak, and excuse for a modern boy to delve into a fantasy world. The world itself was the focus, with its unforgettable characters and good dialogue.
For instance, the turtle with his soup, the orcs gambling by the firelight, and the "Accountants and Apartments" parody were just a few of the highlights from the game.  

I don't think all elements involved in an adventure carry equal weight. Rightly or wrongly, most reviewers stress graphics more than music, and music more than sound effects. Not that these elements are unimportant or don't contribute to the gameplay, but a player preference definitely exists (and varies a little from person to person, I'm sure).

Dude, you got busted by Geocities. Just thought you might want to know.

Ok, guys, before I cultivate any misunderstandings, let me elobarate on my earlier points.

A good adventure game (insert your favorite title here) tells a story. The puzzles, while they can enhance or detract from that story, serve as a vehicle for player immersion into the game world.

Despite bad puzzles, a world can be a memorable experience due to the designer's storytelling ability.

Even with good puzzles, no one will remember a banal world or a poor story.

Think of puzzles like icing on a cake. While it contributes to the overall flavor, good icing doesn't necessarily mean the cake will be good. Likewise, if your cake is a compressed  brick of sawdust, I don't care how good the icing is, I will still spit out every bite I'm foolish enough to take.

For instance, think of Full Throttle and some of the puzzles at the beginning. KICK door. USE bartender. USE keys with BIKE. In fact, there were maybe two good (original to some extent) puzzles in the entire damn game -- locking the junkyard door so you could climb up the chain and walking the bunnies through the minefield. (Maybe I missed one, please don't jump all over me)

However, Full Throttle was a very memorable game because it involved the player in a good story.

No matter how well an adventure is designed, there will always be a puzzle or two that a player just won't get (different people may have trouble with different puzzles). As long as the game world is interesting and emmersive enough, the player will keep trying and eventually solve the puzzle. If the world is boring, the player will quit.

I would argue that EMI and CMI are not set in the same world. Sure they share characters and maybe some themes in the music, but the environments are radically different, as is the story. In my opinion, the first two MI games were much darker than the second two (think of the voodoo lady, the navigator's head, and Lechuck as a living corpse).

But my point is this -- the puzzles should not be the focus. Players tend to remember a game holistically, so it's the story that matters.

I don't know, guys.

Despite everything said, puzzles aren't central to a good adventure game.

The only reason we consider games like MI, FOA, or DOTT to be classics is because Lucasarts managed to create worlds we were interested in.

We really don't give a shit about the puzzles, as long as they are mutually consistent with the sense of escapism so carefully fostered in these games.

So get off of "combine object A with object B" or "distract NPC C" already. Nobody cares about yet another pirate game ripoff.

Puzzles exist solely to allow interactivity, enhancing a bond between the player and the game.

Be original; cultivate your own world. Vision counts.

How about renaming it to "Thesbian Misogyny" or something that rhymes like that...

Has anyone noticed that  the main sprite becomes larger in size when he walks (particularly in side view)?

Animator Pro was the pimp shiznit! I used that program sooo much back in the day. I'd prolly still use it if it worked with XP. Oh well.
The later Animator Studio, even with its myriad of features and avi support, could not hold a candle to the original (and I should know, I was one of the beta testers).
Heh.

Yeah, good call, Haddas. He is indeed sunburned. You win the day!

Just beta pic from App 2...
This background is part of a 3 screen horizontal.



Enjoy!

P.S. I know the guard's skin is really pink. I did it on purpose for reasons you will find when you play the game.

That's too bad about games being sold without your permission.

Good thing Herculean Effort Productions has such a remarkable legal department, otherwise those fools would undoubtly have their greasy mitts all over Apprentice.

Heh.

I don't know about the black outlines, but I definitely like the increased color depth on the sprites. The green shading on the yellow dude (with a mohawk, top left) is AMAZING. Mi gusto mucho.

Good call, Scummbuddy.

Why draw when you can copy? Why copy when you can trace? Why trace when you can Xerox? Why Xerox when you can cut and paste? Why cut and paste when you can buy some software and take screen captures....

heheheh