Messages

Hello, this is neither a new plugin nor a module but a discussion on what to do when modules are outdated, and I wanted to propose something. (Moderators: Feel free to move this thread to the proper forum)

Currently, when modules and plugins are outdated, there's a lot of word of mouth, communication through forum replies, Discord DMs, or secret connections to get an updated version of the module. This is rather tedious and discouraging for game authors who want their games to work with little technical work and an unfair advantage to more seasoned members of the community who have more connections and time to get what they need.

I want to propose a way to allow AGS community members to maintain plugins and modules: With the help of the admins, we create an org in GitHub that is more open to the community, where all the outdated plugins or modules can be forked or hosted (if there is no online repo). The community can contribute to it openly and without restrictions other than providing quality code. It would be separate from the /adventuregamestudio org to have more flexibility and give more people access to the repos while being less restrictive.

I'd be happy to administer this for a while while seeking more support, but I'd like to work with the existing admins to get things set up.

Thoughts?

Hello, I tried the Mac build, but it tells me it cannot open the application. I'm unsure why, but I'm also on a Mac with the arm64 chips, so I wonder if the game was built to support that. If you want to test out a build, feel free to reach on Discord before the ceremony, and I'll be happy to test.

How do we participate in the ceremony?

[How do I pick the right font?]

The AGS Editor comes with Courier New as the default font for the script and log panel. Courier New used to be a common font for programming but it's outdated and some fonts are much easier to read and flow better.

This thread is to provide a list of alternatives you can download and use in the AGS Editor. If you've got one that is not on the list, do reply with your suggestion and I can add it to this post.

How do I pick the right font?
It's a matter of personal preference! The best way to pick one is to go to the website, look at the examples to see if it looks good on your screen and for you, then download and try it out.

How do I change the font?
File -> Preferences... -> Advanced tab
Update the Debug Log (3.6.1+) and Script Editor Fonts


JetBrains Mono (Used in IntelliJ and other JetBrains editors)
https://www.jetbrains.com/lp/mono/

Cascadia Code (Used In Visual Studio)
https://github.com/microsoft/cascadia-code

Fira Code (A popular free font for programming)
https://github.com/tonsky/FiraCode

Monaspace (Proposed by Github with many different styles)
https://monaspace.githubnext.com

Consolas
Included with Windows

Quick question on this one. Felt like this module was the play for no block tweening but it's not fading before disappearing. Any ideas?

Code: ags

if(IsTimerExpired(3)){
gFirstIngredient.Visible=true;
gFirstIngredient.TweenTransparency(0.5, -gFirstIngredient.Transparency, eEaseOutBackTween);

Module installed in scripts.
Just trying to get to show up, hold for a second and gradually fade into the background without stopping the character movement. Thanks!

First, please keep in mind that there's a new module version (2.3.0) and this is the thread for the previous version.

I see that you are using "-gFirstIngredient.Transparency" but Transparency only goes from 0 to 100. 0 being not transparent, and 100 being transparent. You can also use TweenFadeIn/TweenFadeOut which just sets the transparency to 100 or 0 automatically.

to make it non-blocking, you have to be explicit because all GUI tweens are blocking by default:

Code: ags

gFirstIngredient.TweenTransparency(0.5, -gFirstIngredient.Transparency, eEaseOutBackTween, eNoBlockTween);

@Crimson Wizard The links on the first post need to be updated. Part of the URL path is still pointing to the previous version so the files are not found.

I have an endless list of suggestions, but I will keep it brief. This is based on my own experiences with the engine, watching people develop on streams, and helping others.

Changes I'd like to see, in no particular order:

1. Steps towards a multi-platform editor, at least Linux first. I'd love to see the editor not be dependent on Windows in the long term, and not require people to stick with Windows, either.
2. New GUI editor - to have more modern features such as button customization with 9-point images, group/align objects, change button background color, mouse wheel scroll support, etc.
3. New Dialog editor/dialog scripts. The way modern dialogs are designed is very different nowadays, it's more of a tree structure than a bunch of questions right off the bat. It's also frustrating to not be able to reorder the dialog options.
4. Built-in controller support and parallax scrolling
5. Shaders
6. Memory inspection on breakpoints
7. Changing a module header should not recompile the entire game, only the areas that use it. I'm not sure how to solve this other than introducing a concept of import and auto-import modules.
8. Find and manage modules and plugins from the editor instead of having to come to the forum.
9. Easier Apple (mac/ios) exporting. This is one area that I will try to contribute towards!

@AGA Thanks for mentioning me on the thread! I do think it's a great idea to continue with the plan from 2020.

I'd love to attend another Mittens someday, but I can't this year. Most likely, I'd come if it was set in North America or Spain (because I have family there).

I'm hoping to come to AdventureX this November, though. Maybe we can set up a little AGS meetup before or after the event? (I can start a separate thread about this when we get closer to that date)

And here I thought I was the only one until I saw Grundislav's tweet.

Looks like it's specific to building the Windows EXE. The data file and other types of builds seem OK.

If people could submit false positive reports to Windows Defender, it would help.

@eri0o Would you know how we can report these to Windows Defender?

Hello, I'm porting some AGS games (maybe non-AGS games in the future) for iOS/Android, and I'm looking for testers, specifically if you have a tablet or large phone (example, Galaxy note) available and like to play games on your tablet. Previous experience testing games (on any platform) is preferred. You will get credited and a code for a copy of the game.

If you're interested, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/mRQnbrmM4uwo1UwE7

What the scope entails:
* You will get access to builds through a distribution system
* Reports bugs in Trello
* You can also hang out in my Discord, but not required

If you have any questions, you can reply to this thread, or you can also reach out directly on Discord (username is edmundito)

Google drive links are fine but AGS forums has so far outlived many file hosting websites. GH is usually easy to maintain a mirror for archival purposes.

Ok. I'll think about it.
Usually, I work on my projects alone and didn't need to use GH.  But maybe I need to start thinking about future works with team))

@ruslan128 We've been talking on Discord about this plugin on Discord and one advantage of having it in Github is less about the team work but more about the case where someone needs to make modifications in case the AGS breaks compatibility or you're no longer available.

As @eri0o mentioned, I borrowed some code to generate a simple black hole simulation in AGS. Here is the code:

https://gist.github.com/edmundito/ab5818ae57bd3c23a4b06b565c2b579b

For anyone intersted in providing donations or tips, I've updated the first post with my Ko-fi site: https://ko-fi.com/edmundito - This is greatly appreciated and may encourage me to keep working on the module!

I saw this post on Discord. You can also use the tween module to set the transparency of the overlay.

Instead of:

Code: ags

void grayscaleFadeOut()
{
  int screenshot = 0;  // set the initial transparancy value for the screenshot in a local variable named 'screenshot' (0 = opaque)
  while (screenshot < 100) // a 'while' loop for making the transition effect - checks if the 'screenshot' local variable's value is lower than 100 (not fully transparent)
  {
    screenshot = screenshot + 5; // add transparancy increment from the local variable towards opaque
    screenOverlay.Transparency = screenshot; // set the transparancy value of the overlay object type as the local variable's 'screenshot' current value
    Wait(2); // a short wait to see the result on screen before the 'while' loop repeats itself
  }
  screenOverlay.Remove(); // after while loop is over, remove the overlay object from the screen
  gUI.Visible = true; // un-hide gUI
  UnPauseGame(); // unpause the game
}

You can add the tween module and set the transparency:

Code: ags

void grayscaleFadeOut()
{
  screenOverlay.TweenFadeOut(1.0);
  screenOverlay.Remove();
  gUI.Visible = true;
  UnPauseGame();
}

The talks are finally online! I updated the first post on the thread with the links. Please do hit that like button on YouTube! Note that some of the audio is not great, and I've notified the staff to see if they can improve it.

Comments about my talk: There was so much to cover about the history of AGS! It was challenging, and I tried to cover as much as possible! (There is so much time to put these presentations together...)

[What's Narrascope?]

Hello, I just wanted to quickly announce that there are a few talks related to AGS at Narrascope.

What's Narrascope?
Narrascope is a small North American conference for interactive narrative, adventure games, and interactive fiction, similar to LudoNarraCon. It started in 2019, and this year is being held in Pittsburgh, USA, and online.

https://narrascope.org/

Do I need to attend in person? Can I watch online?

Not at all. In fact, most of the conference attendees will be online. Register on their website (https://narrascope.org/) and watch the conference now or on different streaming channels. Online registration is free, but donations are welcome. The last day to Register is June 8.

What talks are related to AGS?

I will be giving an ambitious talk about the history of AGS! I can't include everything but will try to highlight as many of the milestones and games as I can.

The Little Engine That Could: The History of the Adventure Game Studio Engine, Games, and Community

Adventure Game Studio (AGS) is one of the most popular point-and-click adventure game engines. Originally released to the public in 1997, it has a long history of updates, community, creators, and games. The engine has democratized the creation of adventure games. But nobody outside the community knows its history. How many of these games were not merely created by individuals working solo, but by a community who helped each other along the way?

Edit: Recording of the talk:

Jess Haskins (co-writer for Rosewater, AGS game fan, but not a forum member) will discuss worldbuilding in Rosewater.

How the West Was Many: Crafting a Culturally Diverse Western Adventure with Rosewater

At Narrascope and AdventureX, I've spoken about the importance of creating with cultural awareness, and why small teams and solo indies shouldn't be afraid of going "out of bounds" to write outside their own personal backgrounds. In this talk I will discuss how our team of two put this theory into practice in making our forthcoming point-and-click adventure. Rosewater is set in an alternate-history world inspired by the American Old West, but aiming to thoughtfully depict a diverse range of people and experiences often left out of traditional Westerns. I'll talk about what approaches worked, what didn't, the gap between theory and practice — and how we can do better next time.

Update: Recording of the talk (Warning: There may be a minor spoiler about Rosewater...)

As Jess mentioned, this is the followup to a previous talk:

Grundislav will talk about Rosewater's voice overs.

Going Union: How A Basement Indie Hired AAA Talent (And How You Can, Too!)

Plenty of narrative games feature voice acting. Smaller and indie teams tend to cast non-union actors. While this is a perfectly acceptable approach, the quality and professionalism that union actors offer is undeniable. In this talk, I want to dispel the assumption that working with union actors is prohibitively expensive, as well as clear up some common misconceptions.

Update: Recording of the talk:

@eri0o I tested the build and the panels you mentioned are looking good!

Looks great! I did not know about opengameart.

Hey folks, I just found out that Simple / Philip J. Reed passed away less than a year ago on August 10, 2022, at the age of 41, in Colorado. Sadly, it was suicide. He was interred across New York City in his hometown in New Jersey. I couldn't find a post in the forum about this, so I thought I'd share.

Philip was the creator of the Larry Vales series. Larry Vales, along with Yahtzee's Rob Blanc series, were some of the first games that showcased what could be built with AGS, and which attracted members to our community. The last we heard of him was around 2009 when he was working on a Larry Vales remake (forum post.)

After his time as an AGS developer, Philip became a fairly known author, blogger, and pop culture writer. He was known for his reviews of episodes of the TV show ALF and a book about Resident Evil.

Obituary:
https://www.sbmortuary.com/obituary/Philip-Reed

His Blog Archive (Content Warning: the last post was a suicide note):
https://noiselesschatterarchive.blogspot.com

Here's Philip talking about Resident Evil:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9LJ7LXQnW4

Articles remembering him:
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2022/08/in-memory-of-philip-j-reed-writer-and-nintendo-life-contributor
https://bossfightbooks.com/blogs/news/remembering-friend-and-author-philip-j-reed
https://meblogwritegood.com/2022/08/18/rip-philip-j-reed-and-a-me-blog-write-good-announcement/
https://www.ganymede.tv/2022/08/philip-j-reed-rip/

Borrowed from one of the articles above:
"Philip used to fundraise for The Trevor Project, a charity providing mental health resources and free crisis prevention for LGBTQ youth. If you'd like to make a donation in his name, you can do so here."

 

Edit2: wait a minute, now I see you mentioned you have scaling set to 200%, so possibly this is something I can set here to see what happens. I know in theory moving to NET 4.8 gives access to a different windows forms that could possibly improve this situation but maybe it's something better in ags4.

To clarify, I have to set it to 200% because the whole desktop would be too small to read. When I change it to 100%, the editor looks fine (same as 3.6.0) so it may be that the scaling setting is not compatible with the current forms.

You can test it out by going to the Windows screen/display settings and changing the scale.