Messages

HahahahahaWHAT THE F..... What is going on in your avatar, man?

::nightmares::

That's two creepy av's in one night. I've had enough. Bed for me....

Nik: "stupid face" sounds like a two year old's insult, but in context (Nik Cage being the context) I can see how it is actually a very mature adult statement...

   Which is somehow very hilarious. Dammit, I WANTED to like National Treasure... But that stupid face was way too much...

[How To Get Published!]

I was thinking we could start a post for people who know how to do certain things that aren't common knowledge that could be helpful to other people in the community. I want to start with something I know from the long and winding road I had to tread. This is something you can find if you search the internet enough, and all the info I know about it I got from doing just that, but it was a long and bothersome road that could have been detoured if someone had been there to help me get started.

How To Get Published![/u]
Ã,  Someone (name withheld to protect the innocent ) asked me via PM a little while ago what I did to get a published book, and I figured, since this community was full of artists, musicians, and writers, I could share what I told him with everyone.

Getting Started
Ã,  Ã, Obviously, you can't get published unless you have a COMPLETED manuscript. Most publishers and/or agents will only ask you for three chapters to start out with, but if you don't have the entire manuscript ready before sending it to them, they will not be interested. If they say "We like this! Send the whole thing!" and you don't HAVE the whole thing, they will instantly lose interest and probably chuck it. Time waits for no man. Publishers and agent, doubly so.
Ã,  Ã, The next thing you will want to do actually takes place WHILE WRITING THE MANUSCRIPT! You will want to make sure that you do not send publishers or agents a manuscript that is heavily laden with spelling errors, syntax and grammatical mistakes, etc. The best way to do this is not to use spellcheck, since spellcheck is not a reader. Once you have written a chapter or section of the book, READ IT ALOUD to yourself. If you run across something that doesn't sound like something you might say while talking, chances are it isn't something a publisher (or reader, for that matter) is going to want to see in writing. Check all mistakes as you go, and give it to someone who you trust to check as well. This does NOT mean your mom or your closest friends. They will probably, despite repeated pleas to them NOT to be, be very nice to you. Your family is most likely just very proud of you and the fact that you are trying to write. You need to find someone who is objective. Give it to your ninth grade bully and see what he thinks...
Ã,  Ã, Also, you have to remember that, when writing a book for mainstream publication, you are not TELLING a story, you are SELLING a story. I couldn't stress this enough to the guy who PMed me. You could have the best story in the world, but publishers won't care if it isn't MARKETABLE. It has to be something that an agent wil look at and, rather than say "This is a very beautiful story, well written with precise images and flowing prose," say "This story will make me a million dollars!!!"
Ã,  Ã, In order to have a saleable story, you must keep the reader involved. If the reader picks it up and reads two pages in and is not interested, he will put it down and never pick it up again. A publisher and an agent knows this, and will do the same thing. Thus, the story must be filled with HOOKS! You need to do something within the first couple pages that grabs the reader's attention and makes them want to keep going. This might not be, for instance, writing the book form of INDEPENDANCE DAY only moving the scene where the aliens blow up the white house to the first page. Rather, just drop little tidbits that make the reader see that something interesting is brewing, and make them want to find out exactly what that is. Once a publisher sees that, they know that readers will see it too and the book will be considered much more marketable.
Ã,  Ã, Where Do I Go From Here?
Ã,  Ã, Obviously, the next thing you need to do is sell the book.
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Most people try to send their work directly to publishers, but most mainstream publishers do not accept UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS. This means, if they did not ASK you for it, then they do not want it. Most will either go to the "slush pile" or be thrown directly into a wastepaper basket.
Ã,  Ã, The best thing to do is either to get an agent or send out query letters. I will cover both, since most agents also do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.
Ã,  Ã, Agents
Ã,  Ã, There is a plus and a negative side to working with agents. First, agents know their market and who they can sell your book to. They will take 15-20% commission from you, but chances are they will also get you better deals from the publisher which will nullify that percentage. Agents, btw, will NEVER ask for reading fees. A good agent makes all their money from selling your book, and the only thing they might ask you for is some money to help make copies and pay for postage, which most will refund you after the book is sold. If an agent asks for a reading fee, he is most likely a SCHUYSTER who is trying to ROB you.
Ã,  Ã, The best way to get an agent is to look at what type of book you are writing, and then go here: http://www.writers.net/agents.php
Ã,  Ã, Click "BY TOPIC" and then select the topic that most closely matches the genre of your manuscript. If you are not in America (as most of you are not) click BY LOCATION, and select your country. However, many agents are willing to work overseas, with a slightly higher commission. All the best agents and publishing houses are in New York.
Ã,  Ã, Make sure they have a website, and visit it. You will most likely see a page that says "SUBMISSIONS" or "SUBMISSION GUIDELINES." Go there and find out how they would like to receive your manuscript.
Ã,  Ã, Submissions
Ã,  Ã, Everyone likes receiving their manuscripts differently, but there are some key factors that are pretty common.
Ã,  Ã, 1) Single sided on 8 1\2 x 11" 20lb bond paper (that is American standard... I'm not sure what that translates into in metric, or what foreign agencies would be looking for).
Ã,  Ã, 2) Double spaced. ALWAYS double spaced, with one inch margins all around. Publishers and agents like to scribble notes.
Ã,  Ã, 3) 10-12 point Courier New font. This is because A) it is neat and easy on the eyes, and B) it helps them with word count. Publishers aren't interested in how many words Microsoft Office says there are, they want to know how much space it will take up in a trade paperback format. You can figure out the word count by making all your font 10 point Courier New and then multiplying 250 words per page.
Ã,  Ã, 4) Title pages should start halfway down the page and include the title of your manuscript, the word count, your name, and all your contact information, centered on the page.
Ã,  Ã, 5) Typesetters have a hard time finding italics. Instead of using them, underline passages that should be italicized.
Ã,  Ã, 6) For a header on every page, right justify a key word from the title, your name, and the page number all in caps.
Ã,  Ã, 7) Never use justified text. ALWAYS (except in the title) use ragged right edge (left justified) text. Remember how we talked about word count? That is based on all letters and spacing being the same size. When you justify the text, it changes all that.

Ã,  Ã, Once you are sure you are ready, and have closely followed all my advice thus far, go ahead... but not until you have done EVERYTHING correctly so far.

Query Letters
Ã,  Ã, The most integral part of the Submission package is the query letter. Sometimes it is ALL you send, until the agent or publisher asks for more. Until then, you have only the Query Letter to get their attention. Make it good.

Ã,  Ã,  Sample query Letter With Added Notes:

Ã,  Ã, Dear _____________
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  ***it is very important you do not make it seem to be a form letter. Find out who the director of your type of story is at the agency or publishing house you send to, and address it directly to that person***
Ã,  Ã, I am writing to query for my manuscript, DARK HEARTS, a supernatural romantic mystery novel in roughly 80,500 words. ***always put something like this as the first or the first couple of lines***
It is the story of Molly Watts, a young, innocent girl who has never really experienced life. One day, in an airport surrounded completely by a world she has never seen, one man shows her kindness, and she instantly falls for him. Taking her home to protect her from her overprotective brother, he soon realizes he might have similar feelings. However, he keeps strange hours and stranger company, and has a locked room in his house which she is not permitted to see. One day stumbling upon the room unlocked, she finds evidence to link her odd beau to a series of ritual kidnappings and murders. The story concludes as Ian rushes to save her from the REAL murderer, battling time and cultists as he tries to win her back from the jaws of certain sacrifice... at the hands of her own brother.
Ã,  Ã, ***This is going to be something slightly akin to what you might read on the dust cover of a novel, but a little more revealing. Try to resist the urge to say things like "Will he reach her in time?" or "But who is the mysterious man that is really responsible???" It makes the agent/publisher remember you are trying to sell them something, and they don't much care for that***
Ã,  Ã, This novel is coming out in a day when the supernatural, paranormal, and occult is at an all-time interest level with readers old and young alike. With books such as (insert similar books) and movies and television shows such as (insert similar blah blah), DARK HEARTS is a new and welcome take on what is already a booming market. ***here, you get to sell it, by using comparative marketing. If your book "has no equal," they will probably think that is because no one else is interested enough in it. NEVER sell it by saying how good it is or what kind of reviews people who have read it already have given it***
Ã,  Ã, I am the self-published author of two books, Books 1 and 2 of the Days of Old quadrilogy, as well as the author of multiple published poetry and short stories. My articles on the supernatural and the occult appear frequently on www.theespers.org. I feel that I am the perfect author for this book as I have been involved in paranormal investigation for at least 10 years. I hold a Bachelor's of Theology and Comparative Religions from Atlantic Seminary. ***here, you sell yourself***
Ã,  Ã, Thank you for your consideration. I hope to hear from you soon, and also that if my work is accepted it will be the beginning of a long and prosperous journey together. ***ALWAYS thank them for their consideration, or they won't consider you much longer***
Ã,  Ã, Sincerely,
Ã,  Ã,  Ã, YOUR NAME GOES HERE.... Only, don't use my manuscript. get your own, dammit...

The Rest of the Package
Ã,  Ã, SYNOPSIS: Some agents or publishers might ask for a chapter-by-chapter breakdown. Give them one, but try not to make it any longer then two or three pages.
Ã,  Ã, SASE: A Self-Adressed Stamped Envelope. They get a million letters like yours every week, and try to be courteous enough to respond to all of them. It would cost them a FORTUNE to pay postage on all the acceptance/rejection letters they send.
Ã,  Ã, BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: Just a short paragraph, write this in third person and try to make it sound like what is on the dustcover of most novels. Because hey, one day it might be.
Ã,  Ã, This might not all be required. Like I said, check the submission guidelines of the publisher.
Ã,  Ã, 
Ã,  Ã, THREE SAMPLE CHAPTERS OR FULL MANUSCRIPT: Don't send this unless they ask for it. It costs alot to you and them, and there is no guarantee they want it. Always make sure they do, and if not, just send the query letter. Alot of people wil lsay NO SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS, which means "Don't send this out to a million agents and editors at once," but that is not a concern. Go ahead, and if you hear back from two (a VERY rare honor) just tell one you are no longer interested. That saves them trouble, so they rarely mind. If they do, find out where they live and set their damn house on fire.

Ã,  Ã, WAIT
Ã,  Ã, The last step. Make sure you send out a bunch of submission packages, and realize it can take anywhere from one week (for e-queries) to eight months or so to get a reply. Most will reply, but be warned: Most will reply in the negative. It is a daunting thing to become an author. Only 17 new authors get published each year in the United States, and only 900 authors in the US actually live on what they make.
Ã,  Ã, Rejections will come, and will come in abundance. Wait it out. If you are truly sure that you have something, run with it. Don't let failure turn you off to the idea of having your manuscript published. Steven King received 60 rejections for Carrie, and wallpapered one wall of his study with all the rejection slips he got. Same goes for Clive Cussler, who wrote SAHARA. Be patient.

Ã,  Ã, For You impatient Bastards out there...
Ã,  Ã, www.publishamerica.com

Ã,  Ã, These guys suck. Everyone hates them. My first two books were published by them. Thank God I was able to break out of their evil vicegrip and get a mainstream publisher for Dark Hearts. However, if you don't care about sales and just want to see your book in print, go with them. They're free, unlike most subsidy publishers. They will publish anything. You will just never sell what they publish unless you do it yourself. Don't be taken in by all the testimonials and stuff on their site... NO bookstore will sign you up for a book signing unless oyu live in a little tiny town where everyone knows each other, or unless oyu are on VERY good terms (ie having sex with) the manager.
__________________________________________________

Well, I hope that was helpful for anyone interested. And please, if anyone else knows how to do anything interesting, such as sign a record deal or get a job with Marvel comics or something, please feel free to add!!! And if anyone DOES decide they want to be an author, feel free to PM me for help. I'm always willing, since I wish someone had been willing to help me out when I first started.

What did you do, completely redraw it? It's a hundred times better now.

I think the parking lot could more easily be done in an "out of the way" manner if you were to make the turn going up to it behind the Triple Golden Arches (tm) sign, and have the lot be visible behind it... Something like this:


(Sorry, I can't get that any bigger. You'll have to click on it to get the full-sized image...)

AS for desert plants and stuff:
http://members.aol.com/mbji/pic90.htm
(The rounded ones with the buds are prickly pear, and even though there seem to be a lot of barrel cactii in those pics (they are actually Sagauarro, which grow to be very tall, unlike barrells), prickly pears are much more abundant. Note also the red sand and the extreme amount of bracken... Note also, these pics were taken during a monsoon season, which accounts for the clouds)

http://www.ovrp.org/vegetation/our%20lords%20candle.htm

That tall thing in the middle is an Our Lord's Candle cactus, and those are also very abundant along highways.

http://www.downtheroad.org/Photo/2AZ/DSC00069.JPG

This is the town of Tombstone, Arizona, where I live, at a distance. I've been to Roswell, and the highways and roads all look very similar to AZ. Once again, with the bracken: American deserts aren't like the Sahara. We have what's called "High Desert" as opposed to low deserts like the Sahara... I think the only exception is Death valley, which Roswell does not happen to be in. Those crazy little plants grow EVERYWHERE, except where it's really rocky.

Stupid MacPhee!!! Thanks for ruining it for us!!! Now you've got me thinking about Matchstick Men, which was also a really good acting job. And, as much as I don't even want to ADMIT TO HAVING SEEN IT, there's always 8mm. When he was freaking out because he found out some sick perverted bastard had killed the innocent little girl to make a snuff movie, he rocked the acting scene.

But no one beats Mel Gibson. Boy, can that man CRY!!!!! Plus no one else in Hollywood has arms that are quite so hairy.

Thanks, pal. Hope I wasn't too harsh on you, and I hope the game comes out alright.

I know, right??? Seriously... That's not a really cool solution. Outside of using 3D or CAD software, it's the ONLY solution...

Actually, I really liked him in Constantine, but that was just my type of movie... Otherwise, I think you're right. My vote for all time worst actor goes to KR.

Well, at least in recent times. NO ONE could act pre-1990, even though all the movies before then had better plots.

Wait just a minute, here... Nik has been spending time trying to get the heat off Nicholas Cage...

    nikolasideris ... Nikolas-i-cage-is!!!!
:o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

Does anyone else remember him saying he looked like Nick Cage???

There's something wrong, besides the fact that he's not bouncing (I can't make him do that... Whenever I do, it seems really broken and crappy) Sorry, but I'm not all techno-geeked up. I can't give you a higher res pic of the walkcycle. Every time I try, I just wind up ruining it (I have to increase the size of every frame independently, and since I can't do that perfectly it jumps all over the place)... I hope this is cool. It's the first piece of art I've tried putting in the critics lounge...

I'll try to get back with a side view tomorrow. I really suck at up cycles, though...

For those of you who played the first ESPER game, is this an improvement? He looks better, I think, but is he usable or should I just stick with the old one? Also, I would really prefer all the clothes that are on him that are grey were black, I just have no idea how to do that without making it look... umm... bad.... I thought about using the old "blue highlights like in Superman's hair" technique, but that made it look like he was wearing really loose spandex.Ã,  Ã, :o





Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã, 

PS: I suck at this. Could one of the mods please edit this post so it doesn't look like it was sneezed out of the nose of a being called the Great Green Arkelseizure?

It's ESPER, cap'n.

Actually, I am a published author. I only wrote the way I did because I, unlike Ashen, I guess, don't have time to sit and figure stuff out for you. I learned the AGS interaction menu without even using the manual: I just sat back and screwed around with it until I figured out what did what. When I wanted to get a little more involved, I started using the manual. I wrote a very basic outline of what to do, but apparently, even though Ashen told you EXACTLY what to do, you still can't get it.

Now, listen close, because I'm only saying this once, and if you don't get it, you really don't need to be using AGS.

OPEN AGS
okay, we'll skip that.

Go to the room in which the buttons are. On the left side of the screen, click Room Editor, and then AREAS

In the box in the top left of the display area, where it should say "walkable areas" right now, click that and make it say "HOTSPOTS."

Use the buttons that look like they are from a paint program in the top center of the screen to draw over the first button, thus making it a hotspot.

Next to where it says EDITING:1 click the up arrow to make it say EDITING:2. Draw over the second button. It will be in a different color.

Repeat the last step, making it say EDITING:3 and drawing over the third button. Repeat again, making a EDITING:4 and draw over all the rest of the buttons.

Click INTERACTIONS.

Double click ANY CLICK ON HOTSPOT

From the Pulldown Menu select Game: Set variable Value

Click the top CHANGE button, and in the box that comes up click EDIT VARIABLES

In the bottom of the new box that comes up, click New Variable

Type in the name of the variable. We'll call it CODELOCK. Hit enter.

Click OK. From the pulldown menu, select CODELOCK. Click OK again. Click the bottom CHANGE button.

Make sure the radio button for VALUE is selected, and make sure the text in the box says 0 (zero).

Click OK. Do it again.

Click the down arrow next to the EDITING button to make it go back down to 1.

Click Interactions.

Make it say the following, using the examples of how to operate the Interactions menu I just used.
Ã,  Ã, Conditional - If variable is set to a certain value (Codelock, 0)
Ã,  Ã,  Ã, Game - Set variable value (Codelock, 1)
Ã,  Ã,  Ã, Stop running more commands

Click the same up arrow as before, and make it say 2. click Interactions, and do this:
Ã,  Ã, Conditional - If variable is set to a certain value (Codelock, 1)
Ã,  Ã,  Ã, Game - Set variable value (Codelock, 2)
Ã,  Ã,  Ã, Stop running more commands
Ã,  Ã, Game - Set variable value (Codelock, 0)

Click the same up arrow as before, and make it say 3. click Interactions, and do this:
Ã,  Ã, Conditional - If variable is set to a certain value (Codelock, 2)
Ã,  Ã,  Ã, Game - Set variable value (Codelock, 3)
Ã,  Ã,  Ã, Stop running more commands
Ã,  Ã, Game - Set variable value (Codelock, 0)

Then, when codelock=3, this means the door is open. I'm not going to bother telling you how to do that, since I haven't seen your game and don't know how it works. Like Ashen said, right there (after you set the variable to 3) you can do interactions that will show the door opening. If you need to close the door again, don't forget to set that variable back to 0.

To answer your questions:

1. Not quite.
2. Make sure A) you have the right radio button checked. When you click the top CHANGE button, the top radio button should be checked. When you click the bottom CHANGE button, the bottom radio button should be clicked.
3. Don't screw around with globals yet. Just do exactly what we told you, and it should work.

Sorry if those don't answer the questions, but you don't write so understandably yourself.

Ã,  Ã,  Ã, Do I get big "respect++" now???

hahahahahahahaDAMMIT MISTER COLOSSAL!!!!!!!

I wish you didn't have subliminal messaging in your avatar. It ruined my laughing spasm. You seriously need to post a still image of that spare frame. Every time I see it, I stare for hours to see it again and never do.

Squinky rules several galaxies. Rock on with the Ghost Rider collection.

I mean, seriously, as much as Ben Affleck sucks, even HE would be a better choice for GR. Then again, there must be some rule that you can't be more than one superhero...

It isn't really... I'm not asking what program people use, I'm asking what technique they use to make their animations. How do they do them in programs that don't have onion skinning, like Flash does? I think Scummy changed the name from "What do you guys do" to "What do you guys USE..." There already are plenteous threads for that.

Thanks for all the ideas, everyone. Here's the deal.

First off, I kinda figured the only people who would EVER play this would be AGSers. Secondly, it is kind of a more "intelligent" game: the kind people like "Chis" and "J LOkins" would not ever even try to play (yes, I just read the post on the good ole days...). Thirdly, everyone who has said I should do an IN-GAME way of doing it was totally on to my original idea. This kind of sprang out of an idea I had in which you would search the internet, work in photoshop, and mess around with audio and video files, but it would all take place in-game (as in, FAKE photoshop, wavepad, etc.).. The ZIP idea came along afterwards, when I realized it might not be too hard to put in several different stages of an altered pic or audio file and play/show them depending on what you have done to it... But it might be less fun. Then there was the whole idea of coming up with a FAKE internet... Firstly, that would make it seem way less real and immersive. Second, YOU try making your own GOOGLE!!!! (yes, I know, I like to number my points)...

This is the only way I could think to do what I wanted to do, and it's kind of aggravating that it does seem to be the only way.

InCreator: How did they unzip the game, and how did they download the game to unzip it in the first place???

Ali: You got it from a flamboyantly gay pidgeon. I think you know what to do with it...

I wish I could even RIP graphics and make them look that good! I think this will be a cool game, and if something has to do with the paranormal, I'm there.

Sorry, Kinoko. I just figured, being the male chauvinist pig that I am...........................

Anyway, nik: I agree, however, I think a man can say, "Damn, I wish I looked like THAT guy" and in that way be, in a somewhat roundabout manner, admitting the sexiness of another male...

It's not our fault Firefly only got shown for eight seconds. Sci Fi is re-releasing it, though. Maybe, as was the case with Stargate, they will get all the nice little license thingies and be able to resurrect it...

You speak the truth...

I've mentioned before that the LJUBI twins are my favorite posters, right?Ã,  It's just so comforting to know that I can't be the dumbest person in the world.

And if I may answer a question from a while ago:

Who are you to take the moral high ground?

Dude, they are the song written by the hands of God!!!Ã,  I'd say that more than qualifies them to tell you what is and isn't morally right.Ã, 

I'm sorry... This is a waste of a post, but....

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!!

NNNNOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

::fuming, foaming, and running toward the nearest living thing to kill it::

Nicholas Cage is playing Johnny Blaze??? What friggin' MORON dreamed that up!!! I had every issue of both the old and new Ghost Riders, and he is NEITHER of them!!! Ohh, I think I'm gonna be sick....

EDIT: Ash, now that I hear about it, I bet Kinoko posted this because he'd just heard the bad news, too.... :'(

 :o

::kills self::

You're right, but I never noticed. Looking back, I see now why National Treasure wasn't a much better movie. Come to think of it, the only redeeming quality was Riley.

Say what now???

Anyway, I was on the GameMaker Showcase forums a couple months back, and it got hacked. Totally ruined the forums. I never went back, and I know quite a few others didn't either.

Then again, the GMS was a bunch of little kids.