Messages

[very huge]

Also, the game was part of a game jam, most of the downloads/views came from itch (where the jam was hosted).

Well, although “Huggles” was not part of any external game jam, “Thinker” is, and that jam does indeed include games with around a thousand views as counted by GameJolt, to wit, three of them.

The spread on that is very huge: The rear has only 11 % of the views of the leader, or in absolute numbers, the #1 is at ~980 whilst the #31 is just shy of 110.

“Thinker”, being the #18, hasn't done all that well in that regard and as usual, I don't have any clear idea about the causes in play and how to effectively improve the numbers. (Note that only participants may vote, so the currently running voting process is independent from viewer numbers, which makes it fair to discuss views here IMHO.)

“Thinker” has been in the AGS database from its day 1. That does explain several dozen views and a portion of the downloads, but not the difference to four-digit view numbers.

I haven't put “Huggles” into the AGS database yet mainly because this doesn't make sense for a strictly seasonal game after the season has passed. Also, it had only garnered a single vote in the MAGS contest that it was in, and this is below my quality threshold. I might enter it next year in March provided that I've found some way to improve it significantly in the meantime. Or if I can't improve it, I might perhaps retract it; I haven't found time to decide on that yet.

Just what makes my games that invisible? I'm still stumped.

potential compatibility issues

We should differentiate here between modules, on the one hand, and plugins, on the other hand.

Modules are pre-written pieces of AGS source code. Their code is open and -  once it is installed - modifiable. So if a module doesn't do what you want specifically and you are crafty enough, then you can simply edit the code to your liking. However, just as with any piece of “foreign” software, it may be written in a way you find hard to understand; and if you do decide to add modifications and the original author publishes an update, then you yourself need to integrate your changes and the update changes. The more you have changed the module, the harder that may turn out to be.

In general, modules work for all ecosystems (windows, linux).

Plugins, on the other hand, are pieces of machine code that interact with the machine code of AGS (either its editor or its engine or both). So if a new AGS version comes along, it is quite possible that some plugins no longer harmonize, and in this case there is little you can do about it unless you happen to have the plugin source and can deal with the language it is written in. Thus if your code has relied on a plugin that no longer harmonizes then you may be in a rut.

Also, with Engine plugins it is quite possible that a plugin is written for some specific ecosystems but not for others, e.g., it is available for Windows but not for Linux. In that case, you can only compile your games for the ecosystems that the plugin is provided for.

In a nutshell, you remain in control with modules but you do not with plugins.

A lot of people usually recommend Audacity(I think that's the name) but i've never used it so I can't say anything about it :-)

Audacity is a  sound editing software. For instance, if you've recorded a bang and want to add an echo to it or if you want to normalize the loudness of your music or if you've got several music clips that you want to overlay and stitch together, then Audacity is the tool to go for.

It's very versatile. But it won't do at all as a composing tool. Plus, it's wave form only, it won't handle MIDI.

[mobile]

It still means that, besides Unity, then AGS is the only one which was used by more than 2 games. Not trying to trumpet AGS here, just trying to get a picture of the situation. In short, AGS is dwarfed by Unity, but it's the only one else that gathered more than a couple users.

In Thinker downloads, 6-7 % were for Linux so far (converting to a proportion of 1 for every 15 downloads). All the others were for Windows. A large proportion of the Facebook viewers came from mobile Facebook (m.facebook.com). So I suspect that there might also be quite a lot of mobile users among the non-Facebook viewers, and all those mobile users might have been very interested in a mobile Thinker but were foiled. But I compiled with 3.5.1 which doesn't offer Android out-of-the-box.

Modern IT distribution being what it is (Windows retreating, Android and iOS coming), game writers might possibly prefer Unity over AGS if it is easier to provide mobile builds with Unity than with AGS.

Crimson Wizard is implementing Object turning functionality, which would let AGS do roughly the same animations easily that you could do with PowerPoint (in combination with Object resizing and the tweening module). That's great to have. I suspect that other adventure building systems have already been able to do this and we are only catching up in this respect. This might also be a reason that coders prefer Unity over AGS.

I think I heard the sentiment that AGS was “good enough” for hobbyist projects but if you want to go professional you need to switch sooner or later (I think from the developers of “Kathy Rain”). That would put AGS into a bad position because then many coders would think it wise to bypass AGS and start with an “adult” system right from the get-go.

AGS doesn't need to lose this particular competition, however: Almost everything within the AGS universe has always been free for professional use ever since Chris Jones' time. You do not automatically lock yourself into remaining a hobbyist if you start with AGS as a hobbyist. But I suspect that over the decades, some very specific issues might have come up that professionals can't do without and if AGS doesn't provide those specific things, then coders will shun all of AGS even if they only tentatively think of turning professional one day.

In any case, being the #2 is still a comfortable position. It is said that in every area with competition only the #1 and #2 survive in the long run. That would still garner AGS a place on the rostrum.

Added a link to the playthroughs that I know of.

the message behind the ending.

Now that you mention it: About a decade ago, I once read a parody of Dr. Seuss on CollegeHumor, “Oh the places you'll actually go!” by Susanna Wolff. It's no longer on the regular Internet but can be found on archive.org:

This is it! | This moment, right now, is the youngest you'll be | For the rest of your life! Just wait and just see! ... | On this milestone, people will tell you you're great. | All your friends will hear, too, of their wonderful fate. |

... But just think for a second: Now how can that be? | Not everyone is special, sta-tis-ti-cal-ly. | ... You probably won't starve or anything like that | In fact, in all likelihood, you're going to get fat. | ... But mediocrity is normal. It's what the word means. | So come on, dear kid, just give up on your dreams.

On the other hand, this adventure doesn't need to patter out as pessimistic as all that. It hasn't come to an absolute end yet.

What do you think?

Spoiler

So Thinker has arisen from his crate once already. Who knows? Perhaps he will arise from his crate again and make further attempts at escaping his confinement.

[close]

[Warning:]

Warning: Playthroughs must by necessity be full of spoilers. Viewers beware!
Now that we've got that out of the way, here's a list of all the playthroughs that I'm aware of:

Here's a playthrough in English language (from CrypticHybrid):

Here's a playthrough in German language (from Jagger):

[Hints to get out of the bunker room:]

Hints to get out of the bunker room:

So how do I break the rebellion of the door opener?

Spoiler

So what's on the other side of the blast door?

[close]

No matter how many digits i enter into the keypad, I don't get any reaction.

Spoiler

So the keypad seems to be dead ...

[close]

Spoiler

... so it needs to be powered some way.

[close]

Spoiler

(When in the bunker room, click on the keypad to enter the full view of it. Then:) Look on the right side of the keypad

[close]

Okay, so how do I change that the keypad is dead?

Spoiler

When you are in fullscreen view of the keypad, there is a battery compartment on its right-hand side. To make the keypad functional, the battery in it needs to be charged first:.

[close]

Spoiler

Go out of the keypad screen using the "Back" button. Thinker's battery is on the top-right of the playing area. Use the dead battery on Thinker's battery.

[close]

Spoiler

Enter the keypad screen and insert the charged (!) battery into the battery compartment.

[close]

So now I can enter five-digit numbers into the keypad. But I don't know which five digits. How do I find the correct combination?

Spoiler

It's written somewhere in the bunker room.

[close]

Where is the combination specifically?

Spoiler

Go out of the keypad screen into the bunker room and examine the crate ...

[close]

Spoiler

... when closed.

[close]

That doesn't give me a combination, and Thinker gets all philosophical with me!

Spoiler

Imagine standing behind the crate and looking at it from that perspective.

[close]

So what's the combination?

Spoiler

77345. If you turn that upside-down, it reads 'ShELL'.

[close]

I can't enter that combination!.

Spoiler

So this combination contains a '4', and the keypad doesn't have a '4' key.

[close]

Spoiler

... and the '4' key is nowhere to be found in the bunker either.

[close]

Spoiler

... so you need a replacement.

[close]

How to get a replacement?

Spoiler

Go back into the bunker and look around ("examine", right-mouse-click).

[close]

Where exactly should I look?

Spoiler

The bottom-left ventilator grate (with a right mouse click).

[close]

Great, but I can't get that off!

Spoiler

What could you use to get that from the wall?

[close]

Spoiler

Use the company card on the grate.

[close]

I need to stop the ventilator and I can't.

Spoiler

Note that the white oblong area at the right wall, above the sink, looks slightly different than the other oblong areas: It has a button of sorts. So examine (right mouse click) that area.

[close]

Spoiler

Afterexamining the area, interact with it (left-click it).

[close]

Spoiler

The ventilators of the room have stopped. You can dismantle the one on the bottom left.

[close]

Spoiler

Take the small electronics screw driver in the niche where the ventilator was (click carefully: The driver is fairly tiny!)

[close]

So how do I enter the combination?

Spoiler

Use the screwdriver on the keypad. You'll enter the fullscreen view of the keypad. Enter the combination using the screwdriver.

[close]

I entered the correct combination into the non-dead keypad. But I still can't open the blast door!

Spoiler

Have you remembered to turn the power on again (main power switch on the right wall)?

[close]

Spoiler

Interact (left-click) with the door opener on the right of the blast door.

[close]

By the way, if you want your game translated into German (Germany), I can help out. But I won't be able to start translating before June 1st.

Is there a bug in the paging function for the thread overviews?

Consider the board "Completed games anouncements".

The last entry of page 1 is  "GRANDMA, episode 1 'confinement 2021'". This thread was touched last on 8 May.

Spoiler

[imgzoom]https://www.loquimur-online.de/ags/talk/pob1.png[/imgzoom]

[close]

The first entry of page 2 is "Chronicle of Innsmouth: Mountains of Madness"; this thread was touched last on 5 May, 10:38 Berlin time.

Spoiler

[imgzoom]https://www.loquimur-online.de/ags/talk/pob2.png[/imgzoom]

[close]

However, there's also the Thread "Huggles goes on a trip", touched last on 5 May, 18:42 Berlin time. As far as I can see, this thread is completely missing from the overview although it should be on the board (https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=59000.msg636634550#msg636634550). Shouldn't this thread be listed first thing on page 2?

Added signature tune.

Honza's has several very nice animations and beautiful graphics.

And I can recommend Lorenzo's and FormosaFalanster's for the graphics and story line, and also for its extent (playing length, game world size).

AGS games. I am not sure yet if there are others.

There's also this game: Sleuth.

[that]

AFAICS it's not that closed.

Here's what I read in their FAQ:

Anyone with a Game Jolt account can give your game an out-of-five rating on your game's page. This will, in part, effect how high your game appears on Game Jolt's website in terms of popularity. This means more people will see your game, whether they participated in Adventure Jam or not. Adventure Jam participants will be able to vote on each other's games ...

So on the one hand, non-participants may not vote, but on the other, they do get the chance to leave a rating or make a comment on the game page.

Adventure Jam 2021 is about to end. One and a half dozen games have already been registered.

So if you're wondering what would be a great way of spending all your leisure time on Pentecost, have a look here.

Let's put hints and tips for Thinker here.

Here's one: If you absolutely can't make heads or tails of the mail sorting mini game,

Spoiler

After you have entered the sorting station, alt-tab out of your game and look into your save games folder . For Windows, thise folder typically is C:\Users\[Your account name]\Saved Games\Thinker. There's a file "MailStationSolution.bmp" that will show exactly what letter goes where. This will only work for the newest puzzle, so if you restore some old game state, you might be out of luck.

[close]

[Hints and tips]

Hello folks,

I can proudly present a snack-sized sci-fi adventure to you:

Thinker

Meet a robot that lacks a voice but is full of thought and follow his life as he awakes from his crate.
Help him escape his self-chosen isolation and help him struggle to stay charged!

Thinker's signature tune:

Standard BASS interface (right-click: examine things; left-click: interact with things).

Download the game here: https://gamejolt.com/games/Thinker/617947

Hints and tips thread

(Viewers beware: Playthroughs must by nature be full of spoilers! Now that that has been taken care of:)
A list of all the playthroughs that I know of


This is an entry to AdventureJam 2021.
Find the other games of this jam here.


What do you think?

Cosmic rays?

When I got to my computer this morning and opened my current project, suddenly the Dialog Editor appeared in the Project Explorer menu. I gave the dialog editor a quick test and it seems to work.

I don't remember doing anything different as compared to yesterday, but perhaps I did.    Or else, perhaps Windows decided yesterday night to install some updates and do a reboot and that fixed the hiccup.

So whatever had been the problem, as of now I'm fine! 

I'll report if I find out what happened exactly.

Alas! DialogDesigner doesn't seem to integrate into AGS 3.5.0 Build 3.5.0.30.

• I followed instructions for a 3.4.1 installation and started that up: The project tree featured a "Dialog Designer" entry. I double-clicked it, and got a popup asking for the location of the Dialog Designer executable. So the installation seems to work in 3.4.1.
• I repeated the instructions in a 3.5.0 installation and started that up: The "Dialog Designer" entry did not appear in the project tree.

What a pity!

Just a short note/reminder that this jam will start in about 1 ½ days, on May 8, 1 o'clock Berlin time.