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Mmmm my first thoughts after I saw this thread's name before I clicked on it were, yep a BIG and I mean really huge jumbo blue cup with a distinct AGS logo and in the way that auriond suggested, a small line of the logo down one side or at the top around the mouth piece.

I have other ideas too:
* an AGS blanket, blue with ags on it for the cold nights we endure designing our games when we dont want to go to bed yet (and yes the cold winter stay in at home days too).

* the official AGS book - story of how CJ started it, maybe his biblography. I can write some of it if you like? But would also have other writers from here who could be part of this.

* Blue coloured pens with a blue cup at the end of it

* AGS games for mobile phones

* car seat covers - black or whatever colour, with the blue cup and logo on them

And I am all for the others' ideas like keyrings, mouse pads, shot glass, t-shirts, beanies and more other stuff. I am also very keen on the idea of a roger doll!!!! That would be very original and then maybe later down the track, some of the ags members' game sprites as soft toys (I did make a paperclip character soft toy in 1999 and it was much loved by those who knew clip so I think the soft toy idea could work.....) and I love the pillow idea as well!!! Good idea to have merchandise to raise funds to keep this going, its such a good community and one that we should never take for granetd as I feel Sierra and Roberta didnt have this kind of support 20 years ago . Anyhow... I hope some merchandises do come up for this community.

EDIT: Sorry forgot to put in how much I would pay max: $20-25 Australian dollars is the max I'd go to. You might need to take in consideration the varying currency amounts for other countries. Shipping is another consideration, but it can be done fairly cheaply if you think of the environment in terms of recycling old packaging and negotating a small package. I have had many items from ebay sent to me from England and they were surprisingly much cheaper from there than from Aussie and USA even though the currency is much higher in England .

I think you were right to post it here you will have our support whenever you work on it any time and its a good thing that you can see this as a side hobby to work on, and you only need to take your time working on it. There need not be a deadline and I guess if you work slowly on the game, you will learn a lot and a lot more than if you rush, as I have found from experience. So I would say doing it by the sides a good way .

I really like that background! The only thing I would say is, maybe best to move the tall lamp out of the view of the grey box buttons on the wall, the pole and the buttons sort of blend and it makes it look difficult to see the lamp pole, maybe move it a bit or move it to another area of the room, but wow! From a personal view, when I looked at the room, it gave me the feeling of a memory I have of being in a building once and they were good memories, one summer time it was . The way the room is designed gives it intrigue with the closed door to the right and two passages off to the top and right directions lead me to wonder what the next rooms will look like - though the one at the top looks like it will be the kitchen, it makes me want to see what it will look like in full view, the half view of it in this room makes me feel curious . Shadows: I think you have conveyed the shadows and colours very well but the far left area under the window, I'm not really sure. It looks like the wall has a groove in it. Perhaps if you smudge it, soften the line on that area so it looks more like a shadow, that might work better. Other than that, I must say you have done very well with this room and the gui looks interesting! It seems to fit well with the room, concept and colour scheme. I cant wait to see some more screenshots .

That looks like a fabulous game in the making and I have added it to my wish list and will be looking forward to its release . I must admit I did feel the same Ali did and thought it might be like that, but when I entered the thread, I was like WOW this is one fabulous looking game and it looks like it will make me think heaps while playing the game . Keep up the good work!

Ghost, I think you have written a really fantastic story that would do very well as a game. Stories can be interpreted in so many mediums - a game, book, play, painting, and much more, and its only your imagination that would limit you and I have a feeling your imagination will take you very very far with this story into a game. I already cant wait to see your game with that story you have . The spiders trapdoor CAN be made into a puzzle very easily, with a bit of thinking, brainstorming and lots of your imagination! Good on you for posting here, I am glad I had the opportunity to read your story .

Hey thats a fantastic first newsletter and I am proud to have read it and I can say its a good start. The font is ok for the first time and I guess it can get better as more newsletters go by and more feedback comes your way. From me, I would say the layout is a good start, but some ideas, maybe put some pages in column styles, sort of makes it neater and categorises certain things (like what Mikko was saying also to add competitions - those could be the kind of things to put in columns and categories) and I think it will work out well. Also will the newsletter be emailed via an email list if we put our names and email list to some sort of 'subscribe' submit like some websites have? I cant wait for the next issue already! You have done well.

Here are my votes:
Most of my votes are same as buloght except for 'idea'.

idea - Mikko
atmosphere - loominous
design - loominous
composition - loominous
functionality - nihilyst
technique - loominous

Well done guys, you all did great! And I do mean that

Ah you are a good artist from what I can see even without formal training - I dont think we need to have formal training, though I have had formal training because being deaf I missed out on much of what was heard and said so I didnt quite know how to develop my concepts when I was younger, but I feel I have developed in that area thankfully with the help of Tafe (in australia we have a tertiary institution called Tafe which is like uni but more flexible and cheaper but gets the same qualifications and is more practical than theory). Anyway I better get back on topic again, sorry .

I have to say I can relate to you totally, I go insane when I cant get the time to paint or draw, or create! Thats why I am always making time for creating after work and at the weekends and at the moment it is drawing on the pc, loving it .

I guess auriond that this would be your best start and I think later you should think about becoming commercial cos your work is great and I am sure you will develop on the puzzles part over time, and if you go on to play quite a few AGS games you can get ideas on how puzzles can be developed. I am sure CJ wont mind you making it into a commercial game. Infact I am sure he would be quite flattered and happy, and you put him in your credits most importantly, and I reckon a bit of a donation from your sales to him wouldn't go astray . Give yourself some more credit and go for it . Your brother's work is great - I just wish I could actually hear his works , being deaf I cant but I can tell from others' comments he has contributed well so again keep working at what you love most.

Thanks SSH yeah I had realised after I posted, that it may have been over 30 colours but I wasnt too sure what 30 colours really mean - at this stage I am a bit confused by the definition as there are so many graphics that seem to use more than 30 colours (not in this thread tho lol, but elsewhere different sites different places etc), so thanks for fixing that up. Shall that fixed version be included in the competition? Shall I repost as a modified one?

WOWWWW! Double WOW auriond!! You are one talented game developer and artist! Are you an artist also, in the way of painting/drawing I mean? I am one too and this game REALLY appeals to me in so many senses. I can relate to the playing character, having done life drawing myself and trying to find funding for art projects (like your character was before he had to abandon the life drawing project then the girl went missing - yep I read your website!). I cant wait for the demo and for the actual game release. What I was also wanting to ask is, will this game be commercial, are you going to sell it? I hope so! I really believe this game is of commercial quality, infact I would say it exceeds commerical quality in terms of its graphics and storyline. I will be keeping my eye on this thread and your website .

And mine too! Mine is fairly new and I have a blog for it at this stage. Here is its link: http://gypsysnailstravels.blogspot.com/

The details of my game company are:
Name: Gypsysnail Intercasta Games
Started: 2006, October

Game studio used is AGS

Status: I have my first game currently in its early production and more on it will be released over the time it is being produced.

I look forward to seeing your website Peder. Many thanks for giving us this opportunity to make our game companies more public.

This is my entry - an elfin woman and snail. I would call her elfisnailus.

EDIT:
Here is the better graphic of less 30 colours. Thank you SSH

x1

x2 (this might not be so perfect, looking a bit pixellated but that is what happens when it is resized from small to big and I am unsure of how to make it 'less than 30' as I said in a post down below I am confused with the meaning of 30 colours and so on - I will learn though )

EDIT2: Thank you for your advice Gilbot that is much appreciated, I agree it does seem that jpeg does mess up the colour count. I have deleted my original images and am using the fixed up ones that SSH did for me as I don't want to make a new sprite at this stage, as I am happy with the elvinsnailus one and am grateful to SSH for the conversion to less than 30 colours . I have learnt something new once again. So now this is my formal entry.

Thank you thank you everyone for your support I'm really glad you like my background and for the suggestions for improvements . Yes buckethead, the shape is quite different, I will try yours and ildu's ideas for shapes and see how it effects the whole image, worth a try. Gotta run to work now, catch you all laters, thanks again. Cheers

Thanks ildu, your comments really have helped. I have done a bit of altering on my image, particularly on the sofa, small table and knitting basket in front of it, going from what you suggested (also I altered the carpets perspective a bit so it looks like its goin smaller going to the back of the room and the top pink cushion on floor has been made a bit smaller, the background behind image pitch black but not yet worked on the shape of the room), and I hope it looks better now, but maybe it does need a bit more work, but I have to be up early tomorrow so have to go to bed now, but here is the image so far...... (not sure should I post the image two times even though its changed? Let me know if that isnt to be done and I will modify as so not to clutter up the forums)

Thanks Chicky!! Yes many people have said there is lots of details, it makes the whole room look interesting and gives the player plenty of scope for searching for things and making the puzzles harder, hence more fun I guess .

That would be even better Ali!!! The more pictures from you with that style, the better! And even better to watch you develop through your style, you got talent there.

Thanks ildu for those comments, that will help a lot. Yes I did think the background behind the image should be black only so you confirmed what my 2nd thought was.

Ah its not a gui such as, its a room but I like your idea of decorating it around the edges, oval could be an idea, I will give it a go this week. Yep there are two walk ways down the bottom, one to the left leads to the kitchen and one outside, but I think I will need to really think on that one how I will do two in one edge hmmm. Thanks for the ideas on the sofa, it is huge lol. I will resize that also. Also want to ask if this

even if it's a cartoonish image. I'm not saying it's totally screwed, but there are obvious parts that are.

means the sofa and the things you mentioned further in your post or extra things? and

The couch is way too big if you compare it to the tv and the cabinet which are roughly at the same height.

what do you mean same height of what?.... of the sofa or? It helps havin really good feed back so thanks again .

Ok Graphix, your image is ok, a bit simple but nice. The only thing I would comment on is there is no shading in some areas like the sides of the building, and some parts of the grass/ground/hills. Nice stars however. Look forward to seeing it in a game.

room is meant to be messy.... and yeah the couches got that sort of shade. AND why do u think the cushions are there??? they re floor cushions. the rooms meant to be cozy. thank you anyway. Have a nice day

Hi all, this is my first background that I have ever done for a game. It is a house of the character at the start of the game and I would like some opinions please, constructive critiscm . The garden will when the player clicks look at the window, will come up as a close up - as a room of its own and the water feature will be animated. I hope people will like this first background *nervous grin*



Its meant to be slightly cartoonish and colouful, thats the theme of it in the game but some rooms like inside some buildings will be darkish with a soft glow. What I would also like to ask is what you all think of the background behind the image - black and purple hue? Now your opinions for this one