Messages

I undertook Spoons III some time ago. I worked on it and posted a beta in the GIP thread. Little interest in the beta, and I lost interest in the project. It sat untouched for about eight months, until a PM from Renegade Implementor drew me back into the game. I thought the beta was playable, but after letting it sit for so long, I instantly found a number of game ending bugs. Went back to work on it, and have another beta nearly ready to release. Still a number of cosmetic things I'd like to do, but I think I'm at a point of diminishing returns, in that what's left for me to do isn't going to make it a better game. I'm concerned, now, that if I can't break this beta, today, it might be about as good as I'm currently able to make it. I'm also concerned that anything I do to "clean up" my code might create more problems for me to fix. My coding skills are limited.

My specific question is how to know when to release one of these things? Seems like a number of GIPs have been going on for years, with slow, steady progress. I don't seem to have that kind of patience. I have no illusions about my game being sold on Steam, or nominated for a Forum Award. Unless, of course, the Forum creates a new category: Best Movie made with AGS. I'd be a shoe-in for that award. Despite some effort on my part, Spoons III still plays more like an interactive movie than a game.

PS If anyone might be inclined to try the beta in the GIP thread, please hold off a bit. I might have a new, improved beta to take for a spin, soonish.

It grows.... Story grows...
Everything makes sense.
Everyhting turns into shit.
Everytging is vain.
Story grows...
Everything makes sense.

For some reason reminds me of the five stages of grief.

@Danvzare - You might be correct about the walkable area and the scaling. I'm pretty sure that one of the characters I had a problem with was not on a walkable area. She didn't need to move, so it seemed logical, but a walkpath might have scaled her properly. Not sure that transparency issues are affected by walkable areas? Have to look into that.

@Cassiebsg - You may not have seen the invisible man, but, until I fixed it, one of my betas had an incredible shrinking man -- kept getting smaller and smaller with each iteration.

@dayowiron - Good suggestion. May be overkill, but would Would certainly cut back on some of the time I'm spending trying to figure out why someone went wonky.

Thanks, folks!

I've been working on Spoons III, and I keep having issues with moving characters between differnt rooms as needed. I've had scale issues and transparency issues, because they were scaled differently or left transparent in whatever room they last occupied. I hate to start setting a bunch of stuff, on room load, for each character "just in case." But, that might save time in the long run by cutting back on time spent debugging. Is there any "best practice" for handling character movement between rooms?

Bump

I've added an Achievements page. Story line allows two outcomes. Catch the guy who beat up Richy:

Spoiler

Thought I'd make use of the Spoons III logo to "imprison" the crook. FYI, if the crook is in the Slammer, Ponch is not the only AGSer I pick on.

[close]

Or fail to catch him:

Spoiler

In which case he really messes up your Achievement display.

[close]

I'm close to posting a second Beta, unless I just give up and release what I've got running at that critical moment.

[major]

Awesome!

The pixel work is, indeed, awesome. But... I'm trying to finish a RoN game using Jackie as the main character. Your take on Jackie would never have gotten her to the same place in my game. I think, might be wrong, that Renegade Implementor is responsible for getting the RoN characters fairly standardized, so the look and feel appear similar. Before you undertake something like this, you might want check with him about the scope of the job. I'm not saying don't continue, your stuff looks great and would also likely work great in an alternate RoNiverse, but it seems a major undertaking.

I've been working on a RoN game, Spoons III. Had a game killing bug that prompted me to get restrictive about who the player talked to first. Thought I might have fun with the next NPC the player had to talk with, by creating a few joke things in NPC's room, when the player hasn't talked with the other NPC. Problem is, I don't know if this is as tasteless as it seems to me to be.

Spoiler

[close]

The robot doesn't look all that good, but is probably okay for a joke. Guido and the lamb... Well, this isn't an OSD game, after all. What yer think? And, incidentally, if I can code it properly, these two, Guido/lamb and robot characters won't be in the scene at the same time. Lamb and robot are animated, in game.

Should add that the characters are RoN assets, except for the robot, which looks a lot better in CassieBSG's Unexpected at the Rising Star game. I've been beta testing Cassie's game, and you folks are in for a treat when she releases it.

[Anyone?]

Sorry for bringing this back up. I was quite content to let it continue sinking down into the board abyss, but Renegade Implementor pm'd me, asking about the status. We had agreed, more or less, to go ahead and post the game at the RoN site, and just let it die off here. Then, I dusted off my beta, and promptly found a game killing bug, along with three other minor issues. It involves playing the intro/demo and then playing the game. If anyone else takes the beta for a spin, don't play the intro/demo and then move directly to the main game without a fresh reload. Now feeling obligated to fix these.

And the busted beta could still use fresh eyes looking it over. Anyone?

Edit: I have had two folks who have completed the game, and both have provided feedback. Since I keep finding, on my own, game ending bugs, I'm still working on the game.

Some additional things regarding bugs in this beta: Make sure you exhaust all the dialogue options with Claudia before exiting. You won't be able to get back with her, and she has something you need to know about. Game will stall out. I've also encountered a, yet, unfixed bug if you talk to Josh without talking to Dave, first. Most of the bugs I've encountered have been easy enough to fix. This Dave/Josh one is proving more elusive. Not sure whasssup wid it.

http://www.mediafire.com/download/md1653fndo309e3/spoonBeta1.zip

Brand new character! Well...

[IMGzoom]http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww258/Cassiebsg/BSG78/Adama_Speech.gif[/IMGzoom]

I guess he's neither "brand new" nor "new"... but I just made him after 3 failed attempts.
And his uniform still sucks, I know. But I may not change it, since he's only got a few lines and only has a portrait sprite anyway... And I need to leave room for improvment for the next game anyway.

If you do improve him, I'd keep this one. You might find other uses for him, particularly if you pull the ears out a bit:

Spoiler

[close]

Hard to choose...

1st - CatPunter -- I just liked this one.
2nd - Tabata -- The mouse in the house always makes nice stuff.
3rd - Mandle

So, is Belle dreaming of being Polly, or is Polly dreaming of being Belle? And, if you're so inclined, which one wants the cracker?

[imgzoom]
http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o756/jwalt10705/polly1_zpsxiw5rjrt.png
[/imgzoom]

Not that there is actually a cracker in the picture...

No guess on the title, and may be off topic, but...

Spoiler

Just noticed that the Forum makes an unfortunate division of "title." I'd guess different resolutions may display the html in different sizes or line lengths, but...
Or, it might be my dirty mind, but... Or, it might be an interesting topic for a new, movie based, thread: "Guess the Movie tit..." Apologies, in advance, if I'm offending anyone.

[close]

All of these seemed cute and clever.

1st -- 11
2nd -- 12
3rd -- 15

Well go draw it then, the more the merrier!

Danvzare (and harima) made me do it:

[imgzoom]http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o756/jwalt10705/hippo2_zpsafme9xj5.gif[/imgzoom]

Tempted to say something along the lines of "hungry, hungry hippo"... But that might be a trademark issue, or some such.

Having once seen harima's birds, it's hard not to still see them in mine. Oh, well...

Hi guys, I was thinking, why not two pets?

Or maybe even three: two ducklings and one hippo, perhaps. 

Happy Birthday Implementor, Renegade or not!

Bush: So, Donald... Uh... Mr. President, tell me about your recent visit to Area 51?

Trump: When you're POTUS, they let you do anything. I got to touch all six of the Alien's boobs.

Trump: It isn't surprising that they developed FTL drives. You should see her bra.

Happy Birthday, Moo Man. Best wishes!

Thomas Hardy (1840â€"1928).  Wessex Poems and Other Verses.  1898.
 
San Sebastian
 
“Why, Sergeant, stray on the Ivel Way, 
As though at home there were spectres rife? 
From first to last 'twas a proud career! 
And your sunny years with a gracious wife 
  Have brought you a daughter dear.         
 
“I watched her to-day; a more comely maid, 
As she danced in her muslin bowed with blue, 
Round a Hintock maypole never gayed.” 
â€"“Aye, aye; I watched her this day, too, 
  As it happens,” the Sergeant said.         
 
“My daughter is now,” he again began, 
“Of just such an age as one I knew 
When we of the Line, in the Foot-Guard van, 
On an August morningâ€"a chosen fewâ€" 
  Stormed San Sebastian.         
 
“She's a score less three; so about was sheâ€" 
The maiden I wronged in Peninsular days…. 
You may prate of your prowess in lusty times, 
But as years gnaw inward you blink your bays, 
  And see too well your crimes!         
 
“We'd stormed it at night, by the vlanker-light 
Of burning towers, and the mortar's boom: 
We'd topped the breach but had failed to stay, 
For our files were misled by the baffling gloom; 
  And we said we'd storm by day.         
 
“So, out of the trenches, with features set, 
On that hot, still morning, in measured pace, 
Our column climbed; climbed higher yet, 
Past the fauss'bray, scarp, up the curtain-face, 
  And along the parapet.         
 
“From the batteried hornwork the cannoneers 
Hove crashing balls of iron fire; 
On the shaking gap mount the volunteers 
In files, and as they mount expire 
  Amid curses, groans, and cheers.         
 
“Five hours did we storm, five hours re-form, 
As Death cooled those hot blood pricked on; 
Till our cause was helped by a woe within; 
They swayed from the summit we'd leapt upon, 
  And madly we entered in.         
 
“On end for plunder, 'mid rain and thunder 
That burst with the lull of our cannonade, 
We vamped the streets in the stifling airâ€" 
Our hunger unsoothed, our thirst unstayedâ€" 
  And ransacked the buildings there.         
 
“Down the stony steps of the house-fronts white 
We rolled rich puncheons of Spanish grape, 
Till at length, with the fire of the wine alight, 
I saw at a doorway a fair fresh shapeâ€" 
  A woman, a sylph, or sprite.         
 
“Afeard she fled, and with heated head 
I pursued to the chamber she called her own; 
â€"When might is right no qualms deter, 
And having her helpless and alone 
  I wreaked my lust on her.         
 
“She raised her beseeching eyes to me, 
And I heard the words of prayer she sent 
In her own soft language…. Seemingly 
I copied those eyes for my punishment 
  In begetting the girl you see!         
 
“So, to-day I stand with a God-set brand 
Like Cain's, when he wandered from kindred's ken…. 
I served through the war that made Europe free; 
I wived me in peace-year. But, hid from men, 
  I bear that mark on me.         
 
“And I nightly stray on the Ivel Way 
As though at home there were spectres rife; 
I delight me not in my proud career; 
And 'tis coals of fire that a gracious wife 
  Should have brought me a daughter dear!”         
 

After looking at some pig game sprites, most I found don't have a bounce. Probably due to pigs having such short legs.
And looking at your images, I want to say that maybe on the side view you should make the but a little more rounded and move the tail down just a pixel or two and reflect those changes on the back view.
And maybe raise the head by 1-4 pixels on the side and front view.

Since the tail is the end of the spine, I'm not sure lowering it is a good idea. Googled pig skeleton:

Spoiler

[close]

The Google search also returned this which tickled my funny bone enough I had to share, even if off topic:

Spoiler

More of this kind of stuff reachable through:

http://walyou.com/cartoon-skeletons/pig-pen/

[close]