Topics

It's a bit bothersome to me that mouse.IsButtonDown doesn't work with eMouseLeftInv and eMouseRightInv which are essentially just eMouseLeft and eMouseRight over an inventory item. Logically I suppose you could say that mouse.IsButtonDown(eMouseLeftInv) would only return true if the button was being held over an inventory item, but simply testing mouse.IsButtonDown(eMouseLeft) returns false.

I've agreed to help subspark with a project of his which involves a verbcoin interface which he asked me to script. I've got a pretty functional albeit basic interface worked up, but it's no good without inventory functionality...

So basically all I need to know is if on_mouse_click is called with eMouseLeftInv or eMouseRightInv, is there any reasonable way for me to check the raw state of that mouse button being held?

Thanks for any assistance, especially if I'm just being dumb and missing something obvious/simple.

[Update 02:20 GMT: I HAVE POWER!]

I first attempted to post this message at around 22:30 GMT on 20 September 2008 from my job as indicated. The post failed, but I had the text saved.

I don't know if anyone's posted about it, but this is the first time I've been on the site since at least Thursday, 11 September. I live in south-east Texas (in the Houston area) and am still without power due to Hurricane Ike. I just had running water restored to my apartment yesterday, though it's still not been certified as "safe to drink".

As far as I know, no one that I personally know was injured by the hurricane though there were other damages. My mother's apartment (about 30 miles from my own) was condemned due to damages.

There's been a lot of hype in the media with people both praising and reprimanding FEMA, the electric companies, and anyone else they can think of.

As for me and my roommates we have received great assistance with food and water provisions. My job (from which I am currently posting this*) has even been providing hot meals free of charge just for showing up.

Anyway I didn't know if anyone knew about the hurricane or there had been previous discussions, but for the record I as well as my family and friends are okay.

I don't know who all as far as AGSers may have been affected. Besides I've been jonesing for some AGS forum action anyway.

*I'm not supposed to be on this site. It is blocked by the web filter. Proxy sites are blocked as well. Translating the forums from Arabic to English using Google's Page Translator isn't.

Update 02:20 GMT: I HAVE POWER! As of about 10 minutes ago power has been restored to my apartment. I wasn't sure how much longer I could stand coming home to a hot apartment, eating MREs, having to charge my phone in my truck...it's been 3 years since I had to deal with Hurricane Rita coming through but 3 years was not nearly enough. I'm grateful for all the help I've received during this time though I really don't ever want to have to go through it again. Moving away as soon as possible would be nice.

[THANK YOU]

Sometimes in our lives we find that things may not be going the way we'd always planned. It can seem that life might not be all that it's cracked up to be, or all that we'd hoped it could be. But at times like these it's always important to take a moment to reflect on what's really important. In the end, all that's really left of any of us is what we share with others. For many all we leave behind is memories; for Bill Gates, it's billions of dollars that will mean nothing to him once he has passed on.

So when Life, the Universe, and Everything seem hellbent on making you miserable, just take a moment to think back on the good times we've shared with others. Good memories they've given us; and those we've given them. And join the world in this spontaneously declared international holiday bearing absolutely no resemblance in any form whatsoever to any such or so called previously existing "Thanksgiving" holidays to give thanks to those who have left an impression on your life.

To initiate this newly declared and completely official international holiday, I would like to give thanks to all those who have helped me to learn computer programming. Or...AGS programming in any case. The skills I have learned here will hopefully provide immeasurable benefit in pursuing my future goal of becoming a professional gaming programmer; but come what may I can never forget the good times shared while learning so much about AGS. So without further ado, Ashen, Barbarian, Bernie, dkh, Edwin Xie, Exsecratus, Gilbot V7000a, Goot, Hellomoto, Hotspot, Ishmael, Mr Flibble, Proskrito, Pumaman, Radiant, RickJ, Scorpiorus, scotch, Scummbuddy, Snarky, SSH, SteveMcCrea, stuh505, and strazer, I would just like to say THANK YOU for your help in teaching me the ups, downs, ins, outs, lefts, rights, wrongs, and sidewayses of scripting in AGS.

And of course, to everyone: HAPPY GRATUITOUS GRATUITY DAY!

This is actually just a formalization and extension of a suggestion by GarageGothic here, but could also provide solutions to other situations such as this one.

I think it would be immensely useful if GUIs and Characters could be linked to a script to manage their event handlers. The scripts could be imported/exported as part of the GUIs/Characters. This has the obvious benefit of making the GUI scripts portable (as apparently they currently are not included as part of the GUI when exported) as well as cleaning up the global script.

However there would also be the less obvious benefit of being able to simulate interactions and events (as suggested here). If the GUI/Character event handlers were allowed in a script above custom scripts, we could then call the event handler functions within our custom scripts.

Both of these items would prove invaluable to me as a module author, and with the ability to place the event handlers in a separate script could become a reality. Thanks for your consideration.

[Edit:]

While I was waiting for an interview today for 4 hours, I had to come up with 3 "professional employment references" so naturally I used my current manager as a reference. I just got his number this morning when he called my phone to ask me to come in early, so I wasn't familiar with the number. When I was writing it down I noticed the last 4 digits are very similar to the last 4 digits of my number.

On a whim I went to work, using my hand as a scratch pad. First I added the two 4-digit pairs together. Next I took (the absolute value of) the difference, and added that to the sum of the two pairs. Finally I divided the whole thing by two to average the numbers out. I was stunned when I got the last 4 digits of my phone number back.

So I did the same thing with the 3 digits prior, but this time I got the digits from my manager's number. This is about the time I realized that apparently the resulting figure was the larger of the two.

Apparently the maximum of any two values could be determined by averaging the sum and the (absolute value of the) difference. I had this much scratched on my hand:

Code: ags

((A + B) + ABS(A - B)) / 2 = MAX(A, B)

The next step was clearly finding a method of getting the absolute value of a number without using any comparison operators. I racked my mind trying to figure it out, but it wasn't until I got home from work and Wikipedia helped me out that I solved this dilemma.

The absolute value of a number can be determined by taking the square-root of the square of the figure. If the figure is negative, the negative is dropped by the squaring, and the square root brings us back to our original (but absolute) value.

So, not that it probably matters...but you could script a max function in AGS like this:

Code: ags

int abs(int i) {
  return FloatToInt(Maths.Sqrt(IntToFloat(i * i))); // square i then get the square root
}

int max(int a, int b) {
  return ((a + b) + abs(a - b)) / 2;
}

A float version would be as simple as:

Code: ags

float fabs(float i) {
  return Maths.Sqrt(i * i); // square i then get the square root
}

float max(float a, float b) {
  return ((a + b) + fabs(a - b)) / 2.0;
}

Now only to solve for the min function...

Edit: Nevermind, that's just the sum minus the absolute value of the difference! A complete guess...but I was right!?!

Code: ags

int min(int a, int b) {
  return ((a + b) - abs(a - b)) / 2;
}

[Download Alpha 5 Binary]

This doesn't really qualify for the GIP thread because I don't have any screenshots or the like, and it's not really a "game" per se.

Completely on a whim I decided to start scripting an interactive scripting tutorial. I recently lost all my recent documents, so anything I've done with AGS is now gone (I actually had a USB backup of some of it, but lost the drive ). As such I've been a bit discouraged to start any new projects, but this seemed reasonable enough.

My idea was basically that if I used a ListBox to represent a script, I could then allow the user to select a line of the script, and have Roger explain it, in depth. Just for a bit of R&D I uploaded a snapshot EXE for Sylvr to look at, and decided I may as well post here for more feed back.

This is still very preliminary, but I have a pretty clear direction where I'm going with this. I'm basing the scripts loosely around the scripting tutorial in the manual. That is I'm not sticking strictly to the tutorial in the manual, but using it as a general guideline.

What I'd like is feedback on how I can improve this tutorial. As I said it's very preliminary so content is pretty much a given "to-do". Also I'd like to make the tutorial more interactively topic-based, allowing the user to select a topic to explore instead of the linear approach currently displayed. (Implemented: Alpha 2)

I'm trying to approach this with the mindset of a complete "scripting n00b", but without being condescending or patronizing. So, without further ado:

Download Alpha 5 Binary (619 kb)
Download Alpha 5 Source (63 kb)

Any feedback on this would be appreciated.

Also, another concept I would like to explore, but haven't yet is quizzes over each topic. This would help to reinforce the content covered.

Changes in Alpha 5:

- Shortened some of the longer lines. Still considering shortening some text.
- Revised some of the commentation, including adding a note to RIST Script.asc that the script used in writing the tutorial is in the room script and a note in the room script that some functions (GUIControl event handlers) are in the global script.
- Completely removed the Statusline and Iconbar GUIs since they are not needed by this tutorial. The Panel GUI provides any necessary save/load/quit functionality.
- Exported the Inventory GUI and removed it from the game. I may use it later so I haven't removed it entirely from the source.
- Corrected display errors with the Panel GUI appearing behind the Script GUI (ZOrder issues).
- Began scripting "Test"s, which will quiz the user over the selected topic. Currently only implemented for the first line of the "Functions" topic. I'm still working out how best to implement this fully.
- Changed Roger's speech color to white to avoid retinal damage.

Changes in Alpha 4:

- Split conditionals into separate topic.
- Topic list now shows all items deselected by default.
- Replaced "Explain" button with "Topics" button. Selecting an item now performs previous "Explain" functionality.
- Added comments to select line/topic for further information.
- Added RIST Script.asc containing source examples of the code, and uploaded full game source.

Changes in Alpha 3:

- Added topic: Operators and conditionals. Considering the length this may be split into separate topics with a note added that the conditional operators are listed in that topic. (Implemented: Alpha 4)
- Added topic: Data structures. Only contains a simple structure example. I'll probably include member functions in a different topic.

Changes in Alpha 2:

- The typo, "withe", regarding finishing variable definition lines "with a semi-colon", and the ability to scroll through the different mouse cursors (which we don't need; we just need the pointer cursor) have both been corrected.
- Moved to topic-based selection instead of linear approach. Still requires a "Topics" button. This will likely replace the "Explain" button in a future version. (Implemented: Alpha 4)
- Added function parameters and return example.

[monkey_05_06]

It was in 1999 when I first got the Internet. That's when I came up with the extremely lame username monkey_05_06. It bore relevance at the time...and Yahoo! (my first ever email provider) led me to believe that adding numbers to the end of my username was a good idea. I was only 11 at the time I came up with the name which I use as a matter of self-defense.

Since then I have used the name for several different forums and other online accounts. It has become part of my online identity. I have a rather exclusive hold on the name. Every result Google returns is because of me; I hold the account on Hotmail, Yahoo!, Gmail (which doesn't support underscores so I substituted dots)...every once in a while I encounter sign-up pages which tell me the name is in use, but not often.

However, I've been giving it a lot of thought lately. Despite the exclusivity of the name, and its nostalgic value, I've grown somewhat tired of it. The major points of its relevance have come and gone, and I realize now that in fact adding random numbers to the end of a username just shows how unimaginative you are, not the other way around.

While I thought about this I had a couple of ideas on the matter:

- I wanted to, in some form, retain the "monkey" portion of the name
- I wanted to incorporate something "dark" along the lines of a ghost, zombie, or corpse
- I wanted to retain as much exclusivity as possible
- I wanted it to be something I wouldn't get embarrassed about using as my online identity.

Taking all this into account, I've come up with: PrimalSpectre

Granted "Primal" doesn't necessarily mean "monkey". In fact I don't believe in the Theory of Evolution. But I think for the purpose it's close enough. I decided on "Spectre" because it sounds cool and I like the British aka "correct" spelling.

As it stands it could probably be easier interpreted as an ancient ghost than a spectral monkey, but I think I'm okay with that.

Anyway, the point of the thread is, I guess, brainstorming the idea. I'm still open to suggestion if you've got another opinion on the matter. And depending on the response perhaps this will be the introduction of my new identity... :o

[1934]

Last night at work this guy handed me a rather old US $10 bill. At first due to the bright colors on the back of the bill I didn't believe it to be real. I checked the date: SERIES OF 1934.

I had my manager check it out, and sure enough it's real. This got me to thinking though. Most US paper bills over 10 or 15 years old are taken out of circulation and destroyed (just an estimate based off my own knowledge may be more/less). Just in my own wallet (amongst 6 $1s, 14 $5s, 18 $10s, and 1 $20 (yes, I really have that much in my wallet....shhh! )) the earliest dated bill I have is from 1999, only 9 years old. Compare this to the 74 year old bill I obtained last night (and yes, I switched it for a $10 from my wallet!).

I've looked at some online estimates that have lead me to believe this bill (if it were in mint condition) could be anywhere from $100-$300. As it stands the bill is in very good condition. There are no tears or rips in the bill, and all 4 corners are in-tact. The bill is severely creased, and somewhat dirty. I have yet to get the bill officially/professionally appraised, but it could be cool to have traded a $10 bill for a $300 or even just a $50 bill. Honestly I'd be happy if it was only worth $11!

Actually depending how much I could get in exchange for the bill, I may just hang onto it as an investment. It will only get higher in value the longer I hang onto it, pending the fall of the United States...actually that would only make the collector's value even higher! Go Obama!

@evenwolf who I know will have something to say: 

Oh yeah, I do have some pictures, but don't have any editing software right now. Also the only camera I have is my phone which only takes low-res (640x480 max) JPEGs!

If you remove a script, the files aren't deleted. This could be useful to "exclude" scripts from a game. However it is impossible to create a new script with the same name or reimport the script. My suggestion would be that scripts handle this in the same manner as rooms do. An option could be implemented to "Exclude [this script] from game" which would work identically to the way "Delete [this script]" or "Exclude [this room] from game" currently work. The only change to the "Delete [this script]" option would be that the files would actually be deleted.

Also the ability to reimport scripts that haven't been saved to SCM would be appreciated. Since this could potentially lead to users distributing ASC/ASH files instead of SCMs, perhaps it should only read scripts that have been manually excluded. Or perhaps "Include existing scripts". In any case it would clearly only be allowed to work if there was a matching ASC/ASH (script/header) pair.

I'd say this request isn't high priority, worst case scenario I copy and paste the scripts into a clone script, delete the original, and rename the clone. Not altogether a difficult workaround, I'd just say it's more of an annoyance since there's no way to overwrite an existing script even if it's not included in the game.

Seems I'll be the first to post regarding the much awaited new Indiana Jones movie. I didn't even get to watch it, but my roommate says it was pretty great. I work at a movie theater/restaurant and I was too busy serving the customers during the movie to really watch.

One part I did get to see however, towards the end:

Spoiler

When Gandalf the Grey was being attacked by the giant ants, I couldn't help but think, "Fly you fools!"

[close]

The various snippets of the movie I did get to see seemed pretty good. Seeing as I work there I'm sure I'll be able to catch more and more of the movie until I've seen it all. One item me and my roommate were discussing though is the new face of Indiana Jones.

Spoiler

What do you think, will Shia LeBeouf do justice to the Indy name? That is of course assuming he continues to star in the films.

[close]

One of the greatest things about the Indy series me and my roommate have agreed is that Ford has always been Jones. None of this rubbish of constantly switching out actors and pretending it's the same person (James Bond anyone?) who miraculously never ages. Hopefully, should LucasArts decide to start pumping out the Indy movies now that Star Wars has had its run, they will carry on this legacy. Jones is a hard name to live up to. Just ask Chris!

[DONE:]

This may be a bit preemptive, but I've been working on it pretty actively for the last 31 hours, and if I don't release something now, I probably won't get any sleep for the next 30 hours!

I've been working on (since some time Thursday) my latest module, designed to simplify the process of multi-line textboxes (i.e., a textarea). This is a pretty early release, but as I said, if I don't put something up I'll probably continue to fail to pass out.

The module uses a ListBox for the textarea, simply displaying each line of text as an "Item" in the list.

DONE:

- Provide structure for user access: TextArea array of eTextArea_MaxAreas areas (10 by default).
- Assigning a ListBox control to a TextArea: TextArea[ID].Box property.
- Allow dynamic setting/retrieval of text: TextArea[ID].Text property.
- Allow area to be disabled from the script: TextArea[ID].Enabled property.
- Word-wrapping of text.
- Differentiate between line-breaks (CARRIAGE RETURNS) and the '[' character.
- Backspace.
- Typing into the area.

TO-DO:

- Open ListBox controls (properties) to TextArea structure (where appropriate).
- Scrolling function.
- Allow line-delimiters (i.e., whitespace or punctuation at the end of a line instead of simply splitting the lines by width).
- Attempt to implement cursor to allow editing text in place if possible. As-is you can only delete the last character added (i.e., backspace is working but you cannot move the cursor to another position).
- Possible code optimization (it may currently be slow, especially when working with larger textareas).
- Document, test, and miscellaneous (anything else I may have forgotten to list here! ).

As this is just a primary release in BETA of the module I will be releasing there are potentially bugs. If you find any I would greatly appreciate knowing about them. However, there is no documentation yet, so you may be somewhat on your own. Basically all you need to get started is a ListBox and the following code in game_start:

Code: ags

  TextAreas[0].Enabled = true;
  TextAreas[0].Box = lstTextAreaBox;
  TextAreas[0].Box.SelectedIndex = -1;
  TextAreas[0].Box.Clickable = false;

Where lstTextAreaBox is the script o-name of your ListBox. Then once the GUI with the list is available, you should be able to type into it as you would a normal text-box.

Any feedback appreciated!

DOWNLOAD

[STAY AWAY!]

Recently my best friend's sister uploaded some of her new pictures, and when I saw them I realized something. She's not a little girl anymore. She's almost 17 years old now, and somewhere in there she found the time to become incredibly hot while remaining completely under the radar. Most likely because I've known her for eleven years.

The pictures got me thinking...and the more I think about her...the more I want to think about her. But now I'm becoming pretty conflicted. She is my best friend's younger sister. I've known her for 11 years. She's still underage. Flags are going up saying STAY AWAY! but it seems the harder I try not to think about her, the more I do.

I keep rationalizing with myself. Telling myself that I can't possibly have feelings for her. I don't really know her all that well. But that just makes me think that in the 11 years I've known her, I've really never gotten to know her. I know basically about her personality and whatnot, but I don't really know her. Then thinking along these lines makes me want to. I want to get to know her. What she thinks about, what she feels, what she cares about in life, what makes her happy, what makes her sad, what she loves, and what she hates...

But she's my best friend's sister! I'm not supposed to like her! Suddenly life for me has become much more awkward. I live with two of her brothers (my best friend and his brother ) and I'm terrified they'll walk around the corner and see me staring at her picture, lost in thought about her.

I'm not saying I love her. I don't. But I think I may have a crush...on my best friend's sister.

Yet again I find myself in the wonderful world of not having any reliable web hosting because I'm too cheap to pay for it. I also find myself more fully aware of the meaning of "BACKUP YOUR DAMNED FILES" than ever before. Because they're all saved to the HDD that is currently sitting in my dresser drawer until such time as I can afford to build my own computer and/or buy some sort of external casing.

Specifically I'm looking for a copy of my MonkeyTemplate module if anyone has it, but any of my other modules that I've failed to keep proper hosting of would be appreciated as well.

One of these days I really will have to start paying for hosting I suppose...

Thanks for any help!

-monkey

[DISCLAIMER: This is NOT a religious debate. Do not turn this into a religious debate or you will be slapped with not just one, but two, count 'em, two moist trout! You have been warned.]

DISCLAIMER: This is NOT a religious debate. Do not turn this into a religious debate or you will be slapped with not just one, but two, count 'em, two moist trout! You have been warned.

I've only recently discovered the "OMG BIRAQ HUSSEIN OSAMA BIN LADEN IS THE ANTICHRIST WTF" craze, but it does make me think. I'd really rather this not transform into a religious debate despite its obvious religious theme. The reason I'm starting the thread however is something that I feel non-religious, and even anti-religious, types can relate to.

Barack Obama has risen to fame and power quite quickly, and even the news media has pointed out his "cult-like following". Despite the wishes of many who are convinced that Obama is in fact the foretold Antichrist, it seems Obama will likely win the 2008 presidential campaign. Should Obama gain the presidency it is the fears of these people that he will not stop there, he will continue rising in power until he is the ruler of the entire world.

Regardless of whether this is Obama's agenda it does present an interesting point. If past history tells us anything we can see that when someone with "evil intent" is placed in power, simple civil rebellion is not generally enough to regain power. More often than not we find it takes allies in a position of power to overthrow the "evil force". So what then if the world was united under one single world government? What if this "unified government" was in fact eeeeeevvvvviiillll?

I don't know enough of the facts to honestly have an opinion specifically regarding Obama. I doubt I would vote for him as president, but that's strictly because of my devotion to Stephen Colbert...

I definitely have an opinion about a single world government however, and my opinion is that it is not just a bad idea, but a terrible one. If the entire world were "unified" under a single government, a single "world order" I doubt it would bring "peace, justice, and freedom" to everyone. The major problem is the fact that in this imperfect world a Utopian society simply cannot exist. There will always be problems. There will always be conflict. And if past history serves us we really must recognize that power is and always will be the major point of conflict.

A good example I think can be seen in George Orwell's "Animal Farm". A single world government wouldn't inherently mean a socialistic one, though I think it does provide a basis for understanding how quickly and easily power can be corrupted when placed in the wrong hands.

So...discuss?

DISCLAIMER: This is NOT a religious debate. Do not turn this into a religious debate or you will be slapped with not just one, but two, count 'em, two moist trout! You have been warned.

[Download]

It's been something I've struggled with for some time, trying to find a decent way of intercepting key-presses during speech and other blocking events, but thanks goes to naltimari for tipping me off as to how to accomplish this goal.

So, after much ado, I present the KeyPressAlways module!

Download

Does this mean I will need to put all my key-press interactions into the module script?

No! This was the concept I built from, but I disliked it for obvious reasons. You can set up an on_key_press_always function in any script! Here's how it's done:

Code: ags

// any script (following the module of course!)
function on_key_press_always(int keycode) {
  // place your key-press interactions here
}

function repeatedly_execute_always() {
  if ((KeyPressAlways.Enabled) && (KeyPressAlways.Keycode)) on_key_press_always(KeyPressAlways.Keycode);
}

NOTE: If you have already utilized the repeatedly_execute_always function, just add this line and place on_key_press_always above the function.

Is there any way to disable these "always" key-presses?

Of course! You can use the KeyPressAlways.Enabled property to completely disable "always" key-presses at any time.

Can I disable the normal key-press interactions?

You can use the KeyPressAlways.BlockNormalInteraction event at any time to block the normal key-press interactions being run.

Will ClaimEvent() work with on_key_press_always?

Unfortunately the built-in ClaimEvent function is very specialized and will not work with on_key_press_always. However, all is not lost. We can prevent further "always" interactions by using KeyPressAlways.ClaimAlwaysEvent(). To prevent "normal" interactions we can use KeyPressAlways.BlockNormalInteractions and/or the built-in ClaimEvent function.

What the hell is with that license? It sounds as though you're trying to sell gay Swedish bestiality porn to a traveling troupe of garden gnomes!

The included license was written at 4:30 in the morning and I accept no responsibility for its contents or any damage caused by anyone reading them. Should you choose to take legal action against me, I assure you, I will cry like a sissy.

Where do I send the check?

I will send you my PayPal information via PM!

Edit: 14 October 2009 - Updated the primary download link.

Well it finally happened. It's been coming for years now. Some of you may recall me mentioning moving out of my parents' home. This is it.

However, not quite as anticipated. Actually, I knew it would happen. I just hoped it wouldn't. After he hit me I knew it was only a matter of time before my stepfather attacked my mother. Turns out he did back in October when she had her gallbladder surgery. So on Easter (23 March 2008) when the fight started to peak on the verge of becoming physical once more, my mom said enough was enough. We ran.

I've now moved in with my friends as I had been planning to, however for various reasons I no longer have internet access...not really. I now live 5 miles from the mall (as opposed to previously living about 50 miles away) where I can use the computers at Circuit City...but there's no guarantee how much or how often I'd really be allowed to use their computers.

So for now I have to say goodbye. I'll be around when I can, and perhaps soon we can get internet at our apartment...but until then, this is monkey, signing out.

I've referenced the fact that I'm now back to working at a burger-joint. It's not a very fulfilling lifestyle and I really rather don't enjoy it. This past week (Monday 3 Feb. - Sunday 9 Feb.) I was quite lucky to get not a single day off work thanks to 9 people quitting this week alone.

However with my average hours on the last paycheck (bi-weekly pay) being 70 hours a week I managed to pull a keen $822.56 post-taxes. I'll be getting paid again on the 17th and it looks as though I'll be pulling in excess of $800 again. I have $200 left to pay off on my six-month premium for auto insurance which is currently my only bill remaining aside from gasoline (around $40 - $50 a week).

Having never been put in a serious position of actually having "money left over" I'm rather beginning to feel worried that I'm making too much money. That is of course an absurd thing to say...the point however being that I have never had money.

I've discussed moving out of my parents house and though this would certainly help to do away with my excessive amount of money, I'm unsure where exactly I truly want to go with my life.

Certainly I can think of plenty of things I could spend my money on, though admittedly having any to spend in the first place is a very wonderful yet daunting prospect.

Also, considering I "flip burgers for a living*" making $6 an hour**, an $800 check isn't too shabby.

*Noting of course that I still live with my parents and don't pay any rent or utility expenses.
**I'm unsure of "overtime" regulations in other countries but in the U.S. anything over 40 hours worked in one week is considered overtime and merits a minimum of 1.5 times normal pay (i.e., $9 an hour for me )

[and]

The way I currently understand how RunAGSGame works is that the engine itself is not reloaded, to make loading the game faster. However (it is also to my understanding that) because of this the game being called with RunAGSGame must be at the same colour-depth and resolution, and must have been made with the same "point-version" of AGS.

Now I might just be mistaken here as to the reasoning behind these limitations, but if RunAGSGame not unloading/reloading the engine is the reason for this restriction, would it be reasonable to implement two more "modes" for this function?

We already have:

0   Current game is completely exited, new game runs as if it had been launched separately
1   GlobalInt values are preserved and are not set to 0 for the new game.

So I was thinking we could perhaps add:

2   Current game and engine are completely exited, new game runs as if it had been launched separately.
3   GlobalInt values are preserved and are not set to 0 for the new game, and the engine is reloaded.

Mode 0 and 1 could be marked as the "normal" modes and modes 2 and 3 marked as "advanced" modes...perhaps?

I've been thinking recently about my behaviour...particularly around particular people. I've noticed that around different people I become a completely different person. I've always recognized the way I might adapt the way I speak depending on who I am talking to, but I can't say I've ever really noticed such a dramatic complete change in the way I act.

I'd like to think of myself as a somewhat intelligent person. I'm fairly good at math, at least what I have learned of math. I know of a lot of more advanced mathematical concepts which I've never had the opportunity to actually learn about, but what I have learned I've always grasped well. I also did well in my language and grammar classes when I applied myself.

But at work I find myself masking all this quite well. It's hard to say how it really all began, but for some reason when I find myself posed with the question:

"Michael, what's one plus one?"

I find myself responding with the likes of:

"Eighteen. You see, you have to wrap the first one around the second one, and then you end up with the symbol for infinity. Then you multiply that by the first one and divide it by the second and that turns it on its side into an eight. After that you're left with a one and an eight. Eighteen."

Its all done in good fun of course, but most of the people I work with don't realize how far below normal capacity I am actually operating with such a statement.

I think I probably do it for the laughs, and Stephen seems relatively easy to please. After explaining why 1+1=18, he invariably responds with "Michael, you're a genius."

I work at a burger joint and just the other day we had 3 burgers that were supposed to be made with mayonnaise. We normally, by default, make all our burgers with mustard. So I started making all three with mustard. When I realized what I'd done, I cursed myself for my mistake, and Stephen dropped three more buns into the bun toaster. So I was presented with three mustardized buns that had to be thrown away. I stacked them all together into a bun-sandwich and was about to put them in the trash when I saw the way Stephen was looking at the sandwich. I said, "I'm gonna take a bite out of this." So I did. I said, "Mmm...delicious." Stephen found it hysterical.

Stephen also operates below normal capacity in order to gain laughs, and he can often make me laugh with some of his own stupidity. At work we've become somewhat of an infamous pair for clowning around. Though I do get my work done.

In any case, it just truly struck me to see how dramatic a change in my own behaviour the situation can evoke. So how about it then...does anyone else here suddenly turn into a blithering idiot for laughs?

The AGS 3.0 thread isn't really the place for this discussion, so I'll start a new thread. It's not technically a technical question, so I'll post it in the Adventure-talk forum. If this is the wrong one, moderators, feel free to slap me with a moist trout.

CJ had this to say:

I suppose overall my main concern with the demo game is the fact that it's a 256-colour game in what is a hi-colour world these days. Hopefully that shouldn't confuse too many newbies though.

I was wondering how many people would object to upgrading the DemoQuest demo game to 16-bit. 8-bit can be confusing to users who may be using AGS for the first time and are maybe trying to use the DemoQuest as a base to build around so they can get a feel for the engine.

If they tried importing any new graphics they would have to make sure the graphics were at 8-bit. They would also then have to work with the existing palette, which could definitely cause confusion: "Why are my graphics messed up?"

16-bit would also allow the possibility of showing the graphical capabilities of the engine. It's been discussed several times that one of the apparent "flaws" with AGS is that it apparently doesn't support "superior graphics", and only does "old-school pixel games". Perhaps if we included a higher-res example in the demo we could show that AGS can be used for more advanced graphics as well.

This all begs the question: Is it time to upgrade the DemoQuest to 16-bit? For the majority of users there would be no speed issues by upgrading. And it could open many, many doors for the 'Quest...you know...the ones that don't lead anywhere...yet.

So...discuss!