Blackwell series last and latest addition has been provided a teaser. I've always wanted to say that the art in this episode looks absolutely stunning, one of the best in an AGS release. Get teased a click below.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Monday, February 17, 2014
A.G.S. 3.3.0 released!
The final version of the "first community-made AGS" is now up for grabs- get it while it's fresh!
Saturday, February 15, 2014
7 Cities of Grog: Indymonkeyisland fangame
Basically, the wonderful team behind the Indiana Jones AGS fangame called "Indiana Jones & the Seven Cities of Gold", gathered on the AGS IRC Channel, and we rambled lots. Like lots. About game design, about origins, about sexual preferences. Fun talk.
Here's a small cutscene, where stuff happens.
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Mountainittens
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| SSH and RickJ, in that order! |
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Free Adventure Game? Sure!
While it comes with the need to register on Steam, I think the service is popular enough to make the post here:
Serena, a short adventure game about a man dealing with his past (to say the least) has been made available as a free download over here. It's a simple game, more like Myst than classic Point-and-Click, but it does explore its small tale to the fullest and should give you a quiet hour or so of gameplay.
Fun Fact: According to their blurb it's really a collaboration game- with Senscape, CBE Software, Infamous Quests, and Guys from Andromeda all credited for adding to it.
So if you are on Steam you may already have the game and not yet noticed. If not, I suggest you try it out, it's unsettling and rich!
Serena, a short adventure game about a man dealing with his past (to say the least) has been made available as a free download over here. It's a simple game, more like Myst than classic Point-and-Click, but it does explore its small tale to the fullest and should give you a quiet hour or so of gameplay.
Fun Fact: According to their blurb it's really a collaboration game- with Senscape, CBE Software, Infamous Quests, and Guys from Andromeda all credited for adding to it.
So if you are on Steam you may already have the game and not yet noticed. If not, I suggest you try it out, it's unsettling and rich!
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
How I found AGS and why I am still using it: Part III - Monkey424
My first taste of computer game development was in the 90’s using GW-BASIC. I created many amateurish games including ‘Great Escape’, an adventure game without the luxury of pointing and clicking (as GW-BASIC didn’t support a mouse) but rather with the unique experience of key-tapping numbers and letters to interact with inventory and hotspots!
Along came the year 2000. The future had arrived! And I could download AGS (version 2.07). I played Demo Quest and was blown away! I knew what I had to do. That weekend we took a trip to the country and stopped in at my aunt’s holiday caravan site, which we fondly called The Block. I took a few happy snaps, bung ‘em into AGS, added a few puzzles, a jazzy sound track, and Bob’s your aunty! My first AGS game! A masterpiece which I simply called The Block. I didn’t bother releasing the game though.
By coincidence, a few years later, a reality home renovation show called The Block appeared on Australian TV. I was gutted! The bastards obviously stole my brilliant game title and used it for their own mediocre purposes!
The following year I dabbled with a detective adventure called Sleuth, but AGS 2.07 was a bit buggy (as was my scripting I suspect), and I abandoned the project. I’m currently in the process of reviving this one.
In 2004, I started another game based loosely on a girl I was into (but she just wanted to be friends). My hopes were to finish the game and give it to her as a present (the game that is). I never finished it, and that’s probably for the best. I won’t work on this one again (too many painful memories) but I will show you this scene of her on the toilet.
In 2005 I started an odd project involving a crude stick figure on a black and white background. Thus the rather obvious name Chalkman was born. It was a bit of an experimental joke game at this stage. There was no plot, just drawing the world, the city, and creating the infamous cube maze. I abandoned this project, I suppose due to a lack of vision or inspiration. I was still using AGS 2.07, which was getting tedious to use, and that could be another contributing reason. I also met my future wife later that year. Hmm…
The next 5 years were inactive. However, in 2009, while on holiday, I discovered Yahtzee’s Trilby / John DeFoe games and was TOTALLY blown away! I rediscovered my purpose in life: TO MAKE GAMES!
Nearly a year later, in 2010, I knew I’d procrastinated long enough. I finally downloaded the latest AGS, got a strong cup of coffee, and recommenced production of Chalkman. A lot of it was sort of made up as I went, but it was thrilling, artistic freedom! The pieces of the puzzle were coming together, albeit a few mashed together into place. I became excited as vague ideas became... less vague. And a sort of plot emerged. There was even an antagonist, which I literally just threw in at the end. Yes, it gets weird. It’s definitely not your average adventure game. But I’m proud I can say I finished it!
After releasing Chalkman (Feb 2013) I thought I should probably pay more attention to my heavily pregnant wife. But fuelled by adrenalin and coffee from just completing my first game, I couldn’t resist re-making The Block in AGS 3.2.1. It only took two weeks to complete! What a rush! Better than sex (which I wasn’t getting much of anyway).
I hadn’t been involved with the forums at all prior to releasing these games other than searching for technical advice. So although I’ve known about AGS for some time now, I’ve only just recently discovered the forums so to speak. All this has coincided with the birth of my daughter (aka monkey425) who is now 9 months old and gaining speed! AGS can be a time consuming and somewhat guilty pleasure, but as Baron and co. have stated, family comes first.
Along came the year 2000. The future had arrived! And I could download AGS (version 2.07). I played Demo Quest and was blown away! I knew what I had to do. That weekend we took a trip to the country and stopped in at my aunt’s holiday caravan site, which we fondly called The Block. I took a few happy snaps, bung ‘em into AGS, added a few puzzles, a jazzy sound track, and Bob’s your aunty! My first AGS game! A masterpiece which I simply called The Block. I didn’t bother releasing the game though.
By coincidence, a few years later, a reality home renovation show called The Block appeared on Australian TV. I was gutted! The bastards obviously stole my brilliant game title and used it for their own mediocre purposes!
The following year I dabbled with a detective adventure called Sleuth, but AGS 2.07 was a bit buggy (as was my scripting I suspect), and I abandoned the project. I’m currently in the process of reviving this one.
In 2004, I started another game based loosely on a girl I was into (but she just wanted to be friends). My hopes were to finish the game and give it to her as a present (the game that is). I never finished it, and that’s probably for the best. I won’t work on this one again (too many painful memories) but I will show you this scene of her on the toilet.
In 2005 I started an odd project involving a crude stick figure on a black and white background. Thus the rather obvious name Chalkman was born. It was a bit of an experimental joke game at this stage. There was no plot, just drawing the world, the city, and creating the infamous cube maze. I abandoned this project, I suppose due to a lack of vision or inspiration. I was still using AGS 2.07, which was getting tedious to use, and that could be another contributing reason. I also met my future wife later that year. Hmm…
The next 5 years were inactive. However, in 2009, while on holiday, I discovered Yahtzee’s Trilby / John DeFoe games and was TOTALLY blown away! I rediscovered my purpose in life: TO MAKE GAMES!
Nearly a year later, in 2010, I knew I’d procrastinated long enough. I finally downloaded the latest AGS, got a strong cup of coffee, and recommenced production of Chalkman. A lot of it was sort of made up as I went, but it was thrilling, artistic freedom! The pieces of the puzzle were coming together, albeit a few mashed together into place. I became excited as vague ideas became... less vague. And a sort of plot emerged. There was even an antagonist, which I literally just threw in at the end. Yes, it gets weird. It’s definitely not your average adventure game. But I’m proud I can say I finished it!
After releasing Chalkman (Feb 2013) I thought I should probably pay more attention to my heavily pregnant wife. But fuelled by adrenalin and coffee from just completing my first game, I couldn’t resist re-making The Block in AGS 3.2.1. It only took two weeks to complete! What a rush! Better than sex (which I wasn’t getting much of anyway).
I hadn’t been involved with the forums at all prior to releasing these games other than searching for technical advice. So although I’ve known about AGS for some time now, I’ve only just recently discovered the forums so to speak. All this has coincided with the birth of my daughter (aka monkey425) who is now 9 months old and gaining speed! AGS can be a time consuming and somewhat guilty pleasure, but as Baron and co. have stated, family comes first.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Beauty & Hope in the 21th Century
Nikolas Sideris, who I remember as one of the first "original musicians" I met at the forums, has been asking for comments, help and critique on logo illustrations recently... And we may have thought he'd sit there somewhere, brewing up a small project maybe.
But, no. Now finally he has revealed what he's been up to right here. He's running a Kickstarter for a project called Beauty & Hope in the 21th Century, and I won't spoil his surprise here. You'd really check it out for yourself.
This is the Kickstarter video.
It's a beautiful concept. And it really MUST happen.
But, no. Now finally he has revealed what he's been up to right here. He's running a Kickstarter for a project called Beauty & Hope in the 21th Century, and I won't spoil his surprise here. You'd really check it out for yourself.
This is the Kickstarter video.
It's a beautiful concept. And it really MUST happen.
Monday, February 3, 2014
MAGS January offers a handful
This month's MAGS has beared fruit to 5 games, all under the following theme set by Captain D, selmiak, and Emont:
The game should have COLD as a major feature of the game in whatever way the game authors decide; the main element of the game should revolve around something that happens under ground (BURROWED) (be it the turtles or beeing buried alive or a cave adventure or whatever the author comes up with) and the color PINK should have an important role too.
 | Don't Drink the Pink by Hobo |
 | Rex and Sissi in Pink Cult by Robin Gravel (Volcan) |
 | Pink Sky by HanaIndiana |
 | The Ice-Cream Mystery by Dmitry Stefantsov |
 | A-Mused by LostTrainDude |
Click on the game title to download or you could be a smart pumpkin and download in a bundle
It's good etiquette to play all the games and vote for the one that took your heart.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
How I found AGS and why I am still using it: Part II - Oldschool Wolf
One of the most promising newbies that have emerged and bloomed this year, shares his story.
The year was 2008, I don't recall how I stumbled across AGS, I remember being amazed that I could make my own games so easily. I had a bit of an advantage because I knew the basics of programming from when I attended Sixth form. Rather than working on the actual course work in class I'd make simple games in Visual Basic.
My first AGS project would involve a photograph of a Wolf's head, and EGO. The background was a stock Windows XP desktop photograph, the only item to pick up was the good old big blue cup.
Of course it was garbage, I'd never dream of submitting it for the masses, but I learned stuff!
My second project would involve 2 playable characters named Fresco and Hogg, two badly animated jumbles of vectors made in a cracked version of Anime Studio Pro. I didn't get very far, just two men that shuffled/stumbled across the screen like drunken pensioners. This project never saw the light of day, but I learned stuff! 2009 I would join the forum. I might have asked a question or two, I did not participate in the community side of things. Looking back I don't think I really knew much about it, I didn't make the effort to find out.
My third project was about an Alien that crash lands on a strange world.
I got a bit further with this one, this was the first project I would show to the community. This was the first game that showed promise, the animation and character design was better than my previous effort. Although I learned stuff, for whatever reason this project was never finished. When I discovered Game Maker, I dropped off the face of the AGS forum. I had a lot of fun with Game Maker, I still do. But I could never complete a project, I must have started and abandoned a hundred projects! But damn it, I learned stuff!
Mid 2012: A bit disallusioned with myself for not being able to finish a project, I stumble across some old AGS project files. I laugh, I ponder... I check the AGS website. I discover that there's been new versions since I last checked, I find a little community project known as Reality on the Norm.
Jan 2013 I finish and release my first game RON: Reality Check. The buzz I got was amazing, a combination of nervousness, elation, and pride. It didn't make any big waves but people seemed to enjoy it. Ponch sent me an encouraging PM to me about how he enjoyed the game, this message was the reason I started fully participating in the AGS community. I've been a member of a few forums, but I found the AGS community forums to be the most welcoming, interesting, and fun to hang around. I may not post as much as other people, I only have a few hundred posts, but I do read almost everything that other people submit.
Fuelled by encouragement, in quick succession I would release parts 2 and 3 of the Reality Check series. I'll admit I found the buzz that builds up close to a project release, addictive. After three projects I'd shot my load. They were short games, but they still took a lot of work. I'd make a few sprites, do a couple of projects outside of AGS. But I wouldn't finish anything! I would long for that buzz again! Then I met Adeel, he'd gave me some positive comments. I offered to help him with a project which became the MAGS August 2013 winner (we were the only entrants though
) The game had it's flaws, but I'll admit working on a project with someone else was a fun experience. I went back to being disillusioned and unmotivated to do any game development. I took a step back from AGS, I have a son that will be two years old in a few months. I have priorities.
Recently I've started working on a RON RPG, It may not amount to anything, but I'm taking it slow, enjoying myself. I currently do not have Adventure Game Studio installed on my computer, but I'm still hanging around for the community, and one day I'm sure I'll have another point and click adventure in me!
The year was 2008, I don't recall how I stumbled across AGS, I remember being amazed that I could make my own games so easily. I had a bit of an advantage because I knew the basics of programming from when I attended Sixth form. Rather than working on the actual course work in class I'd make simple games in Visual Basic.
My first AGS project would involve a photograph of a Wolf's head, and EGO. The background was a stock Windows XP desktop photograph, the only item to pick up was the good old big blue cup.
Of course it was garbage, I'd never dream of submitting it for the masses, but I learned stuff!
My second project would involve 2 playable characters named Fresco and Hogg, two badly animated jumbles of vectors made in a cracked version of Anime Studio Pro. I didn't get very far, just two men that shuffled/stumbled across the screen like drunken pensioners. This project never saw the light of day, but I learned stuff! 2009 I would join the forum. I might have asked a question or two, I did not participate in the community side of things. Looking back I don't think I really knew much about it, I didn't make the effort to find out.
My third project was about an Alien that crash lands on a strange world.
I got a bit further with this one, this was the first project I would show to the community. This was the first game that showed promise, the animation and character design was better than my previous effort. Although I learned stuff, for whatever reason this project was never finished. When I discovered Game Maker, I dropped off the face of the AGS forum. I had a lot of fun with Game Maker, I still do. But I could never complete a project, I must have started and abandoned a hundred projects! But damn it, I learned stuff!
Mid 2012: A bit disallusioned with myself for not being able to finish a project, I stumble across some old AGS project files. I laugh, I ponder... I check the AGS website. I discover that there's been new versions since I last checked, I find a little community project known as Reality on the Norm.
Jan 2013 I finish and release my first game RON: Reality Check. The buzz I got was amazing, a combination of nervousness, elation, and pride. It didn't make any big waves but people seemed to enjoy it. Ponch sent me an encouraging PM to me about how he enjoyed the game, this message was the reason I started fully participating in the AGS community. I've been a member of a few forums, but I found the AGS community forums to be the most welcoming, interesting, and fun to hang around. I may not post as much as other people, I only have a few hundred posts, but I do read almost everything that other people submit.
Fuelled by encouragement, in quick succession I would release parts 2 and 3 of the Reality Check series. I'll admit I found the buzz that builds up close to a project release, addictive. After three projects I'd shot my load. They were short games, but they still took a lot of work. I'd make a few sprites, do a couple of projects outside of AGS. But I wouldn't finish anything! I would long for that buzz again! Then I met Adeel, he'd gave me some positive comments. I offered to help him with a project which became the MAGS August 2013 winner (we were the only entrants though
) The game had it's flaws, but I'll admit working on a project with someone else was a fun experience. I went back to being disillusioned and unmotivated to do any game development. I took a step back from AGS, I have a son that will be two years old in a few months. I have priorities.Recently I've started working on a RON RPG, It may not amount to anything, but I'm taking it slow, enjoying myself. I currently do not have Adventure Game Studio installed on my computer, but I'm still hanging around for the community, and one day I'm sure I'll have another point and click adventure in me!
Saturday, February 1, 2014
DAEMONS IN THE ATTIC: POST MORTEM - II
And here is part 2, of the wonderfully interesting post-mortem that Ghost is writing.
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