Let's build a new AGS demo game!

[RootBound]

I had a lot of free time today so I finished the next set of mockups. Used the Apollo palette to at least approximate a color scheme closer to what the final version may have.

As always, I'm happy to keep refining the designs if there are any aspects that don't work.

EXTERIOR SKETCH (below):
1 = a single continuously scaling walkable area. Skirts the edges to imply a larger space but doesn't make the player walk off the edge of the screen (maybe that can happen in the bridge room)
2 = door that needs key to open - leads to "inside" room
3 = door to emerge from "inside" room onto balcony where gem is
4 = garden bench (place to look for key)
5 = frog / mushrooms (place to look for key)
6 = shrine (place to look for key)
7 = exit (to map or to bridge room)




INTERIOR SKETCH (below):
1 = Exit to exterior room (door where key was used)
2 = A single non-scaling walkable area (overlaid here in translucent sky blue to show area boundaries)
3 = Exit to exterior room (balcony with gem)

[Crimson Wizard]

My main suggestion would be to not have paths too close to the room edges, and have some space between them (unless they lead outside the room of course). I'm pointing at locations 5 and 6 in the first room.

Do you have any kind of a character's placeholder sprite, which could be used for the size reference?

[cat]

Good point, we should decide on a main character sprite first. Should we use this https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/adventure-related-talk-chat/let-s-build-a-new-ags-demo-game!/msg636655297/#msg636655297 Roger mage to begin with? We can always recolor him or change his appearance.

[RootBound]

My main suggestion would be to not have paths too close to the room edges, and have some space between them

Okay, I can do that!

Roger mage to begin with? We can always recolor him or change his appearance.

The full sprite sheet for the mage is available here: https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/adventure-related-talk-chat/some-free-sprites-to-play-with/

[cat]

I was talking with my colleague about the license. He said that it should be okay to use different licenses for art and code, we just have to write a custom license file. His only concern was that if we use the BSD 0 license, we also do not keep any rights of the name. I don't know if this is really important.

[cat]

Another organisational question:

I noticed that there is already a repository for an AGS demo game. How should the new demo game be hosted and handled?

[Crimson Wizard]

I noticed that there is already a repository for an AGS demo game. How should the new demo game be hosted and handled?

Having it under source control is a must, but it does not have to be in the same existing repository from the start.

I suppose that after the new demo game reaches working state, it may be copied over to the official ags repository, replacing old game (and old game may be left in a backup branch).

[cat]

Wouldn't copying the source to another repository remove the version history of the new development?

[Crimson Wizard]

Wouldn't copying the source to another repository remove the version history of the new development?

There are various options here:
- copy source files;
- copy whole git repository contents, with history;
- clone (fork) wip repository.

There's an option to rename previous repository to "Old Demo Game" and free "Demo Game" title. Or not rename anything, and call new repository "Demo Game 2023" or something.

[cat]

Ok, I'll think about it. I'll be quite busy the next few weeks. I hope I can set up a basic project structure in August.

[cat]

Btw, you can of course continue doing art and planning - no waiting for me required!

[RootBound]

Finally found some time to keep working on the background now that my own game launch has died down. Here's the progress so far:

[Crimson Wizard]

Here's the progress so far:

I have same opinion that I mentioned in regards to the previous sketch in regards to the "shrine" location.
Having such a sharp turn backwards right near the room edge will be inconvenient, and also makes the room composition look bad, in my opinion. If it's a small non-scrolling room, then imo it's best to have every place accessible in a direct or semi-direct route from the central opening.

[RootBound]

it's best to have every place accessible in a direct or semi-direct route from the central opening.

Would this work better?

[Crimson Wizard]

Would this work better?

I'm sorry for delayed response; yes, I think this might work better.

[Rik_Vargard]

Hey, I just stumbled upon this one by chance and I love the idea.

For months now, my plan was to propose start making fresh new tutorials for AGS when I finished my first game here, as part of giving back for all the help, patience and kindness I'v encountered in this community.

It came to me because of a demo Crimson Wizard released a while ago (with mirrors, split screen, action,...)
The code was free to use and open source and all that but I wish some tutorial would've explained the whole thing step by step.
Otherwise, the code being very advanced, ""nobody"" would ever use it and all that work for ""nothing"".
I already had some plans started for making beginner tutorials (and a big idea), but I have to finish my game first.

I read the thread and I can see this is moving along nicely.
So I'd be glad to help out for this Demo Game project, depending on what you need and what I can do.

Cheers!

[RootBound]

The background still isn't finished (and I haven't even started the interior) but little by little I am making progress. Here's a detail from it, just because I'm happy about this little 13x9 pixel frog. 

[RootBound]

Finally finished the room background! (Here's hoping the interior room doesn't take me as long!)

So this is what the room would look like when the player enters it:



HOWEVER, because the doors need to open and close, the actual ROOM BACKGROUND IMAGE would be this:



My thinking is that the purple balcony fence and the leaves above it can be a walk-behind, and both the player and the door object can appear behind it.

Here are the images for the open and closed doors:
Front door (left is closed, right is open)

Upper door (left is open, right is closed)


The door images have a larger transparent area behind them so that whether the door is open or closed, the door object does not need to have its coordinates moved - it would simply have its sprite changed.

The result would look like this:



I can also upload the doors merged into the background layer if that's preferable. I have everything separated in the .ase file.

How is this looking?? I'm feeling pretty happy with it. 

[Rik_Vargard]

I think this is looking wonderfull and mysterious! 

[Crimson Wizard]

Yes, this is looking nice .

Is frog going to be an animated object?