MAGS September “Scales” (CLOSED)

[Stupot]

Theme: Scales!
set by Fernewelten.
Deadline: September 30 (can be extended if needed)

• Sometimes we need to tip the scales in our favour, sometimes we need to balance them out.
• On the one hand, “Anything is grand if it's done on a large enough scale.” (Donna Tartt). On the other, “Nothing is so small that you cannot cut it in half” (Ulf Wolf)
• Some scales make for painful insights, unless you deal with them creatively: “Self-delusion is pulling in your stomach when you step on the scales.” (Paul Sweeney).
• Other scales are found on the fish market. Or on dragon hides.
• Medieval knights protected themselves with a scale armour.
• And scales are a means by which piano teachers terrorize their students in their piano practice.
• Last but not least, freeclimbers scale the dizzy heights!

Scales are all around us. So come up with a way to make your adventure about some aspect of scale!

What is MAGS?
Started in 2001, MAGS is a competition for amateur adventure game makers. The idea is to create a game in under a month, following the guidelines set by the previous winner. It aims to help you work to a deadline, improve your skills, and provide a kick-start into making adventure games. Regardless of skill, MAGS is for everyone. Voting is based on "favourite" games, and not the most artistic, or the best coded. If you have bad art skills, use it as a chance to do some graphic work. If you're sub-standard at coding, use it as a chance to give scripting a go. Ultimately, people will vote for the most enjoyable entry.

Rules
Entering MAGS is simple. First, conceptualize your game following the month's criteria (see above). Second, create your game fuelled only by coffee. Finally, post your game in this thread, including:

* A working download link
* The title of your game
* A suitable in-game screenshot

At the end of the month, voting will begin, usually lasting for fourteen days, and the winner chooses the next month's theme.

Remember that this is a challenge to see what you can do in a month, so any tinkering you do after that, including fixing minor glitches, is against the spirit of the competition. The exception to this is that you may go in and fix major, game-breaking bugs only during voting. We want you to have a game that voters can actually play and that runs on their machines.

So to reiterate, during the voting period fixing major, game-breaking bugs is okay, fixing minor glitches or making cosmetic changes is cheating.

Tips
Here are some ways to make sure you have a game to submit at the end of the month:
* Make a tiny game. Plan small, then cut it in half. Find shortcuts (e.g. if making walkcycles is time-consuming, make the characters static or have it in the first person).
* Plan to have your game playable and submittable with a week to spare. This way you have a week to fix bugs, add some flourishes and maybe even get someone to test it.
* Plan to submit it a day or so early. This way, if there are any technical issues with uploading, they can be sorted out in time.

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Need a little help with graphics? Perhaps The AGS Trove has something you can use.
Don't want to go it alone? Try the Recruitment board.
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[Cassiebsg]

Oh dear good! The idea I have for a new game would so fit this theme!
Unfortunately, I won't have time this month as I need to focus on other stuff. Another time...

[Shadow1000]

Who set this theme? Was it fernewelten based on July's contest?

[Stupot]

Who set this theme? Was it fernewelten based on July's contest?

Yes it was. Thanks for reminding me to mention it.

[Slasher]

Mmm... interesting topic with lots of scope...

[WHAM]

I have a silly idea and have begun writing it down into a design doc. Let's see if it manifests into a game!

EDIT: Prorotyping mechanics for scaling a mountainside, but that's not all the scales this game is planned to have.

[DBoyWheeler]

@WHAM I can see the protagonist is willing to work for scale!  (Ba-da-boom!)

[WHAM]

Sadly work and other projects have sunk my project, with only the most bare-bones wall-climbing minigame and some placeholder graphics existing so far. I also don't see enough free time in the coming weeks to put anything of value together, so it seems I am out of this one.

In the hopes that it amuses someone, here is the synopsis of the game I had in mind:



Basically I just tried to think up as many scale-puns as I could and stuffed them all in a very silly story.

Good luck to everyone still in the game!

[HyperAnimated]

WHAM:  Love that idea, a chosen one goldfish being carried by some poor second fiddle is hilarious.

[Stupot]

Sad to see you’re out WHAM. Hope to see you next month.

Is anyone else working on something?

[heltenjon]

I actually tried to make a game this month, but didn't get enough time. But I did make a short training game to see if I managed to make it work. I'll see if I maybe can make a workable build of it. It's not really up to the usual standards - training game is about right. No coder me.

[Stupot]

No takers? An extension is possible if anyone thinks they can finish something in the next couple of days, otherwise maybe best to start gearing up for the next month.

In fact, I will post October’s topic today, a little earlier, to try and encourage more takers. Get your Halloween hats on, is all I will say right now.

[heltenjon]

I'll release the training game, then.



Download link: https://heltenjon.itch.io/scales-training-game

Scales Training Game is what it says, a game made for checking out if I could make AGS do what I had planned. Unfortunately, I didn't find the time to make the "real" game. I don't know if what's in this game can be categorized as puzzles or not; it's certainly very easy.

This game is about two kids who have built different-sized houses in the livingroom out of chairs and blankets. But have any of them scaled it right?

Graphics made by the photofunny.net free web page.

Known issues: I made a mess of two hotspots on top of each other to the left on the first screen. They can safely be ignored. Savegame not implemented, but the game is so short you won't need it. And the quit game GUI doesn't quite match the placement of the words.

The game I had planned to do would have had a household of six each having different scale-related problems and a bit more task juggling required to proceed.

[Stupot]

Thanks for saving us from a complete drought, heltonjon, haha.

The winner is:
Heltonjon’s Training Game hehe. I’ll be in touch about choosing a topic for November.

Meanwhile, the thread for October’s Halloween MAGS “Unexpected Guest” is now open. Check it out.

[heltenjon]

Thanks, I guess. I had hoped lowering the bar could lead to someone else turning in some half-made product/demo/proof-of-concept...I'd imagine Wham!'s climbing minigame is probably a better game than this one.

Anyway, if anyone who actually have played my small entry have any feedback, I'll take it happily. I'm aiming for two cups, but will accept one, too.