I would be much more inclined to send him a free copy and maybe make a donation if AGS, indeed, was still free at a time of my game release than if he required something upfront. That's why I think AGS would be the least risky to go with. I have to admit though that if Wintermute didn't have its commercial license the way it is now, it would've been my engine of choice.
But for now, if it's 2D, it's AGS, even if I'm making a non-commercial game (because free is free!). Also, when I said "old style", I didn't mean to make it sound "outdated". I meant the hand-drawn style that adventures used to be in. I would very much enjoy playing a 2D adventure game with the level of skill in drawings and illustrations that were used in "Lord of the Rings" movie (and DVD menus). Heck, even if they were kept pencil-only drawings without coloring, it would still be a great feeling to play something with that style.
