Glad to hear some constructive criticism. So, here goes my defence
1. I do not explain the features of AGS, because this is the AGS ezine, and the readers should be common with them.
2. SLUDGE is shareware, and the "classy" features are for the full version only. IDE is really important for most users, because you do not have to trouble yourself with writing hundreds lines o'code which can be avoided with several clicks. Example: scaling levels, walkable areas etc. Moreover, engines with no IDE are more difficult to learn. And, you could make a game in AGS without any scripting. The quality of the game, of course wouldn't be as high as it would be if it were scripted, but many people just want to make a simple game without losing time in learning code. Also, a 256 color game in hi-res would run a lot faster than any SLUDGE game.
3. People choose AGS because you learn it slowly, but steadily. Once you get into the basics(like views, sprites and basic room operations), the things run very smoothly.
4. As for AGAST, I haven't learned it as much as the others, but judging from some games(ozzy and the quantum playwright & others), it is goddamn buggy. The bugs may have been fixed since then, but whenI played those games, the scripting felt really amateurish.
And, finally, I've been searching for an engine for my game for a long time in the DOS days of AGS, but I could stand no engine for more than a day. Draw your conclusions.
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