Adventure Gamers - Forums

The trouble with trying to make something by committee - which is tough at the best of times - is that this is a site with hugely divergent opinions. Arguments still rage about what even constitutes an Adventure Game, so I don’t know how you’d collectively make one.

This is the best idea.

Unfortunately I have no skills to contribute.

It would be cool if it happened though. And it wouldn’t hurt a certain part of the community to find out how incredibly difficult and labor-intensive it is to even make a small bad game.

The AGS community made Byte of the Draculator II as an experiment in making a game with many contributors.
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=43340.0

The main challenge will probably finding someone willing and capable to draw art. I’m sure many people will enjoy thinking about the story, puzzles, music and other aspects. And scripting isn’t that hard (I can do it as, I believe, many others on the forums). So if the art is covered it will probably be possible.

BTW for who isn’t familiar with it: there’s an ongoing project called Reality-on-the-Norm which is a series of games (around 90 I think) set in the town of that name, and all the art is free to use.
So for anyone that likes to try making an adventuregame that’s a great start. You can use the game interface and all the exististing backgrounds and characters so you don’t have to worry about drawing and just create a story and puzzles.
I tried it myself and if you look through the list of games you’ll see authors that went on to do bigger things.

This could also be a starting point to see what the Adventure Gamers community is capable of.
http://realityonthenorm.info/index.php

Programming, puzzles, story…

I agree that the most difficult thing will be to find artists. If by some miracle they show up and be willing to devote a great amount of their spare time, half of the job is done, but unfortunately I sincerely doubt that will happen.

So I was thinking the main plot could be that Zobraks, a notorious thief, has stolen a government file containing all the screenshots in the world ever made. He must be stopped and naturally, the task falls to us.

Characters:
The Protagonist: Unnamed or named? Male or female? If it’s first-person we don’t have to decide. Or maybe there can be a choice at the beginning like in Bureau 13.
Zobraks: The main villain. Often in disguise but sometimes seen wearing monocle, top-hat and moustache.
Advie: Bumbling but loyal sidekick. Could be like ‘Spot’ (TWW) where you use him on things to perform various roles.
Bastich: Wizardly sage knowledgeable in all things AG. Could be a Yoda-type character the protagonist must seek for help.
Timovieman: The government Yes-Man, but has switched sides after learning they are in on the theft. Provides help to the player at times when summoned, usually by throwing his DS at obstacles.
Diego: Legendary retired detective from whom the player tries to get help, but he’s too busy playing BS3 and TWW (possible puzzle here to get his help and lure him from his PC).
Oscar: Supremely attractive love-interest (the protagonist is a automato-phile)  
Lady Kestrel: A small yellow bird. Doesn’t do much. Enjoys quizzes.
 
The player’s task in one of the early chapters is to find Bastich to get advice, who then sends us on various quests before we can find Zobraks. Each chapter could be done in a different AG style - eg Myst, Toonstruck, DOTT.

Feel free to make additions/changes.

Oscar - 30 April 2014 02:12 AM

Bastich: Wizardly sage knowledgeable in all things AG. Could be a Yoda-type character the protagonist must seek for help.

Hey, there can be only one wizard around here!

I do think Jackal should make an appearance, maybe as God or something…

How about including some ex-forum members (fien, Trunkyo, etc) as the protagonist’s family, long-gone because of some tragic circumstances?

For whoever thinking about artists,  etc. It can always be a text adventure…

Sefir - 02 May 2014 06:26 AM

For whoever thinking about artists,  etc. It can always be a text adventure…

I’d say writing a captivating text adventure is kind of an art, but good idea. Would anyone play it though? Last time someone mentioned Infocom around here was probably 2002.

diego - 02 May 2014 06:22 AM

Sound/Music: 0%

What about all those self-made clips you and Bastich have been posting in that other thread?