This month brings along some exciting changes to testgame.  Well, at least moderately exciting.  Or I think so, anyway.  In keeping with the trend of the past few months, I’ve progressed the plot a bit, setting up a new puzzle that I didn’t even know existed until I wrote it in the game.  As an added bonus, you can even get 1/3 of the way through solving that puzzle in this month’s update, though I must admit it’s not exactly hard to figure out (as for the other 2/3 of the puzzle, let’s just say that’ll be a little more challenging—I think.  I haven’t actually figured it out yet). 

There are also two new items to be found, one of which comes about by some fairly original means (I’ve never seen this done in an adventure game before, but if you have and you think I’m ripping it off from someone, I swear I’m not), some background work and a little bit of alteration to things like dialogue and me forgetting to put Artie back in his cave after he accosts Paul. 

Also, it might be interesting for some of you to know that I have officially, as of this very moment, added “testgame” to my to-do list for every day until some indeterminate time.  What this means is that I am planning on working on testgame a little bit every day.  Will this actually happen?  Who knows.  But do you have any idea how much stuff I would get done in a month if I worked on testgame for just like an hour a day?  I’ll let you know in another month how it turns out. 

Similar to last month, I’m including in this month’s update of the game a save file from the beginning of the second section (right after Paul gets past Artie on the path to the castle).  Please don’t use this to cheat, you cheaters.  That is to say, I’m just including this saved game for the convenience of those people who are sick and tired of playing through the first part of the game when there haven’t been any updates in that area for a while.  This is not supposed to be a way for you to go backwards and see how you could have solved puzzles or gotten passed obstacles.  And now I’ve totally planted ideas in your mind.   Well in any case, don’t do it. 

Along these lines, it’s definitely still advantageous for you to play the game from the beginning.  There’s at least one choice you can make early on in the game that adds a certain extra bit of fun in the later parts of the game (including new stuff for this month) if you plan it out right.  I, personally, feel rather forlorn when I play the game without having made this choice, as I did in the included saved game.  So if you feel like exploring this option—which of course I’m not being specific about because there’s a puzzle involved and it’s really all just bonus stuff anyway—then that’d be a great reason to continue to play the game from the beginning every month.  And you thought I was just trying to waste your time. 

In ANY case.  I’m sure that’s quite enough from me.  Try the game out and see what you can see.  Then let me know if/how you like what you see!  Feedback is my lone means of sustenance.

TestGame v. 27

(no extra programs needed to run this file)

Things to do/new features of note: 

·        New dialogue with Amazing Anthony the ventriloquist, including the setup of a new puzzle to solve.

·        New inventory item resulting from this dialogue.

·        Ability to use this inventory item with Lily, Anthony, and (if you feel like wandering back a few screens) Artie and Omar—one of these interactions actually advances the plot.  Which one?  You’ll find out!

·        Another new inventory item.

·        Fixed the game script so that Artie actually appears back in his cave after Paul gives him the stone.  For some reason I overlooked this before.

·        Tweaked some dialogue (both older and newer).  Nothing too phenomenal.

·        Background work: castle courtyard, front of castle.

All the graphics and design are by Lizo. The dialogue was written by Lizo, with significant input by Paul. The background music is by Lizo. "Let's Go Skateboard" is written and performed by The Word Problems.  Adventure Game Studio (the program used to create this game) can be downloaded at http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/

-- Elizabeth "Lizo" Medina-Gray {08-2007}

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