Menu

Show posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.

Show posts Menu

Messages - GameDevChris

#176
Racaboss, if the suggestions above don't work could you send an email to support@himalayastudios.com

I'll arrange a new version for you.
#177
This is Postcards from Anozira (the Hidden Object Game), not "Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchman's Mine (the adventure game).

Racaboss, who's the publisher of the CD?
#178
The game was compiled with a pretty new version of AGS.

Try doing what Dr Jones suggested. Go to the game directory, and right click on the Postcards from Anozira.exe file. Select the option to always run it with administrator privileges. That might work.

Otherwise, try going to the game directory, selecting all files and right clicking on them to bring up the properties menu. Make sure the "Read Only" checkbox is completely unchecked and then click OK. Try running it then and see if it makes a difference.
#179
Mage's Initiation Forum / Re: The preorder
April 22, 2012, 06:54:32 AM
Hi, Rikard,

No worries, you can cancel the pre-order at any time.  Right now, we're just trying to gauge an idea of roughly how many people are interested in the Collector's Edition in order to get a more accurate idea of what costs will be associated with getting all the swag printed up and manufactured.

Once the price is announced, we'll be contacting everyone who signed up to let them know that they can either confirm their pre-order by making payment, or cancel their pre-order at that time.

Hope that helps!
#180
News / New Mage's Initiation Site Goes Live
March 27, 2012, 05:11:28 AM
The new "Mage's Initiation: Reign of the Elements" website is now live! Thanks to Eriq Chang and Martin Kool for the exceptional web design work.

Click here to go to the new Mage's Initiation site
#181
News / Re: Al Emmo v3.0 Released
March 27, 2012, 02:01:51 AM
You can send an e-mail to replacements@himalayastudios.com requesting an upgrade V3.0 license key. However, according to the records, it looks like you were e-mailed a new license key on 12th September 2010.

I'll resend that to your e-mail address.
#182
General Forum / Re: PC Games of 2012
February 27, 2012, 01:50:03 PM
Sweet! It's nice to see the game mentioned in such a list, alongside so many esteemed titles.

No pressure at all!
#183
News / New Point & Click Adventure - Jolly Rover
February 24, 2012, 03:28:56 AM
The fantastic piratey-dog-themed adventure game "Jolly Rover" is now available on the Himalaya store.

Check it out here
#184
News / Retrospective Review
February 22, 2012, 12:57:53 PM
Adventure Classic Gaming likes Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchman's Mine quite a bit, apparently. In fact, they like it so much their review has been 6 years in the making. Take a look!

http://www.adventureclassicgaming.com/index.php/site/reviews/629/
#185
News / New Development Team Members
January 27, 2012, 01:03:19 AM
Applications for the programming positions have now closed. Thanks to everyone who applied! We are pleased to welcome Steve Poulton and Jason Mearls to the Mage's Initiation development team. They will assist in scripting the game's remaining puzzles and refining the underlying framework.

We're also thrilled to bring the talented Jessica Beebe on board as our 2D cut-scene animator. Her Disney-esque skills will be put to good use in creating the intermissions scenes for the game.
#186
News / We're looking for an AGS Programmer
January 05, 2012, 07:51:10 AM
We're looking for an AGS scripter to expedite progress on our upcoming game, Mage's Initiation: Reign of the Elements. The person will also help with programming Hidden Object Games created with the AGS engine. Applicants must have the following qualities:

1) Self-motivated.

2) Experienced with AGS scripting.

3) Passion for RPG/Adventure games and very familiar with how both genres work. (Bonus points: clever puzzle design ideas & creative solutions)

If interested, please send an e-mail to contact@himalayastudios.com with the subject line "AGS Programmer" and let us know your skills, what AGS games you've worked on, and what you think you can bring to this project. Thanks!

Please note that this is a commercial paid project. A contract will be arranged with the successful applicant. If you think you fit the bill, please send an application/resume.
#187
News / End of Year Sale - 50% Off
December 27, 2011, 01:27:09 PM
Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchman's Mine and Al Emmo's Postcards from Anozira are both 50% off until the 1st of January 2012.

Click here to get 'em cheap!
#188
Mage's Initiation Forum / Re: iPhone/iPad?
December 16, 2011, 09:13:59 PM
Hi oxygen1234,

Yup, that's the plan. AGS doesn't feature iOS support at the moment, but if things go well and we're able to hire more programmers next year, it's something we'd want to look into, for sure.

There will certainly be an Android version of Mage's Initiation, though (and Al Emmo, too).
#189
News / An Interview With Diehard Gamefan
December 16, 2011, 01:18:59 PM
We've been interviewed about Mage's Initiation: Reign of the Elements by DiehardGamefan.

Click here to read the article.
#190
We are very pleased to announce our newest project, Mage's Initiation: Reign of the Elements.

The game will be an Adventure/RPG hybrid game, similar in style to Sierra's Quest for Glory series. It is currently in the early development stages and is projected for a late 2012 release. More information about the game can be read here.

Visit the Mage's Initiation promo page
#191
News / Al Emmo Sale Ends
January 01, 2011, 12:00:00 AM
The Al Emmo v3.0 Christmas sale is now over. Thanks to all who purchased!
#192
News / Christmas Sale - Al Emmo 50% Off! Only $4.99
December 21, 2010, 09:42:00 AM
To celebrate the holiday season, Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchman's Mine version 3.0 has been reduced to $4.99 USD for the next 2 weeks!

Now is the perfect time to experience this classic Sierra-style, point & click Wild Western adventure at an all-time low price. The offer is available until January 1st, 2011. Click here to buy it now!

Click for game details
#193
News / Al Emmo v3.0 Released
December 07, 2010, 04:44:00 AM
Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchman's Mine version 3.0 has been released, offering support for hi-res modes plus many of other features! A full list of changes is listed here.

Click for more details
#194
News / New game: Postcards from Anozira
August 02, 2010, 11:28:00 AM
For a change of pace, we developed a Hidden Object Game with the AGS engine, based on Al Emmo. Postcards from Anozira features 5 Playable characters, 29 levels, and 145 postcards to collect in total! Help the mayor drive tourists to the town as you explore the desert land and use your Hidden Object finding skills!

Click for more details on "Postcards from Anozira"
#195
News / Happy Holidays 2009
December 28, 2009, 12:06:00 PM
Happy Holidays from the Himalaya Studios Team. Two new development features have been added to the Al Emmo website!

Click Here to Visit
#196
News / Going, going, gone!
September 28, 2009, 05:31:00 AM
We'd like to mention a special offer. Receive two FREE games, simply for Signing up for a free My Games Space Account at Big Fish Games! With a new game released every day and all titles being inexpensive, this is excellent value.

By doing so, you'll also be helping Himalaya Studios to develop bigger and better adventure games for you in the future!

Click here to get started and download your 2 free games.

Also, just a quick update to mention that the last of the free Quest for Glory II posters have been shipped and we're now out of stock. Congratulations to everybody who obtained one of these rare Limited Edition Collector's Items!
#197
News / Himalaya Studios Has Re-opened for Business!
September 20, 2009, 08:37:00 AM
Our new website has been launched! We've added a new Games Store with a selection of hand-picked, classic-style adventure games for your entertainment, while you wait for our upcoming project. Be sure to check back regularly for newly added titles.

We are also offering "Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchman's Mine" at an all-time low price ($9.99 USD for the Digital Download/Standard Edition and, $14.99 USD for the Collector's Edition). There has never been a better time to get lost in the Wild-Wild West.
#198
News / Current Adventures & Project
September 18, 2009, 08:00:00 AM
We're embarking on the development of an exciting new adventure game project. But to start, you may be wondering what we've been up to over the past few years. And to end, you'll probably want to know more about this project in development!

Well, I actually was hired by the Phoenix Police Department and attended the Police Academy, "Police Quest" style. But after the release of "Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchman's Mine", we were approached by publishers, and I left to reunite with the team to concentrate further on adventure game development.




Also, as many of you may know, we spent considerable time making good on our promise over at AGDInteractive.com. We released the highly anticipated remake of "Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire" on August 24th, and released updated versions of our first two titles, "King's Quest I" and "King's Quest II". If you don't have the newest versions, be sure to download them-the visual enhancements, thanks to the Selwood's and Johan Botes, are worth the download alone!

http://www.AGDinteractive.com

I even had the chance to go on an incredible real life adventure, riding my bicycle from my front doorstep in Phoenix, Arizona all the way down to Panama City, Panama. This involved being an honorary firefighter in Arizona; riding through the drug cartel territory of Mexico and going on a ride along with the Federali; being invited by the Mayor of Tequila to celebrate the last night of their annual festival; visiting the Mayan pyramids; living with a family in Guatemala; eating papusas in El Salvador; braving the scorching deserts of Honduras; white water rafting and nearly dying in a kayak accident off the coast of the Bay Islands; cycling by steaming volcanoes in Nicaragua; battling the stalwart winds and rains of Costa Rica and meeting our first three-toed sloth; watching enormous cargo ships squeeze through the Panama Canal; sleeping in hammocks on deserted Caribbean Islands, and snorkling by shipwrecks in the azul waters, while sailing in a Spanish sailboat to South America; galloping on trusty steeds through the Colombian coffee country; being interviewed by the news in the home city of Pablo Escobar; visiting Cartagena of "Romancing the Stones" fame; swimming with seals, penguins and hammerhead sharks off the coast of the Galapaos Islands; visiting the piranha infested waters of the Amazon River Basin and the towering Andes of Ecuador. We even learned Spanish. The six month adventure was as grand as the Sierra classics that we remember so fondly, and was even entitled "Hero's Quest" after the beloved "Quest for Glory" series. If you're interested in learning more, feel free to check out our blog detailing the journey (which includes pictures for those with short attention spans):


   
     

Bicycle Adventure Blog

While adventuring about South America, I began reading a design proposal from our talented game designer, Daniel Stacey. I realized, it was time to return home and start our next adventure-a classic style adventure game that NEEDED to be made.

It just so happened, merely a day after returning back to the States, Chris would have a stopover flight in Los Angeles on his way back to Australia from Canada. He would have precisely 12 hours before boarding a plane home. Being merely 6 hours away by car, and clearly seeing the stars were aligned in our favor, I made my way out to the LAX airport to pick Chris up and take him to a very special place. I arrived at the curb, straight from Phoenix, right as Chris was walking out of the airport - perfect timing as usual!

Battling Los Angeles traffic, we made our way to the most pivotal location in Himalaya Studios history... Disneyland. It was there that I had made the decision years earlier to follow my dream: start Himalaya Studios and move to Australia to work side by side with Chris on our first original game: "Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchman's Mine". This would be Chris' first trip to the park, and it was here, at the statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse, that Chris and I recommitted to adventure game development and the future of Himalaya Studios.

Following our plan, a few months later, Chris made a proper return visit from Australia. We were approached by the Department of Homeland Security in regards to a computer game development contract, and were asked to present our ideas - but our sights were still set on our original game idea. It was past its incubation period and HAD to be born. It was time to return to our passion of classic style adventure game development!




We pondered what we could do to provide inspiration for this next project, and decided a road-trip across America would do the trick... and perhaps even a meet-up with a Sierra design legend on the opposite end of the country.

In 11 days, we managed to go on a whirlwind tour of America, visiting no less than 23 States. This adventure started in the Wild West of Arizona-in fact, the Anoziran setting of our first title, "Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchman's Mine".

Little did we know when commencing this journey, our adventure would include a jaunt up the Rocky Balboa stairs in Philly and a tour (which we had no tickets for) of Independence Hall; a romp through the fields behind Abe Lincoln's childhood home in the backwoods of Kentucky, as well as a visit to an authentic Kentucky Fried Chicken; a stopover at the White House on 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.; an outing to Bill Clinton's home in Hope, Arkansas; a visit to the Jack Daniel's distillery in the boondocks of Tennessee to obtain an inventory item requested from a friend; a perusal of the lighthouses of Maine, which ended in a very Carmen Sandiego-esque search for toothpicks; indulgence in a Spaghettio dinner at the creepiest Walmart (ever) in Rhode Island; a tour of the Big Apple (in which we got lost, much like Kevin McCallister from "Home Alone: Lost in New York") and more.



     

But of course, the highlight of our trip was visiting one Josh Mandel, legendary Sierra designer who has worked on such games as "Freddy Pharkus Frontier Pharmacist", "King's Quest", "Leisure Suit Larry", "Space Quest"...(you get the idea-a game developing God)... at his home in upstate New York.

We were on several days without sleep, as we had a LOT of ground to cover in far too few days, and wondered if it would be wise to visit a design legend in such a weary state. But it HAD to be done. Phone contact was made, and King Graham of "King's Quest" fame answered. I pondered how I could be so obtuse as to ask, "is this Josh?"-of course it was him! After all, how often does King Graham answer the phone?



Merely minutes later, we were making in-person greetings and entering the home of the hospitable Josh and his wife, Laura. What a joy it was! Josh was an eloquent speaker, and told us tales of the glory days working at Sierra, and provided updates on the lives of all of our favorite game developers of yesteryear. We sipped piping hot black tea as we listened with great enchantment. At one point, we were even offered the opportunity to extensively examine the annals of authentic Sierra art and design work! We sifted through dozens of detailed pieces of artwork, from character portraits to backgrounds, from the "Freddy Pharkus" game. It was quite spellbinding observing the sheer perfection and amount of detail in each piece.


   

In addition to being a talented game developer, Josh is also a gifted chef, and we had the opportunity to sample such delicacies as homemade blueberry muffins and ice cream. Josh's adoreable daughter was quite scared of the guests (us), but warmed up quickly, declaring her love for the "man with the funny accent" (Chris).

As the night wore on, we realized we'd need to find accommodation soon. Yet literally unable to drive to a hotel due to exhaustion caused by a lack of sleep and overabundance of adventure (as well as a busted headlight and our fear of Motel 6's after being accosted by an unusual and forceful character, smelling strongly of booze, by the name of Oliver C. Byrd, who claimed himself to be a Secret Agent and "a little too black, a little too white, a little too white collar, a little too blue collar, with no membership", days before in Philadelphia), we requested we be able to sleep in our vehicle parked in the driveway. Josh and Laura would have no such thing-like accommodating Kattas from the Katta Tail Inn, we were subsequently invited to sleep in their very home, upon the most comfortable mattress and couch Chris and I have ever had the joy of experiencing (although after sleeping in a car for most of the week, or not sleeping at all, just about anything would feel overwhelmingly comfortable!).

We were very careful to return all artwork before retiring for the night, lest a piece go missing, and Josh think we took it as a souvenir and never be invited back again.

The following morning, we awoke well rested, and realized we perhaps had JUST enough time to drive straight to Arizona and arrive at the airport to get Chris on a 20 hour flight back home. And drive we did! We accidentally ended up in line to enter Canada at one point, and made a stop over at Niagra Falls. From there, it was a race across Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. The states became larger and larger the farther west we went, and it seemed we would NEVER make it in time! Friends and family chomped at their fingernails in anxious anticipation, as if watching an episode of "The Amazing Race", wondering if we'd ever make it in time. But true to form, we met our goal and arrived at the airport-straight from Albany to Phoenix--exactly one hour before Chris' domestic departure to California, and ultimately a flight back to Victoria, Australia.

 

Previous game development promises met; several inspiring real life adventures under our belt; a visit with a renowned Sierra designer; we are now excited to embark on our next great journey-the development of our most exciting project to date. We will keep you updated every step of the way. Join us! Return often. Be part of our next great adventure.
#199
That is strange. It should show an icon in the Game Explorer once the game is installed.

I just double-checked and the game explorer icon is definitely set up to be compiled into the game settings and the correct options are set to utlize it in Windows.

However, the game was compiled with a different version of the AGS engine than the King's Quest remakes were, so perhaps a bug or oversight crept into the engine between builds.  Given this, I'm not sure that there's any way to make the icon appear in the Game Explorer.

Maybe someone could shed some light on this if you post the AGS technical forum:

http://www.bigbluecup.com/yabb/index.php?board=2.0
#200
Thanks! Glad to hear that you're enjoying what you've played so far.

And yup, the digital download sites make it much easier to spend money on games, because the process is pretty much reduced to a few mouse clicks once you have an account. It's definitely a good channel to be in for game developers (perhaps not so good for a cash-strapped games addict, though!).

At any rate, we'll also keep trying to get our future games into as many distribution channels as possible. Thanks for the feedback!
#201
Amazon is still selling the older version. I sent Meridian 4, our publisher, a new build months ago, but they haven't updated it on any of their distribution channels yet.

The only places that sell the new v3.0 version so far are our own store and Desura.
#202
Steam wouldn't accept Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchman's Mine, but unfortunately they don't tell developers why, or what their acceptance criteria is. We also inquired about getting the game on GOG, but they didn't reply. And Big Fish Games wouldn't take the game on account of the adult humour.

There are, however, other places online where you can purchase the game:

Direct2Drive - They offer v1.0 still, which is an outdated version.

If you want v3.0 which supports higher-res graphics and other improvements, you'd need to buy it from:

The Himalaya Site

or

Desura - Which is like Steam for indie games
#203
Thanks for the feedback. Glad to know that the game's screenshots inspired you to get creative!

Regarding the game's music, the composer's role has already been filled (and, truth be told, we get about 2-3 requests per week from musicians). But you can send your music to the email adress if you want. Due to the volume of unsolicited job inquiry e-mails we received, we don't usually reply back to these e-mails, but we do keep some archived in the event that we may be able to use their talents in the future.
#204
Technical & Bugs forum / Re: Al Emmo saved game
April 09, 2011, 08:17:05 AM
You can just email it to the address I mentioned in my previous post: support@himalayastudios.com
#205
Technical & Bugs forum / Re: Al Emmo saved game
April 09, 2011, 12:32:59 AM
Hmm... I don't have any save games from that part of the game, so could you upload your most recent one for me and I'll play past that point, resave it and reupload it for you.

You'll need to make sure that the savegame file with the skeleton is the last one you saved. If it's not, simply resave over the file to push it to the top of the savegame list.

Then you need to go to your directory where the savegame files are located:

Windows XP:
Documents and Settings\USERNAME\My Documents\My Saved Games\Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchmans Mine

Windows Vista & 7
USERNAME\Saved Games\Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchmans Mine

*Where USERNAME is the name of the current user's account.

Right-click somewhere in the folder and "arrange Icons By: Modified". Find the savegame file with the most recent date and timestamp and email it to support@himalayastudios.com
#206
General Forum / Re: Skip this puzzle option
April 08, 2011, 02:46:07 PM
FYI, during the chase sequence, the game is set to auto-run mode, so Al will run by default when single-clicking.
#207
Technical & Bugs forum / Re: Al Emmo saved game
April 08, 2011, 02:41:35 PM
That sounds strange. Double-clicking should always work for running. If you start a new game and double-click, does he run then?

In order to send you a savegame file, we'd need to know which version of the game you're running. Move the mouse to the top-left corner and click the "Settings" option, and then click the "?" button. It should say either v1.0, v2.0, or v3.0.  Let us know what version number you are running so that the correct savegame file can be sent.
#208
Hello, everyone! We've set up a PayPal "donate" button for Himalaya Studios, so that anyone who wishes to make a financial contribution (of any amount) to help offset our commercial development costs (as well as potential licensing fees) is able to do so.

A few caveats:

1) We'll be unable to return or refund any donated money to donors, regardless of whether a game project in development is released, canceled, or remains indefinitely unfinished. This is also the case if the company is dissolved or otherwise ceases to exist in the future, for some reason. If you're uncomfortable with this prospect, but still wish to help us financially, please purchase a copy of Al Emmo, Postcards from Anozira, or another games on the Himalaya Studios site instead, so that you'll be getting something tangible for your contribution.

2) Donations are considered an act of good will. They're not treated the same way as a purchase. Please understand that donating money to us won't entitle the donor to receive a copy of any commercial Himalaya Studios game (or anything else tangible).

3) All donation funds will be put towards Himalaya Studios' company maintenance and commercial game development costs. We also promise not to spend the cash on a new yacht.

4) Donors won't be treated like company shareholders. Donating won't allow contributors any leverage over how a particular game is designed or how the company is run.

Having said that, any donations received will be gladly welcomed and put to very good use. They'll allow us better negotiating abilities; will offer us the chance to hire more workers; and ultimately will allow us to finish developing games faster. So, without further ado...



Thank you for any amount of support!
#209
General Forum / Re: Quick reply option
April 07, 2011, 08:23:50 AM
I had a quick look in the Admin panel, but couldn't find any way to make it a global feature for this particular forum theme we're using.
#210
QuoteIs this going to have stats and skills like an RPG? Is the battle system going to be anything like what we saw in QFG2?

There will be fewer stats than the Quest for Glory games, and the gameplay formula won't rely so much on grinding. Combat will be a little different than the Quest for Glory 2 remake. It will be closer in style to Quest for Glory 4's side-on battle scenes. Outwitting your foe doesn't rely on brute strength, but on mastery of magic spells and combos interweaved with combat maneuvers (throws, blocks, evasive steps etc.)

QuoteHow open-ended is it? Can you just meander around at your leisure or does the game keep you in one place at a time, doing one thing at a time?

There will be multiple endings which affect the endgame in fairly drastic ways. The game world will gradually open up to reveal new places as you explore more, but the initial area that you get to (the land of Iginor) is quite wide. Other areas will open up only for the duration of a specific quest, and won't be accessible again after that.

QuoteAre the incessant questions getting annoying? I'm really psyched about this game. Maybe I should get a life.

Nope, it's all part of the gig. :D Glad to hear you're anticipating it, by the way. A lot of things are going to be tweaked and refined as we make further progress, however, so anything I mention could still be subject to change at some point.