AGS for people with little coding experience

[LavaWave]

I don't consider myself a coder, much less a programmer, I am at best a script kiddie.

I remember stumbling upon this program way back in 2007 IIRC but never picked up on it until now recently.

The only coding languages I used were GML (Game Maker) and Zscript for GZDoom in DoomBuilder and they are fairly understandable even for me and now I tried using AGS scripting and I am doing well with it so I take it as it's scripting as accessible to people with little coding experience.

I tried playing around with GODOT and Solarus (Arpg game maker for Loz alttp style games) but couldn't figure those out (Solarus uses lua) yet AGS and the aforementioned engines have easier scripting with autocomplete which helps.

I tried making an Arpg with RPG Maker MZ and using plug-ins but they are unstable and complicated, not user friendly.

So can a game dev with little coding knowledge make a professional quality game with AGS?

[Khris]

I'd answer the question like this:

can a game dev with little coding knowledge make a professional quality game?
-no, unless quality refers only to story, art, etc.

can a game dev make a professional quality game with AGS?
-definitely yes

[LavaWave]

I'd answer the question like this:

can a game dev with little coding knowledge make a professional quality game?
-no, unless quality refers only to story, art, etc.

can a game dev make a professional quality game with AGS?
-definitely yes

On the first one is debatable since there are a number of professional quality games with many engines (AGS being one of them)

Clickteam products have a share of commercial games (their engine requires no coding skills whatsoever) RPG Maker as well (albeit many use several plug-ins to enhance the engine but it is aimed at non-coders)

However as a non-programmer yes I agree with you on story, art and the kind that doesn't require heavy coded minigames/puzzles, I assume simple puzzles can be easily be created with a few lines of code.

[Crimson Wizard]

The game coding may be roughly divided on:
1. Scripting the story: characters walking around talking, objects changing their looks, items being picked up and used, and so forth. In AGS this is done trivially using built-in commands, with minimal understanding of coding.
2. Coding advanced gameplay and puzzle mechanics. For this you need to understand coding better.

Good coding skills are required not only to make something happen, but also to do so efficiently: spend less time, write less code, make less mistakes.

If your game does not involve any advanced features, then I think you should be able to create a good quality game, assuming other things are done well (art, music, etc). Maybe your code will not be optimal, but nobody will see it, so it's not a big deal.

If you need occasional advanced coding, for example to script certain gameplay or puzzle mechanic, then you may have to ask for aid; this is what this forum is for. Sometimes using existing script modules may be enough.

OTOH if your game requires alot of advanced coding, then it's best to recruit a programmer into your dev team.

EDIT: what I'm trying to say, the answer on your question depends on what exactly do you want to have in your game.

[LavaWave]

I don't foresee the need of a programmer afaik nor I create a professional/worth selling game just yet, so far I am creating small/medium adventure/survival horror (Clock Tower on the SNES for example) games

I made a few experiments about a killer if he reaches you it's game over

Code: ags

function repeatedly_execute()
{
  if (cBone.IsCollidingWithChar(cDiane))
  {
    RestartGame(); (Prototype, animation not done)
  }
}

As well as wait for animation is over, so I can grasp such basic things, I have no intention on creating platform/outside-genre games with AGS since I know that requires programming knowledge.