The "Getting Started with AGS" tutorials are now available here in a rewritten web-based format, with screenshots and more:

Part 1 - Creating the game, and palette setup

Part 2 - Creating your first room, and testing the game

Part 3 - Hotspots, edges and interactions

Part 4 - Objects, inventory and room options

Part 5 - Global messages and managing inventory

Part 6 - Using the Sprite Manager

Part 7 - Views, loops, characters and cutscenes

Part 8 - Conversations and dialog

Part 9 - Cursors and fonts

Text scripting is introduced in a separate tutorial:

Introduction to text scripts

Further tutorials:

GUI Scripting Part 1 - Making a custom Quit GUI