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Quest 1.0 Beta 3
text adventure/RPG/interactive fiction game engine for Windows
Quest is a tool that allows you to play and create your own adventure games quickly and easily.
It interprets ASL (Adventure Scripting Language) files, which can be created and edited in any text editor. Read the ASL.RTF file for information on using this to create your own games.
What's this? Another IF authoring engine?
Yep, 'fraid so. Having looked at some of the other IF (Interactive Fiction) authoring systems available, I was rather horrified at the complexity of them - so I've designed Quest to be both easy-to-use and powerful, and combined it with the easy-to-use style of interface that is possible with Windows.
Using Quest
After running the Setup program which will have installed the required files for Quest to your hard disk, you need to run QUEST.EXE to complete the setup process. You can do this easily by clicking the shortcut that will have been placed in the Start Menu. Running Quest for the first time will set up the associated file extensions with Quest - so that if you double-click a file with a .ASL, .CAS or .QSG extension, Quest will start up with that file. More information on these file extensions is available below.
To play a game with Quest, you can double-click an ASL, QSG or CAS file as above, or you could run QUEST.EXE. Running QUEST.EXE will present you with three options - you can run an Installed Game, you can browse to run an ASL file on your hard disk, or you can play a game from where you've left off before, by clicking "Load a previously saved game". The first time you run Quest, you will probably have no installed games and no saved games, so you should click the "Browse" button in the "Other Games" box. Find the ASL file SAMPLE1.ASL that came with Quest, and click the "Open" button. You will be returned to the "Welcome to Quest!" window, where the filename and game name of the ASL file you selected will be shown. At this point, you might want to add the file you just selected to the "Installed Games" list, by clicking the "Add to 'Installed Games'" button. Now whenever you start Quest you will be able to run this game by clicking the button in the "Installed Games" list.
If you have not added the game to the "Installed Games" list, you can play it by clicking the "Play It!" button.
You will now be presented with the main Quest window. You can navigate around the game using the arrow buttons, using "Out" to leave rooms. You can also navigate using commands that you type in at the "Command:" box. For details on using Quest commands, click the "Help" button or type HELP in the "Command:" box and press Enter or press the ??button, which has the same effect as pressing Enter on the keyboard.
That's basically it - with the commands that you can see by typing HELP, you can walk around the game and interact with the various characters and objects, and eventually you might just win it! Have fun...
Of course, the whole point of Quest is that you're supposed to be able to make your own games easily, so once you have a feel for the Quest interface and the sample game, it's really easy to create your own mentally-taxing adventure creation. Take a look at the included ASL.RTF file for information on making your own games.
What's this ASL, CAS and QSG lark then?
ASL is the format that games are created in, and the games you create yourself should be saved with a .ASL extension. .CAS is the "compiled" version of this format, which will hide the ins and outs of your game from the player. ASL files will be able to be converted to CAS files by using the compiler utility that will be included with the registered version of Quest.
QSG files are the files saved to your hard disk when you play games and save them, in order to finish them some other time.
The current version of Quest (Beta 2) will read a CAS file, though the current implementation is not likely to be the same as the final implementation, meaning CAS files compiled with the registered final version of Quest will most likely not be backwards-compatible with this Beta version. In order to play CAS files, you'll need to download the final shareware version of Quest when it is available from the Axe Software website (you won't need to register just to play CAS files - you only need to register to make them).
So, I'll only be able to compile ASL files to CAS files with the registered version?
Yes. This will be the main difference between the shareware and registered versions of Quest. Apart from this one difference, the shareware version of Quest is not crippled in any way, so even if you have no money to spare to register Quest, you'll still be able to use all of its features.
The registered version will cost just ú20 UK sterling. You'll get:
* the compiler
* free technical support, for life
* free upgrades, for life
Also by registering, you get that lovely feeling that my pay for working on this project has been increased from ú0/hr to something more like ú0.01/hr...
Bugs? Suggestions? Comments?
If you would like to propose a new feature for Quest, or a new command for ASL, or you want some more information about programming text adventure games with Quest, please send an email to alexwarren@writeme.com. The latest version of Quest can always be found at the Axe Software website, at http://come.to/axe.
Quest is still in its fairly early stages, so all suggestions and bug reports would be welcomed. I have several plans for future versions, so come back to the website regularly and see what's new!
Distribution Information:
Quest may only be distributed free of charge, and all files must be included. If you wish to distribute Quest commercially, for example on a magazine cover CD, please contact me at the email address above. Permission will usually be granted, though a copy of the CD may be required.
