Do these newer versions have a way to compile a stand alone?
I read some of the forums here, last I heard was in 2015 that someone was working on a "js"? something? but it was dropped. I thought for sure the older versions did.

thanks!

I've dug around in 5.8.0 source code a little bit. Currently, there is no way of compiling games to have stand-alone executable, Quest games would require a "player" to run them.

thats what I figured. I have lots of very old versions of quest, i'll check those. If I remember, I thought that quest functioned very similar to RPG MAKER where it is compiled into the "player". then all you have to do is include the assests (tilesets and sound)

I was just asking the same thing, I'll let you know if I find anything

the only reason I ask, there are a few people I want to send my story to - check it, test it as I build it, seems like a lot of overhead for such a tiny piece of code to play. to bad there is not a way to gargoyle to understand quest. that would be the PERFECT player.

If I remember, I thought that quest functioned very similar to RPG MAKER where it is compiled into the "player". then all you have to do is include the assests (tilesets and sound)

I'd say that Quest 5.8.0 is more interpreter than a compiler - where Quest app is essentially a VM.

the only reason I ask, there are a few people I want to send my story to - check it, test it as I build it, seems like a lot of overhead for such a tiny piece of code to play.

Yeah, I can understand what you mean - it could be very convenient and awesome to do so :)
Unfortunately, Quest's code has lots of inter-dependencies - thus I think it would be hard to refactor existing code and add such feature (unless I am missing something...)