From time to time, I post my feelings about Quest and what Alex has done for me. This is one of those posts. Please affirm your gratitude concerning Quest and Alex in here. If you want to praise other text based programs, please go to their websites and do it... Thank You.


Dear Alex,

As I have told you in the past, I tried building a text-based game about 20 yrs. ago, when I was 11/12. There was no internet to get info or buy books from. It was: if the library had a book or the bookstore had a book or could order one, then you could get it. But how does a 11/12 year old ask for a book when that 11/12 year old doesn't know what he's looking for?

My dad bought his family an Atari 800XL computer. Yah, this was a long time ago! He had a friend, Hank, who would come over with "floppy discs" and copy games for us. On these disks, I discovered text-based games like "Zork," "Zork II," "Ghost Town," "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," and some others. There was even one with motionless graphics about a vampire and a castle-like mansion. I played them and had fun, but I decided I wanted to make one.

I found a book teaching the language BASIC. I learned code lines, such as: 10 CLEAR; 20 PRINT; 30 GOTO 10.... I can't remember the language now, but I knew enough to be able to write a very static text-based game... well, almost a game. I had maybe 7 rooms with descriptions and directions, but could never figure out how to manipulate objects, like: take away objects and give them to a player, etc. I tried finding more books, but no bookstore could help me. I got bummed, gave up, but the dream found a safe spot in my mind and waited.

Last year, it dawned on me: the internet... text-based games... Zork! I bet I can download it... and finally solve the game...! To my pleasant surprise: I found it. Then I remembered my game. Yep, I thought, somebody has to have a site about how to encode a text-based game. That's how I found Quest! Using Google, I did find other text-based program sites, but felt more comfortable with the way Quest was presented. I am 100% glad I have chosen Quest and am glad to be a part of the quest to make Quest a better program.

From time to time, Alex, out of the blue, the happiness I feel of finally resolving my childhood dream will spark, and every time it does, I silently thank you. In fact, I just had a vacation from work, and my vacation was building my game... I'm talking about from 7am to 10pm, 3 days straight.
Yah, I've got 20 years of game writing to catch up on, so you can bet that I'm working hard on my game, and having fun in the process. I at least owe you and your system a good game, and positive advertising to boot.


With deepest and heart-felt warm gratitude,

-David

QuestNet also supports multiplayer play for Telnet games. I've been trying to find source code for a decent Telnet server, the only one I found is very good, but unfinished and buggy. However, Quest can make fantastic text games which could easily reach the standards of popular Telnet games, and so my dream can also come true.

However, I have many dreams, for lots of different things, and this is where I fail.

Glad to know you can fulfill your childhood dream. Some of us are still seeking that ability

Hey GB, don't get caught up in the too-many-dreams-failure rut. I've been tabbing your intelligence, and have noticed that you do alot of different things (music, website construction, game building, town conceptualization, etc...). As you've probably realized, these facets of your knowledge base are coalescing into a unified purpose. I commend you for sticking hard to your goals and achieving them with respectable effort.

In fact, as I've read your posts, I've realized we share many of the same lines of effort. I code my own webpage, I'm building my own Quest game, and I write and perform music too. Beyond that, I'm accomplishing many other goals, although some might be met with derision, I see their fruits in my day to day life.

GB your obviously not a failure, and I got your back on that! Okay, enough about you and me... back to praising Alex and Quest... anyone?


-W. Wyzwurd

WOOT Alex. No really, I've always wanted to make computer games, especially RPG's as they're just the greatest ever! I've tried other game making programmes, including those with graphic support, and have found that Quest offers a very simple but versitile language, great community and... well it's just the best! EVER! That is now a fact! End of story, no if and or buts!

No really, Quest is great, thank you Alex, you have given so many people the chance to fulfil their childhood dreams and feel better about themsevles, while making computer games for all to enjoy, bless you.