Axe Software has just released Quest 4.0, a software package designed for creating text adventure games.
The software allows pretty much anyone to create text adventures just like in the olden days, but without any previous programming knowledge. It allows players to build games which can be single or multiplayer and incorporate images and sound. It all uses a plain English interface with a full tutorial.
Remember text adventures? No? Don't worry, that just means you're less than 100 years old - and that you haven't played any Level 9 games such as the glorious Knight Orc.
So why is Axe bringing this back now? Designer and developer Alex Warren puts the emphasis on education:
Axe is quick to point out other educational applications in subjects such as English, Geography and History. By being able to quickly and easily create virtual world, it reckons, teachers can give students a more interactive way to work. Similarly, students themselves can use the software to flex their brain muscles and under-used imaginations.
SPOnG had a quick word with Warren and was told that the educational angle came in later, however. Originally he thought "it would be quite good to create a system that would allow text-based games on Windows." That's instead, of course, of trying to wrestle with DOS and Q-Basic which him and his mates used to use when they were building games. It was all about love of the most retro form of gaming you could imagine.
The educational angle came later, when he realised text-based adventure was being used for a creative writing course in the US.
Does text-based adventure have a place in the classroom? The eighties are a bit trendy right now, after all. Let us know in the Forum.
The software allows pretty much anyone to create text adventures just like in the olden days, but without any previous programming knowledge. It allows players to build games which can be single or multiplayer and incorporate images and sound. It all uses a plain English interface with a full tutorial.
Remember text adventures? No? Don't worry, that just means you're less than 100 years old - and that you haven't played any Level 9 games such as the glorious Knight Orc.
So why is Axe bringing this back now? Designer and developer Alex Warren puts the emphasis on education:
"Text adventure games provide a great introduction to concepts in programming. You can get started creating a game very quickly, because you don't need to spend large amounts of time and money creating graphics. It's great to get people using their imaginations - text adventures are to video games what books are to films."
Axe is quick to point out other educational applications in subjects such as English, Geography and History. By being able to quickly and easily create virtual world, it reckons, teachers can give students a more interactive way to work. Similarly, students themselves can use the software to flex their brain muscles and under-used imaginations.
SPOnG had a quick word with Warren and was told that the educational angle came in later, however. Originally he thought "it would be quite good to create a system that would allow text-based games on Windows." That's instead, of course, of trying to wrestle with DOS and Q-Basic which him and his mates used to use when they were building games. It was all about love of the most retro form of gaming you could imagine.
The educational angle came later, when he realised text-based adventure was being used for a creative writing course in the US.
Does text-based adventure have a place in the classroom? The eighties are a bit trendy right now, after all. Let us know in the Forum.
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Comments
Jay 24 Jan 2007 12:59
1/3
Does text-based adventure have a place in the classroom? The eighties are a bit trendy right now, after all. Let us know in the Forum.
We did exactly that at primary school, in the eighties - there was some app on the BBC Micro that enabled you to make your own (rather primative) text adventure. You started out by designing a map of square rooms on grid paper, then keyed in coordinates (I think), before dreaming up gems like:
There is a scary dog in front of the door.
There is a tasty bone on the floor.
What will you do?
DoctorDee 24 Jan 2007 13:57
2/3
Jay wrote:
There is a scary dog in front of the door.
There is a tasty bone on the floor.
What will you do?
There is a tasty bone on the floor.
What will you do?
Pick up bone.
Hit dog with bone.
AlexW 24 Jan 2007 15:29
3/3
May be worth mentioning the URL for Quest 4.0: www.axeuk.com/quest