Hello world!

[return_to_zork]

Hello all,

I didn't see a specific thread for introductions, so I just wanted to take a second to introduce myself. My name is Joe and and I'm a mail carrier by day, aspiring adventure game writer by night. I'm sure this is a common story around here, but I first discovered QBasic on the family computer back when I was in Elementary school (Windows 3.1 days) and instantly fell in love. I remember scouring the early internet and my local library for anything I could read on QB.

I spent a lot of years downloading other peoples' games and programs, learning the ins and outs of the software, and eventually even tried to write my own games. Ultimately, though, I was just a little kid and nothing of substance ever came to fruition. I don't remember the exact day it happened, but at some point I closed QBasic for the final time and never went back to it.

Until now.

Sitting in my home some 25 years later, reflecting back on the good ol' days and I got bit by the bug. The itch to write that text adventure game I always wanted to but never did. I started exploring all the different options for writing an adventure game in 2022 and came across the usual suspects---Quest, Inform, Twine. But none of those were exactly what I was looking for. Until I came across a guy on YouTube doing exactly what I was looking to do myself: Going back and writing the text adventure game he always wanted to, but never did...in QBasic!

My mind was blown. I had no idea QB was even still being used. Then I found QB64, read about the incident that happened, and eventually found my way here. I'm currently working my way through Terry Ritchie's QB64 Game Programming Guide and getting all this rust off (Hey, it's been 25 years!). But I just wanted to say that I'm so glad I found this place.

I was wondering if anyone else on the forum has or is making their own text adventure games (either finished or unfinished) that I might check out while I'm getting my chops back. I'd love to see what other people in the community are working on.

But either way, nice to meet everyone and I hope to be a regular face around here!

[mnrvovrfc]

Welcome. Thanks for taking me out of "newest member is" for over a week. :/

[return_to_zork]

Welcome. Thanks for taking me out of "newest member is" for over a week. :/

Don't mention it! 

[James D Jarvis]

Hello to both of you.

I don't have any current true text adventure games but I myself am enjoying rediscovering quickbasic and what it can do on new machines. Immense arrays and 32 bit color modes at modern resolutions are a joy.

[SMcNeill]

Welcome to all our new members here Nice to have you guys with us.

[Pete]

Windows 3.1? Spoiled brat! I started on a Texas Instrument 4A (4K memory and a cassette recorder to store data.) Somehow, I managed to program a four player Monopoly on it. Go figure.

Anyway, welcome to the forum. There are a lot of us slightly aged programmers around here. I don't think anyone has any text games in the works as of late, but you might want to search for some examples from the mirror of that old forum, which was pulled down:

https://qb64forum.alephc.xyz

Try searching "text adventure".

Here is one from that site: https://qb64forum.alephc.xyz/index.php?t...#msg133921

Pete

[OldMoses]

Welcome,

I'm not one for doing games, text or otherwise, but being a roleplaying gamer back in the day, I was always writing utilities to streamline some things associated with that hobby. Mainly character generators which were easy to do being simply text based number crunchers.

I started out in Applesoft Basic, then went to QBasic. It wasn't until I found QB64 that I really started messing around with graphics programming. Much of the new system makes it insanely easy to get good results with a little practice. Being able to seamlessly mix text and graphics makes for some cool GUI programming.

Dig in and enjoy.

[mnrvovrfc]

Thank you for all the welcome replies.

Now I liked the "Orb of Zot" or whatever, this particular game which must have had different names. LMAO at some of the literature: "Flash OH NO now you're a blind elf!" I played it once I think and never found the gem... because I didn't want to lose the special weapon. That game was brilliantly designed IMHO for something out of the early 1980's.

[bplus]

Belated welcome to @return_to_zork, really nice of you to introduce yourself.

Belated welcome to @mnrvovrfc also. BTW we mini-moderators don't have auto-completion for @members, so typing a bunch of letters is hard to recall correct sequence after about 3 letters  , is there a meaning or mnemonic to those letters to make it easier to recall and type out? You know ARB was doing his damnedest to get you out of the newest member category ;-))