The Zork Library Forum

I have recently completed a beta-version of the Z:THE Text Adventure Prequel, which we have affectionatly been calling TAP.

I am looking for volunteers for beta-testing.  Don't volunteer unless you are serious about it.  There are some disadvantages to being a beta tester:

1. The game is not in a polished form and will not be as enjoyable as a finished product.

2. It is likely to have many bugs, misspellings, and typos which will detract for the emersion.

3. The puzzles have not been tuned to actual players.  They may be too hard, too easy, or just right.

4. Beta testers have several obligations:  Run the game in script mode to keep a log of the gameplay and send it to me.  Keep a notebook and write down typos, mistakes, etc., and send me that information.  Make constructive comments about style, pace, descriptions, etc.  Anything you think will help.  I can't promise that I will implement every suggestion.

5. You should be someone who likes to play text adventures and not strictly a graphic-game person.  But I do want some feedback from at least one person that isn't too familiar with text games.

6. At this stage, I don't have a built-in hint system but I can provide some InvisiClues.

7. I also don't have a built-in tutorial about how to play text adventures, but I can send you one.

So don't volunteer, just to play a new game.  It's not really 'finished' and it requires some responsibility on your part.

If you are a Z:THE developer, then you have access to the FTP site and can download it from there.  filename tap010.z5.

If you aren't, I can email you the game file and a z-machine interpreter (if you don't have one.)

You can email me at drpaul401@yahoo.com or through the message board here.

Thanks.

i would offer to but i just dont have the time at the mo to do proper testing

I would love to. But between my job, finding a new job, working on TBZP.COM and having a life, I don't have time.

However, I can assure you that this Text Adventure will have full coverage on my new site.

There is likely to be a big delay before much beta-testing and modifications can be done on TAP.  One reason is that this weekend, Oct.2, the 2004 IF Comp games were released.  So we may be looking at Christmas or the New Year before a final version of TAP will be available.

For those of you not familiar, the IF Comp is the premier annual interactive fiction competition.  This year, there are 37 games to be played, scored, reviewed, etc.  The IF community will probably be very pre-occupied with the Comp until mid November.  So I'm not likely to get anyone from there to try TAP until then.  FYI, the games can be found at http://ifcomp.org/comp04/  

I would be happy to beta test the game.

My email is chimpoozle@gmail.com

Ok Chimpoo.  I'll send you the game file and the hints.  In case you don't have a z-code inerpreter, I'll also send you a like to Windows Frotz 2002.

Since the time I made TAP available for beta testing, I have only had time to play it through twice, myself.  I have filled up about 5 pages of typos, things that don't work quite right, things that are missing, etc.   I haven't had time to apply my list yet., so the beta-version I posted is still the latest version.

And don't worry, it is still possible to play it through to the end even though there are a lot of things that need fixing.

I suppose I shouldn't have looked for beta-testers until I had gotten it to the point that I couldn't find any mistakes myself.  I guess I was just very anxious to get some kind of feedback from somebody.  

So to anybody who has played it through, I apologize for the poor state that it is in.  I could have made a LOT of corrections before offering it.  I just needed to get it out there so that at least somebody could see it.

I'm kind of overwhelmed with other work lately, so I'm not quite sure when I can have Beta-II ready.  Probably I will put my own corrections in, and then wait for input from you guys.

*grinz*

Good luck!

I know I'm late in replying to this post as I haven't been on the board in quite a long while (personal stuff...blah, blah, blah...) BUT  I did post quite some time ago that I was chomping at the bit to be a beta tester for this game!  So...if you still need someone - PLEASE!!!  Let me!!  Pant, pant, pant......


 Thanks.

zorket

Zorket,
OK.  I've updated the game a few times since my first request for beta testers.  To where should I send it?
DrPaul

I do have quite some spare time between Xmas and New Year's Eve. If you want me to do some testing -> grueslayer web.de

My goodness, has it been this long since I asked???  Time flies.  Well, I would still like to be a beta tester.  My email is zorket@comcast.net

Thanks.

Nomad: Did I send a copy of TAP to you?  I thought I did, but  I can't find evidence of it in my 'sent' files.

Zorket: Now that I have your email, I will send you a copy.  Give me a day or so, because I just made myself another list of corrections and I want to fix them first.