QUEST: Macintosh Manager From: Brian Carpenter <btc2@cornell.edu> Date: Wed, 08 Dec 1993 03:52:30 +0000 Hello to all fellow QUESTors According to my most recent newsletter from ABM QUEST #1, I see some software usable by IBM&clone machines for the game. I'm wondering if anyone out there has developed Macintosh software for QUEST. If the answer is a resounding "Yes" then where might I obtain a copy? Keeping old turns around will work for a while, though the binder will soon get full and burst, plus it's not all that easy to search for the nearest supplier of "Siliconchips", that rare and elusive spell component 300. If the answer is a resigned "No" then I might be interested in developing some kind of DB manager for the game. So -- how many of you out there: 1) Own a Macintosh 2) Play QUEST 3) Want a piece of software to help keep track of all the game information Also, what types of things would you be interested in seeing in software like this, and how much (if anything) would you be willing to pay for it? I'll probably be developing a rudimentary system for myself, and if it's good enough, I may make it available. If there is enough interest from Mac-owning QUESTors, I'll post more information as I make it happen. [Interested Mac owners, please tell me the make, model, memory and system information for your computer so I have an idea what type of market I'd be targetting.] - Brian Carpenter Here is a partial list of things I'd want the package to do, and problems that remain partially 'unsolved' in their various forms. Comments on any of the following are appreciated: o MAPPING - Map the terrain traversed and seen from settlements - Record notes for individual sectors - Record entrances to dungeons Problems: - Discontinuities caused by journies (and then relinking the map) - Co-ordinates have to be based on starting location as definitive <X,Y> co-ordinates are not known until late in the game. - This means that two people can't effectively share map information unless they know of a square in common. o BLURBS - Input new blurbs - Search blurbs for information o CITY/TOWN/VILLAGE - Record who sells what, where, for how much - Differentiate between suburbs but allow 'whole city lists' - Find cheapest price for an item - Find most expensive price for an item (for resale value) o DUNGEONS - Map the dungeons Problems: - Dungeon crawling isn't as 'regular' as wilderness mapping + Can be overcome by using a 'mini-drawing' program o TURN RECORDING - Record each turn's orders - Print out orders for mailing? o OTHER PLAYERS - Store info on other players ? What sorts of things would you like to be able to record? - Addresses (obvious) - Characters in other party (in case of getting attacked) - What else? o CHARACTER INFORMATION - The only useful thing I can think of is inventory for mage powders so you could check your orders to see if you had enough of a particular type of powder to cast/experiment. - Most of this is given to you each turn, so I wouldn't see much point in having you input all this information every time you play. Ideas to the contrary? Up