Ive downloaded CAT and a few games from the website. Trouble is i cant load the editor or player or even any games as I get a windows error saying 'The Version of this file is not compatible with the version of windows you are running. Ive tried all compatability modes and still the same thing. Its a shame really because I was thinking of converting all the CAT games to Tab format.

If i could load the games into the editor im sure i could convert many games to Tab format.

Ive written 2 games in TAB. The first was quite simple and the second a lot more complex. I emailed them to my friend to test for bugs and gameplay.
He really enjoyed the games so now im a bit more confident in using the editor Im going to write a game and post it on these forums.

I wish there were more games for TAB. I think games should be made and released on these forums.
Try and get a massive collection of text adventures. That would be pretty cool.

If i cant convert the CAT games then im going to have to write another and post it here for download.

I was writing a Star Trek game and I still have that saved. But i made it too big really. Several decks and about 200 locations. It was massive.
I might make changes to it and make it smaller although at the moment I am interested in writing a sorta escape from prison adventure.

Youve been captured by the germans and wake to find yourself in a dingy cell.

You must escape from solitary and use a boat to get off the island.

Theres lots of things to do with TAB. Manual needs to be rewritten with all examples in these forums.
Convert several games to TAB format. Trouble is you need the souce code really if youre gonna convert.
More games to be written please so we get a thriving TAB community.

By the way how do you post games on here. I guess I need a website so people can click on the URL.

Interesting. If i open the game.cdb file in notepad i can see all of the data in the file.

Maybe I can convert the game just from this textfile. Be a bit tricky but it might be possible.

By the way Phil i dont know if you remember cat but what did the command cdown do??

Is it like put down or drop???

Thanks

CAT is an old program, now defunct and no longer supported.

Text Adventure Games written with CAT:

Feeding Time by Doreen Bardon Text. A quest to feed your neighbours cat in this feline romp. (1.4mb)

Fabled Treasure of Koosar by Doreen Bardon. Text. A strange book leads to an unusual and mysterious quest. (1.5mb)

Great Great Grandfather's Gold by Frank Fridd. Text. A faded letter sparks a quest for buried treasure. (1.6mb)

The Crystal Keepers by Doreen Bardon. Text. Recover the stolen artifacts belonging to the five good fairy keepers of the Crystal Caverns in this magical and enchanting tale. (1.2mb)

Smuggler by Frank Fridd. Text/Gfx/Sfx. Travel back to 18th Century England to save Earth in this historically authentic smuggling quest. Play with gfx and/or sfx or text only. (2.06mb)

Even The Devil Must Die by Mark Hancox. Text. Death PLC sends you to assassinate the devil. (1.2mb)

Shield Of Destiny by George Rawson. Text. Rescue a princess in this enchanting quest. (1.1mb)

Four Dragons by Patrick Paglen. Text. Discover the secrets of a mystical alchemist. (1.2mb)

Sands of Egypt by Ambrosine. Text. Explore a strange pyramid and discover treasure and artifacts. (1.3mb)

Warriors of the Ssorc by Tim Gibson. Text/Gfx/Sfx. Biblical quest. Required Password is: "suffering" (5.99mb)

CAT and these games are not guaranteed to run correctly or load on all OS.

I can run these with CAT and load the gamefiles into the CAT Editor so I can get any text lists of data necessary from inside CAT if you need them... I don't think you could convert from just the .cdb file alone.

But you may find it a whole lot easier to instead create your new game idea - it sounds quite interesting.

You cannot post games onto the forum so you need a free website that allows you to upload files - or why not upload it to one of those free file-sharing sites and post the link?

You could make a youtube demo of your game also.

The command "cdown" just moved the text cursor down to the next line - a bit like a <return> code (carriage return) or newline action.

Phil.

ahhh ok cheers phil. Yeah maybe youre right. I will make a new game and once its complete i will upload it on a website so people can play it.
Hmmm maybe i could have a website dedicated to tab adventure games.
That would be pretty cool. I still prefer tab over adrift, quest and inform and the other major text editors.
Theres something about tab that i like. Maybe cos its so customizable. I mean you can change everything including system response messages. That is cool!!!
And im much more confident now with the coding.
I like the player as well and its cool you can turn off menus. youre left with a simple but effective adventure game.
I cant seem to get into the other editors. They just dont have the same feel as TAB.
I notice a lot of the other editors also include battles so you can have combat in games. I remember an adventure in the old days on the Amiga and ST called Knightorc.
It was one of my favourites. you could pick up weapon objects and have battle with different characters. It was pretty awesome.
Ive got hundreds of text adventures for DOS. I like the Zork adventures, Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy, The Pawn and i remember playing Kentilla and Rigels Revenge.
Ahhhhh those were the days. Theres something about text adventures which beats the usual fps shooting and graphics and killing and stuff.
Just relax for an evening and play a text adventure.
If anyones after a text adventure let me know as I think I have most of them. Hundreds of them. lol
I think tommorrow I will start my new game. Escape From Alcatraz. You are a prisoner in a dingy cell. You must escape from solitary but when do you make your move???
You must avoid the guards at all time. Avoid the cameras and use objects to help make your escape. Rope, Wirecutters and matches will be just a few of the objects available to you.
So if anyone is after a text adventure for PC, AMIGA or ST let me know. Im sure I will have it.

Im gonna create a website for TAB games. If anyone wants to upload there game on my site in the future feel welcome.
Ill try and get a lot of TAB games on tne site so people can download them.

Forgot to say that you can upload files to the FILES area of the TAB yahoo discussion group too - but I don't think it will accept files greater than 5mb...

Ideal for text only games or games with few sounds and gfx.

Also if file not too big I can put on TAB website server to be downloaded from there.

Phil.

ok phil that sounds cool. I will start my new game tommorrow.
Im looking forward to it. I will map it out first on paper before i do the locations.
I always start with locations.
Then Objects and characters.
its gonna have about 100 locations.
Maybe take me about couple of months to finish hopefully.
Ill post in these forums to let you know the progress.
Kind Regards

Stants



Happy adventuring guys. Phils done a great job with this program.
And also he is always here to help if any problems.
Superb feedback and a great program.
Im envious lol