« TAB » is a free, offline, parser-based, downloadable program for making standalone text adventure or interactive fiction programs that run on Windows 32/64bit platform.
Based on similar programming language to 80’s popular retrogaming creators like QUILL, PAW or DAAD.
Has extended new coding commands.
Supports sfx, graphics and video (.wmv)
GUI Editor to add data, test, and build games easily.
Easily create a standalone executable using the TAB Player.
Sound and music supported: mp3, ogg, wav, aiff, mod.
Graphics supported: jpg, gif, bmp, png.
There is a text-only version and a text/graphics version available:
TAB site: tab.thinbasic.com
The program was written using thinBASIC and is in English Language.
Also, a TAB user has just sent me a short demo game demonstrating that it is entirely possible to make a game in French.
This was possible because I added features to customise and configure internal English « words », System Messages and dialog boxes/requesters for different language translation purposes into the latest version.
I hope you may find it of interest and I am be happy to be on hand to help with any questions about using the program or answer any coding queries etc.
But of course, it takes some time to convince people to drop their usual engine and try a new one. We can’t promise that many people will try and use yours in the near future, but you can definitely post new infos and examples of what TAB can do. If the engin develops its specific feeling it may attract new users. In the recent years, Moiki managed to do it!
I quite agree with what you said and of course TAB is not in competition with any of the other PC adventure creators out there at all.
For sure, I will keep this forum updated with any relevant news about it.
In particular with any update on the small example game that auraes is making with it.
That makes good use of the new « Object prefix » tags for better translation of the French language.
I am hoping to include this example French database in the download soon for people to check out.
auraes gave permission to post a youtube video of a small game he is testing in TAB.
Note: this is mainly a verb-noun example and doesn’t use or show the full potential of the TAB system
Hi,
Game author Ron Edwards recreated one of his old TRS-80 basic programs using « TAB ». (a text adventure maker for Windows)
He specifically wanted to see if he could recreate it « as is » for nostalgia purposes - so, as such, it has not been expanded upon and does not take advantage of the full range of program features and extended parser facilities that are potentially available in the TAB program.
His game, « Xanadu », is a small text-only dungeon adventure with brief descriptions. It uses a very simple VERB NOUN format.
In the latest version of TAB for Windows adventure creator system I made it so the adventure game window menu items could be customised via a System Message. This means that the text on the menubars could be changed from English into their French equivalents to make the game menues more in line with any french translation games made with the TAB.
auraes, who has used TAB to make a small game in the french language has proposed the following changes to the existing English Menu options.
Adventure = Aventure
Help = Aide
'============
Open Adventure Game = Ouvrir un fichier jeu
Restart Current Game = Relancer le jeu
Save Game Position = Sauvegarder la partie en cours
Load Game Position = Reprendre une partie existante
auraes and I would both be happy to hear any feedback on whether these translations are OK as they stand or if you have an improved suggestion for the french translation of the above.
