I've been trying to do anything in Quest for about a month but nothing I do works.
I've read the tutorials and I'm still lost.
Is there any other game-making program out there that's easier to use?

Why can't there be a program that knows what you're trying to do?
For example, say your character starts at a hub and there are three choices, for example: explore cave, explore castle, explore town.
Why can't I simply tell the program "I want a 25% chance of finding a sword at the castle" and have it do the work?
Or "I want a 20% chance of encountering a goblin at the cave and an 80% chance of finding nothing"?

I know I can do this in Quest but it's so mind-boggling I don't even know where or how to begin.

Something tells me you're about to get schooled.......

Percentages can be worked by using DiceRoll.
this is how I'd do it but i'm a newbie toobie

 //roll 4 dice with 5 sides
  result=DiceRoll("4d5")
  if (result>15){
     msg ("A gold sword is perched upon a shelf in the weapons room.")}
     

A result of 16 and above would be in the 25% range...right?
You would add the sword to the room in the objects tab not the obj
Select not visible when picking the different options for the sword.
then add the script.
you'll want to add to the script in the last line making the sword visible. I could give you that line but i'm going out the door to go to the casino.

You need a little bit of programming knowledge to use almost any game-making software.

You need to know what variables are and how to use them. You need to know what "if statements" are and how to use them. The list goes on, but not for too long - it's actually not a big list.

I learned a little bit of Javascript, and programming in Quest came naturally.

I don't consider myself a programmer, either. I'm a writer and a musician. Before Quest, I'd never gotten any further than "hello world" in any programming language.

Your post is asking about how to do some very advanced stuff (even if it doesn't seem like it to you), this stuff is a huge leap forward from the tutorial's content (assuming if you even understood most of the tutorial, which isn't easy). Do you understand: Attributes, the 'if' Script, the 'if~coding' logic, List Attributes, Dictionary Attributes, Functions, Scripts, Commands, Coding, and etc ??? Most of these things are required for doing what you want. As much as you (and everyone) wants to, you just can't just jump into game making, regardless of what software~kit~engine you're using, you got to learn. For example, it doesn't matter what car you pick, if you don't learn how to drive, you're going to be stuck. Well, there's some universal 'driving lessons' for things that require Programming knowledge (such as game making), regardless of what software~kit~engine~program you're using (for game making).

I've found quest to be the easiest of the few I've tried, I learned everything that I know, all thanks to quest, I wouldn't be where I am right now, if it wasn't for quest. It takes time, you got to learn, regardless of the software~kit~engine you're using (I look at the posts on the 'ifanswers' site for the other software, like inform, and I'm completely lost, laughs).

if you want to really learn, then you need to learn to code, use the 'codecademy' site, and do the 'javascript or python' courses, as they'll help you learn the basics of programming and the 'if~code' logic that game making requires (regardless of whether you use code or the GUI~Editor), which will help with quest's XML programming.

I don't want to discourage you, but you got to learn quite a lot, stick with it, take it slow, and you'll slowly learn to be a noob programmer, with quest, just like I, and if I can do it, anyone can do it! I came into quest knowing absolutely nothing at all, as can be seen:

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=3348

It has been 2-3 years for me to get where I am, and I'm slow at learning this stuff, laughs enviously~jealously of others who pick it up so fast

--------

are you ready for this, because here it is:

create a new game file, open up the file itself with a text software (notepad, wordpad, notepad++, apple: text editor, etc), highlight and delete the entire game code (delete everything; every line, so it is blank), highlight copy paste my code below into your game file, save it, and play~study~test it. Let me know if my code doesn't work, as I likely got errors~typos in my code, and I'll fix it up so that it does work.

if you're using the v560 to v569 of the quest.exe (quest program~software you downloaded), then you just got to change the very first line of my code below:

from:

<asl version="550">

to:

<asl version="560">

<asl version="550">
  <include ref="English.aslx" />
  <include ref="Core.aslx" />
  <game name="testing game stuff">
    <gameid>d2b3cb55-fe14-4743-a5ba-fb1e7056e656</gameid>
    <version>1.0</version>
    <firstpublished>2015</firstpublished>
    <author>HegemonKhan</author>
    <pov type="object">player</pov>
    <start type="script">
      explore_function
    </start>
  </game>
  <object name="room">
    <inherit name="editor_room" />
    <object name="player">
      <inherit name="editor_object" />
      <inherit name="editor_player" />
    </object>
  </object>
  <object name="global_data_object">
    <inherit name="editor_object" />
    <attr name="location_stringlist_attribute" type="simplestringlist">hub;town;castle;cave</attr>
    <attr name="hub_stringlist_attribute" type="simplestringlist">wagon</attr>
    <attr name="town_stringlist_attribute" type="simplestringlist">tavernmaid</attr>
    <attr name="castle_stringlist_attribute" type="simplestringlist">sword;axe</attr>
    <attr name="cave_stringlist_attribute" type="simplestringlist">goblin;dragon</attr>
    <global_scriptdictionary_attribute type="scriptdictionary">
      <item key="hub">
        invoke (ScriptDictionaryItem (global_data_object.global_scriptdictionary_attribute, StringListItem (global_data_object.hub_stringlist_attribute, GetRandomInt (0,ListCount (global_data_object.hub_stringlist_attribute)-1))))
      </item>
      <item key="town">
        invoke (ScriptDictionaryItem (global_data_object.global_scriptdictionary_attribute, StringListItem (global_data_object.town_stringlist_attribute, GetRandomInt (0,ListCount (global_data_object.town_stringlist_attribute)-1))))
      </item>
      <item key="castle">
        invoke (ScriptDictionaryItem (global_data_object.global_scriptdictionary_attribute, StringListItem (global_data_object.castle_stringlist_attribute, GetRandomInt (0,ListCount (global_data_object.castle_stringlist_attribute)-1))))
      </item>
      <item key="cave">
        invoke (ScriptDictionaryItem (global_data_object.global_scriptdictionary_attribute, StringListItem (global_data_object.cave_stringlist_attribute, GetRandomInt (0,ListCount (global_data_object.cave_stringlist_attribute)-1))))
      </item>
      <item key="goblin">
        if (RandomChance (20)) {
          msg ("You encounter a goblin in the cave.")
        } else {
          msg ("You don't encounter a goblin in the cave.")
        }
      </item>
      <item key="dragon">
        if (RandomChance (10)) {
          msg ("You encounter a dragon in the cave.")
        } else {
          msg ("You don't encounter a dragon in the cave.")
        }
      </item>
      <item key="sword">
        if (RandomChance (25)) {
          msg ("You find a sword in~at the castle.")
        } else {
          msg ("You don't find a sword in~at the castle.")
        }
      </item>
      <item key="axe">
        if (RandomChance (90)) {
          msg ("You find an axe in~at the castle.")
        } else {
          msg ("You don't find an axe in~at the castle.")
        }
      </item>
      <item key="tavernmaid">
        if (RandomChance (50)) {
          msg ("You encounter a tavernmaid at~in the town.")
        } else {
          msg ("You don't encounter a tavernmaid at~in the town.")
        }
      </item>
      <item key="wagon">
        if (RandomChance (75)) {
          msg ("You encounter a wagon at the hub.")
        } else {
          msg ("You don't encounter a wagon at the hub.")
        }
      </item>
    </global_scriptdictionary_attribute>
  </object>
  <function name="explore_function">
    show menu ("Explore?", global_data_object.location_stringlist_attribute, false) {
      invoke (ScriptDictionaryItem (global_data_object.global_scriptdictionary_attribute, result))
      on ready {
        explore_function
      }
    }
  </function>
</asl>

--------

I'll be glad to explain everything, one thing at a time, step by step, as I have the time to do so, but it'll obviously take a while to teach you everything that is required to know~understand in order to do what you want.

HegemonKhan wrote:

Thank you very much for your time & reply!
Clearly I'm trying to launch a space shuttle without even knowing how to use a microwave.
I see I'm going to have to learn a lot. Explaining anything further to me would be a waste of your time as it currently stands, as I won't understand it anyway. I'll go and learn. Thanks again.

I edited in some more stuff to my previous post, I don't mean to scare or discourage you, but you do got to learn the basics, and be good at them, before you can jump into tackling more advanced stuff (I know it's hard, I always want to jump into doing stuff that I can't do yet, lol, and also I know that the stuff seems like it is so simple, but it isn't as computers are stupid, and thus you got a lot of work to get the computer to do such a simple thing. Though actually, people~organisms and computers function in exactly the same way, but organisms are so advanced that we take it for granted, not even realizing that we're functioning just as how computers function, as it comes so naturally to us.

take for example the '3-way handshake' (communication) concept:

http://www.inetdaemon.com/tutorials/int ... hake.shtml

1. synchronize (syn): HK asks SCB: "(syn) hi, my name is HK, what is your name?"

2A. acknowledgement and synchronize (ack-syn): SCB to HK: "(ack) yes, I heard your question. (syn) Hi, HK, it is good to meet you. My name is SCB."
~OR~
2B. (lack of)-acknowledgement and synchronize (ack-syn): SCB to HK: "(ack) no, I didn't hear your question. (syn) Could you repeat your question, please?"

3Aa. ackknowledgement (ack): HK to SCB: "yes, I heard you, your name is SCB."
~OR~
3Ab. (lack of)-ackknowledgement (ack) + synchronization (syn): HK to SCB: "(ack) no, I didn't hear you. (syn) Could you repeat your repsonse, please?"

and etc etc etc for all the different diverging conditions~scenarios~combinations~paths, that I didn't address yet above.

we do this 'naturally' through audio~visual~logic cues which seemingly remove this long process to us, whereas most computers don't have this ability~functionality of audio~visual~logic cues.

If this helps any. Battle through the tutorials until you understand it all. Once completed, Create a simple game that you can refer to for when you do make you're first game that you wish to publish.

What I did was, Play around with the GUI features, had many bugs and then had to solve what the heck I did wrong.

Once you're ready for more, I've found that everyone here is friendly and are willing to help you.

Forgewright wrote:Something tells me you're about to get schooled.......

This made me laugh, and thus made my day!

scb wrote:

"HegemonKhan"

Thank you very much for your time & reply!
Clearly I'm trying to launch a space shuttle without even knowing how to use a microwave.
I see I'm going to have to learn a lot. Explaining anything further to me would be a waste of your time as it currently stands, as I won't understand it anyway. I'll go and learn. Thanks again.

All good things come through patience and learning. Don't lose heart. You will get there.