TAB - Windows IF/Text Adventure Maker

Games written in Inform, Glulx, TADS, CAT, HUGO and similar. Pleas for help, puzzles, bug reports etc.

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catventure
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Re: TAB - Windows IF/Text Adventure Maker

#16 Post by catventure » Wed Jan 03, 2018 7:53 pm

New example demo clip posted showing text adventure with Full Motion Video & Graphics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc_6Va3msig

Regards,
catventure.
TAB is an offline, downloadable, parser-based retro text adventure/interactive creator for Windows XP and above.
It is similar to popular 80's adventure creators like QUILL, PAW, STAC or GAC.
http://tab.thinbasic.com/

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catventure
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Re: TAB - Windows IF/Text Adventure Maker

#17 Post by catventure » Fri Feb 01, 2019 3:41 pm

TAB program has been updated to Version 68 on 23 Jan 2019.
http://tab.thinbasic.com/
TAB is an offline, downloadable, parser-based retro text adventure/interactive creator for Windows XP and above.
It is similar to popular 80's adventure creators like QUILL, PAW, STAC or GAC.
http://tab.thinbasic.com/

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catventure
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Re: TAB - Windows IF/Text Adventure Maker

#18 Post by catventure » Tue Feb 05, 2019 12:47 pm

All versions of TAB v68 are updated as of 5 Feb 2019.

Reason: Coding error affecting the "goto" action command new syntax was causing a program crash. (TAB Player only) 😕

Now fixed. 😃

Apologies to all users (if any) who may wish to download the updated version at: http://tab.thinbasic.com/

catventure.
TAB is an offline, downloadable, parser-based retro text adventure/interactive creator for Windows XP and above.
It is similar to popular 80's adventure creators like QUILL, PAW, STAC or GAC.
http://tab.thinbasic.com/

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catventure
Posts: 103
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Re: TAB - Windows IF/Text Adventure Maker

#19 Post by catventure » Wed Apr 15, 2020 12:22 pm

A new release of the TAB program (Graphics Version Only) was uploaded to my page on 11 Apr 2020.

*FIXED gfx loading bug error for certain action command.
*ADDED more to usertutorial.txt on how to add graphic images, music and sfx, and videoclips (.wmv) into graphic games.

Download available from the TAB site: http://tab.thinbasic.com

Image

Regards,
catventure.
TAB is an offline, downloadable, parser-based retro text adventure/interactive creator for Windows XP and above.
It is similar to popular 80's adventure creators like QUILL, PAW, STAC or GAC.
http://tab.thinbasic.com/

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Exemptus
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Re: TAB - Windows IF/Text Adventure Maker

#20 Post by Exemptus » Wed Apr 15, 2020 3:58 pm

I'm heavily reminded of the venerable "World Builder" for the Mac.

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catventure
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Re: TAB - Windows IF/Text Adventure Maker

#21 Post by catventure » Wed Apr 15, 2020 7:30 pm

Hi Exemptus,

Thank you for your interest in the TAB program.
I'm not familiar with the tool you mentioned but seems it was highly popular.
I got the impression that input or interaction was via a point 'n' click operation rather than using a parser-based driven system.

Regards,
catventure.
TAB is an offline, downloadable, parser-based retro text adventure/interactive creator for Windows XP and above.
It is similar to popular 80's adventure creators like QUILL, PAW, STAC or GAC.
http://tab.thinbasic.com/

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Exemptus
Posts: 42
Joined: Wed Dec 11, 2019 2:03 pm
Location: UK

Re: TAB - Windows IF/Text Adventure Maker

#22 Post by Exemptus » Thu Apr 16, 2020 3:59 pm

It had both in fact. Commands could be entered through a parser as well as programmed through point & click events or menu actions. Of course, it was limited in other aspects.

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catventure
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Re: TAB - Windows IF/Text Adventure Maker

#23 Post by catventure » Sat Apr 25, 2020 3:46 pm

"Sands of Egypt" is an offline, parser-based interactive text adventure retrogame for Windows XP and above.
Game author: Ambrosine. TAB version made by catventure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHLJ5BMRdq4

This adventure game is text only and of the traditional sort. It is similar to the old Infocom/Magnetic Scrolls/Level 9 type which were popular in the mid 1980's. Also similar to popular 80's 8-bit text adventures created with the QUILL, PAW or GAC adventure utilities.

There are no pictures, sounds or animations in this particular TAB game. However there is a background music track.

Can you find the burial chamber in the nearby pyramid, get the treasure, and make it out of the pyramid alive within 24 game hours?

It was made with the T.A.B. for Windows adventure creation program by catventure.

For more info and to download the latest version of the game, please visit: http://tab.thinbasic.com

**Special Note: When starting the program(s) it's possible that some virus checkers may produce a "false-positive" warning**
**You may need to tell your antivirus software to create an 'exception' for the game app(s) in order to allow it to run**

catventure.
TAB is an offline, downloadable, parser-based retro text adventure/interactive creator for Windows XP and above.
It is similar to popular 80's adventure creators like QUILL, PAW, STAC or GAC.
http://tab.thinbasic.com/

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catventure
Posts: 103
Joined: Wed Jul 07, 2010 11:58 am
Location: UK
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Re: TAB - Windows IF/Text Adventure Maker

#24 Post by catventure » Fri May 08, 2020 10:35 am

Hello,

"Even The Devil Must Die" by Mark Hancox (c)2003 Interactive fiction retrogame is ready for playtesting.

As an agent for Death PLC you are recruited to assassinate the Devil himself!

This is an offline, parser-based text adventure and runs on Windows XP and above. (English language)
2020 Conversion with "Thinbasic Adventure Builder" by catventure May 2020.

**Special Note: When starting the program(s) it's possible that some virus checkers may produce a "false-positive" warning. You may need to tell your antivirus software to create an 'exception' for the game app(s) in order to allow it to run**

Happy Adventuring
catventure.
Last edited by catventure on Sun Jan 03, 2021 5:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
TAB is an offline, downloadable, parser-based retro text adventure/interactive creator for Windows XP and above.
It is similar to popular 80's adventure creators like QUILL, PAW, STAC or GAC.
http://tab.thinbasic.com/

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catventure
Posts: 103
Joined: Wed Jul 07, 2010 11:58 am
Location: UK
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Re: TAB - Windows IF/Text Adventure Maker

#25 Post by catventure » Wed Jul 08, 2020 11:20 am

Hi Adventurers!

Here is a short demo video of the fairly new Split-Screen horizontal text/graphic version of TAB v68 featuring movie (.wmv files)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=953d0DDErHw

Regards,
catventure.
TAB is an offline, downloadable, parser-based retro text adventure/interactive creator for Windows XP and above.
It is similar to popular 80's adventure creators like QUILL, PAW, STAC or GAC.
http://tab.thinbasic.com/

User avatar
catventure
Posts: 103
Joined: Wed Jul 07, 2010 11:58 am
Location: UK
Contact:

Re: TAB - Windows IF/Text Adventure Maker

#26 Post by catventure » Sun Jul 12, 2020 10:49 am

MODS: If this announcement is not allowed - please delete

A new facebook group has recently been set up to discuss the TAB and other interactive fiction creators/games:

"INTERACTIVE FICTION AND TEXT ADVENTURE AUTHORING"

LInk: https://www.facebook.com/groups/304337330976465

All those who may be interested on this forum are invited to join.

Kind Regards,
catventure.
TAB is an offline, downloadable, parser-based retro text adventure/interactive creator for Windows XP and above.
It is similar to popular 80's adventure creators like QUILL, PAW, STAC or GAC.
http://tab.thinbasic.com/

User avatar
catventure
Posts: 103
Joined: Wed Jul 07, 2010 11:58 am
Location: UK
Contact:

Re: TAB - Windows IF/Text Adventure Maker

#27 Post by catventure » Wed Nov 18, 2020 2:25 pm

Update: The TAB programs were updated on 12 May 2020.

TAB is an offline downloadable text adventure creator for PC Windows XP and above.

There are 3 versions of TAB now available:
TEXT ONLY
TEXT + Vertical Gfx
TEXT + Horizontal Gfx

TAB operates on very similar principles to popular 8-bit 80's retro text adventure creator programs like QUILL, PAW or GAC.
It consists of a database an interpreter and a parser.

TAB Editor - construct your adventure.
TAB Player - test and play your adventure.

Finished games can easily be made into a standalone executable application enabling players to download and play a created game offline without needing to own the TAB program itself.

Language: English Version Only

All versions allow background music, samples and sfx to be added to games in .mp3, .wav, .ogg, aiff, or .mod format.
Gfx versions accept JPEG, GIF, PNG or BMP images and/or Windows Media Audio/Video file (.wmv)

More details, screenshots, video and download link:
https://catventure.itch.io/tab

Regards,
catventure
TAB is an offline, downloadable, parser-based retro text adventure/interactive creator for Windows XP and above.
It is similar to popular 80's adventure creators like QUILL, PAW, STAC or GAC.
http://tab.thinbasic.com/

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auraes
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Re: TAB - Windows IF/Text Adventure Maker

#28 Post by auraes » Sat Nov 21, 2020 12:58 pm

This seems to be usable under Linux with Wine, whether for the editor or the games. I don't understand much about Wine, so I have tried it with the default settings.

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catventure
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Re: TAB - Windows IF/Text Adventure Maker

#29 Post by catventure » Sat Nov 21, 2020 3:01 pm

Hi auraeus,

Thank you for reporting your findings ref: Linux and Wine emulator.

Today I made a quick tutorial for creating a small example text adventure using TAB. It is just a simple text file.
http://tab.thinbasic.com/QuickTutorial.html
You can read/copy it from there - or if you download TAB it is included with the documentation anyway.

PS. If anyone decides to give the tutorial a whirl, only takes about an hour or so... Please let me know how you went on and how simple and easy it was to make. Feedback on that is much appreciated + am happy to help and answer any Q's if you happen to get stuck etc... :)

catventure.
Last edited by catventure on Tue Nov 24, 2020 2:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
TAB is an offline, downloadable, parser-based retro text adventure/interactive creator for Windows XP and above.
It is similar to popular 80's adventure creators like QUILL, PAW, STAC or GAC.
http://tab.thinbasic.com/

User avatar
auraes
Posts: 148
Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2015 6:13 am
Location: France
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Re: TAB - Windows IF/Text Adventure Maker

#30 Post by auraes » Sat Nov 21, 2020 6:32 pm

I'll try your tutorial, but if you could make a Markdown file (.md) instead of a Text file (.txt), it would be more pleasant to read and easy enough for you to format.

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