Pre release Checks - ThePix/QuestJS GitHub Wiki

Here are some things to think about before unleashing your game on an unsuspecting public - and indeed before you submit if to beta-testing. Quest does some checks for you - look at the developer console and see if it has any warnings. Specifically it checks location and item descriptions, and exits. There are plenty of other possible issue to consider!

If you have turned off text input, some of these do not apply.

Items

• Think about all the objects a player might refer to – make sure everything you refer to in your descriptions (including item descriptions) is at least set up as a scenery object.
• Think about all the different things a player might reasonably try to do with an object – set up commands, even if they just tell the player that they can’t do that.
• Think about all the different ways a player might type a command, and make sure you have enough alternatives set up.
• Think about the different ways a player might refer to an object, and set up alternative names. If the object changes, check the old name will still work on the new version.
• Are there items that have prohibited actions? Perhaps a chair or the broken remains of a vase that cannot be picked up. Ensure they have a custom response that states why they cannot be picked up - however arbitrary.
• Give the player object a custom description.
• If using the side pane, check the appropriate display and inventory verbs are there, and inappropriate ones are absent.

NPCs

• If you use ASK/TELL, think of all the topics the player could ask - especially relating to how to solve puzzles (a desperate player could ask anyone about the puzzle).
• What happens if you tell them to do something, such as move to another room?

Locations and Exits

• Are there apparent exits that appear in descriptions, or are implied but you have not implement? Provide a custom response if the player tries to go that way to say why it is prohibited.
• If a direction leads into or out of a place, implement IN and OUT as well as the compass direction; ENTER [item] too (eg ENTER HOUSE).

Commands

• Consider what happens if the player repeats an action. For example, if doing something increases the score, does doing it again and again keep increasing the score?
• Are there points where the player needs to use a non-standard verb or command to proceed? How easy is it to guess what that is? It is often a good idea to use the verb in the room description or a relevant item description. Some users will try that verb on other items; how is it going to cope? Worse, if the user tries it in a different situation, is she likely to conclude that verb is not known by the game and not try it when it is required?

General

• Make sure you test your game thoroughly; ensure you really can get from the start to the end.
• Spell check! You can use a spell checker in your editor (Notepad++ has a spell checker, but you will need to install a plug-in for it). You might also want to record a transcript of a play through, and copy-and-paste that into a word processor, and see what that finds. It will probably highlight grammar errors too. If beta-testers send you transcripts, you could check them too.