Hi everyone. Thank you in advance.

I am not a programmer. Not even a novice programmer.

Is there a way to have a timer count down so that time runs out on a player? One that is already set up that I can just choose. I want the timer to run out, followed by a consequence, like a buzzer or something.

Yep you can do that. Couple of questions though, do you want your game to be turn-based or in real time? Do you want the clock to display itself as it counts down or is that not necessary? When you say buzzer do you mean in text or actual audio?

Great questions. Thank you, George. The game itself will give the player choices that lead to different outcomes. But I want the player to have only a certain amount of time to get to the right outcome.

It isn't necessary for them to see the timer, because I will set their expectations up front. Then, if time runs out, I want a macabre sound to play, an audio file; at which time the player will have to exit or start over.

That's another question. If the player is sitting on a particular page or part of the game, can I force them to another page and make them choose to start over or exit after time runs out and that sound plays?

Yes you can, but I guess I should also ask, are you making a gamebook or a text adventure (either with parser/command-line or links?)

If you are creating a text adventure. go to timers at the bottom on the left, and click New, type a name. Tick the Start timer button, put in the duration (say 600 for 10 minutes) and in the script box, put in what you want to happen when the time runs out. Assuming the game finishes at that point, that is all you need to do.

I thought I'd make a gamebook.

Or conversely, is there a way to make a text adventure look and feel like a gamebook, with pages instead of rooms?

I asked the very same question here:
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=4628

Terrence wrote:Or conversely, is there a way to make a text adventure look and feel like a gamebook, with pages instead of rooms?

Yes you can, and in my opinion it works better than a gamebook that way, because you can do more (such as timers), but that does mean it is more complicated. I had a play around and created a library and demo, and I though I started a thread about it, but cannot find it now. Here they are:

Here is a more complicated example that does it more simply:

<!--Saved by Quest 5.5.5328.26617-->
<asl version="550">
  <include ref="English.aslx" />
  <include ref="Core.aslx" />
  <template name="GoListHeader">Links:</template>
  <game name="Making a text game look like a gamebook">
    <gameid>a0d4b06b-2264-428a-bd5d-49c4c30a15f6</gameid>
    <version>1.0</version>
    <firstpublished>2014</firstpublished>
    <author>The Pixie</author>
    <enablehyperlinks />
    <showlocation type="boolean">false</showlocation>
    <showcommandbar type="boolean">false</showcommandbar>
    <showborder />
    <autodescription />
    <echocommand type="boolean">false</echocommand>
    <autodisplayverbs />
    <attr name="autodescription_description" type="int">1</attr>
    <attr name="autodescription_youarein" type="int">0</attr>
    <attr name="autodescription_youcansee" type="int">0</attr>
    <attr name="autodescription_youarein_useprefix" type="boolean">false</attr>
    <start type="script">
    </start>
    <showpanes type="boolean">false</showpanes>
  </game>
  <object name="room">
    <inherit name="editor_room" />
    <description>You wake up and sunlight is stream in the window. It is a fine day.</description>
    <object name="player">
      <inherit name="editor_object" />
      <inherit name="editor_player" />
      <dressed type="boolean">false</dressed>
      <showered type="boolean">false</showered>
      <snoozecount type="int">0</snoozecount>
    </object>
    <exit alias="Take a shower" to="take_a_shower" />
    <exit alias="Get dressed" to="get_dressed" />
    <exit alias="Have breakfast" to="have_breakfast" />
    <exit alias="Press snooze" to="snooze" />
  </object>
  <object name="take_a_shower">
    <inherit name="editor_room" />
    <firstenter type="script">
      player.showered = true
    </firstenter>
    <description>A brisk shower is just what you eed to wake you up.</description>
    <exit alias="Get dressed" to="get_dressed" />
    <exit alias="Have breakfast" to="have_breakfast" />
  </object>
  <object name="snooze">
    <inherit name="editor_room" />
    <description>It is too earlier! you press snooze on the alarm and go back to sleep.</description>
    <enter type="script">
      player.snoozecount = player.snoozecount + 1
    </enter>
    <exit alias="Wake" to="room" />
  </object>
  <object name="get_dressed">
    <inherit name="editor_room" />
    <description>You quickly put on some random clothes</description>
    <firstenter type="script">
      player.dressed = true
    </firstenter>
    <exit alias="Have breakfast" to="have_breakfast" />
  </object>
  <object name="have_breakfast">
    <inherit name="editor_room" />
    <description type="script"><![CDATA[
      msg ("You head down to breakfast.")
      if (not player.dressed) {
        msg ("'Why are you naked?' says Ben.")
      }
      if (not player.showered) {
        msg ("Linda sniffs the air. 'Have you had a shower?' she asks doubtfully.")
      }
      if (player.snoozecount > 5) {
        msg ("'You should've been down more than an hour ago,' says Pat.")
      }
      else if (player.snoozecount > 1) {
        msg ("'Here at last,' says Pat.")
      }
      else {
        msg ("'Good to see you're prompt,' says Pat.")
      }
    ]]></description>
  </object>
</asl>

I'm using the Web version of quest. Where would the above text go, and what would it do? Thanks.