So, it seems that you have come upon this tutorial as a newbie ready to learn some Zelda game-making action! Well, without trying to discourage you, let me give you an idea of how complex the program is. It is very much easier to work with ZQuest than it is to program. ZQuest has a very user-friendly interface and wide array of options. Getting to know how to use these options can take some time. It took me, with the aid of another tutorial, about one month to get proficient with using it. But it'd probably take you at least a year to master it all, to know how to do almost everything that can be done with ZQuest. Some of us never can reach that level.
But keep in mind that it is my goal to reduce that time of one month to 2-3 weeks with this tutorial. You will also find a wealth of information on tricks and advanced options to improve your expertise at using ZQuest. When you're done, I hope you agree with me here.
Now, here are some recommendations. First off, there are many versions of Zelda Classic to use. I recommend using the Windows version, only available in the 1.92 betas. Yes, they are betas, and they have some bugs, but I can help you work around them. Now here's the MAIN reason you'll want the Windows version.
By using the windows version, you'll be able to view a windowed version of the program, thus allowing you to view this tutorial and use ZQuest at the same time. This will be crucial to your progress. Now, follow these steps to enable windowed mode.
1. First, right click the ZQuest program and choose Create Shortcut. A new item should appear called "Shortcut to zquest-w.exe".
2. Right click on this new item and select Properties.
3. Click on the Shortcut Tab at the top if it isn't already active.
4. On the textbox that says Target:, add the -windowed to the end. Do not delete anything already typed in.
5. Click OK, and try running ZQuest.
If some of that went over your head, or you're having trouble, this image can help you.
Sections in Part 1:
- Section 1: The ZQuest Interface
- Section 2: Drawing on the Screen
- Section 3: Creating a Cave
- Section 4: Enemies & Items