Finding TADS for Macintosh
(first off, if any of these links are broken just go to the executables directory in the IF archive - it's likely that a binary was updated and I haven't got around to updating this list yet.)There are actually three different TADS interpreters that run on the Mac. Two of them are text-only and one is multimedia.
Iain Merrick, with Andrew Pontious, has brought multimedia TADS to the Mac. This program, called HyperTADS, is fully graphical and supports both images and sound. Very cool stuff. Whether you want to play text-only games or full-blown multimedia TADS games, this is an excellent program.
http://teladesign.com/hypertads/
or
http://ifarchive.org/if-archive/programming/tads2/executables/HyperTADS-125.sit
Andrew Plotkin (yes - two Andrew P’s), author of MaxZip and a number of very popular Zmachine-based games including So Far and Spider and Web, has written a second TADS interpreter for MacOS, called MaxTADS. MaxTADS requires System 7.x (unlike the older Mac TADS interpreter, which can run under System 6.0.x) and supports styled (bold) fonts. MaxTADS is text-only, is at TADS version 2.5.4, and can be found at:
http://ifarchive.org/if-archive/programming/tads2/executables/MaxTADS-116.hqx (WUSTL mirror)
Finally, Andrew Pontious is maintaining the first version of TADS for Mac - the one originally written by Mike Roberts. It's text-only and you can find a copy of it at the IF-archive. Note that this full package also includes a bunch of stuff - the TADS compiler, the TADS debugger, various support files - used by people who want to write TADS games, not just play them. You can safely ignore that stuff if you're only interested in playing a game.
This version of TADS is text-only but may be more compatible with older versions of the Mac operating system. Note that the version in the IF archives is 2.4 and thus fairly out of date.
http://ifarchive.org/if-archive/programming/tads2/executables/tads240_macos.sit (WUSTL mirror)
For more information on MacTADS (and the latest versions, including a beta for 2.5.4), check out Andrew's Web site:
Downloading TADS for Macintosh
To download the file you need a program that can serve as an FTP client. Most modern Web browsers (Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet Explorer, etc.) can access FTP sites, so you should be able simply to select one of the links above. Note that some Web browsers won't handle binary downloads properly if they aren't configured correctly. Sometimes dragging the link to your desktop (or shift-clicking the link) will work when simply clicking on it won't. Otherwise you may need to configure the helper applications for your Web browser. Consult the documentation that came with your browser.Alternatively you can use a dedicated FTP client like Dartmouth University's excellent FTP client Fetch. Be sure to transfer the file in MacBinary II mode if you do so.
Unpacking the File
The files are stored as either a MacBinary-encoded StuffIt archive or a BinHex file. The easiest way to decode a file of either format is to get the latest version of StuffIt Expander. Just drag and drop the file onto the StuffIt Expander application and moments later you should have a folder containing the entire TADS distribution. You can find StuffIt Expander, a freeware program, at:http://www.stuffit.com/expander/macindex.html
Of course, if you don't already have a copy of StuffIt Expander or a similar utility you might not be able to decode the online file properly. This is, as the Aladdin documentation for StuffIt Expander points out, a chicken or egg problem. If this is the case for you you might need to pick up a copy of StuffIt Expander from your local computer dealer, university computer centre, friend, etc. Note that Netscape Navigator, since version 3 or so, has shipped with a copy of Expander.
Running the Interpreter
In the TADS folder you'll find an application labeled TADS Runtime, MaxTADS or HyperTADS, depending on which of the packages you downloaded. This is the interpreter program that lets you run TADS games. Simply double-click it, then choose the TADS game you want to play from the dialogue box that appears (in TADS Runtime) or select Import Game (in MaxTADS).Note that some TADS games may not show up as TADS games unless you click on the "Show All Files" button.
Note also that if you downloaded the TADS Runtime package you don't need any of the other files in the folder. The other stuff (TADS Debugger, TADS Compiler, various documentation files) is only really important if you intend to write your own TADS game. MaxTADS does not come supplied with these authoring files.
Have fun!
This page copyright © 1996-2001 tela design.
It should go without saying, but because we live in an overly litigious world I feel obliged to mention that all trademarked names on this page remain the property of their respective owners.