Techs - A Helpdesk Simulation

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Overview

Techs is an IT helpdesk simulation created by Ben 'Magic' Brown for his final year university project. The user takes on the role of Bruce Dickens and must solve IT-based problems over the course of several scenarios. The style is reminiscent of classic Lucas Arts and Sierra adventure games.

The final version has ten functional rooms and scenarios encompassing an introduction sequence, a tutorial instructing new users on how to use the interface and a sample scenario of an IT problem, five actual scenarios, along with three sets of character sprites (Two are borrowed from the Reality on the Norm Pack with permission), sprites and interactions for the various objects (Computers, desks, doors, etc) and character dialog.



About

For my last year at university I was required to do a major project, which was in turn to be inspired by my industrial placement year. In my case I did IT support for a company. I came up with a concept of doing a simulation on my experience when experimenting with a program called the Adventure Game Studio and so it was that Techs came to be.

The use of the word 'simulation' is very much intentional as the project had to retain a serious approach when I produced it, from start to finish. As I remember discussing my proposal with a tutor, I came up with the distinction between a sim and a game:


I worked on Techs throughout my final year and at the end of March 2007 I had finished my prototype of the simulation, the final 'product, as well as a basic Access database (Logging each of the potential scenarios that could be created) and a 19,000 word report that documented everything I had done.

I honestly intended to work on Techs after university, but I felt mentally burnt out by the end of the project - the rush to the deadline had the project taking over my whole life - and I put off continuing development for a long time. I would like to return and finish it off, perhaps tidy up the existing scenarios or to add some new ones, as well as enabling music (The midi tracks I had assembled were not used in the final version due to copyright issues, something I didn't want to risk being noticed!)


Screenshots

See what the simulation looks like in-game (Or is that in-sim?) here in this gallery.


Download

The final version of Techs is currently available for download.

NOTE: Extract the contents where you would like. A 'Techs' folder is in the archive and will be created automatically. Next open the folder and run the 'winsetup' file. Here you can customise the game settings - I recommend the 640 x 480 resolution in a window for optimal viewing.

Download


Walkthrough

I sincerely doubt that anyone would find the simulation very difficult - I honestly believe the only problems will be from obscure text descriptions and with the interface, but in either case I have a walkthrough for the five scenarios available.

Link

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