FAQ

Is it an app or website?

Yes! It currently works in a browser, and mobile apps will be available in the future. The website responds to different screen sizes, so will appear differently based on whether you’re using your phone or your laptop.

How do I get involved with testing?

Complete this Google form. When the next space opens up, I'll be in touch! We're currently in Alpha testing, so if you select only 'Beta testing', you'll hear from me when that stage starts.

I’m not very techy, can I still help with testing?

Yes, absolutely! If someone non-techy gets lost or confused that means it’s not accessible for non-techy people who would otherwise benefit from using it. If your first thought on looking at the interface is “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do”, then I need to explain or design it better, or both.

How can an alpha tester be most helpful?

Try to notice your own reactions to the website’s design or behaviour, and note it down.

• Did you feel confused about what you’re supposed to do next?
• Did you tut at an unhelpful error message?

If you’re not confident you can describe the location of a problem, take a screenshot and draw a circle round the offending item. You can post these on Discord, on a GitHub issue, or by filling in a Google Form. When I update the code, I’ll make an announcement detailing the changes. It’s super helpful for testers to check that the changes work as intended, and to catch any problems introduced accidentally.

What's the difference between alpha testing and beta?

• In Alpha testing you’re more likely to encounter bugs and will see early versions of features.
• In Beta the experience will generally be smoother and more reliable.

What inspired you to create this?

I have had two categories of ideas going round in my head for a long time, which eventually became the two parts of Progress.

1. Systems of reward to encourage me to do more stuff (or less stuff). Usually complex and restrictive, I always thought “this tool will fix me, this time it’ll work”. They required manual input and always failed after a couple of weeks.do more
2. Medieval simulators and generators. Conversation generators (programmed on paper!). Imagined augmented reality sims where your visor projected an army or magic beasts under your control which travelled with you.

Did you try other tools before making it?

Many of them! The most similar to Progress is Habitica, which gives you a fantasy alter ego and translates your tasks into “quests” and also has habit and daily routine parts which interested me. It uses 8-bit graphics and party system for multiplayer, and is pretty cute! It got less interesting after a while.

How are you coding this?

I started coding with Python, and went through a bunch of iterations from 2020 to 2024. Then I picked up Javascript with the help of Free Code Camp and wrote a version entirely in that. Finally I realised that, with the size of the project I had in mind, I needed a full server-client setup.

• For the server I’m using Django, a web framework written in Python.
• For the frontend (the bit you see) I’m using React, a frontend framework using a version of Javascript.

I’ve been teaching myself all of this from scratch using various online resources and AI tools. I’m actually a classical musician by training and profession!