Hi Petf,
There's not really any specific things to be tested.
You could try this game save - it's just at the point that you can do the hostage quest: www.astronautz.com/gamesaves/s9_0165.bin
Also, this is one from the same campaign, but more advanced:
www.astronautz.com/gamesaves/s13_0337.bin
Also, there is a now "hostage" selection in the quick battles.
Send me an email if you need a link to the full version of the game