Would this be better than amnesia?
Ashley Price
Something I have been thinking about for some time - as I have been away
from IF for around a year (hi again, Kent, yep, Ashley is back yet again) I
have had a lot of time to think about it - is the fact that games have to
have the main character suffering from amnesia.
I don't like this scenario (unless it is truly part of the game) and tried
to come up with something better. For instance, my game starts with you in
your own home and although it is a fantasy style game, it tends to follow
the physics of our world. Now, obviously, if you are in your own home (and
maybe even your neighbourhood) you are going to know how to use everything,
what each item is for, etc. However, once the adventure gets going you will
then be in a "new" situation and won't necessarily know what to do next.
Therefore, my idea has been that while you are in your own home if you pick
up your keyring you are going to know what keys are on there and what they
are for (how many of us wake up each day and have to go through every key
just to unlock our car door in the morning?). So what happens is the player
types "X KEYRING" and the response is (for instance) "There are three keys
on the ring. The copper one fits your front door, the iron one fits the back
door and the silver one is for your wife's chastity belt." (Not a direct
extract from my game by the way).
However, if you were in a strange place and were to pick up a keyring (not
your own) and type "X KEYRING" you would only get the response "there are
three keys on the ring, one is silver, one is copper and the third is iron."
Do other people think that this is a better way of working the game so your
character doesn't have to have amnesia?
Ashley
Dana Clarke
<ashleyprice@DELETE_THIS_btinternet.com> wrote:
>Hi all
>
>
>Do other people think that this is a better way of working the game so your
>character doesn't have to have amnesia?
>
>Ashley
>
>
Personally, yes, I agree completely. However, I suspect this means a
lot more work on the part of the author to make it complete enough to
be believable and worth the effort.
Dana
Julian Fondren
> just to unlock our car door in the morning?). So what happens is the player
> types "X KEYRING" and the response is (for instance) "There are three keys
> on the ring. The copper one fits your front door, the iron one fits the back
> door and the silver one is for your wife's chastity belt." (Not a direct
> extract from my game by the way).
>
> However, if you were in a strange place and were to pick up a keyring (not
> your own) and type "X KEYRING" you would only get the response "there are
> three keys on the ring, one is silver, one is copper and the third is iron."
Well, in the game I'm writing I just call the keys 'car key' and 'house key',
which seems to make more sense than "key slightly different color of off-yellow
than the other, with different notches (-_--_---@ blah) and a sticker of an
apple on the, um, holding-part." -- or even the idea that each key would be
of an obviously different metal.
As for the general idea of the character knowing things, why not
1. have a message displayed the first time something is encountered, as the
PC's recognition of that object.
2. put the information in the description, as most people do.
3. have an 'error message' convey the information
>EAT KEY
As you start to eat the car key, the responsible part of your brain
violently interrupts: HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DRIVE TO WORK, STUPID?
4. have a REMEMBER command, or something like it.
>REMEMBER MYSTERIOUS BOX
Hmmm... Oh! Yeah, that's the box you bought just yesterday to give
to your girlfriend. No biggie.
>REMEMBER SHADOWY MAN
Well, so far he's blocked your passage down the hallway and put a gun
to your face and... oh, nevermind.
Jonathan Penton
news:a4b9d2$7ef$1...@helle.btinternet.com...
This is the way I'm writing my current game, which takes place in the PC's
neighborhood.
--
Jonathan Penton
http://www.unlikelystories.org
Ashley Price
"Julian Fondren" <clever...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:76ea4fd3.02021...@posting.google.com...
> Well, in the game I'm writing I just call the keys 'car key' and 'house
key',
> which seems to make more sense than "key slightly different color of
off-yellow
> than the other, with different notches (-_--_---@ blah) and a sticker of
an
> apple on the, um, holding-part." -- or even the idea that each key would
be
> of an obviously different metal.
>
> As for the general idea of the character knowing things, why not
>
> 1. have a message displayed the first time something is encountered, as
the
> PC's recognition of that object.
> 2. put the information in the description, as most people do.
> 3. have an 'error message' convey the information
Okay, I'm as intelligent as Homer Simpson for not thinking of what you have
just put so plainly. So thanks a lot for giving me about two hour's worth of
reprogramming! :-).
It will be worth it though, thanks.
Ashley
Dana Clarke
<ashleyprice@DELETE_THIS_btinternet.com> wrote:
Personally, I prefer your approach. It is (by coincidence - I am
certain this indicates once again that great minds think alike <g> the
same technique I am currently using.
Dana
Ashley Price
"Dana Clarke" <joey...@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:s7p47u4ub5r32ikr0...@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 12 Feb 2002 14:38:27 +0000 (UTC), "Ashley Price"
> >Therefore, my idea has been that while you are in your own home if you
pick
> >up your keyring you are going to know what keys are on there and what
they
> >are for (how many of us wake up each day and have to go through every key
> >just to unlock our car door in the morning?). So what happens is the
player
> >types "X KEYRING" and the response is (for instance) "There are three
keys
> >on the ring. The copper one fits your front door, the iron one fits the
back
> >door and the silver one is for your wife's chastity belt." (Not a direct
> >extract from my game by the way).
> >
> >However, if you were in a strange place and were to pick up a keyring
(not
> >your own) and type "X KEYRING" you would only get the response "there are
> >three keys on the ring, one is silver, one is copper and the third is
iron."
> Personally, I prefer your approach. It is (by coincidence - I am
> certain this indicates once again that great minds think alike <g> the
> same technique I am currently using.
>
Hi Dana
I don't know if you have your newsgroup program set up like mine in that it
deletes read messages after five days, but someone else came up with a
better idea on my example (in case you didn't see it).
Set the keys as bedroom key, front door key and wife's chastity belt key and
then there is no need to define the metal qualities for keys you know about.
Then I got stuck with how to list the keys on the keyring without having to
get the program to physically check which keys were on the keyring (if any).
Of course, Kent has provided the perfect piece of code in his Spur game
(adapted for my keyring):
long_desc
{
"It's a metal keyring.";
if child(self)
Whatsin(self)
else: "Nothing really special about it."
}
If you don't already know this piece of code it is a wonderful way of
displaying the contents of something. The piece you will be most interested
in will be the if child(self) and Whatsin(self) parts.
Ashley
TheCycoONE
"Ashley Price" <ashleyprice@DELETE_THIS_btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:a4b9d2$7ef$1...@helle.btinternet.com...
Aww, but why not? The AIF Community is growing and we have a competition
comming up!.. You could probably even make the Pre-Comp comp if you hurry.
:-)
>
> However, if you were in a strange place and were to pick up a keyring (not
> your own) and type "X KEYRING" you would only get the response "there are
> three keys on the ring, one is silver, one is copper and the third is
iron."
>
> Do other people think that this is a better way of working the game so
your
> character doesn't have to have amnesia?
>
> Ashley
>
I'm not sure that I like the 'remember' command... what kind of game makes
the player remember to remember an object? You're description seems
adequate... I'm thinking it could be improved upon if every object has a
remdesc property which is added to the ldesc when the player has used the
item (or automatically for items that the player has used before). ldesc =
"It's a long, sharp, light emitting knife." remdesc = "You note this items
particular usefulness in taking care of nasty Grues". This could easilly be
implemented into the phaser... at least in TADS 2, I don't know much about
anything else.
TheCycoONE