[ibg.git] / chapters / 05.rst

=================
 Heidi revisited
=================

.. epigraph::

   | *I was an innkeeper, who loved to carouse;*
   | *J was a joiner, and built up a house.*

.. image:: /images/picI.png
   :align: left

n even the simplest story, there's bound to be scope for the player to
attempt activities that you hadn't anticipated.  Sometimes there may be
alternative ways of approaching a problem: if you can't be sure which
approach the player will take, you really ought to allow for all
possibilities.  Sometimes the objects you create and the descriptions you
provide may suggest to the player that doing such-and-such should be
possible, and, within reason, you ought to allow for that also.  The basic
game design is easy: what takes the time, and makes a game large and
complex, is taking care of all the *other* things that the player may think
of trying.

Here, we try to illustrate what this means by addressing a few of the more
glaring deficiencies in our first game.

Listening to the bird
=====================

Here's a fragment of the game being played:

.. code-block:: transcript

   Deep in the forest
   Through the dense foliage, you glimpse a building to the west. A track heads
   to the northeast.

   You can see a baby bird here.

   >EXAMINE THE BIRD
   Too young to fly, the nestling tweets helplessly.

   >LISTEN TO BIRD
   You hear nothing unexpected.

   >

That's not too smart, is it?  Our description specifically calls the
player's attention to the sound of the bird -- and then she finds out that
we've got nothing special to say about its helpless tweeting.

The library has a stock of actions and responses for each of the game's
defined verbs, so it can handle most of the player's input with a default,
standard behaviour instead of remaining impertinently silent or saying that
it doesn't understand what the player intends.  "You hear nothing
unexpected" is the library's standard LISTEN response, good enough after
LISTEN TO NEST or LISTEN TO TREE, but fairly inappropriate here; we really
need to substitute a more relevant response after LISTEN TO BIRD.  Here's
how we do it:

.. code-block:: inform6

   Object   bird "baby bird" forest
     with   description "Too young to fly, the nestling tweets helplessly.",
            name 'baby' 'bird' 'nestling',
            before [;
                  Listen:
                    print "It sounds scared and in need of assistance.^";
                    return true;
            ],
      has   ;

We'll go through this a step at a time:

#. We've added a new ``before`` property to our bird object.  The
   interpreter looks at the property *before* attempting to perform any
   action which is directed specifically at this object::

      before [; ... ],

#. The value of the property is an embedded routine, containing a label and
   two statements::

       Listen:
         print "It sounds scared and in need of assistance.^";
         return true;

#. The label is the name of an action, in this case ``Listen``.  What we're
   telling the interpreter is: if the action that you're about to perform
   on the bird is a ``Listen``, execute these statements first; if it's any
   other action, carry on as normal.  So, if the player types EXAMINE BIRD,
   PICK UP BIRD, PUT BIRD IN NEST, HIT BIRD or FONDLE BIRD, then she'll get
   the standard response.  If she types LISTEN TO BIRD, then our two
   statements get executed before anything else happens.  We call this
   "trapping" or "intercepting" the action of Listening to the bird.

#. The two statements that we execute are, first::

       print "It sounds scared and in need of assistance.^";

   which causes the interpreter to display the string given in double
   quotes; remember that a ``^`` character in a string appears as a
   newline.  Second, we execute::

       return true;

   which tells the interpreter that it doesn't need to do anything else,
   because we've handled the ``Listen`` action ourselves.  And the game now
   behaves like this -- perfect:

   .. code-block:: transcript

      >LISTEN TO BIRD
      It sounds scared and in need of assistance.

      >

The use of the ``return true`` statement probably needs a bit more
explanation.  An object's ``before`` property traps an action aimed at that
object right at the start, before the interpreter has started to do
anything.  That's the point at which the statements in the embedded routine
are executed.  If the last of those statements is ``return true`` then the
interpreter assumes that the action has been dealt with by those
statements, and so there's nothing left to do: no action, no message;
nothing.  On the other hand, if the last of the statements is ``return
false`` then the interpreter carries on to perform the default action as
though it hadn't been intercepted.  Sometimes that's what you want it to
do, but not here: if instead we'd written this:

.. code-block:: inform6

   Object    bird "baby bird" forest
     with    description "Too young to fly, the nestling tweets helplessly.",
             name 'baby' 'bird' 'nestling',
             before [;
                Listen:
                  print "It sounds scared and in need of assistance.^";
                  return false;
             ],
       has   ;

then the interpreter would first have displayed our string, and then
carried on with its normal response, which is to display the standard
message:

.. code-block:: transcript

   >LISTEN TO BIRD
   It sounds scared and in need of assistance.
   You hear nothing unexpected.

   >

This technique -- intercepting an action aimed at a particular object in
order to do something appropriate for that object -- is one that we'll use
again and again.

Entering the cottage
====================

At the start of the game the player character stands "outside a cottage", which
might lead her to believe that she can go inside:

.. code-block:: transcript

   In front of a cottage
   You stand outside a cottage. The forest stretches east.

   >IN
   You can't go that way.

   >

Again, that isn't perhaps the most appropriate response, but it's easy to
change:

.. code-block:: inform6

   Object    before_cottage "In front of a cottage"
     with    description
                 "You stand outside a cottage. The forest stretches east.",
             e_to forest,
             in_to "It's such a lovely day -- much too nice to go inside.",
             cant_go "The only path lies to the east.",
       has   light;

The ``in_to`` property would normally link to another room, in the same way
as the ``e_to`` property contain the internal ID of the ``forest`` object.
However, if instead you set its value to be a string, the interpreter
displays that string when the player tries the IN direction.  Other --
unspecified -- directions like NORTH and UP still elicit the standard "You
can't go that way" response, but we can change that too, by supplying a
``cant_go`` property whose value is a suitable string.  We then get this
friendlier behaviour:

.. code-block:: transcript

   In front of a cottage
   You stand outside a cottage. The forest stretches east.

   >IN
   It's such a lovely day -- much too nice to go inside.

   >NORTH
   The only path lies to the east.

   >EAST

   Deep in the forest
   ...

There's another issue here; since we haven't actually implemented an object
to represent the cottage, a perfectly reasonable EXAMINE COTTAGE command
receives the obviously nonsensical reply "You can't see any such thing".
That's easy to fix; we can add a new ``cottage`` object, making it a piece
of ``scenery`` just like the ``tree``:

.. code-block:: inform6

   Object   cottage "tiny cottage" before_cottage
     with   description "It's small and simple, but you're very happy here.",
            name 'tiny' 'cottage' 'home' 'house' 'hut' 'shed' 'hovel',
      has   scenery;

This solves the problem, but promptly gives us another unreasonable
response:

.. code-block:: transcript

   In front of a cottage
   You stand outside a cottage. The forest stretches east.

   >ENTER COTTAGE
   That's not something you can enter.

   >

The situation here is similar to our LISTEN TO BIRD problem, and the
solution we adopt is similar as well:

.. code-block:: inform6

   Object   cottage "tiny cottage" before_cottage
     with   description "It's small and simple, but you're very happy here.",
            name 'tiny' 'cottage' 'home' 'house' 'hut' 'shed' 'hovel',
            before [;
               Enter:
                 print_ret "It's such a lovely day -- much too nice to go inside.";
            ],
      has   scenery;

We use a ``before`` property to intercept the ``Enter`` action applied to
the cottage object, so that we can display a more appropriate message.
This time, however, we've done it using one statement rather than two.  It
turns out that the sequence "``print`` a string which ends with a newline
character, and then ``return true``" is so frequently needed that there's a
special statement which does it all.  That is, this single statement (where
you'll note that the string doesn't need to end in ``^``)::

     print_ret "It's such a lovely day -- much too nice to go inside.";

works exactly the same as this pair of statements::

     print "It's such a lovely day -- much too nice to go inside.^";
     return true;

We could have used the shorter form when handling LISTEN TO BIRD, and we
*will* use it from now on.

Climbing the tree
=================

In the clearing, holding the nest and looking at the tree, the player is
meant to type UP.  Just as likely, though, she'll try CLIMB TREE (which
currently gives the completely misleading response "I don't think much is
to be achieved by that").  Yet another opportunity to use a ``before``
property, but now with a difference.

.. code-block:: inform6

   Object   tree "tall sycamore tree" clearing
     with   description
                 "Standing proud in the middle of the clearing,
                  the stout tree looks easy to climb.",
            name 'tall' 'sycamore' 'tree' 'stout' 'proud',
            before [;
               Climb:
                 PlayerTo(top_of_tree);
                 return true;
            ],
     has    scenery;

This time, when we intercept the ``Climb`` action applied to the ``tree``
object, it's not in order to display a better message; it's because we want
to move the player character to another room, just as if she'd typed UP.
Relocating the player character is actually quite a complex business, but
fortunately all of that complexity is hidden: there's a standard **library
routine** to do the job, not one that we've written, but one that's
provided as part of the Inform system.

You'll remember that, when we first mentioned routines (see "Standalone
routines" on page 57), we used the example of ``Initialise()`` and said
that "the routine's name followed by opening and closing parentheses is all
that it takes to call a routine".  That was true for ``Initialise()``, but
not quite the whole story.  To move the player character, we've got to
specify where we want her to go, and we do that by supplying the internal
ID of the destination room within the opening and closing parentheses.
That is, instead of just ``PlayerTo()`` we call ``PlayerTo(top_of_tree)``,
and we describe ``top_of_tree`` as the routine's **argument**.

Although we've moved the player character to another room, we're still in
the middle of the intercepted ``Climb`` action.  As previously, we need to
tell the interpreter that we've dealt with the action, and so we don't want
the standard rejection message to be displayed.  The ``return true``
statement does that, as usual.

Dropping objects from the tree
==============================

In a normal room like the ``forest`` or the ``clearing``, the player can
DROP something she's carrying and it'll effectively fall to the ground at
her feet.  Simple, convenient, predictable -- except when the player is at
the top of the tree.  Should she DROP something from up there, having it
land nearby might seem a bit improbable; much more likely that it would
fall to the clearing below.

It looks like we might want to intercept the ``Drop`` action, but not quite
in the way we've been doing up until now.  For one thing, we don't want to
complicate the definitions of the ``bird`` and the ``nest`` and any other
objects we may introduce: much better to find a general solution that will
work for all objects.  And second, we need to recognise that not all
objects are droppable; the player can't, for example, DROP THE BRANCH.

The best approach to the second problem is to intercept the ``Drop`` action
*after* it has occurred, rather than beforehand.  That way, we let the
library take care of objects which aren't being held or which can't be
dropped, and only become involved once a ``Drop`` has been successful.  And
the best approach to the first problem is to do this particular
interception not on an object-by-object basis, as we have been doing so
far, but instead for every ``Drop`` which takes place in our troublesome
``top_of_tree`` room.  This is what we have to write:

.. code-block:: inform6

   Object   top_of_tree "At the top of the tree"
     with   description "You cling precariously to the trunk.",
            d_to clearing,
            after [;
               Drop:
                 move noun to clearing;
                 return false;
            ],
      has   light;

Let's again take it a step at a time:

#. We've added a new ``after`` property to our ``top_of_tree`` object.  The
   interpreter looks at the property *subsequent to* performing any action in
   this room::

       after [; ... ],

#. The value of the property is an embedded routine, containing a label and
   two statements::

       Drop:
         move noun to clearing;
         return false;

#. The label is the name of an action, in this case ``Drop``.  What we're
   telling the interpreter is: if the action that you've just performed
   here is a ``Drop``, execute these statements before telling the player
   what you've done; if it's any other action, carry on as normal.

#. The two statements that we execute are first::

       move noun to clearing;

   which takes the object which has just been moved from the ``player``
   object to the ``top_of_tree`` object (by the successful ``Drop`` action)
   and moves it again so that its parent becomes the ``clearing`` object.
   That ``noun`` is a library variable that always contains the internal ID
   of the object which is the target of the current action.  If the player
   types DROP NEST, ``noun`` contains the internal ID of the ``nest``
   object; if she types DROP NESTLING then ``noun`` contains the internal
   ID of the ``bird`` object.  Second, we execute::

       return false;

   which tells the interpreter that it should now let the player know
   what's happened.  Here's the result of all this:

   .. code-block:: transcript

      At the top of the tree
      You cling precariously to the trunk.

      You can see a wide firm bough here.

      >DROP NEST
      Dropped.

      >LOOK

      At the top of the tree
      You cling precariously to the trunk.

      You can see a wide firm bough here.

      >DOWN

      A forest clearing
      A tall sycamore stands in the middle of this clearing. The path winds
      southwest through the trees.

      You can see a bird's nest (in which is a baby bird) here.

      >

Of course, you might think that the standard message "Dropped" is slightly
unhelpful in these non-standard circumstances.  If you prefer to hint at
what's just happened, you could use this alternative solution:

.. code-block:: inform6

   Object   top_of_tree "At the top of the tree"
     with   description "You cling precariously to the trunk.",
            d_to clearing,
            after [;
               Drop:
                 move noun to clearing;
                 print_ret "Dropped... to the ground far below.";
            ],
     has    light;

The ``print_ret`` statement does two things for us: displays a more
informative message, and returns ``true`` to tell the interpreter that
there's no need to let the player know what's happened -- we've handled
that ourselves.

Is the bird in the nest?
========================

The game ends when the player character puts the nest onto the branch.  Our
assumption here is that the bird is inside the nest, but this might not be
so; the player may have first taken up the bird and then gone back for the
nest, or vice versa.  It would be better not to end the game until we'd
checked for the bird actually being in the nest; fortunately, that's easy
to do:

.. code-block:: inform6

   Object   branch "wide firm bough" top_of_tree
     with   description "It's flat enough to support a small object.",
            name 'wide' 'firm' 'flat' 'bough' 'branch',
            each_turn [; if (bird in nest && nest in branch) deadflag = 2; ],
      has   static supporter;

The extended ``if`` statement::

    if (bird in nest && nest in branch) deadflag = 2;

should now be read as: "Test whether the ``bird`` is currently in (or on)
the ``nest``, and whether the ``nest`` is currently on (or in) the
``branch``; if both parts are ``true``, set the value of ``deadflag`` to 2;
otherwise, do nothing".

Summing up
==========

You should by now have some appreciation of the need not only to handle the
obvious actions which were at the forefront of your mind when designing the
game, but also as many as you can of the other possible ways that a player
may choose to interact with the objects presented to her.  Some of those
ways will be highly intelligent, some downright dumb; in either case you
should try to ensure that the game's response is at least sensible, even
when you're telling the player "sorry, you can't do that".

The new topics that we've encountered here include these:

.. rubric:: Object properties

Objects can have a ``before`` property -- if there is one, the interpreter
looks at it *before* performing an action which in some way involves that
object.  Similarly, you can provide an ``after`` property, which the
interpreter looks at *after* performing an action but before telling the
player what's happened.  Both ``before`` and ``after`` properties can be
used not only with tangible objects like the ``bird``, ``cottage`` and
``tree`` (when they intercept actions aimed at that particular object) but
also with rooms (when they intercept actions aimed at any object in that
room).

The value of each ``before`` and ``after`` property is an embedded routine.
If such a routine ends with ``return false``, the interpreter then carries
on with the next stage of the action which has been intercepted; if it ends
with ``return true``, the interpreter does nothing further for that action.
By combining these possibilities, you can supplement the work done by a
standard action with statements of your own, or you can replace a standard
action completely.

Previously, we've seen connection properties used with the internal ID of
the room to which they lead.  In this chapter, we showed that the value
could also be a string (explaining why movement in that direction isn't
possible).  Here are examples of both, and also of the ``cant_go`` property
which provides just such an explanation for *all* connections that aren't
explicitly listed::

    e_to forest,
    in_to "It's such a lovely day -- much too nice to go inside.",
    cant_go "The only path lies to the east.",

.. rubric:: Routines and arguments

The library includes a number of useful routines, available to perform
certain common tasks if you require them; there's a list in "Library
routines" on page 264.  We used the ``PlayerTo`` routine, which moves the
player character from her current room to another one -- not necessarily
adjacent to the first room.

When calling ``PlayerTo``, we had to tell the library which room is the
destination.  We did this by supplying that room's internal ID within
parentheses, thus::

    PlayerTo(clearing);

A value given in parentheses like that is called an **argument** of the
routine.  In fact, a routine can have more than one argument; if so,
they're separated by commas.  For example, to move the player character to
a room *without* displaying that room's description, we could have supplied
a second argument::

    PlayerTo(clearing,1);

In this example, the effect of the ``1`` is to prevent the description
being displayed.

.. rubric:: Statements

We encountered several new statements:

``return true;``

``return false;``
    We used these at the end of embedded routines to control what the
    interpreter did next.

``print "string";``

``print_ret "string";``
    The ``print`` statement simply displays the string of characters
    represented here by *string*.  The ``print_ret`` statement also does
    that, then outputs a newline character, and finally executes a ``return
    true;``

``if (condition && condition ) ...``
    We extended the simple ``if`` statement that we met before.  The ``&&``
    (to be read as "and") is an operator commonly used when testing for
    more than one condition at the same time.  It means "if this condition
    is true *and* this condition is also true *and* ..."  There's also a
    ``||`` operator, to be read as "or", and a "not" operator ``~~``, which
    turns true into false and vice versa.

    .. note::

       In addition, there are ``&``, ``|`` and ``~`` operators, but they do
       a rather different job and are much less common.  Take care not to
       get them confused.

``move obj_id to parent_obj_id;``
     The ``move`` statement rearranges the object tree, by making the first
     ``obj_id`` a child of the ``parent_obj_id``.

.. rubric:: Actions

We've talked a lot about intercepting actions like ``Listen``, ``Enter``,
``Climb`` and ``Drop``.  An action is a generalised representation of
something to be done, determined by the verb which the player types.  For
example, the verbs HEAR and LISTEN are ways of saying much the same thing,
and so both result in the same action: ``Listen``.  Similarly, verbs like
ENTER, GET INTO, SIT ON and WALK INSIDE all lead to an action of ``Enter``,
CLIMB and SCALE lead to Climb, and DISCARD, DROP, PUT DOWN and THROW all
lead to ``Drop``.  This makes life much easier for the designer; although
Inform defines quite a lot of actions, there are many fewer than there are
ways of expressing those same actions using English verbs.

Each action is represented internally by a number, and the value of the
current action is stored in a library variable called, erm, ``action``.
Two more variables are also useful here: ``noun`` holds the internal ID of
the object which is the focus of the action, and ``second`` holds the
internal ID of the secondary object (if there is one).  Here are some
examples of these:

===============================    ======     =======   =======
Player types                       action     noun      second
-------------------------------    ------     -------   -------
LISTEN                             Listen     nothing   nothing
LISTEN TO THE BIRD                 Listen     bird      nothing
PICK UP THE BIRD                   Take       bird      nothing
PUT BIRD IN NEST                   Insert     bird      nest
DROP THE NEST                      Drop       nest      nothing
PUT NEST ON BRANCH                 PutOn      nest      branch
===============================    ======     =======   =======

The value ``nothing`` is a built-in constant (like ``true`` and ``false``)
which means, well, there isn't any object to refer to.  There's a list of
standard library actions in "Group 1 actions" on page 270, "Group 2
actions" on page 271 and "Group 3 actions" on page 271.

We've now reached the end of our first game.  In these three chapters we've
shown you the basic principles on which almost all games are based, and
introduced you to many of the components that you'll need when creating
more interesting IF.  We suggest that you take one last look at the source
code (see "Heidi" story on page 213), and then move on to the next stage.