Description from inside a vehicle

Authoring Inform 7
1

This is strange. I want to describe what the player sees after entering a wagon, which is different than before entering it. I expected that saying something like

Instead of looking when player is in the wagon: say "I'm in the wagon."

would do what I want. Instead, I get (depending on phrasing) either an error about new rules, or a description of the room, which is outside the wagon.

Wagon is a rideable vehicle in cottage porch. "A scratched and battered one horse wagon sits to one side of the cottage. You see no horse nearby.".
Description of wagon is "The wooden wagon wheels are covered with a rusty rim of metal. The tongue and reins for the horse are well-worn. Inside the wagon are a few slabs of grey stone. ".

After mounting the wagon:
	say "The wagon's springs complain loudly as you lift yourself into the bed of the wagon. Now what?";

Instead of looking when player is in the wagon:
	say "I'm in the wagon."

I copied section 8.1 Example 29 “Hover” from the documentation and it didn’t work.
I got the same LOOK response for the room.
– Deeply puzzled.

1 Like
2

Not in front of the IDE right now, but if you’re using the rideable vehicles extension, is the player in the wagon or on it? If it’s the latter, that could be your problem (I think you could try typing “showme player” after getting in/on the wagon to check).

1 Like
3

Mike Russo is correct. If you use “Instead of looking when player is on the wagon” rather than “in the wagon”, then it works correctly, no matter if you use “get on wagon” or “get in wagon” in-game. Transcript:

Cottage Porch
A scratched and battered one horse wagon sits to one side of the cottage. You see no horse nearby.

>get in wagon
The wagon's springs complain loudly as you lift yourself into the bed of the wagon. Now what?

>l
I'm on the wagon.

>dismount
You dismount Wagon.

Cottage Porch
A scratched and battered one horse wagon sits to one side of the cottage. You see no horse nearby.

>get on wagon
The wagon's springs complain loudly as you lift yourself into the bed of the wagon. Now what?

>l
I'm on the wagon.
2 Likes
4

Aargh! You are right! I would have thought that a rideable vehicle was something you get IN, not ON. A supporter is something one gets ON!
It does work if I say "Instead of looking when player is ON the wagon."
Thanks guys.

2 Likes