I have a multiple-room graveyard populated with graves, two graves as scenery in each room. The graves have different descriptions, but when player examines graves, it responds with “Which grave? 1 or 2?” Player can enter 1 or 2. However, that conflicts with two graves in other rooms. I would have to number the graves 3 and 4, etc. I would prefer not to have to number all the graves in this graveyard, nor provide different descriptions for each grave. There are fewer different descriptions than there are graves.
I was thinking of a table but the player wouldn’t be able to distinguish between graves in different locations, that leads me to
Instead of examining graves in location x:
say "description of grave" [parser prompts for grave N, depending on location]
for each room. This seems unnecessarily tedious.
I have always been confused about how to deal with collections like coins or basically identical things.
So you want to have two graves per room, but fewer descriptions than there are graves, so some of them are repeated?
A mausoleum is a backdrop. It is in Graveyard 1 and Graveyard 2.
A cross-shaped headstone is a backdrop. It is in Graveyard 1 and Graveyard 3.
A cracked headstone is a backdrop. It is in Graveyard 2 and Graveyard 3.
Yes, something like that. I forgot in the question to add that I tried [then at random] phrases:
[Each grave needs its own description, no more or less]
Instead of examining grave:
say "[one of]grave desc 1[or]grave desc 2[or]grave desc 3[then at random]"
However, if the player examines the same grave, it gets a new description. I would like the description to stick once the player has examined it.
Daniel,
Yes. Each grave can be distinguished, but I would need to make bunches of graves instead of taking advantage of generic descriptions. After all, how much does one grave differ from another? (I have specifically different tombstones, but that is a different problem.)
I’m still not sure I understand. What’s the intended user experience? Like, how does the player see the graves in the description? What prompts them to examine specific ones?
If you just want a lot of graves with randomly-generated descriptions, you can do this:
A grave is a kind of thing.
When play begins:
repeat with the item running through graves:
now the description of the item is the substituted form of "[put your procedural text generation here]".
The “substituted form of” ensures the randomization happens once for each grave and then never again, it’ll stay consistent after that.
A graveyard is a kind of room.
A grave is a kind of scenery thing.
Every graveyard contains a grave (called its grave 1).
Every graveyard contains a grave (called its grave 2).
Rule for printing the name of a grave 1: say "grave 1".
Rule for printing the name of a grave 2: say "grave 2".
If you want random descriptions for similar graves, this is a possibility (note: I didn’t compile the code, but I’m roughly cut and pasting from stuff that works.)
A grave is a kind of backdrop. A grave has a number called grave-number.
check examining a grave: say "[entry grave-number of noun in grave-text-list]" instead;
[you may have to use parentheses or say let temp be entry grave-number of noun to compile]
grave-text-list is a list of text variable. grave-text-list is { "Grave description 1", "Grave description 2", "Grave description 3" }
when play begins: sort grave-text-list in random order;
You could also use tables e.g.
check examining a grave:
chose row grave-number of noun in table of grave texts;
sa "[grave-text entry][line break]" instead;
table of grave texts
grave-text
"Description 1"
"Description 2"
"Description 3"
when play begins: sort table of grave texts in random order;
This would be useful if you wanted to randomize things in-game and have the graves each turn up a different item at random. You could add another column to the table for that item.
I love these ideas. Some of them I can use for a couple other problems I have.
I’m sorry that I didn’t make my problem clearer. I tried this and it worked.
Graves is a backdrop. It is in the SE_graveyard, SW_graveyard, NW_graveyard, and NE_graveyard.
Description of graves is "[one of]The dirt is disturbed and it looks like someone clawed their way out of this six-foot pit.[or]In the dimness below, it almost appears that the casket has been opened![or]The tombstone has tilted forward and fallen into the depths of the grave.[or]The dirt mound over the grave looks slightly disturbed.[at random]".