[I7] A subsequent initial appearance for one thing?

Authoring Inform 7
1

Hello, I have an NPC in my WIP who has an initial description when he is first encountered in his location. In the story, he is “moved” to another location to be encountered later in the plot. I would like to give him a different initial description the second time he is encountered. Can someone tell me how to do this plz k thx? :question:

2 
The initial description of Firkin the Unsightly is "[one of]There is an ill-looking fellow here, giving you the stink-eye.[or]Once again, you espy Firkin the Unsightly loitering around.[or]Jeez, it's that guy yet again. Doesn't he have better things to do?[stopping]."

(Though this only works if he moves every time you see him. If you want to see him several times, I’d just change the initial description using now.)

3

Okay, cool, so I can say (in the appropriate code) “now the initial description of so-and-so is x”? I will try that out. Thanks!!

4

Okay, that helped direct me where to go. I found exactly what I needed with your help and 17.22. Writing a paragraph about.

Thanks again!

5

A thing having more than one initial description seems rather impossible. It can only be described for the first time once, no matter how you move it about…

6

This works, though…

rule for writing a paragraph about Doctor Coffey: if Doctor Coffey is in Library Office: say "Sitting behind the desk and reading a large, open ledger is Doctor Coffey.[first time] He looks up and bids you to have a seat, despite there not being another chair in the room.[only]"; otherwise: say "Doctor Coffey is looking scared and tired, standing at gunpoint."

7

The initial appearance property remains in use until the object is first handled. Even then, you can reactivate it by giving an object the “handled” property again. And, as maga said, you can change the property at any time.

8

And by default NPCs can’t be taken, so you can generally assume that initial appearance will stick.

9

I did discover just recently that if an NPC moves of his own accord (“try John going west”) that this does not set “handled” and the initial appearance will stick. I had an NPC who managed to teleport himself and his piano he was described as sitting at by doing this!