Invisible Items (TADS)

Authoring TADS
1

How can I have an item be invisible in the room description (no “An item is here.”) but when I take it it’s visible from that moment on? (I only mention the item in the room description so I don’t want it to be mentioned twice.)

1 Like
2

Use the Hidden class on the object and use discover() to reveal it.

A simple but complete example:

#charset "us-ascii"
#include <adv3.h>
#include <en_us.h>

startRoom:      Room 'Void'
        "This is a featureless void with a patch of grass. "
;
+me:    Person;
+grass: Decoration '(patch) grass' 'grass'
        desc() {
                "It's a patch of grass. ";
                if(!pebble.discovered) {
                        "You spot a pebble hiding in the grass. ";
                        pebble.discover();
                }
        }
;
+pebble: Thing, Hidden 'small round pebble' 'pebble'
        "A small, round pebble. "
;

versionInfo:    GameID
        name = 'sample'
        byline = 'nobody'
        authorEmail = 'nobody <foo@bar.com>'
        desc = '[This space intentionally left blank]'
        version = '1.0'
        IFID = '12345'
;
gameMain:       GameMainDef
        initialPlayerChar = me
;

Transcript:

Void
This is a featureless void with a patch of grass.

>take pebble
You see no pebble here.

>x grass
It's a patch of grass.  You spot a pebble hiding in the grass.

>l      
Void
This is a featureless void with a patch of grass.

You see a pebble here.

>take pebble
Taken.
2 Likes
3

You can also sometimes get away with something as simple as

isListed = inherited && moved
1 Like