While doing something else, I ran into the section of code that handles the determination of whether to use “you” vs. “yourself” when printing an object that is the player (the standard name printing rule). The algorithm is as described by matt_weiner above: If the player object’s name is to be capitalized, then “You” is printed, otherwise “yourself.”
The problem is that when you invoke a say <player object> with a line like
say "[The actor] [foo] [the noun]."
then there is no context for the text substitution to let the standard name printing rule know whether the player should be printed as subject or object of the sentence, or whether the object should be treated as reflexive. Text substitutions do exist for the various cases ([we] vs [us] vs [ourselves]), but it’s up to the author to select the right one in the context of a rule sensing the situation.
I’m not sure that there’s any way to 100% solve the problem of automating the selection based on object alone, but the default algorithm can be improved a bit. Here’s a demo for 6M62:
Fixing You vs Yourself
"Fixing You vs Yourself"
[An improvement over default processing of "you" vs. "yourself" when printing the player object. Probably still not perfect.]
Part - The Test Scenario
Place is a room.
Bob is a man in Place.
A persuasion rule: persuasion succeeds.
The player carries a mirror.
Examining it with is an action applying to one visible thing and one carried thing. Understand "examine [something] with [something]" as examining it with.
To inspect is a verb.
Report an actor examining with:
say "[The actor] [inspect] [the noun] through [the second noun]."
The block giving rule does nothing.
Test me with "actions / x me / bob, x me / x me with mirror / x bob with mirror / give mirror to bob / bob, x me with mirror".
[Before asking someone to try doing something:
showme whether or not processing the action activity is going on;
say "P ASK actor: [actor], the p: [the player], a p: [a player], p: [player]."
Before an actor doing something:
showme whether or not processing the action activity is going on;
say "A DO actor: [actor], the p: [the player], a p: [a player], p: [player]."
Every turn:
showme whether or not processing the action activity is going on;
say "ET actor: [actor], the p: [the player], a p: [a player], p: [player].";
say "[current action]."]
Every turn:
say "[The player] [are] in [location of player], just like [the player] always [are][if not waiting]. I think [the actor] did something[end if]."
Part - Modified Guts
Processing the action of something is an activity on action names.
Include (-
! ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ====
! Actions.i6t: Action Primitive
! ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ====
[ ActionPrimitive rv p1 p2 p3 p4 p5 frame_id;
BeginActivity( (+ processing the action +) ); ! ADDED
MStack_CreateRBVars(ACTION_PROCESSING_RB);
if ((keep_silent == false) && (multiflag == false)) DivideParagraphPoint();
reason_the_action_failed = 0;
frame_id = -1;
p1 = FindAction(action);
if ((p1) && (ActionData-->(p1+AD_VARIABLES_CREATOR))) {
frame_id = ActionData-->(p1+AD_VARIABLES_ID);
Mstack_Create_Frame(ActionData-->(p1+AD_VARIABLES_CREATOR), frame_id);
}
if (ActionVariablesNotTypeSafe()) {
if (actor ~= player) { ACTION_PROCESSING_INTERNAL_RM('K'); new_line; }
if (frame_id ~= -1)
Mstack_Destroy_Frame(ActionData-->(p1+AD_VARIABLES_CREATOR), frame_id);
MStack_DestroyRBVars(ACTION_PROCESSING_RB);
EndActivity( (+ processing the action +) ); ! ADDED
return;
}
FollowRulebook(SETTING_ACTION_VARIABLES_RB);
#IFDEF DEBUG;
if ((trace_actions) && (FindAction(-1))) {
print "["; p1=actor; p2=act_requester; p3=action; p4=noun; p5=second;
DB_Action(p1,p2,p3,p4,p5);
print "]^"; ClearParagraphing(5);
}
++debug_rule_nesting;
#ENDIF;
TrackActions(false, meta);
if ((meta) && (actor ~= player)) {
ACTION_PROCESSING_INTERNAL_RM('A', actor); new_line; rv = RS_FAILS; }
else if (meta) { DESCEND_TO_SPECIFIC_ACTION_R(); rv = RulebookOutcome(); }
else { FollowRulebook(ACTION_PROCESSING_RB); rv = RulebookOutcome(); }
#IFDEF DEBUG;
--debug_rule_nesting;
if ((trace_actions) && (FindAction(-1))) {
print "["; DB_Action(p1,p2,p3,p4,p5); print " - ";
switch (rv) {
RS_SUCCEEDS: print "succeeded";
RS_FAILS: print "failed";
#IFNDEF MEMORY_ECONOMY;
if (reason_the_action_failed)
print " the ",
(RulePrintingRule) reason_the_action_failed;
#ENDIF;
default: print "ended without result";
}
print "]^"; say__p = 1;
SetRulebookOutcome(rv); ! In case disturbed by printing activities
}
#ENDIF;
if (rv == RS_SUCCEEDS) UpdateActionBitmap();
if (frame_id ~= -1) {
p1 = FindAction(action);
Mstack_Destroy_Frame(ActionData-->(p1+AD_VARIABLES_CREATOR), frame_id);
}
MStack_DestroyRBVars(ACTION_PROCESSING_RB);
if ((keep_silent == false) && (multiflag == false)) DivideParagraphPoint();
EndActivity( (+ processing the action +) ); ! ADDED
if (rv == RS_SUCCEEDS) rtrue;
rfalse;
];
-) instead of "Action Primitive" in "Actions.i6t".
[replaces Standard Rules version; not all responses are used in the standard name printing rule]
The print protagonist internal rule translates into I6 as
"PRINT_PROTAGONIST_INTERNAL_R" with
"[We]" (A),
"[we]" (B),
"[Us]" (C),
"[us]" (D),
"[Ourselves]" (E),
"[ourselves]" (F),
"[our] former self" (G).
Include (-
! ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ====
! Printing.i6t: Standard Name Printing Rule
! ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ====
Global caps_mode = false;
[ STANDARD_NAME_PRINTING_R obj;
obj = parameter_value;
if (obj == 0) {
LIST_WRITER_INTERNAL_RM('Y'); return;
}
switch (metaclass(obj)) {
Routine: print "<routine ", obj, ">"; return;
String: print "<string ~", (string) obj, "~>"; return;
nothing: print "<illegal object number ", obj, ">"; return;
}
! BEGIN MODIFICATION
if (obj == player) {
if (TestActivity( (+ processing the action +) ) && actor == player) {
if (caps_mode) ! assumed to be subject
PRINT_PROTAGONIST_INTERNAL_RM('A');
else { ! might be direct or indirect object
if (actor == noun) {
PRINT_PROTAGONIST_INTERNAL_RM('F');
} else if (actor == second && noun == second) {
PRINT_PROTAGONIST_INTERNAL_RM('F');
} else {
PRINT_PROTAGONIST_INTERNAL_RM('D');
}
}
} else { ! actor ~= player
if (caps_mode)
PRINT_PROTAGONIST_INTERNAL_RM('C');
else
PRINT_PROTAGONIST_INTERNAL_RM('D');
}
return;
}
! END MODIFICATION
#Ifdef LanguagePrintShortName;
if (LanguagePrintShortName(obj)) return;
#Endif; ! LanguagePrintShortName
if (indef_mode && obj.&short_name_indef ~= 0 &&
PrintOrRun(obj, short_name_indef, true) ~= 0) return;
if (caps_mode &&
obj.&cap_short_name ~= 0 && PrintOrRun(obj, cap_short_name, true) ~= 0) {
caps_mode = false;
return;
}
if (obj.&short_name ~= 0 && PrintOrRun(obj, short_name, true) ~= 0) return;
print (object) obj;
];
-) instead of "Standard Name Printing Rule" in "Printing.i6t".
Include (-
! ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ====
! WorldModel.i6t: Changing the Player
! ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ====
[ ChangePlayer obj flag;
if (~~(obj ofclass K8_person)) return RunTimeProblem(RTP_CANTCHANGE, obj);
if (~~(OnStage(obj, -1))) return RunTimeProblem(RTP_CANTCHANGEOFFSTAGE, obj);
if (obj.component_parent) return RunTimeProblem(RTP_CANTMAKEPART, obj);
if (obj == player) return;
give player ~concealed;
if (player has remove_proper) give player ~proper;
if (player == selfobj) {
player.saved_short_name = player.short_name;
player.short_name = PRINT_PROTAGONIST_INTERNAL_RM('G');
}
player = obj;
if (player == selfobj) {
player.short_name = player.saved_short_name;
}
if (player hasnt proper) give player remove_proper; ! when changing out again
give player concealed proper;
location = LocationOf(player); real_location = location;
MoveFloatingObjects();
SilentlyConsiderLight();
];
-) instead of "Changing the Player" in "WorldModel.i6t".
I think the same basic changes will still work in 10.1.