So I’m attempting a project that involves allowing the player to switch characters between a set of unlocked characters whenever they want. I’m having some trouble, though, because whenever I try to move the current character between rooms, I get the following error:
[code]
[** Programming error: nothing (object number 0) has no property parse_name to read **]
[** Programming error: tried to find the “.&” of nothing **][/code]
Now, I’ve printed off my RULES output, and it shows up as follows:
[code][Rule “After deciding the scope of the player” applies.]
[** Programming error: nothing (object number 0) has no property parse_name to read **]
[** Programming error: tried to find the “.&” of nothing **]
[Rule “standard set going variables rule” applies.]
[Rule “can’t travel in what’s not a vehicle rule” applies.]
[Rule “can’t go through undescribed doors rule” applies.]
[Rule “can’t go through closed doors rule” applies.]
[Rule “determine map connection rule” applies.]
[Rule “can’t go that way rule” applies.][/code]
The rule that seems to be setting off the problem is this one:
After deciding the scope of the player:
place the noun in scope.
So, any suggestions on how to change any of that to fix the problems I’m having?
Well, that rule is guaranteed to give you that problem. The deciding the scope of the player activity runs before the noun is set, so the noun in that rule will always be nothing (which is what is presumably producing the error you’re getting).
And it has to be that way: the scope of the player is part of what determines what the noun can be! If you type “get lantern” and the brass lantern is the only lantern in scope, the noun will be the brass lantern; if the iron lantern is the only lantern in scope, the noun will be the iron lantern. So it wouldn’t make sense to try to use “the noun” when you’re figuring out the scope of the player.
What is that rule meant to do? Does anything go wrong if you just delete it?
Well, I guess it turns out that it does nothing after all - I can still let the player switch characters without needing to see them, so I guess it works out.
The best way to get character switching to work when the characters are not in the same room is to define the changing action like this.
Changing is an action applying to one visible thing. Understand "C [any person]" as changing. Understand "Change to [any person]" as changing. Understand "Switch to [any person]" as changing. Understand "C [something]" as changing. Understand "Change to [something]" as changing. Understand "Switch to [something]" as changing.
You may want to take a look at Escape From Summerland as part of the game mechanics deal with character switching.
Hope this helps.