Fine Laid

Example 88

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Making writing that can be separately examined from the paper on which it appears, but which directs all other actions to the paper.

Sometimes it is useful to direct all -- or almost all -- actions from one object to another. For the sake of argument, say we have a sheet of paper with writing on it, and (because we're very meticulous) we want to let the player examine the writing and get a customized response, different from when he just examines the sheet of paper. But for all other purposes -- say, TAKE or TASTE -- we want the two objects to be treated as one.

Here, we approach the problem by changing the noun and/or the second noun of the current action, then issuing a new command to "try the current action". Because we've changed the noun and second noun, the "current action" at this point is different from the one generated originally by the player's command.

Play/modify in Borogove

Play in Quixe

"Fine Laid"

High Street Stationer is a room.

The sheet of paper is a thing in High Street Stationer. The writing is part of the sheet of paper.

The description of the sheet of paper is "A beautiful sheet of heavy cream paper." The description of the writing is "Delicate and spidery."

Instead of tasting the sheet of paper, say "You might need more fiber in your diet, but this isn't the way.".

Before doing something other than examining when the current action involves the writing:

if the writing is the noun, now the noun is the sheet of paper;

if the writing is the second noun, now the second noun is the sheet of paper;

try the current action instead.

Test me with "examine sheet of paper / examine writing / get writing / taste writing".

High Street Stationer
You can see a sheet of paper here.

>(Testing.)

>[1] examine sheet of paper
A beautiful sheet of heavy cream paper.

>[2] examine writing
Delicate and spidery.

>[3] get writing
Taken.

>[4] taste writing
You might need more fiber in your diet, but this isn't the way.