Revenge of the Fussy Table
Example 82
★★★★This example does include a number of features that we haven't met yet, particularly rulebooks. Nonetheless, the basic idea should be relatively clear. Our premise is that the player is faced with a series of disgruntled furnishings, none of which want to be responsible for supporting the cold, hot, drippy, or spiky objects lying around the room.
"Revenge of the Fussy Table"
Use scoring.
Section 1 - The Supporters
The Dining Room is a room. "A room of handsome proportions, with an octagonal dining table on a fine parquet floor. The original set of chairs has been taken away, leaving only a red velvet dining chair and a blue suede armchair."
The fussy table is a supporter in the Dining Room. It is scenery. The description is "It's hypochondriac: the result of a sojourn in a superior antique shop, where it picked up the scent of almond oil, words like provenance, and a secretive shame about being resurfaced.
Chairs don't get along with it.
In its mellowest moods, after a really good dusting, it will mention, casually, a cabinet it once knew, which was twelve feet tall, came from the Winter Palace, and had an asking price of $350K."
A chair is a kind of supporter with carrying capacity 1. A chair is enterable. A chair is usually scenery. Understand "chair" as a chair.
The blue suede armchair and the red velvet dining chair are chairs in the Dining Room. The description of the blue suede is "Quiet, mellow, and with a lingering aroma of clove cigarettes, and possibly something less legal. It doesn't sit up straight, and doesn't let anyone else do so either." The red velvet has the description "In temperament, in bearing, in everything it is the opposite of the blue suede chair. It is concerned for its duty all the time, has a rigidly straight back, and pokes diners in the spine when it suspects them of overdoing things."
The carrying capacity of the player is 2.
Section 2 - Sources of Unpleasantness
A thing can be drippy or dry.
Heat is a kind of value. The heats are luke-warm, cold, and scalding. Everything has a heat. Understand the heat property as describing a thing.
A thing can be spiky or smooth. The cleated left shoe is a wearable spiky thing. It is worn by the player. The cleated right shoe is a wearable spiky thing. It is worn.
Definition: a thing is unpleasant if it is scalding or it is cold or it is spiky or it is drippy.
Definition: a supporter is occupied if something is on it.
Definition: something is contented if it is not concerned.
Definition: a chair is concerned if something unpleasant is on it.
Definition: the table is concerned if something drippy is on it or something scalding is on it or something spiky is on it.
Definition: the ceramic tile is concerned if something spiky is on it.
Definition: a room is concerned if something drippy is in it or something scalding is in it or something spiky is in it or someone which is in it is wearing a spiky thing.
Before printing the name of a drippy thing: say "drippy ". Before printing the name of a cold thing: say "cold ". Before printing the name of a scalding thing: say "scalding ".
Section 3 - What the Player Can Do About It
After putting a cold thing on a scalding thing:
say "[The noun] meets [the second noun]; both shriek in pain. But the necessary heat transfer occurs.";
now the heat of the noun is luke-warm;
now the heat of the second noun is luke-warm.
After putting a scalding thing on a cold thing:
say "[The noun] meets [the second noun]; both shriek in pain. But the necessary heat transfer occurs.";
now the heat of the noun is luke-warm;
now the heat of the second noun is luke-warm.
After taking a scalding thing:
say "'Right,' you say. 'I'll just hold onto [the noun], shall I? Because that won't be in the least uncomfortable for me.'"
After taking a drippy thing:
say "With a sense of martyrdom, you retrieve [the noun], which dribbles water down your cuffs."
After entering a chair when the player is wearing a spiky thing (called the clog):
say "You sit on [the noun], lifting [the list of spiky things worn by the player] so that the parquet is no longer affronted."
Section 4 - In Which the Furnishings Complain
An every turn rule:
follow the complaint rules.
The complaint rules is a rulebook.
A complaint rule:
if something (called the offending item) on the table is drippy:
say "'Help! Get me a coaster!' screams the table[if the table is visible], its veneer squirming under [the offending item][otherwise] from the Dining Room[end if].";
rule succeeds;
if something (called the offending item) on the red chair is drippy:
say "'Oh dear,' murmurs the red chair, as [the offending item] drips into its velvety seat. 'Oh dear, I will have a damp spot. This is so very -- what will people think?'";
rule succeeds;
if something (called the offending item) on the visible armchair is drippy:
say "[The offending item] visibly begins degrading the suede where it sits. The armchair is tactfully silent.";
rule succeeds;
if a drippy thing (called the offending item) is in the location and the player is in the Dining Room:
say "'Cripes,' says the parquet. 'No one mind me at all. Just leave that [offending item] right here. You know I'm the most valuable thing in the room?'";
rule succeeds.
A complaint rule:
if a cold dry thing (called the offending item) is on the table:
say "The table shivers under [the offending item].";
rule succeeds.
A complaint rule:
if something (called the offending item) on the table is scalding:
say "'Hey!' protests the table, practically smoking at [the offending item]. 'Heard of a trivet?'";
rule succeeds;
if something (called the offending item) on the armchair is scalding:
say "The armchair doesn't complain about [the offending item]; it just begins, quietly, to give off warm sweet clouds of blue steam, as though its inner opium-nature had been released.";
rule succeeds;
if something (called the offending item) in the Dining Room is scalding:
say "'Yes indeed,' [if the location is the Dining Room]says[otherwise]bellows[end if] the parquet. 'That [offending item] won't leave any sort of mark what-so-ever.'";
rule succeeds.
A complaint rule:
if something (called the offending item) on the table is spiky:
say "The table holds very very very still lest [the offending item] mar its finish. But its resentment is palpable.";
rule succeeds;
if something (called the offending item) on the velvet chair is spiky:
say "[The offending item] stabs the velvet of the red velvet chair, which draws itself up even more sharply in a pose of dutiful martyrdom.";
rule succeeds;
if something (called the offending item) which is spiky is on the ceramic tile:
say "'[The offending item] itches!' cries the ceramic tile.";
rule succeeds;
if something (called the offending item) in the location is spiky:
say "'[The offending item] should not be on a parquet floor,' sings the parquet floor sadly.";
rule succeeds;
if someone (called the offending person) in the location is wearing something spiky and the location is the Dining Room:
say "The parquet floor mutters about the things people wear to walk on parquet floors these days.";
rule succeeds.
A complaint rule:
if the table supports something which supports a drippy thing (called the offending item),
say "'[The offending item] could still theoretically dribble down here,' says the table nonchalantly. 'It's possible.'";
if the velvet chair supports a concerned thing (called the friend),
say "'[The friend] seems a little worried,' remarks the velvet chair helpfully."
A complaint rule:
if the concerned table can see a supporter (called the object of envy) which is not concerned:
say "The table looks jealously at [the object of envy]. 'Some people have such an easy life.'";
rule succeeds.
Instead of going to an adjacent room when the player is in the Dining Room:
say "'You're not leaving!?' whimpers the table at once."
Moreover, every time the player gets close to resolving this issue, his unhelpful companion Alison brings in something else inconvenient. We can use the counting of contented supporters to decide when the player is getting close to winning and it's time for her to bring something else…
Section 5 - Source of Further Complications
The Tidy Kitchen is south of the Dining Room. Alison is a woman in the Tidy Kitchen. The kettle is a scalding thing. The ceramic tile is a cold portable supporter. It has carrying capacity 1. The platter is a scalding portable supporter. It has carrying capacity 1. The glass of ice water is a cold, drippy thing.
Instead of drinking the glass of ice water, say "It's not yours, it's for Alison, once she finishes cooking."
Alison carries the kettle, the tile, the platter, and the glass.
An every turn rule:
follow the behavior rules.
The behavior rules is a rulebook.
A behavior rule:
if ice water is carried by Alison and the player is in the Dining Room and almost all of the supporters are not concerned:
let the next victim be a random fixed in place contented supporter;
move the ice water to the next victim;
say "Humming to herself, Alison brings in [an ice water] and sets it down smack on [the next victim], then goes back out.";
rule succeeds.
A behavior rule:
if platter is carried by Alison and the player is in the Dining Room and almost all of the supporters are not concerned:
let the next victim be the red velvet chair;
move the platter to the next victim;
say "Whistling a jaunty tune, Alison brings in a hot platter and deposits it on [the next victim], then returns to the kitchen.";
rule succeeds.
A behavior rule:
if the tile is carried by Alison and the player is in the Dining Room and almost all of the supporters are not concerned:
let the next victim be a random contented chair;
move the tile to the next victim;
say "Humming to herself, Alison brings in [the tile] and sets it down smack on [the next victim], then goes back out.";
rule succeeds.
A behavior rule:
if kettle is carried by Alison and the player is in the Dining Room and at least three fixed in place supporters are contented:
let the next victim be the fussy table;
move the kettle to the next victim;
say "Just then the kettle boils in the kitchen. Whistling chirpily, Alison brings it in and sets it down smack on [the next victim], then goes back out.";
rule succeeds.
And just so that the player knows where he stands at the end of each turn:
Section 6 - General Assessment
An every turn rule:
if some of the things are concerned, say "You sense some resentment from [the list of concerned things]."
An every turn rule:
if the player is carrying more than one scalding thing:
let the dropped item be a random scalding thing carried by the player;
say "You can't hang onto so many burning hot things, and lose your grip on [the dropped item].[line break]";
silently try dropping the dropped item.
An every turn rule:
if almost all of the supporters are concerned,
say "'I hope everything is going well,' bellows Alison from the other room."
Finally, we need some rules to decide when the player is, in fact, finished.
Section 7 - Scoring
An every turn rule:
now score is 5 minus the number of concerned things;
if the location is concerned, decrement the score;
if all of the supporters are concerned and the location is concerned, end the story;
if none of the supporters are concerned and the location is not concerned, end the story finally.
The maximum score is 5.
When play begins, now score is 4.
Test me with "i / take off left shoe / get the glass / put the glass on the platter / get the tile / drop the tile / get the kettle / put the kettle on tile / sit on the blue armchair".
Test me with "i / take off left shoe / get the glass / put the glass on the platter / get the tile / drop the tile / get the kettle / put the kettle on tile / sit on the blue armchair".
Dining Room
A room of handsome proportions, with an octagonal dining table on a fine parquet floor. The original set of chairs has been taken away, leaving only a red velvet dining chair and a blue suede armchair.
>(Testing.)
>[1] i
You are carrying:
a cleated left shoe (being worn)
a cleated right shoe (being worn)
The parquet floor mutters about the things people wear to walk on parquet floors these days.
Humming to herself, Alison brings in a drippy cold glass of ice water and sets it down smack on the blue suede armchair, then goes back out.
You sense some resentment from the blue suede armchair.
[Your score has just gone down by one point.]
>[2] take off left shoe
You take off the cleated left shoe.
The drippy cold glass of ice water visibly begins degrading the suede where it sits. The armchair is tactfully silent.
Whistling a jaunty tune, Alison brings in a hot platter and deposits it on the red velvet dining chair, then returns to the kitchen.
You sense some resentment from the blue suede armchair and the red velvet dining chair.
[Your score has just gone down by one point.]
>[3] get the glass
With a sense of martyrdom, you retrieve the drippy cold glass of ice water, which dribbles water down your cuffs.
The parquet floor mutters about the things people wear to walk on parquet floors these days.
Humming to herself, Alison brings in the cold ceramic tile and sets it down smack on the blue suede armchair, then goes back out.
You sense some resentment from the blue suede armchair and the red velvet dining chair.
>[4] put the glass on the platter
The drippy cold glass of ice water meets the scalding platter; both shriek in pain. But the necessary heat transfer occurs.
The parquet floor mutters about the things people wear to walk on parquet floors these days.
You sense some resentment from the blue suede armchair.
[Your score has just gone up by one point.]
>[5] get the tile
Taken.
The parquet floor mutters about the things people wear to walk on parquet floors these days.
Just then the kettle boils in the kitchen. Whistling chirpily, Alison brings it in and sets it down smack on the fussy table, then goes back out.
You sense some resentment from the fussy table.
>[6] drop the tile
Dropped.
"Hey!" protests the table, practically smoking at the scalding kettle. "Heard of a trivet?"
You sense some resentment from the fussy table.
>[7] get the kettle
"Right," you say. "I'll just hold onto the scalding kettle, shall I? Because that won't be in the least uncomfortable for me."
The parquet floor mutters about the things people wear to walk on parquet floors these days.
[Your score has just gone up by one point.]
>[8] put the kettle on tile
The scalding kettle meets the cold ceramic tile; both shriek in pain. But the necessary heat transfer occurs.
The parquet floor mutters about the things people wear to walk on parquet floors these days.
>[9] sit on the blue armchair
You sit on the blue suede armchair, lifting the cleated right shoe so that the parquet is no longer affronted.
*** The End ***
In that game you scored 5 out of a possible 5, in 9 turns.
A room of handsome proportions, with an octagonal dining table on a fine parquet floor. The original set of chairs has been taken away, leaving only a red velvet dining chair and a blue suede armchair.
>(Testing.)
>[1] i
You are carrying:
a cleated left shoe (being worn)
a cleated right shoe (being worn)
The parquet floor mutters about the things people wear to walk on parquet floors these days.
Humming to herself, Alison brings in a drippy cold glass of ice water and sets it down smack on the blue suede armchair, then goes back out.
You sense some resentment from the blue suede armchair.
[Your score has just gone down by one point.]
>[2] take off left shoe
You take off the cleated left shoe.
The drippy cold glass of ice water visibly begins degrading the suede where it sits. The armchair is tactfully silent.
Whistling a jaunty tune, Alison brings in a hot platter and deposits it on the red velvet dining chair, then returns to the kitchen.
You sense some resentment from the blue suede armchair and the red velvet dining chair.
[Your score has just gone down by one point.]
>[3] get the glass
With a sense of martyrdom, you retrieve the drippy cold glass of ice water, which dribbles water down your cuffs.
The parquet floor mutters about the things people wear to walk on parquet floors these days.
Humming to herself, Alison brings in the cold ceramic tile and sets it down smack on the blue suede armchair, then goes back out.
You sense some resentment from the blue suede armchair and the red velvet dining chair.
>[4] put the glass on the platter
The drippy cold glass of ice water meets the scalding platter; both shriek in pain. But the necessary heat transfer occurs.
The parquet floor mutters about the things people wear to walk on parquet floors these days.
You sense some resentment from the blue suede armchair.
[Your score has just gone up by one point.]
>[5] get the tile
Taken.
The parquet floor mutters about the things people wear to walk on parquet floors these days.
Just then the kettle boils in the kitchen. Whistling chirpily, Alison brings it in and sets it down smack on the fussy table, then goes back out.
You sense some resentment from the fussy table.
>[6] drop the tile
Dropped.
"Hey!" protests the table, practically smoking at the scalding kettle. "Heard of a trivet?"
You sense some resentment from the fussy table.
>[7] get the kettle
"Right," you say. "I'll just hold onto the scalding kettle, shall I? Because that won't be in the least uncomfortable for me."
The parquet floor mutters about the things people wear to walk on parquet floors these days.
[Your score has just gone up by one point.]
>[8] put the kettle on tile
The scalding kettle meets the cold ceramic tile; both shriek in pain. But the necessary heat transfer occurs.
The parquet floor mutters about the things people wear to walk on parquet floors these days.
>[9] sit on the blue armchair
You sit on the blue suede armchair, lifting the cleated right shoe so that the parquet is no longer affronted.
*** The End ***
In that game you scored 5 out of a possible 5, in 9 turns.