Trieste
Example 285
★★Suppose we are using an extension in which another author has defined some help topics for the player, and we want to amend them for our game.
We'll start with the portion of the text that we have inherited from the extension:
"Trieste"
Section 1 - Procedure
A help-topic is a kind of value. Some help-topics are defined by the Table of Standard Instructions.
Table of Standard Instructions
| help-topic | reply |
| commands | "This game recognizes 150 common commands for forms of military attack. These include..." |
| saving | "To save the game, type SAVE. You will be prompted to supply a file-name for your saved game. If you'd like to return to play at that point again later, RESTORE the saved game." |
Understand "help [help-topic]" as asking for help about. Asking for help about is an action out of world, applying to one help-topic.
Understand "help" or "help [text]" as a mistake ("Help is available on the following topics: [help-topics list]").
To say help-topics list:
repeat through the Table of Standard Instructions:
say "[line break] [help-topic entry]";
Carry out asking for help about:
repeat through the Table of Standard Instructions:
if the help-topic understood is the help-topic entry:
say "[reply entry][paragraph break]";
break.
Section 2 - Scenario
Now, let's imagine our game is a special one in which only a very limited supply of moves are allowed. In that case, we'll want to replace the information on commands:
Table of Standard Instructions (amended)
| help-topic | reply |
| commands | "The only commands this game recognizes are HOLD, MOVE, CONVOY, SUPPORT MOVE, and SUPPORT HOLD. No others are necessary." |
Board Room is a room. Mark is a man in the Board Room. "Russia (played by Mark) is also hovering over the board."
Guest Bathroom is south of Board Room. Lena and Rob are in the Guest Bathroom. Lena is a woman. Rob is a man.
Rule for writing a paragraph about Lena when Lena is in the Guest Bathroom and Rob is in the Guest Bathroom:
say "[Lena] (Italy) and [Rob] (Great Britain) are having a hushed conversation while leaning against your good towels. They stop and stare at you when you come in."
Test me with "help / help commands / help saving".
Test me with "help / help commands / help saving".
Board Room
Russia (played by Mark) is also hovering over the board.
>(Testing.)
>[1] help
Help is available on the following topics:
commands
saving
>[2] help commands
The only commands this game recognizes are HOLD, MOVE, CONVOY, SUPPORT MOVE, and SUPPORT HOLD. No others are necessary.
>[3] help saving
To save the game, type SAVE. You will be prompted to supply a file-name for your saved game. If you'd like to return to play at that point again later, RESTORE the saved game.
Russia (played by Mark) is also hovering over the board.
>(Testing.)
>[1] help
Help is available on the following topics:
commands
saving
>[2] help commands
The only commands this game recognizes are HOLD, MOVE, CONVOY, SUPPORT MOVE, and SUPPORT HOLD. No others are necessary.
>[3] help saving
To save the game, type SAVE. You will be prompted to supply a file-name for your saved game. If you'd like to return to play at that point again later, RESTORE the saved game.