Zodiac
Example 96
★Notice that the following two scenarios do not have the same effect:
"Zodiac"
The Secluded Alley is a room. The Capricorn Killer is a man in the Secluded Alley.
The player carries a can of mace and a roll of duct tape.
Instead of doing something other than examining with the Capricorn Killer:
say "You wouldn't dare!"
Test me with "x me / x killer / touch killer / smell mace".
Test me with "x me / x killer / touch killer / smell mace".
Secluded Alley
You can see a Capricorn Killer here.
>(Testing.)
>[1] x me
As good-looking as ever.
>[2] x killer
You see nothing special about the Capricorn Killer.
>[3] touch killer
You wouldn't dare!
>[4] smell mace
You smell nothing unexpected.
You can see a Capricorn Killer here.
>(Testing.)
>[1] x me
As good-looking as ever.
>[2] x killer
You see nothing special about the Capricorn Killer.
>[3] touch killer
You wouldn't dare!
>[4] smell mace
You smell nothing unexpected.
…will prevent the player from doing anything else to the killer, but allow him free range of action with other objects. By contrast, the following will prevent him doing anything other than examining to any item:
"Zodiac"
The Secluded Alley is a room. The Capricorn Killer is a man in the Secluded Alley.
The player carries a can of mace and a roll of duct tape.
Instead of doing something other than examining with something in the presence of the Capricorn Killer:
say "You dare not attempt it!"
Test me with "x me / x killer / touch killer / smell mace".
Test me with "x me / x killer / touch killer / smell mace".
Secluded Alley
You can see a Capricorn Killer here.
>(Testing.)
>[1] x me
As good-looking as ever.
>[2] x killer
You see nothing special about the Capricorn Killer.
>[3] touch killer
You dare not attempt it!
>[4] smell mace
You dare not attempt it!
You can see a Capricorn Killer here.
>(Testing.)
>[1] x me
As good-looking as ever.
>[2] x killer
You see nothing special about the Capricorn Killer.
>[3] touch killer
You dare not attempt it!
>[4] smell mace
You dare not attempt it!
But notice that because we specified "with something", actions that take no object (like sing) are still not affected.
The most strict statement would be
"Zodiac"
The Secluded Alley is a room. The Capricorn Killer is a man in the Secluded Alley.
The player carries a can of mace and a roll of duct tape.
Instead of doing something other than looking or examining in the presence of the Capricorn Killer:
say "You dare not attempt it!"
Test me with "x me / x killer / touch killer / smell mace".
Test me with "x me / x killer / touch killer / smell mace".
Secluded Alley
You can see a Capricorn Killer here.
>(Testing.)
>[1] x me
As good-looking as ever.
>[2] x killer
You see nothing special about the Capricorn Killer.
>[3] touch killer
You dare not attempt it!
>[4] smell mace
You dare not attempt it!
You can see a Capricorn Killer here.
>(Testing.)
>[1] x me
As good-looking as ever.
>[2] x killer
You see nothing special about the Capricorn Killer.
>[3] touch killer
You dare not attempt it!
>[4] smell mace
You dare not attempt it!
Because we left "something" out, now the pattern does not have to match an activity with an object; it will match any activity at all. Singing too will be deemed too risky in the presence of our sinister foe. But we do need to make an exception for "look", or else we won't get even the room description.