Throwing something at something (past tense thrown it at)

Throwing something at someone or something is difficult for Inform to model. So many considerations apply: just because the actor can see the target, does it follow that the target can accurately hit it? What if the projectile is heavy, like an anvil, or something not easily aimable, like a feather? What if there is a barrier in the way, like a cage with bars spaced so that only items of a certain size get through? And then: what should happen as a result? Will the projectile break, or do damage, or fall to the floor, or into a container or onto a supporter? And so on.

Because it seems hopeless to try to model this in any general way, Inform instead provides the action for the user to attach specific rules to. The check rules in the Standard Rules simply require that the projectile is not an item of clothing still worn (this will be relevant for women attending a Tom Jones concert) but then, in either the 'futile to throw things at inanimate objects rule' or the 'block throwing at rule', will refuse to carry out the action with a bland message.

To make throwing do something, then, we must either write Instead rules for special circumstances, or else unlist these check rules and write suitable carry out and report rules to pick up the thread.

Typed commands leading to this action

"drop/throw/discard [something preferably held] at/against [something]"

Rules controlling this action

check    an actor throwing something at  implicitly remove thrown clothing rule   name  unlist   1

check    an actor throwing something at  futile to throw things at inanimate objects rule   name  unlist   1

check    an actor throwing something at  block throwing at rule   name  unlist   1