Index: Hints leading the player through conversation
Description: Using name-printing rules to keep track of whether the player knows about objects, and also to highlight things they might want to follow up.
Suppose we have a conversation system in which it is important to keep track of which subjects the player has heard mentioned. If we're careful to mark subjects in brackets, we can use the "printing the name of" activity to record which things have been mentioned so far:
{*}"Chronic Hinting Syndrome"
A subject is a kind of thing.
Knowledge relates various people to various subjects. The verb to know means the knowledge relation.
Awareness relates various people to various subjects. The verb to be aware of means the awareness relation.
Now suppose that as an added convenience for the player, we let them turn on a mode in which useful conversation topics are always automatically highlighted in the text, so they don't waste time trying to follow up dead leads:
After printing the name of a subject when highlighting is bright:
say "[roman type]".
...And the rest is peripheral.
{**}The Sickbay is a room. "A place arranged for Nathan's comfort, since his sickness has been prolonged and because he becomes so irritating when not comfortable." The Hallway is outside from the Sickbay.
A supporter can be untried or rejected. A supporter is usually untried.
The Sickbay contains a wobbly pedestal, a table, and a sickbed. Understand "bed" as the sickbed. The pedestal, the table, and the sickbed are supporters. Nathan is a man on the sickbed. The sickbed is scenery. The initial appearance of the wobbly pedestal is "A wobbly pedestal near the door has sometimes been known to support vases of flowers, but is currently bare." The initial appearance of the table is "There is also a table of a more ordinary sort."
Nathan can be active or passive.
After printing the name of Nathan: now Nathan is passive.
Instead of putting the sculpture on the table:
now the table is rejected;
say "'[Not there],' [Nathan] snaps. 'The table is way too far from the sickbed.'"
Instead of going outside when the breakage is pending:
say "You can't very well smash in front of [Nathan] his prize sculpture and then just scamper off without saying something. Appealing though the thought is at the moment."
Instead of going outside when a subject which is not the breakage is pending:
say "'Yeah, go ahead,' says [Nathan], with a martyr-like air. 'It's probably best that you don't hear about [the random pending subject]. It's not something I'd go into normally.'"
The breakage is a subject. The description is "It's not a big deal. I'll just buy a new [mental wave generator].' A slight awkward pause. 'I mean, this one was a [gift], but don't worry about it". Understand "accident" or "smashing" or "breaking" or "shard" or "mishap" or "shards" or "mistake" as the breakage. Understand "sculpture" as the breakage when the player is not carrying the sculpture.
Instead of saying sorry in the presence of Nathan when the player is aware of the breakage:
Instead of asking Nathan to try saying sorry when the player is aware of the breakage:
try asking Nathan about the matter of breakage.
The mental wave generator is a subject. The description is "They're kind of expensive but I can save up. I really need one, though, because of my [dreams]".
The dreams is a subject. The description is "They're not the kind of dream you want to have.' He closes his eyes and contemplates these undesirable dreams. 'Have you ever woken up convinced you were dead? No, probably not. Well... At any rate, I need the [generator]. Oh, don't worry, they're expensive but not so expensive that I won't be able to save up for another, in a few months".
The gift is a subject. The description is "[The mental wave generator] was a present from a girl named [Shari]. Actually I'm not sure she'd take to being called a girl".
Shari is a subject. The description is "Look, let's just not go into it, okay? I don't really want to relive all that right now. I still have a six-inch [scar] shaped like a banana in the middle of my back".
say "'Just put that down anywhere,' says [Nathan], as you come into the room. He's sitting in the sickbed with his legs straight out in front of him. 'I don't care where.' His voice is weak, but it sharpens up for the last remark: 'And don't make a lot of noise about it.'
Considering that he woke you from a sound slumber to beg you to bring this thing over, his attitude is a bit much. You stare dubiously at the awkward crystal sculpture in your hands.";
Instead of asking Nathan about something while the player carries the sculpture, say "[Nathan] moans dramatically and refuses to be drawn into conversation."
The player is carrying an awkward crystal sculpture. Understand "objet" or "objet de hideous" as the sculpture. The description of the sculpture is "It might possibly be natural, or it might be man-made. It might appeal to someone, but it is certainly not to your tastes."
say "You are incredibly careful, but somehow the sculpture slips -- you might almost say slithers -- from your fingers and crashes into a thousand shards at the feet of [Nathan].
"'It actually is kind of a funny story about [the random pending subject],' [Nathan] remarks casually."
"[Nathan] chuckles under his breath. 'Man, I hadn't thought about [the random pending subject] in ages.'"
"He glances sideways at you. 'It's nothing personal, you know, but I don't feel comfortable discussing [the random pending subject] with just anyone.'"
"'I don't know why I brought up [the random pending subject] just now,' [Nathan] comments. 'Don't mention it to anyone, if you don't mind.'"
"'Okay, see, the thing about [the random pending subject] is...' [paragraph break]'Yes?' you ask, on cue.[paragraph break]'...never mind.'"
"[Nathan] makes an explosive exasperated sound. 'Don't you want to ask me about [the random pending subject]?' he demands."
Test me with "highlighting bright / put sculpture on pedestal / put it on table / put it on sickbed / drop it / think / ask nathan about breakage / think / ask him about generator / ask him about dreams / ask him about gift / ask him about shari / ask him about scar".