10.4. During scenes

| Chapter 10: Scenes |

| 10.4. During scenes

Scenes are not only useful for changing the setting, by moving items or people around and providing a little narration. We can also make the rules different in one scene from another. For instance, at a sleepy country halt there is no reason why one should not walk across the tracks: but if there is a train in the way, that would be impossible.

> Before going north during the Train Stop, say "The train blocks your way." instead.

Any rule can have the clause "during ..." attached, provided that clause goes at the end and explicitly names a scene. This is especially useful with "every turn":

> Every turn during the Train Stop, say "Water is sluiced out of the tank and into the engine."

We can test whether a scene is happening with the adjective "happening":

> if Train Stop is happening, ...

if (scene) has happened:

This condition is true if the given scene has both begun and ended.

if (scene) has not happened:

This condition is true if the given scene has not ended (or never started).

if (scene) has ended:

This condition is true if the given scene ended at least once.

if (scene) has not ended:

This condition is true if the given scene has never ended.

We need to be a bit careful: it's possible to set things up so that the Train Stop scene will play out more than once, so "Train Stop is happening" and "Train Stop has happened" might both be true at once.

The kind of value "scene" is one which is allowed to have properties - it has a tick in the "properties" column in the chart on the Kinds index page - and this can be very useful in describing scenes. For instance, we could write:

> A scene can be thrilling or dull. Train Stop is dull.
> A scene has a text called cue speech. The cue speech of Train Stop is "All aboard!".

Inform has the adjectives "recurring", "non-recurring" and "happening" all built in to describe scenes, and the above would add "thrilling" and "dull". Moreover, the "during" clause of a rule can give a description of a scene as easily as a specific scene name. For instance:

> Before going north during a dull non-recurring scene, ...

157
| Example Full Moon Random atmospheric events which last the duration of a scene. |
RB

158
| Example Space Patrol - Stranded on Jupiter! We'll be back in just a moment, with more exciting adventures of the... Space Patrol! |
RB

American radio adventure series of the 1950s were unobtrusively sponsored by breakfast cereals, as the following modest example demonstrates. Note that the scene-changing for the commercial break needs to know nothing about the actual programme it breaks into: if Part I were replaced with a different Space Patrol episode, Part II need not be changed at all. "Space Patrol #57 - 1953-10-31 - Stranded on Jupiter!" Part I - Serial Red Spot is a room. "You are in the middle of a vast red oval plain. Overhead, the thick Jovian clouds swirl menacingly, and a fine acrid dust falls instead of rain." Some acrid dust is scenery in the Red Spot. The description of the dust is "The rust-colored dust coats every surface. You've no idea how deep it goes." Instead of going in Red Spot, say "As you once told Cadet Lucky, Jupiter's a mighty big planet, maybe bigger than Iowa. Why, the Red Spot alone stretches out almost to the horizon." The player wears a silver uniform and rubber boots. The player carries a shovel and an Analscope. The description of the Analscope is "As you recall from Space Patrol #9 - 1952-11-29 - The Electronic Burglar, the Analscope is a device for locating buried metals. That's what guided you all the way from the orbit of Uranus. (Oh, all right, Neptune.) If only you hadn't crashed!" The metal plate is a fixed in place container. It is openable and closed. In the metal plate is some water. The description of the metal plate is "Stamped with the distinctive logo of the previous mission." Instead of examining the player, say "Your hair clumps together stickily, thanks to the dustfall." Digging is an action applying to one thing. Understand "dig [something]" or "dig in [something]" as digging. Instead of digging the dust, try looking under the dust. Instead of looking under the dust when the metal plate is not visible: move the metal plate to the location; say "You brush aside the dust underfoot and -- what were the odds? -- it turns out that you landed just where the previous landing party did, thirteen ill-fated years ago. Here is the metal plate that covers their original well. But wait! Called by the clanging of your shovel on the plate, a band of Jovian pterodactyls swoop down to attack! You're totally defenceless! You don't have a hope! You're absolutely finished!"; increase the score by 10; move K-Klak to Red Spot. K-Klak the Pterodactyl is an animal. "K-Klak, leader of the Jupiter Pterodactyls, menaces you. A terrifying creature of scaly wings, with a dragon's tail, K-Klak stands... about 1/8th of an inch tall." Instead of doing something to K-Klak, say "K-Klak makes a frankly panicky noise and leaps backwards, out of your way." After opening the metal plate: increase the score by 10; say "You have found water! You're saved! K-Klak makes a (very cautiously) pleased noise. Now to find the stolen Brainograph, and track down the crook with the thick Jewish accent and his henchmen with their thick Polish accents..."; end the story finally. The maximum score is 20. Part II - Cereal When play begins, say "Instant Ralstons and Regular Ralstons, the hot whole-wheat cereals in the red and white checkerboard packages present... SPACE PATROL... High adventure in the wild vast reaches of space... Missions of daring in the name of interplanetary justice... Travel into the future as Buzz Corey, Commander-in-Chief of the..." Last score is a number that varies. Every turn: now the last score is the score. Ralstons Ad is a scene. Ralstons Ad begins when score is not the last score. Ralstons Ad ends when the Ricechex is consumed. Include Basic Screen Effects by Emily Short. When Ralstons Ad begins: center "*** We'll be back in just a moment! ***"; pause the game; strip the player; move the player to the Kitchen. When Ralstons Ad ends: center "*** And now, back to today's exciting adventure ***"; pause the game; restore the player. Saved location is a room that varies. Locker is a container. Wardrobe is a container. To strip the player: now every thing carried by the player is in the locker; now every thing worn by the player is in the wardrobe; now saved location is location. To restore the player: now every thing carried by the player is in the Kitchen; now every thing in the locker is carried by the player; now every thing in the wardrobe is worn by the player; move the player to saved location. The Space Patrol Kitchen is a room. "The nerve center of the Space Patrol! This is where cadets fill up with their SUPER-FUEL. North leads to the astro control room, while back south is the cargo hold." A breakfast bowl is in the Kitchen. In the bowl is Ricechex. Ricechex is edible. The Ricechex can be consumed or uneaten. The Ricechex is uneaten. Instead of going north in Kitchen: say "[refusal to leave]". Instead of going south in Kitchen: say "[refusal to leave]". Instead of examining the player when Ralstons Ad is happening: say "You are currently being played by a generically attractive person of about 30, with very good teeth and well-kept nails." After eating the Ricechex: say "That's right folks, always start your day the SPACE PATROL way with a tasty bowl of Ricechex, Wheatchex or good hot Ralstons. Mmmm Mmmm. You just can't get enough of the sugary goodness in Ricechex, Wheatchex and good hot Ralstons."; now the ricechex is consumed. Instead of tasting the Ricechex: say "Wow! *wolf-whistle* Man oh man oh man! Yumm-y!" To say refusal to leave: repeat through Table of Refusals: say "[nope entry][paragraph break]"; blank out the whole row; rule succeeds; say "You can't. Eat your Ricechex." Table of Refusals nope "You can't go that way in the limited universe of this sponsored message." "Or that way." "You've already tried that!" "Why would you want to walk away when you have an alluring bowl of Ricechex right here?" Test me with "n / i / x me / x dust / dig dust". Test ad with "n / s / n / s / n / i / x me / get bowl / taste ricechex / eat ricechex". Test ending with "x plate / x k-klak / open plate". Episode 57 of "Space Patrol" was actually called "Iron Eaters Of Planet X", just in case the reader feels that any of the foregoing unfairly traduces a work of thoughtful science fiction.

159
| Example Day One A scene which plays through a series of events in order, then ends when the list of events is exhausted. |
RB

160
| Example Bowler Hats and Baby Geese Creating a category of scenes that restrict the player's behavior. |
RB

Previous | Contents | Next