17.16. Printing a refusal to act in the dark

| Chapter 17: Activities |

| 17.16. Printing a refusal to act in the dark

1. When it happens. When an action which requires light is tried, and the visibility rules decide that not enough light is present.

2. The default behaviour. To print "It is pitch dark, and you can't see a thing."

3. Examples. (a) This might do for some twilit, penumbral room:

> Rule for printing a refusal to act in the dark: if we are examining something, say "It's not totally dark here, perhaps, but certainly too dim for close-up examination of anything." instead.

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| Example Zorn of Zorna Light levels vary depending on the number of candles the player has lit, and this determines whether or not he is able to examine detailed objects successfully. |
RB

"Zorn of Zorna" Visibility rule: if examining: if the detail of the noun is fine and the number of visible lit candles is less than 5, there is insufficient light; if the detail of the noun is ordinary and the number of visible lit candles is less than 3, there is insufficient light; there is sufficient light. Detail is a kind of value. The details are fine, ordinary, and gross. A thing has detail. A candle is a kind of thing. Before printing the name of a candle while not burning or blowing out: say "[if lit]lit [otherwise]unlit [end if]". A candle is usually lit. Before printing the plural name of a candle while not burning or blowing out: say "[if lit]lit [otherwise]unlit [end if]". A candle is usually lit. Understand the lit property as describing a candle. A candle is usually gross. Instead of burning a candle: now the noun is lit; say "You light [the noun]." Understand "blow out [something]" or "extinguish [something]" or "put out [something]" as blowing out. Understand the command "snuff" as "extinguish". Blowing out is an action applying to one thing. Understand "burn [unlit candle]" as burning. Instead of blowing out a candle: now the noun is unlit; say "You put out [the noun]." Rule for printing a refusal to act in the dark: if we are examining something, say "The details of [the noun] are too fine to make out in the light of only [the number of visible lit candles in words] candle[s]." instead. Every turn when the Todal is visible: if the number of visible lit candles is greater than 1: say "The brightness of the room wakens the Todal from slumber, and with you unarmed..."; end the story; otherwise: say "Todal sleeps fitfully, troubled by even that faint light." A room is usually dark. The Palace is a room. "The Duke is out; the way is clear. East is Saralinda's Chamber; north, a hallway zigs and zags down to the gate that leads out." A finely-written placard is in the Palace. "A finely-written placard is on the wall next to this exit." The placard is fine. The description of the placard is "You read: 'Beware the Todal: its bite is worse than its gleep. No more than one candle!'" The candle-stand is a supporter in the Palace. Understand "stand" as the candle-stand. The description of the candle-stand is "The candle-stand is a tall metal branch for holding lights, but someone has quite practically added casters to the bottom." It is pushable between rooms. Three candles are on the candle-stand. Instead of removing something from the candle-stand: say "[The noun] is fixed quite firmly in place." Instead of taking something which is on the candle-stand: say "[The noun] won't come out of the holder." Instead of putting something on the candle-stand: say "[The candle-stand] is full." Saralinda's Chamber is east of the Palace. "Now that Saralinda herself is gone, there is no real radiance in this place." Two unlit candles are in Saralinda's Chamber. A large-print romantic novel is in Saralinda's Chamber. The novel is ordinary. The description of the novel is "'She Was Only The Chimney-Sweep's Daughter', by Marie Swelldon." The Zig-Zag Hallway is north of the Palace. "The Hallway goes left, then right, then left again..." Two unlit candles are in the Hallway. Todal is an animal in the Zig-Zag Hallway. Rule for printing the description of a dark room when the Todal is in the location: try listening. Instead of listening when in darkness and the Todal is in the location: say "In the darkness something softly gleeps." Instead of going north from the Hallway when in darkness: say "You stumble and cannot find your way." North of the Hallway is Freedom. Instead of going to Freedom: say "You make it out into the cool night air at last!"; end the story finally. Test me with "examine placard / get placard / n / listen / n / s / examine candle-stand / push candle-stand east / examine novel / get unlit candle / light it / light unlit candle / examine placard / push candle-stand west / e / examine novel / w / n / n".

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