7.3. Reactive Characters

| Chapter 7: Other Characters |

| 7.3. Reactive Characters

As we observe characters, so they observe us. Those who seem to have no awareness of what the player is doing often come across more like waxworks than like people. Zodiac demonstrates a scenario where the watchful presence of a dangerous criminal keeps the player from doing what he otherwise might, while Police State expands on this idea with a policeman who reacts to entire types of behavior in his presence, regardless of whether the culprit is the player or a third party. Noisemaking has a crow who will fly away in response to any loud noises the player makes.

And, of course, we definitely want to have characters react to being looked at or otherwise interfered with. Search and Seizure implements a smuggler who reacts when we try to confiscate his possessions. Pine 1 gives us a sleeping princess who can be woken by a variety of methods.

We wrap up this section with two complete puzzle scenarios that demonstrate what can be achieved by giving characters reactions to the player's behavior. A Day For Fresh Sushi has a fish who watches the player's actions and comments on them, while the live furnishings in Revenge of the Fussy Table instead comment every turn on the current state of the world, until the player has successfully sorted out all their complaints.

96
| Example Zodiac Several variations on "doing something other than...", demonstrating different degrees of restriction. |
WI

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 / sing". ...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 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 / sing". But notice that because we specified "examining 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 / sing". 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.

186
| Example Police State Several friends who obey you; a policeman who doesn't (but who takes a dim view of certain kinds of antics). |
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196
| Example Noisemaking Creating a stage after the report stage of an action, during which other characters may observe and react. |
WI

36
| Example Search and Seizure A smuggler who has items, some of which are hidden. |
WI

154
| Example Pine 1 Pine: Using a scene to watch for the solution of a puzzle, however arrived-at by the player. |
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112
| Example A Day For Fresh Sushi A complete story by Emily Short, called "A Day for Fresh Sushi", rewritten using Inform 7. Noteworthy is the snarky commenter who remarks on everything the player does, but only the first time each action is performed. |
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82
| Example Revenge of the Fussy Table A small game about resentful furniture and inconvenient objects. |
WI

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