5.1. The Human Body

| Chapter 5: The Viewpoint Character |

| 5.1. The Human Body

By default, Inform gives the player character (and every other person) a simple unitary body, one without hands or feet or any other defined parts. In many games this is adequate; but in others it is not enough, and we may want to endow all people with some more specific physical features, as in

> A face is a kind of thing. A face is part of every person.

Once we've done this, we may invite ambiguities if the player types LOOK AT FACE; it is this challenge that is addressed in The Night Before.

rBGH gives the player a random height and then uses this to determine how the room should be described around him.

Slouching lets the player (and other characters as well) take different sitting, standing, and lying down positions.

56
| Example The Night Before Instructing Inform to prefer different interpretations of EXAMINE NOSE, depending on whether the player is alone, in company, or with Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer. |
WI

245
| Example rBGH The player character's height is selected randomly at the start of play. |
WI

As with ordinary numbers, we can choose random units when this is useful: "rBGH" The Pharmaceutical Testing Facility is a room. "A [if the player is short]large [end if][if the player is tall]cramped [end if]white space with sterile counters and a[if the player is tall]n uncomfortable little[end if] stool. There is also a mirror, behind which someone must be watching you. But you can't see through to that." A counter, a one-way mirror, and a stool are scenery in the Facility. The stool is an enterable supporter. The counter supports a plate. Height is a kind of value. 5 feet 11 inches specifies a height. 5'11 specifies a height. A person has a height. Definition: a person is tall if its height is 6 feet 0 inches or more. Definition: a person is short if its height is 5 feet 4 inches or less. When play begins: now the height of the player is a random height between 5 feet 2 inches and 6 feet 4 inches; now the right hand status line is "[height of player]". Instead of examining the player: say "You, Test Subject, are [height of the player] tall." The growth pill is a kind of thing. A growth pill is always edible. The description is usually "It is leaf-green and has a reassuring logo of a curling vine on the side. Nothing to worry about, nothing at all." Two growth pills are on the plate. After eating the growth pill: increase the height of the player by 0 feet 6 inches; say "Your spine does something frightening and painful, and you find yourself looking down on the room from a wholly new angle."; try looking. Test me with "examine me / eat pill / examine me / eat pill / examine me".

381
| Example Slouching A system of postures allowing the player and other characters to sit, stand, or lie down explicitly or implicitly on a variety of enterable supporters or containers, or in location. |
WI

Previous | Contents | Next