§6.10. Entering and Exiting, Sitting and Standing

Under ordinary circumstances, Inform does not keep track of the player's posture, nor of his exact location in a room. Lies implements a room in which the player can lie in different positions on the floor, getting different views as a result.

Our other examples are all modifications of the way Inform handles player movement to make better default guesses at what he wants to do: Anchorite adds a GET DOWN and DOWN command that work when the player is on a supporter, to accompany GET UP, GET OFF, and GET OUT (already understood). Get Axe makes the player get out of a portable container before attempting to lift it - a consideration that comes up relatively rarely, but that might pertain to inflatable rafts, beanbag chairs, and other lightweight but capacious pieces of furniture.

* See Position Within Rooms for a box the player can push around the room and stand on in different locations

* See The Human Body for letting the player sit, stand, or lie down systematically on furniture or on the floor

* See Furniture for various objects on which the player can sit or stand


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arrow-left.pngBack to §6.9. Going, Pushing Things in Directions
arrow-right.pngOnward to §6.11. Waiting, Sleeping

We could now re-write the check rules so that any time someone (the player or someone else) tries to pick up a container which he is in, he will first get out:

paste.png "GET AXE"

This is the clever can't take what you're inside rule:
    if the person asked is in the noun, try the person asked exiting;
    if the person asked is in the noun, rule fails.

The clever can't take what you're inside rule is listed instead of the can't take what you're inside rule in the check taking rules.

Attic is a room. The unused coffin is in the Attic. The coffin is enterable and openable and open. Raskolnikov is a man in the coffin.

Persuasion rule for asking Raskolnikov to try doing something:
    persuasion succeeds.

Test me with "raskolnikov, get coffin".

*ExampleGet Axe
Changing the check rules to try automatically leaving a container before attempting to take it. (And arranging things so that other people will do likewise.)

We could now re-write the check rules so that any time someone (the player or someone else) tries to pick up a container which he is in, he will first get out:

paste.png "GET AXE"

This is the clever can't take what you're inside rule:
    if the person asked is in the noun, try the person asked exiting;
    if the person asked is in the noun, rule fails.

The clever can't take what you're inside rule is listed instead of the can't take what you're inside rule in the check taking rules.

Attic is a room. The unused coffin is in the Attic. The coffin is enterable and openable and open. Raskolnikov is a man in the coffin.

Persuasion rule for asking Raskolnikov to try doing something:
    persuasion succeeds.

Test me with "raskolnikov, get coffin".

*ExampleAnchorite
By default, Inform understands GET OFF, GET UP, or GET OUT when the player is sitting or standing on an enterable object. We might also want to add GET DOWN and DOWN as exit commands, though.

*ExampleLies
Commands to allow the player to lie down in three different ways.