Objects and states (.txt format)

Objects are declared on line 3 of a room (the objects/variables line). Each object has 5 fields separated with |:

object_name|place|place_description|pickup_text|object_description

• object_name - identifier (no space)
• place - furniture or spot where the object lies (used by the inspect place command)
• place_description - text shown when the player inspects the place
• pickup_text - text shown when the object is taken (take object command)
• object_description - text shown when the player inspects the object (inspect object command)

Example:

lamp|table|A table with four legs. There is a lamp on it!|You pick up the lamp.|The lamp lets you light your way.

For several objects in the same room, separate them with | or use && to spread them over several lines.

Invisible objects do not appear in the visible inventory: they act as states, conditions, classes, and so on. The keyword is invisible instead of the place:

state_name|invisible|unused_note|acquisition_text|state_description

They are acquired automatically when the player enters the room, with no need for the take command.

To check that a player holds a state as a room condition:

2|tired_state|You are far too tired!|You enter the room.

To check that they do not hold it (negative condition):

2|-tired_state|You are not tired any more.|Good, you may enter.

Put a - before the object name on the objects/variables line. If the object is in the inventory, visible or invisible, it is removed:

-lamp|invisible|note|The lamp breaks as it falls.|The lamp.

Repeat the object several times in the same room. The player can take it as many times as there are copies:

lamp|table|There are two lamps on the table!|You take a lamp.|The lamp.
lamp|table|One lamp is left on the table.|You take the last lamp.|The lamp.
empty|table|The table is empty now.|How did you find that?|Nothing here.

The third object, empty, exists to display a description once the table has been emptied.