WHAT THE NEW SCRIPTS DO
by Hazed
The six scripts that the tutorial covers are split into two sections, and here's a rundown of what they do:
Object Size Scripts
There are three scripts to do with the object size. The size is a completely arbitrary value that has no meaning in the game except for what you choose to do with it using events. It could indicate the length of a piece of rope, the number of chocolates in a box, the ounces of Rigellian green chilli vodka in the bottle or the number of tentacles on an Arcturian attack squid.
The object size can also be used to keep track of the state of an object. For example, an umbrella can be open or closed: you can designate size 1 to mean it is open, and size 2 to mean it is closed and then give it different uses for each state. You can see this in operation with the umbrella you sometimes find discarded on the Earth monorail.
When you design an object you can set its size and then you can use the following scripts to do with the size:
- Displaysize - allows you to send a message to the player telling her what the size of an object is, for example, "The syringe has ? doses of truth drug in it." The game will insert the object's current size into the message.
- Changesize - if the size of an object is important then it implies that the size can change. If I eat a chocolate there is one less in a box, and if I refill my bottle of Vegan spring water the number of drinks I can take increases. This script lets you change the size either by adding or subtracting a certain number to it, or by setting it to a specified value.
- Checksize - allows you to check the size of an object so you can vary the outcome. If I try to eat a chocolate but the box is empty, I won't be able to and I'll be very disappointed!
Delayed Events
There are three scripts that are used to delay something. Normally, a player does something which triggers an event, such as walking into a room or picking up an object, and the result happens right away. With delayed events you can insert a pause in between cause and effect.
This can be used to slow the action down to give the player time to read what is happening, or to simulate the passing of time during a journey. It can also be used to add an element of suspense and uncertainty.
The scripts are:
- Delayevent - this is the script you use when you want to delay something. You use it to call another event, with a specified number of seconds delay.
- Freeze - this powerful script disables a player's movement commands so she can't leave the room before the result of a delayed event happens. This should be used with caution!
- Release - this puts the movement commands back.
You can read the Advanced Workbench Tutorial to find out exactly how to use all these scripts. I'll tell you about the remaining scripts in the next issue of the Star.
