TADS Programming - Electrick Shoc. (shoc.t)

All REMs have been removed as usual to format this better.

This is a piece of TADS code that implements an electrically live
item. The player will get a shock if s/he touches it, but is
otherwise unaffected if s/he tries to use a verb that doesn't
involve physical contact with the device.

Requires TADS compiler 2.1 or higher.

This code is copyright (c) 1993 Neil K.  Internet: n_k_guy@sfu.ca

You may distribute, modify and copy this file as much as you like,
but it cannot be bought or sold. Please include this notice and a
list of any changes you made if you choose to distribute it.

Version History:

Written 4/26/93 Neil K.

This is our electrically dangerous object.

The shock feature relies on the new "dobjGen" method that was
added to TADS in version 2.0.13. Consult your TADSVER file for
more details on this useful feature.

All this implementation does is catch every single verb for which
the transformer is the direct object. If the verb in question is
of of the "contactVerb" type then the function named
"electricShock" is called. If the verb isn't of this type then
it's left alone.

This method uses the "isclass" function to check if the verb being
passed (v) is of the "contactVerb" class or not.

powerTransformer: fixeditem
    sdesc = "power transformer"
    ldesc = "This large grey power transformer is covered
    with an assortment of threatening decals that warn
    you of the dangers of touching uninsulated electrical
    devices. "
    noun = 'transformer'
    adjective = 'large' 'grey' 'gray' 'power'
    location = TransRoom
        // replace with your own location
    dobjGen( a, v, i, p ) =
    {
        if ( isclass( v, contactVerb )
        {
            electricShock();
            exit;
        }
    }
;

This function should be predeclared in your "adv.t" file.

Naturally, if you wanted to be more gruesome you could add the
die(); function here, so the player would be killed if s/he
touches the device.  This is a nice example, though, so this and
nastier ideas are left up to you.

"electricShock" is implemented as a function rather than being
part of of the transformer item so it's easily re-used should you
have several electrically dangerous objects. Of course, you could
always create a class of electrically nasty items and incorporate
the "electric shock" code into that instead.

electricShock: function
{
   "That really wasn't a very bright idea.
   A sudden surge of electricity courses
   through %your% body, leaving %you% shaken
   and drained. ";
}

This is a new class of verb.  The idea behind it is to have a way
of identifying all verbs that involve the player touching the
direct object. You would modify your "adv.t" file so that all
"touchy" verbs - such as "take", "push", "open", etc. - are of the
"contactVerb" class.

For instance, you would directly change the "touchVerb" verb from
a regular deepverb to a contactVerb, by modifying your "adv.t"
file like this:

touchVerb: contactVerb

Note that TADS now has a "replace" feature that lets you make this
sort of change to your adv.t file by adding the change to your own
game code. Check the TADSVER file for more info. Note that the
"modify" isn't much use here, as "modify" doesn't let you change
superclasses.

This class will allow the game to distinguish between player
actions that result in a nasty shock, and those actions that
don't, such as simply looking at or asking about the item.  The
verb inherits everything from the "deepverb" definition. In fact,
it doesn't do anything new itself.  It's just a kind of flag so
that electrically nasty items can tell whether a verb involves
physical contact or not.

class contactVerb: deepverb
;














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