Exposition

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"Searching A-221" by Brendan Desilets

        [This “how-to” essay explains, to a computer, how to present an interactive story called “Searching A-221.”  The essay is real source code for a system called Inform 7, and so it can actually be made into an interactive story that will run on almost any computer.  Brackets [ ] are used to show words that the computer should ignore in making the interactive story.]

[Rooms and Objects]

A-221 is a room.  "A-221 is a fairly drab classroom, with twenty-four student desks and a like number of computers. It sports at least ten teacher-made signs about grammar and literature and one long, commercial poster.  A filing cabinet is the room's most prominent storage unit."

The computers are in A-221.  The computers are scenery.  The description is "These are ordinary PC's, turned off, at the moment.  You know you're not supposed to turn them on right now."

The signs are in A-221.  They are scenery.  The description of the signs is "The signs are plain-text efforts to introduce parts of speech or literary concepts, such as plot and theme, in three-inch-high blue letters."

The poster is in A-221.  It is scenery. The description of the poster is "A long commercial poster, tracing, in great detail, the history of computer-based interactive fiction, up to the year 2003." 

The Hallway is a room.  It is east of A-221.  "This is an ordinary school hallway.  Room A-221 is to the west.  You can't think of any reason you would want to go in any direction right now."

The key is in A-221. The key unlocks the filing cabinet. The description of the key is "An ordinary brass key."

The filing cabinet is scenery in A-221.  It is a closed openable container.  It is locked and lockable. "This filing cabinet is designed to store and organize all sorts of papers, but it could hold lots of other things, too."

The binder is in the filing cabinet.  The description is "The red English binder that you lost recently.  You've been looking for it everywhere."

The homework pass is a thing.  The description is "A special pass, signed by your teacher, that allows you to skip a homework assignment."

[A Non-Player Character]

Jeff is man in A-221.  The description of Jeff is "A sixth grader, wearing a baseball shirt. [if the key is carried by Jeff] He is carrying a key.” [end if]

[Rules and Procedures]

Use no scoring.

When play begins: say "Oh, no!  You've lost your red English binder.  But here comes your teacher.  Perhaps he's seen it.  

'Maybe,' he says.  'I just locked a binder in the filing cabinet in Room A-221.  See if it's yours.  You'll have to find the key first, though.  I'm not quite sure where I left it.'

  You find your way to A-221 to begin the search."  

Instead of attacking Jeff:
say "You have been suspended from school for violent behavior.";
end the game saying "And you have failed to recover your binder."  

Instead of asking Jeff about “the key”:
say “It's the key to the filing cabinet.”  

Instead of asking Jeff about “key”:
say “It's the key to the filing cabinet.”  

Instead of giving the key to Jeff:
say "Now Jeff has the key.";
move the key to Jeff.  

Instead of asking Jeff for the key:
say "Now you have the key.";
move the key to the player.  

Instead of taking the binder:
say "As you take the binder, you find that, under it, is a homework pass, made out to you.";
move the pass to the cabinet;
move the binder to the player.

An every turn rule:
if the player is carrying the pass,
end the game in victory.