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From: goetz@cs.buffalo.edu (Phil Goetz)
Subject: Re: Characters (NPC's) in IF
Message-ID: <Cqu701.AxL@acsu.buffalo.edu>
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References: <Pine.3.87.9406031452.A28912-0100000@sousun1.phys.soton.ac.uk>
Date: Fri, 3 Jun 1994 19:48:01 GMT
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In article <Pine.3.87.9406031452.A28912-0100000@sousun1.phys.soton.ac.uk>,
Max Palmer <mjp@phastr.soton.ac.uk> wrote:
>Hi,
>   this may seem an odd question ... but how do most people out there
>handle characters in their games. I have a number of NPC's in Kalkazor,
>however none of them would understand for example
>
>   Haberdash, take the wax

*** talking about INMATE mode ON ***

If you typed

Tell Mark "Take the wax"

the string in quotes would be handed to the parser, with Mark as the
agent instead of the player.  If it was parsed as a command, the
verb would be checked to see if it was something you could order people
to do (e.g. follow, take, but not drop, give, kill).  If so, the character
would execute it exactly the same way the player would.

If the string didn't parse as a command, it would be given to the
Eliza parser, which could however invoke actions.

*** talking about INMATE mode OFF ***

Phil goetz@cs.buffalo.edu
