From: dpn2@po.CWRU.Edu (Damien P. Neil)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.int-fiction
Subject: Re: Intelligence Assumptions
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 06:43:43 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University
NNTP-Posting-Host: b63519.student.cwru.edu

In article <92324.150831MBS110@psuvm.psu.edu> Mark 'Mark' Sachs <MBS110@psuvm.psu.edu> writes:
>----------------------------------------------------
>
>You're flying just above an old, ruined castle. The enclosed courtyard looks
>big enough to land your 'copter in.
>
>> land the helicopter in the courtyard
>
>As you decrease altitude you notice that the castle's courtyard, while big
>enough to accommodate the helicopter, is full of the rubble from collapsed
>towers, and two more of the towers stick out directly in the way of your path.
>Are you sure you want to do this?
>
>> yes
>
>Mistake, mistake, mistake... the helicopter blades clip one of the towers on
>the way down. The 'copter does an amazing midair 180-degree flip and explodes
>with you in it.
>
>*** You have died... ***
>----------------------------------------------------
>
>What is the net.opinion on confirms in adventure games, anyway? While they
>do warn the player of some unobvious deaths, on the other hand they can almost
>always be rewritten out (ie, "You are flying above a castle courtyard, full of
>sharp and dangerous-looking debris from collapsed towers." If the player then
>proceeds to try to land in that, they have no one to blame but themselves when
>the 'copter crashes; alternatively, the computer could just state that the
>courtyard is too dangerous to land in.) Nevertheless, rather than just being
>presented with a message like "It's too dangerous," if the player REALLY
>wants to land in the courtyard, then... Thoughts?

Kill 'em! :-) Seriously, flying a chopper can't be that easy in the first 
place, can it? If someone decides to get wild and crazy with it, they really 
shouldn't be that surprised when things go wrong. Just toss in some 
description to give fair warning.

I really don't like confirms...they interrupt the flow of things too much. I 
would rather be prevented from doing some actions without some reasonably to 
the point syntax -- i.e. "Jump off cliff" rather than "go north". "Land the 
helicopter in the courtyard" is really specific enough that the game should 
go ahead, IMHO.

Besides, just think of what the game would be like with too many confirms...

------------------------------------------------------------
You are standing on the edge of the Pit of the Demon Who Giveth Really
Cool Wishes. From the depths of the pit, the Demon cries, "I'm hungry! Give 
me some food!"

> i

You are carrying a trumpet, a moldy sandwich, a loaf of bread, and a blood 
sausage.

> throw trumpet in pit

You really might want that trumpet someday. Are you sure?

> no

> throw sandwich in pit

Demons have been known to do Really Nasty things to people who displease 
them, and the one down there might not take too kindly to being given moldy 
food. Are you sure you want to throw it in?

> no

> throw bread in pit

The Queen under the Mountain told you that you should bring her the makings 
of a Really Good Sandwich to replace the moldy one she gave you. Are you 
sure you want to throw away the bread?

> no

> throw sausage in pit

Good idea! You hear munching noises from below as the demon devours the 
sausage. He bellows, "Take this jar of mayonnaise with my gratitude, 
mortal!" A jar of mayonnaise appears before you, accompanied by assorted 
neat special effects.

<< Your score just went up! >>

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:-) :-) :-) :-)
+-------------+------------------+---------------------------------+
| Damien Neil | dpn2@po.cwru.edu | Case Western Reserve University |
+-------------+------------------+---------------------------------+