Day 2 started with custom commands and made use of the attributes the tutorials had me create yesterday. Again the tutorials were pretty straightforward although again, there is a need to underline the importance of syntax. Using the attributes and commands, I was able to set responses to a group of attributed objects and equally as important, appropriate responses for all non-attributed objects.
Now for more things to do with objects. Time to bring Bob back to life I guess. So here was my first real interaction with the gamer or player. The tutorial took me through the process of creating an object that has a bespoke purpose. Basically, I was learning how to create ‘an object flag,’ a way of accessing an attribute of an object, in this case Bob. Using the defibrillator to revive and “flag” Bob as alive. Now I can see how this is a crucial feature of Quest and I am sure it is a staple of most adventures. Giving, asking and telling, work in pretty much the same way.
Now here was the issue…. I created the defibrillator, and the responses to Bob being revived but I wanted to add a little ‘dark humour.’ I wanted to zap poor old Bob a second time and I expected my players to be as sinister, and I wanted to be ready…. To add to the difficulty, the outcome was linked to the players ability to question Bob’s about the cause of his horrific heart attack. This coding conundrum took far too long to solve and I struggled. For me, that is a plus point for Quest, it means students will struggle and a ‘struggle’ is an opportunity for learning, debate, facilitation and ultimately success. It may only be a five step solution but boy was I proud of myself.
If a player now revives Bob and decides to double zap poor old Bob they will be meet with this sarcastic response, but hopefully engaging response,
Hey ease up there electro boy!
From there on in, giving an object and the ask/tell options were pretty straight forward. With the cause of Bob’s heart attack revealed through simply asking Bob what happened…
A cheeseburger, pizza and ice cream pie, smothered in bacon, which I’d washed down with a bucket of coffee and six cans of Red Bull.
Using containers really benefits from the menu tree in Quest 5 as objects can be created and positioned a lot quicker than in INFORM7 for example. Open, closed, lockable, surfaces, transparency, when to show contents, was all straight forward. Just two points to consider. It is very tempting to fill containers with object, but remember that all objects created need to be consider and implemented properly. Second, consider how the open, closed container might impact on the environment. For example an open door may let in light or sound.
At the end of Day 2 I am confident that I have enough resource to create a very playable game and yet I understand that I am but 10% into project Quest 5.
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