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New kind of Twine game? (sugarcube 2.12)

edited December 2016 in Chit-Chat
I've got a discussion going over on the Quest forum about experimenting with the traditional parser text adventure. My idea is largely influenced and inspired by another member, but I'm now wondering if it's doable in Twine.

In a nutshell all the exits and interactive elements would be included in the description, and at the foot of the screen would be a fixed list of links. For the exits the player simply clicks them, but for objects and such, they first click it (to select it) and then use the menu to interact. One element that would be quite important, would be that the screen doesn't clear on each turn, as per the default functionality, and instead scrolls indefinitely (unless I call a clear screen).

I've knocked up this screenshot to better illustrate my vision.


linksparser.jpg

Comments

  • It could be done, I think. The bottom could be put up as a <<display>> passage with if conditions depending on what you want to do with it? I like this idea.
  • edited December 2016
    Thanks, Gryph. I'm afraid getting this up and running is probably beyond my capabilities (without a lot of help), but I suppose one step at a time is the way forward.

    For what it's worth the links could go in one of the sidebar-set passages. In fact this would make more sense in terms of positioning, especially if they needed to spill onto another line when in the footer as per my image.

    The clever stuff would come when an object in the description is selected and then the 'action' in the sidebar knows which object to apply it to.
  • This looks really sweet. I'd write something using this format in a heartbeat if it ever became available.
  • edited December 2016
    Not sure it needs to become available, Wraithling. I agree with Gryph in that it's probably already doable - it's just a case of figuring out the clever stuff.
  • edited December 2016
    Okay. the Links on the bottom can be done - in it's own special Passage - titled "PassageFooter" or "PassageHeader" in Sugarcube, at the very least. I think you'd have to program conditions for every action/item or whatever you needed. But it is possible through this method, at least. Those Passages are 'added' to the bottom of every Passage, or the Top, depending on Footer or Header.
  • Jud_Casper wrote: »
    In a nutshell all the exits and interactive elements would be included in the description, and at the foot of the screen would be a fixed list of links.
    Doable, though it seems counter to your usual want—not a criticism, just an observation.

    Jud_Casper wrote: »
    For the exits the player simply clicks them, but for objects and such, they first click it (to select it) and then use the menu to interact.
    Also doable, though the contextual menu, which is what you're describing, would need to be written from scratch—could be simple or complicated, depending on what you want it to look like. I'll also note that the latest version of Quest has a similar feature—again, just an observation.

    Jud_Casper wrote: »
    One element that would be quite important, would be that the screen doesn't clear on each turn, as per the default functionality, and instead scrolls indefinitely (unless I call a clear screen).
    That's a problem, as SugarCube doesn't support that at all. Infinite scroll pretty much requires dedicated support within the story format's core.

    There are ways to fake it to a degree—though doing so requires decent knowledge of SugarCube, the DOM, and JavaScript—however, that would only work within a singular play session and you'd have to give up the ability to navigate the story history. In particular, if the player's browser reloaded for any reason or they loaded a save, then they'd lose all of their accumulated "history"—meaning the onscreen infinite scroll bit.
  • edited December 2016
    Yes, quite different to my usual want, but I'm very changeable :)

    If by contextual menu you mean the links across the footer, then I'd like them to look pretty much as per my screenshot. They could just as well go in the sidebar as previously mentioned.

    I haven't given up on doing this in Quest - just widening my opportunities.

    Mmm, shame. Maybe a rethink in gameplay is required then. Just for the record my reason for wanting to prevent the clear screen is because the player will very often want to do perform more than one action per room (such as examining an object before taking it, or take an object before moving on). I suppose the answer is to have 'take' and 'examine' passages which return them to the room after the action, but as I say a re-think is now required.

    Thank you.
  • Jud_Casper wrote: »
    If by contextual menu you mean the links across the footer, then I'd like them to look pretty much as per my screenshot. They could just as well go in the sidebar as previously mentioned.
    I believe @TheMadExile was talking about the functionality of those links, not where on the page they appear or what they look like.

    You want those action links to be aware of what item/person link on the page had been clicked on previously, this requires a custom system to be written.

    eg. if the player clicks on an item like chest before clicking on the open action the code behind that action link needs to know if the selected item can be opened and what happens when it is.
  • Yes, this is correct, greyelf - that is what I need it to do.
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