Sand-dancer in Dialog

This is a re-implementation of Aaron Reed's Sand-dancer, in Dialog.

Initially, I intended to follow along with his book, chapter by chapter, creating a roughly equivalent implementation using Dialog, and even tag it chapter by chapter. However, that turned out to not be a viable approach and for the most part, I changed to scanning through the Inform7 source instead.

Virtually all of the Aaron Reed's Final Version of Sand-dancer is implemented here. A number of changes were necessary, for example, new comment dialog was needed for Knock's side of conversations with the spirit animals, and I hope I've mimicked Aaron's style sufficiently. I also chose not to override the default narration.

Special thanks to Daniel Stelzer for working out how to handle some complex parsing needed to tune the radio, using his kinds of value extension.

Currently tested against Dialog 0m/01.

History

v8 - UNRELEASED

• Switch to v0.6 of Threaded Conversation library

v7 - 4 Oct 2020

• Fix the "sticky implicit verb" bug
• Shorten time lost in desert waiting for shadow to re-appear
• Identity boarded up door as reason can't go NE from Crumbling Concrete
• Describe smell in burrow, and smell of rabbit
• Describe the roots in the burrow
• Prevent climb roots in burrow with a reasonable message
• Tweak text during chase if Knock holds courage
• Describe the huge barrel as a hint on what to do
• Add and fix a number of hints
• Prevent hint about opening cage from repeating after the cage is opened
• Add a little segue before the Coyote reveals his talents
• Add explanation for wear blanket
• Tweak some text during sand-dancers arrival
• Model the door after opening the cage
• Disambiguate open can when rusty tin can is present
• Make room names proper, for look <dir>
• Have the figure, in temptation, be south-east (to encourage player to go there)
• Make the burrow inherently dark
• Require five brooded memories before opening the photo
• Note that the sand is like mud during rainstorm
• Better hint text that Rabbit wants memories
• Support trading more than one memory at a time
• Prevent heap error in aamachine when trading more than one memory at a time

v6 - 2 Oct 2020

• Package up the web page with cover images, IF guide, etc.
• Override default smell to reflect the desert and current location or scene
• Beef up text and actions related to getting the gas can
• Model the radio better if attacked during sinister voices
• Customize listen to radio during sinister voices
• Streamline pacing in chase and fight scenes

v5 - 30 Sep 2020

• When brooding about an object, name the memory with "your"
• Remove the fragments of glass object from crumbling concrete
• Lots more hints about breaking the pane of glass
• Provide a hint about consulting when you read the guidebook
• Fix bug in tune radio
• Model the dial on the radio, and redirect turn dial to tune radio
• Electrical panel is now modeled, redirect switch on/off to the emergency lights
• Add cover art
• You can now light webs or burn webs (but still need courage)
• Prevent player from tuning or switching off radio while talking with voice
• Prevent player from wandering into desert the first time before being ready
• Prevent player from returning to desert until temptation scene
• Prevent player from returning to desert after coyotes offer
• Before entering desert, turn on the flashlight if held
• Prevent entering the desert during the rainstorm scene
• Add "coyotes" as synonym of "coyote" in the guide book
• Add open <object> with <object> as a synonym of unlock <object> with <object>
• Automatically open the photo (if nearby) after retrieving four memories, if it was previously examined
• Need to open photo before Sand-dancer's arrival can trigger
• Better flavor text moving between rooms during Sand-dancer's arrival
• You can now omit the khz suffix when tuning the radio, e.g., tune radio to 104.3

v4 -- 27 Sep 2020

• Add a custom beat for Sand-Dancer
• Say "the memory of" when narrating a trade
• Add a custom beat for coyote
• Add description of tower
• Prevent disambiguation about tower in Base of Tower room
• Door now exists on both sides
• Don't use the Rabbit's beat with other characters
• light lighter now does something
• Don't reveal truck's damage until examined

v3 -- 19 Sep 2020

• Prevent "You go west" messages during pursuit scene
• Add a brood command that prompts for a memory
• Identify that it is memories in emotional baggage
• Give Rabbit a custom quip beat
• Customize the out of reach message for the blanket
• Customize the message for you can't climb the shelves
• Add a description for the cans of food

v2 -- 17 Sep 2020

• Fix a number of typos
• Fix false failure when trading with Coyote
• Fix opener not recognized as can opener
• Fix wrong response to 'give baggage to lizard'
• Add smoke command that prompts for what to smoke
• Keep player informed about number of cigarettes left, after smoking
• Fix get out to exit truck
• Add light and light up as synonyms of smoke

v1 -- 13 Sep 2020

Initial release.

License

Released under the terms of the Apache Software License, 2.0.