How do you get the current path?

[snarlynarwhal]

I tried most properties that have 'string' or 'path' in the name, but most return empty strings or null references. It seems that story.path.ToString() would would work, but it doesn't. I just want to know what knot/stitch the story is currently at.

[joethephish]

This is quite a common question, but the answer is slightly less useful I'm afraid. If you're at the end of a section (i.e. at a choice point) then strictly speaking, the story doesn't actually have a path, since it's "fallen off the end of the story". Take this story for example:

Hello world
<- some_choices
-> DONE

== some_choices
* hi -> elsewhere
* there -> elsewhere

Once you've run the story to the first set of choices, it's inserted them from some_choices, returned back to the main story, hit the -> DONE. Where is the story exactly? Well, nowhere.

Depending on what you're actually interested in, you could take one of the Choice objects that you have, and get the sourcePath property on it - in the above case that would give you a path with some_choices in it.

Potentially we could allow you to get the current path when the story's canContinue property returns true, since it's still in the middle of "line by line evaluation mode". But I'd suggest that perhaps you need to solve your problem a different way?

[snarlynarwhal]

I realized I wanted a very peculiar game flow that I realized using C# and Ink tags. In case you're curious:

1. Store numerous storyline paths in a list and shuffle the list.
2. Choose a storyline from the list at random and remove it from the list.
3. Divert the story to that path and continue the storyline until reaching a path tag
4. Store the path tag in the storyline list for continuing this storyline later on.
5. Repeat steps 2-4 a set number of times, then play an end turn storyline.
6. Repeat until the player reaches an end game scenario.

Oh! And thanks for the explanation!

[joningold]

FWIW, I would do all this inside ink. Ink can stores paths and divert targets in a more human readable way. Jon

…

On Fri, 1 Sep 2017 at 1:15 am, Snarly Narwhal ***@***.***> wrote: I realized I wanted a very peculiar game flow that I realized using C# and Ink tags. In case you're curious: 1. Store numerous storyline paths in a list and shuffle the list. 2. Choose a storyline from the list at random and remove it from the list. 3. Divert the story to that path and continue the storyline until reaching a path tag 4. Store the path tag in the storyline list for continuing this storyline later on. 5. Repeat steps 2-4 a set number of times, then play an end turn storyline. 6. Repeat until the player reaches an end game scenario. — You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#38 (comment)>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AA40ozryc2LspGbctBf6eWPkGPHLngZxks5sd0yVgaJpZM4PDpMl> .

[joethephish]

Would be interested to see your ink solution for this @joningold!

[joningold]

Challenge accepted! The following associates content knots with list entries, and so you do your logic on list entries, and just go to the relevant knot when necessary. I didn't quite understand the design with "hitting path tags and saving for later", but note that if you wanted to leave a scene halfway and pick it up again, you just make a new list entry (HalfEatenPorridge) which diverts into the middle of the eating_porridge knot, and *don't add it to the StoryBeats list until you've eaten half a bowl of porridge.* tl;dr - each list item is a card, on each card is content knot, you add cards when you need to, remove them when you pick them. jon === LIST StoryBeats = (MeetTheBears), (EatThePorridge), (RunLikeCrazy) -> gameLoop === gameLoop ~ temp finishedGame = false - (top) { finishedGame: -> endContent - else: -> startNewStoryBeat -> top } === startNewStoryBeat ~ temp contentKnot = getNewStoryBeat() -> contentKnot ->-> === function getNewStoryBeat() ~ temp beat = LIST_RANDOM(StoryBeats) ~ StoryBeats -= beat { not beat: >> ERROR! Out of story content. Callin' that a win. ~ return -> endContent } ~ return knotForStoryBeat(beat) === function knotForStoryBeat(beat) { beat: - MeetTheBears : ~ return -> meet_the_bears - EatThePorridge: ~ return -> eat_porridge - RunLikeCrazy: ~ return -> run_like_crazy - else: >> ERROR: No story content for beat {beat}. Calling it a win. } // content knots === run_like_crazy * Runnin' ->-> === eat_porridge * Eatin' ->-> === meet_the_bears * Meetin' ->-> === endContent * Endin' -> END === function LIST_RANDOM(list) { list: ~ temp k = RANDOM(1, LIST_COUNT(list)) ~ return LIST_ENTRY_INDEX(list, k) - else: ~ return () } === function LIST_ENTRY_INDEX(list, k) { k == 1: ~ return LIST_MIN(list) - else: ~ k-- ~ list = list - LIST_MIN(list) ~ return LIST_ENTRY_INDEX(list, k) }

…

On Fri, Sep 1, 2017 at 9:59 AM Joseph Humfrey ***@***.***> wrote: Would be interested to see your ink solution for this @joningold <https://github.com/joningold>! — You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#38 (comment)>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AA40oxFUXbdCBYZlye6BT36-2WOKf46oks5sd8eMgaJpZM4PDpMl> .

[joethephish]

Yeah, was fiddling myself and coming up with something similar. Then I hit the snag that we haven't actually defined a LIST_RANDOM (though I see you've nabbed that recursive one from Heaven's Vault... we should probably implement it properly since it seems generally useful, and I imagine that version is a bit slow).

[joethephish]

Oh and I think what @snarlynarwhal meant by "hitting path tags and saving for later" would be implemented something like:

// Only unlock MeetTheBears by default
LIST StoryBeats = (MeetTheBears), EatThePorridge, RunLikeCrazy

// Then, unlock stories at the end of other stories:
=== meet_the_bears
    *   Meetin'
        ~ StoryBeats += (EatThePorridge, RunLikeCrazy)
        ->->

[snarlynarwhal]

Oh wow thanks for the speedy replies and help guys, I appreciate it very much! @joethephish, that's exactly what I meant and @joningold, you nailed it! Thanks for taking the time to write such an extensive example for how I can solve my problem(s) - literally each of my story flow needs, I believe - within Ink. I definitely prefer to encapsulate the story logic inside Ink, so going to migrate the logic from C# to Ink.

PS - I just started using Ink last weekend and have been loving it so far!