Furnishing a Room

A room is more than its description. This page adds the things in it: an object to look at, a lock so it stays where it is, and the messages people see when they try it. It uses only commands every SharpMUSH game has.

The examples follow Marrow, who owns the Lantern Shop (#46), and Tamsin, who is visiting. To dig the room itself, see Letting Your Players Build.

Describing the room

Stand in the room and set its description:

> @desc here=Brass lanterns hang from every beam. A counter runs along the back wall.
Lantern Shop/DESCRIBE - Set.

Adding an object

@create makes a thing and puts it in your hands. Describe it, then drop it to leave it in the room:

> @create Brass lantern
Created: Object #48.
> @desc Brass lantern=A small lantern with a green glass chimney.
Brass lantern/DESCRIBE - Set.
> drop Brass lantern
You drop Brass lantern.
> look
=< Lantern Shop(#46Rn) >======================================================
Brass lanterns hang from every beam. A counter runs along the back wall.
Contents:
Brass lantern
Obvious exits:
Back Room <B>

Each object takes one slot of your building quota, like a room or an exit.

Locking it in place

Anyone can pick up an unlocked object. A lock says who may. me lets only you:

> @lock Brass lantern=me
Brass lantern(#48) - Basic locked.

A lock can name a character, an object someone must carry, a flag, or several of these joined with & (and) and | (or). help @lock lists them all.

Messages for success and failure

Four attributes say what happens when someone tries the lantern. The ones starting with o are seen by everyone else in the room, after the person’s name.

> @succ Brass lantern=You lift the lantern off its hook.
> @fail Brass lantern=It is chained to the counter.
> @ofail Brass lantern=tugs at the lantern, but it is chained down.

When Tamsin tries to take it:

> get Brass lantern
It is chained to the counter.

and Marrow, in the same room, sees Tamsin tugs at the lantern, but it is chained down. When Marrow takes it, Marrow sees You lift the lantern off its hook. Without an @osucc, the room sees the game’s own Marrow takes Brass lantern.

Exits work the same way

An exit takes the same lock and messages. Here the back room’s curtain only lets Marrow through:

> @lock back=me
> @succ back=You duck under the curtain.
> @osucc back=ducks under the curtain into the back room.
> @fail back=The curtain is pinned shut.
> @ofail back=tries the curtain, but it is pinned shut.

When Tamsin tries it, Tamsin gets The curtain is pinned shut. and Marrow sees Tamsin tries the curtain, but it is pinned shut. When Marrow goes back:

> back
You duck under the curtain.
=< Back Room(#49Rn) >=========================================================

and Tamsin, left in the shop, sees Marrow ducks under the curtain into the back room.

@odrop on an exit is what the room on the far side sees when someone comes through:

> @odrop back=comes in from the shop, brushing past the curtain.

Anyone already in the back room sees Marrow comes in from the shop, brushing past the curtain.

A command on an object

An object can carry its own commands. A new object has the NO_COMMAND flag, which turns them off, so clear it first:

> @set Brass lantern=!no_command
Brass lantern - NO_COMMAND reset.
> &CMD`LIGHT Brass lantern=$light lantern:@emit The lantern flares green.
Brass lantern/CMD`LIGHT - Set.
> light lantern
The lantern flares green.

Anyone in the room can now type light lantern. @lock/use Brass lantern=me keeps the command to you. Your first softcode command goes further.

Next steps

• Mapping Your Rooms shows how your rooms connect.
• Letting Your Players Build covers quotas and joining an area to the grid.
• help @lock, help @succ and help @create in the game.