GUI Method for Complex Commands?

[Woodhouse3D]

I'm working on a mystery game that gives you clue items that you can discuss with NPCs. Alongside this, I want to utilize the button based verb system over text input. However, there doesn't seem to be a built in GUI method for verb commands with multiple objects. What is the best way to handle this?

[ThePix]

That is an interesting question!

I have started an RPG game, and in that you do it as two actions. Instead of ATTACK GOBLIN WITH FIREBALL, you TARGET GOBLIN and then CAST FIREBALL. Instead of ATTACK GOBLIN WITH POLEARM you EQUIP POLEARM and then ATTACK GOBLIN. It is simple to code as you just have a few extra commands. For containers, you could have STOW and RETRIEVE commands, and if more than one container is present, offer a menu so the player can select one.

If you want a more flexible system, the first thing to decide is how you expect the user will interact with the UI. That will get significantly more complicated... which is why I did not do it that way.

[Woodhouse3D]

yeah, I've decided to just use text commands. I've basically adopting a new QuestJS philosophy that I should be spending more time working on game content vs wrangling code.

[cellarderecho]

I assume when you say "verb commands with multiple objects", you mean something like show clue to npc, where "clue" and "npc" are the objects, right? If you're not using text input, then it might be easier to simplify the command to show clue and select the NPC in the function that command resolves to. Based on your description, I'd recommend using the respond function, which would fit quite well in this case.

//code.js
new Cmd("Show", {
  regex: /^show (.+)$/,
  objects: [
    { scope: parser.isHeld },
  ],
  defmsg: "{pv:item:'be:true} not something you can do that with.",
})

const CLUE_DICTIONARY = {...TAKEABLE_DICTIONARY};
CLUE_DICTIONARY.afterCreation = function(o) {
  o.verbFunctions.push(function(o, verbList) {
    if (o.isAtLoc(player.name)){
      verbList.push(lang.verbs.drop)
      verbList.push("Show")
      } else {
      verbList.push(lang.verbs.take)
    }
  })
}
CLUE_DICTIONARY.show = function(){
  const characters = scopeHereListed(player, world.PARSER).filter(el => {return el.npc})
  if (characters.length < 1) {
    msg ("There's no one to show that to here.")
    return false
  }
  const clue = this
  showMenu(processText("Show {nm:item:the} to whom?", {item: clue}), characters, function(result){
    const options = { char: player, npc: result, item: clue }
    return respond(options, result.clues)
  })
}
const CLUE = () => CLUE_DICTIONARY;

//data.js
createItem("me", PLAYER(), {
  loc:"lounge",
  synonyms:['me', 'myself'],
  examine: "Just a regular guy.",
})

createRoom("lounge", {
  desc:"The lounge is boring, the author really needs to put stuff in it.",
})

createItem("smoking_gun", CLUE(), {
  alias:"smoking gun",
  loc:"lounge",
  examine:"A recently used firearm."
})

createItem("ima_enpici", NPC(true), { 
  alias:"Ima Enpici",
  loc:"lounge",
  examine:"An NPC to whom you can show a clue.", 
  clues: [
    {
      test:function(options){
        return options.item.alias === "smoking gun"
      },
      script:function(options){
        msg(`{nv:npc:look:true} at {nm:item:the} you're holding. "That's suspicious," {pv:npc:say}.`, options)
      }
    },
    {
      msg:lang.not_interested_for_give,
      failed:true,
    }
  ]
});