'if' / 'else' minefield!

Jud_Casper · November 2016

Can someone please decipher this and tell me where I'm going wrong? I want the same passage's description to change if the camp fire is lit, but I also have to try and juggle a plethora of other conditions.

When I run this I don't get any error messages, but the descriptions are all to cock. Sometimes I get two 'firepit' (a dead one and a live one), and sometimes the description just stops mid-sentence as I to and fro between the passages.

<<if $fireLit>>It's not much comfort, but some heat does begin to radiate from the flames. <<if $hasRawMeat>>The embers are hot enough to cook on.<</if>> The<<if $hasRawMeat>> traps<<else>>traps are set in the forest.<</if>><<else>>A forest clearing. Freezing tempertures setting in. All the trees are either dead or dying and <<if $hasWood>>dead wood<<else>>dead wood<</if>> litters the floor. A dead <<if $hasWood and not $isfireLit>><<click "firepit">><<goto "Outside">><<set $fireLit to true>><</click><<else>>firepit is nearby and the <<if $hasRawMeat>> traps have been checked.<</if>><<else>>traps<</if>> are set in the forest.
<<if $isFireLit>><<audio "fire_crackling" loop play>><</if>>
<<audio "out_side" loop play>><</if>>

Thanks in advance.

TheMadExile · November 2016

Please use the code tag when you're posting code—it's C on the editor bar.

I'd strongly suggest using line continuations or the <<nobr>> macro, either of which will allow you to break <<if>> mazes like that up a bit, thus making it easier to figure out what's happening.

Your primary issues seem to be:

Your <<if>> logic is a bit wonky in a few places and simply broken in others.
You're missing one of the right angle brackets on the closing <</click>> tag. Also, <</click>> is deprecated, I'd suggest using its replacement, the <<link>> macro, instead.
You're using <<goto>> when you don't need to and using it improperly to boot. If you're going to use it within a <<link>>/<<button>> (or <<click>>) it should be the very last thing.
You're repeating virtually identical trap logic whether $fireLit is true or not. I'd suggest moving it outside so that you aren't repeating it.

NOTE: If $fireLit is initially false, you'll end up with both audio tracks, "out_side" and "fire_crackling", playing once the player lights the fire pit. I'm unsure if that's intentional or not, but I figured that I'd mention it just in case.

Try something like the following: (using line continuations for readablity)

<<if $fireLit>>
\  <<audio "fire_crackling" loop play>>
\  It's not much comfort, but some heat does begin to radiate from the flames.
\  <<if $hasRawMeat>>The embers are hot enough to [[cook]] on.<</if>>
\<<else>>
\  <<audio "out_side" loop play>>
\  A forest clearing. Freezing tempertures are setting in. All the trees are either dead or dying and <<if $hasWood>>dead wood<<else>>[[dead wood]]<</if>> litters the floor.
\  A dead <<if $hasWood>><<link "firepit" "Outside">><<set $fireLit to true>><</link>><<else>>firepit<</if>> is nearby.
\<</if>>
\  The <<if $hasRawMeat>>traps have been checked<<else>>[[traps]] are set in the forest<</if>>.

Jud_Casper · November 2016

Thank you for taking the time to do this. It works perfectly and is a lot easier on the eye than my jumbled mess.

The two audio track playing at the same time is intentional and you've also answered my next question. When I play tested the other day the fire audio didn't kick in and I was wondering if it wasn't possible to play two track at the same time.

Now that I know my code was all broken that probably explains it, and both do play with your revised version.

Howdy, Stranger!

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'if' / 'else' minefield!

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