chapter 1 "QCS and Builder Commands"
"QCS" is the Dead Souls Quick Creation system, similar in function
to what other codebases refer to as OLC, or On-Line Creation.
What with muds being text only, QCS has no fancy windowing system.
Using a menu-driven creation system was ruled out quickly due to the
vast complexity of the menus that would be required. Instead, QCS
relies on a few powerful commands.
BUILDER COMMANDS
----------------
home
----
This command magically teleports you to your workroom.
arealist
--------
This lets you see a list of the things you have created. To see
a list of NPC's (or mobs) you've created, type: arealist npc
Other valid categories are: room, object, weapon, armor
areagoto
--------
You can travel directly to rooms you've created. If one of
your rooms' file is, for example, ogre_room1, you can: areagoto ogre_room1
areaclone
---------
This allows you to bring into existence a copy of a thing you've
created. For example, one of the weapons you've made has a file name of golden_sword,
you can make one appear by typing: areaclone golden_sword
dest
----
This destroys one of your created objects. If you're done playing
with a sword, for example, you can: dest sword
Note that this does not delete the file, it just destroys the cloned
copy. Also, it only works on items cloned from files in your area. You
aren't allowed to dest other people's stuff!
reload
------
This destroys the current object and reloads it with its current
code. For example, if your workroom is full of junk and you want to
reset it to its base status, type: reload here
And the room will reset to its default, with the junk gone.
QCS COMMANDS
------------
create
------
This is the command that gets the ball rolling. This command
is what lets you bring a new thing into existence. The things you can
create can be seen by typing "help create". Examples are rooms, weapons,
doors, and so on. We will be reviewing each of those in later chapters.
When you issue this command a generic version of the item you
wish to create appears (or, in the case of a room, appears in the
direction you specify). Once that generic copy materializes, you can
change it to suit your needs using the "modify" command.
modify
------
I tend to regard this command as the heart and soul of QCS. It's
this tool that lets you make your world your own. Your new generic
things are not useful or fun until you modify them. A "generic weapon"
isn't very interesting, but a "mithrilite poleaxe" might be just the
thing to deal with a pesky dragon.
add
---
Creatures, rooms, and containers are capable of storing other
things. Once you make an ogre, you may want to give him a hammer to
wield. After you make that hammer, you use the add command to let
the ogre have that wepon in his permanent inventory.
delete
------
On the other hand, you may be tired of that ogre after a while. If
he is a part of the permanent inventory of a room, you can use the
delete command to remove him permanently. Or if you'd rather he have
a Kill-O-Zap Frogstar blaster rather than a hammer, get rid of the
hammer in his inventory with this command.
copy
----
This is a room-specific command. Rather than write multiple,
nearly identical rooms for large areas, you can use the copy command to
make the room you are almost exactly like any other room you choose,
except for the exits, which remain the same. Handy for big forests,
cell-blocks, twisty mazes of little passages, etc.
initfix
-------
If a thing isn't working right, try to initfix it. "init()" is
an object function that many items need in order to work properly. If
you've run into something that is behaving unexpectedly, run initfix on
it. The trouble just might clear up.
