M_ITEMS

M_ITEMS is used for creating "fake objects", what I mean by fake objects
is scenery things that DO NOT have heavy interaction with players but are
for scenery.  Rather than make an entire object for objects that are really
just trivial items, we use M_ITEMS and the add_item() function.

Functions in your setup():

    add_item()     --   This function is where you tell the lib what "fake items"
                        you want to create, and what verbs they interact with.
                        Remember that this is only for trivial items, not for
                        fully interactive, important objects.

                        I figured that an example would be useful here, so I stole
                        Rust's from the room documentation.

Simple Items 

Simple items should be things that were mentioned in your long description that 
are just there for decoration.  You can look at them, but anything else you try 
to do to them will fail.  To make a simple item, call add_item () from your room's
setup() function (you can do this multiple times in a row):

    add_item ("dust", "There is a lot of it!");

If more than one noun describes the same item, you can do this:

    add_item ("horse", "animal", "mare",
               "he doesn't look too interesting.")

Other Items 

You can make slightly more interesting objects with add_item ().
You can give the object adjectives, and make it give error
messages back other than the default, "That doesn't make any
sense!" type of message.  For example, to make an old, faded
sign that you can't read, do the following:

    add_item ("sign", ([ "adjs" : ({ "old", "faded" }),
              "read" : "The sign is too faded to read.",
              "look" : "The sign is very faded.",
              "get"  : "It would probably crumble to dust!",
                      ]) ); 

However, if you actually want to be able to read the sign, or get the sign,
you need to make an object for it.


*** NOTES

     1)  The LIMA mudlib that we distribute will never allow a function pointer
         in an add_item() (i.e. "read" : (: my_func :) ).  The reason for that is
         we removed add_action() for a reason and if we allow a function pointer,
         there is very little difference between that and an add_action().




Last Updated: Friday, April 26, 1996