We have already seen how Before... rules can generate implicit actions for the player, so that the player will, for instance, open doors before trying to walk through them. The same can be done for characters other than the player; so for instance:

"IQ Test"

The Donut Shop is a room. "Vibrantly decorated in donut colors: pink, brown, and cream."

Ogg is a man in the Donut Shop. "Ogg is slumped in the corner[if Ogg carries something] with [a list of things carried by Ogg][end if]. He wears a nametag which says 'HELLO MY NAME IS OG.'" Understand "og" as Ogg. Ogg wears a nametag. The description of the nametag is "Sadly misspelled."

The Donut Shop contains a transparent closed openable locked lockable container called a case. The case contains some cake donuts. The donuts are edible.

The matching key of the case is a silver key. The silver key is carried by Ogg.

A persuasion rule for asking someone to try doing something:
    persuasion succeeds.

Before someone opening a locked thing (called the sealed chest):
    if the person asked is carrying the matching key of the sealed chest, try the person asked unlocking the sealed chest with the matching key of the sealed chest;
    if the sealed chest is locked, stop the action.

Before someone taking something which is in a closed container (called the shut chest):
    try the person asked opening the shut chest;
    if the shut chest is closed, stop the action.

The block giving rule is not listed in the check giving it to rules.

Test me with "open case / get donuts / og, get donuts / og, give me the donuts / eat donuts".

(A more detailed set of before rules for people using doors and locks is provided in Emily Short's Locksmith extension.)

It will sometimes be handy to write actions that are only available to the non-player characters and not to the player. To do this, we just define an action which has no "understand": the player will never be able to specify this command himself, but other characters can try it.

This is particularly useful for creating abstract or general actions for when we want a character to eat something, wear something, or go somewhere, but aren't too particular as to what the object is; as here, where we just want Clark to move away from the kryptonite, regardless of direction:

"The Man of Steel"

Escaping is an action applying to nothing.

Carry out someone escaping:
    let space be the holder of the person asked;
    let place be a random room which is adjacent to the space;
    let way be the best route from the space to the place;
    try the person asked going way.

Every turn:
    if Clark Kent can see kryptonite, try Clark Kent escaping.

The Daily Planet Newsroom is a room.

Perry White's Office is west of the Newsroom. In Perry White's Office are a desk and a poster of Elvis. On the desk is a lead-lined box. The box is openable. In the box is the green kryptonite crystal.

The Supply Closet is east of the Newsroom. The Elevator Bank is north of the Newsroom.

Clark Kent is a man in the Newsroom. "Clark [if Clark can see the kryptonite]looks a bit ill[otherwise]is here, frowning as he revises his latest article[end if]."

Test me with "west / get box / east / close box / east / west / north / south / west".

Report rules can be a good point at which to add local color: while Inform provides default descriptions of character behavior, these are rather generic and can stand to be customized.

For instance, if we wanted to liven up our previous Clark Kent example:

Report Clark Kent going a direction (called the way):
    say "[one of]With a particularly weak excuse[or]Muttering[at random] about [random excuse subject], Clark heads [way]." instead.

To say random excuse subject:
    choose a random row in the Table of Lame Excuses; say "[reply entry]".

Table of Lame Excuses
reply
"needing a paper-clip"
"wanting an English-Tuvalu dictionary"
"walking a neighbor's dog"
"hearing air-raid sirens"
"having drunk too much coffee"
"thinking he smells smoke"
"wondering where Lois got to"
"needing to speak to Jimmy"
"noticing the Good Year blimp"

It's good to be careful, as the library report rules have been designed and tested to describe every contingency (going through doors, going in vehicles, etc.): so when replacing a report rule, we should try to consider all the possible variations of the action that we might want to describe.

However, in this case, our scenario is so simple that there are no doors, vehicles, or pushable objects, so we're safe in giving Clark a very simple reporting scheme.

"Boston Cream"

Use scoring.

The Donut Shop is a room. "Vibrantly decorated in donut colors: pink, brown, and cream."

Ogg is a man in the Donut Shop. "Ogg is slumped in the corner[if Ogg carries something] with [a list of things carried by Ogg][end if]. He wears a nametag which says 'HELLO MY NAME IS OG.'" Understand "og" as Ogg. Ogg wears a nametag. The description of the nametag is "Very neatly written."

The Donut Shop contains a transparent closed openable locked lockable enterable container called a case. The case is fixed in place. The case contains some cake donuts, some jelly donuts, and some apple fritters. "The [if unopenable]damaged[otherwise]gleaming[end if] donut case [if something is in the case]contains [a list of things in the case][otherwise]has been stripped of its contents[end if]." The cake donuts, the jelly donuts, and the apple fritters are edible.

The matching key of the case is a silver key. The silver key is in a mesh basket. The mesh basket is closed, transparent, and openable. It is in the Donut Shop.

Before someone taking something which is carried by the player:
    if the person asked cannot touch the player:
        say "Ogg looks with a fixed frown at [the noun].";
        continue the action;
    say "[The person asked] comes up and shakes your arm until you drop [the noun].";
    say line break;
    silently try dropping the noun;
    stop the action.

Before someone unlocking a locked thing with something which is not carried by the person asked:
    try the person asked taking the second noun;
    stop the action.

Before someone opening a locked thing (called the sealed chest):
    if the person asked can see the matching key of the sealed chest:
        if the matching key of the sealed chest is enclosed by the sealed chest:
            say "Seeing the paradoxical location of [the matching key of the sealed chest], [the person asked] gives a howl of rage.";
            increment the score;
            end the story finally saying "You have thwarted Ogg";
        otherwise:
            try the person asked unlocking the sealed chest with the matching key of the sealed chest;
        stop the action.

Before someone taking something which is in a closed container (called the shut chest):
    try the person asked opening the shut chest;
    stop the action.

Ogg has a number called hunger. The hunger of Ogg is 0.

Every turn:
    increment the hunger of Ogg;
    if the hunger of Ogg is 2 and Ogg is visible, say "Ogg's stomach growls.";
    if the hunger of Ogg is 3 and Ogg is visible:
        if Ogg can see an edible thing (called the target):
            say "Ogg eyes [the target] with obvious intent.";
        otherwise:
            say "Ogg glances at you in a disturbingly shifty way.";
    if the hunger of Ogg is greater than 3:
        if Ogg carries an edible thing (called the target):
            try Ogg eating the target;
        otherwise:
            let new target be a random edible thing which can be seen by Ogg;
            if the new target is a thing:
                try Ogg taking the new target;
            otherwise:
                if Ogg can touch the player, end the story saying "Ogg is gnawing your ankle";
                otherwise try Ogg taking the player.

The crumbs are a thing. "Crumbs of [the list of edible things which cannot be seen by the player] lie scattered over the whole floor."

Instead of asking Ogg to try doing something when Ogg cannot touch the player:
    say "Ogg tilts his head and shrugs, unable to hear your instruction clearly."

Instead of asking Ogg to try eating something:
    say "It's not as though Ogg really needs any encouragement in that department, is it?"

Definition: Ogg is hungry if the hunger of Ogg is greater than 2.

Persuasion rule for asking Ogg to try doing something: if Ogg is hungry, persuasion fails; persuasion succeeds.

Persuasion rule for asking Ogg to try giving something edible to the player:
    persuasion fails.

Unsuccessful attempt by Ogg doing something:
    if the reason the action failed is a failing listed in the Table of Ogg Retorts:
        say "[reply entry][paragraph break]";
    otherwise:
        say "Ogg looks adorably confused."

Table of Ogg Retorts

failing	reply
can't take people's possessions rule	"'Ogg too polite.'"
can't take other people rule	"'Ogg not that greedy.'"
can't take scenery rule	"'[The noun] very very heavy.'"
can't take what's fixed in place rule	"'[The noun] very heavy."
can't drop what's not held rule	"'Hunh?'"

Carry out Ogg eating an edible thing:
    move the crumbs to the holder of Ogg;
    now the hunger of Ogg is 0.

Report Ogg unlocking something with something:
    say "Ogg struggles a bit with [the second noun] in the lock of [the noun], but does eventually succeed. 'Hunh!' says Ogg.";
    stop the action.

Carry out Ogg opening the case when the case has been open:
    now the case is unopenable.

Instead of closing the unopenable case:
    say "The glass panels are no longer properly seated in their tracks, and the case cannot be closed ever again."

Report Ogg opening the unopenable case:
    say "Ogg forces [the case] so hard that it does break.";
    stop the action.

Report Ogg opening the case:
    say "Ogg yanks [the noun] open with such force that you fear for its structural integrity.";
    stop the action.

Report Ogg taking something edible:
    say "Ogg acquires [the noun] with a look of tender affection.";
    stop the action.

Report Ogg eating something:
    say "Ogg chows down on [the noun], scattering crumbs in all directions.";
    stop the action.

Report Ogg eating something when the number of visible edible things is 1:
    say "Ogg eats [the noun] in his trademark style. You can no longer bear to watch.";
    stop the action.

After entering the case:
    say "You climb inside the case, folding yourself up uncomfortably."

After locking the case with something when the player is in the case:
    say "You turn the key firmly in the lock -- amazing it locks from within, but it does -- and settle yourself for a long wait, hoping this thing is not air-tight."

The maximum score is 1.

Test me with "open mesh / get key / unlock case / open case / enter case / close case / lock case / wait / wait".