Dinner at the Long Branch Saloon — 3 of 27

Chapter 2 - Dialogue

A person has a table-name called topic list. The topic list of a person is usually the Table of Default Topics.

A person has a text called the default greeting.

The current interlocutor is a person that varies.

Understand "ask [someone] about/for [any thing]" as interrogating it about. Interrogating it about is an action applying to two objects.

Understand "tell [someone] about [any thing]" as interrogating it about.

Understand "ask [someone] about [any building]" as interrogating it about.

Check interrogating someone about something (this is the Never ask about unknown subjects rule):

if the second noun is unknown, say "You don't what to say about [the second noun]." instead.

Carry out interrogating someone about a building (this is the Ask about buildings rule):

if the current interlocutor is not the noun:

say "[the default greeting of the noun][paragraph break]";

now the current interlocutor is the noun;

let the current list be the topic list of the noun;

if the second noun is an item listed in the current list:

say "[reply entry][paragraph break]";

otherwise:

let pronoun be "[if the current interlocutor is male]he[otherwise if the current interlocutor is female]she[otherwise]it[end if]";

say "You ask [the current interlocutor] if [pronoun] can tell you anything about [the second noun], but [pronoun] suggests you go [best route from the location to the second noun] to see for yourself."

Carry out interrogating someone about something:

if the current interlocutor is not the noun:

say "[the default greeting of the noun][paragraph break]";

now the current interlocutor is the noun;

let the current list be the topic list of the noun;

if the second noun is an item listed in the current list:

say "[reply entry][paragraph break]";

otherwise:

say "You start talking about [the second noun], but [the current interlocutor] shakes [if the current interlocutor is male]his[otherwise if the current interlocutor is female]her[otherwise]its[end if] head. [one of]'I don't know anything about that.'[or]'I'm not sure what I could tell you about that.'[at random]";

Himself is a subject. Understand "name" or "his name" or "her name" or "herself" or "itself" as himself.

Instead of interrogating someone (called the target) about himself:

try interrogating the target about the target.

Table of Default Topics

Understand "talk to [someone]" as a mistake ("[italic type]Try to ASK [the noun] ABOUT something[roman type].")

Understand the commands "show" and "display" and "present" as something new. Understand "show [something] to [someone]" or "display [something] to [someone]" or "present [something] to [someone]" as interrogating it about (with nouns reversed). Understand "show [someone] [something]" as interrogating it about.