Talking with Inventory

While future episodes of the game have a new and more robust conversation system, this episode takes advantage of the existing conversation system and expands upon it by integrating it with the inventory system by having inventory actions actually dictate the conversation that happens. This is very simple to implement as all that needs to be done is to use the inventory mode as part of handling the click on Charles.

function talkToCharles()
{
- var invState = inv_movie.getInventoryMode();
- if (invState == O19INV_NORMAL)
  - showDialog("I don't know how you managed to deal with the guardian beast, but Mr. Puck is glad you got him the sun fruit.", "Charles Chink", O19CON_CHARLES, "Oranges", O19CON_ORANGE, "Island", O19CON_ISLAND);
- else if (invState == O19INV_PEN) {
  - havePen = false;
  - haveFlint = true;
  - showDialog("You say that you got this pen in the cockpit of my airplane? Crash? No! The dog-nappers must have sabotaged my plain. They did not know that Mr. Puck was hiding in my plane. I suppose in exchange for this pen, I should give you your flint back.", null, 0, "Continue", O19CON_END, null, 0);
- } else if (invState == O19INV_GPS) {
  - haveGPS = false;
  - gaveGPS = true;
  - showDialog("So that is where I am. Yes, you could raft to shore. If I can help you in some way with your project let me know.", null, 0, "Continue", O19CON_END, null, 0);
- } else {
  - showMessage("I don't think Charles wants that.");
- }
}

The key point to understand here is that sometime existing systems are adequate for ones needs with very little work. Far too often programmers want to re-invent the wheel when all that is needed is the addition of studs or chains to the already existing tires. I am not immune to this re-inventing the wheel problem and as a Not Invented Here type of programmer may have created far more wheels then I needed to.

Chapter 19 Page 5

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