Blue Lacuna — 278 of 467

Chapter - Scheduling

[ Some episodes are really multi-part affairs, where Progue first negotiates a meeting with the player at a certain time, and then, if the player shows, the scene commences. So as not to confuse things, we schedule the second part through a table that tracks (a maximum of 2) future appointments. If it's time or almost time for a scheduled episode, new scenes won't be triggered.

When the appointed time arrives, we begin the episode; if it's a rendezvous episode, Progue should go to the appropriate spot and begin conversation automatically; if the player misses the episode, after its defined expiration time its completion rule can do stuf.

This proves useful in other ways: we have Progue call out a reminder to the player about future appointments when conversations end, for example.]

Table of Progue's Appointment Book

To decide whether Progue has free time:

if the number of blank rows in Table of Progue's Appointment Book > 0, yes;

no.

To decide whether Progue has pending appointments:

repeat through Table of Progue's Appointment Book begin;

let moment be date entry;

if ( current interval is moment or the interval before current interval is moment ) and the episodic status of event entry is unaired, decide yes;

end repeat;

decide no.

To decide whether Progue is booked for (int - an interval):

if there is a date of int in Table of Progue's Appointment Book, yes;

no.

To decide whether Progue is booked for (ev - an episode):

if there is an event of ev in Table of Progue's Appointment Book, yes;

no.

To schedule Progue for (ev - an episode) at (int - an interval):

if the number of blank rows in Table of Progue's Appointment Book > 0 begin;

choose a blank row in Table of Progue's Appointment Book;

now date entry is int;

now event entry is ev;

if Progue is being debugged, say "// Progue: scheduled [ev] for [int].";

otherwise;

if Progue is being debugged, say "// Progue ERROR: could not schedule [ev] for [int] because appointment book is full.";

end if.

Every turn when the number of filled rows in Table of Progue's Appointment Book > 0 (this is the check Progue's appointment book rule):

if Progue is being debugged, say "// Progue: checking appointment book.";

if there is a date of current interval in Table of Progue's Appointment Book begin;

choose row with a date of current interval in Table of Progue's Appointment Book;

begin event entry;

blank out the whole row;

end if.

To unbook Progue for (ev - an episode):

choose row with an event of ev in Table of Progue's Appointment Book;

blank out the whole row.