Blue Lacuna — 279 of 467

Chapter - Beach Cleanliness Subplot

[ The cleanliness of the beach is sort of a metaphor for the blank slate of Progue's mind when the player first meets him. As more and more memories come back, the beach becomes progressively dirtier and dirtier. Below are defined mechanisms to simulate this, describe it, and allow the player to help Progue keep it clean. ]

Cleanliness is a kind of value. The cleanlinesses are spotless, flecked, marred, and strewn. South Beach has a cleanliness. The cleanliness of South Beach is spotless. North Beach has a cleanliness. The cleanliness of North Beach is spotless. Center Beach has a cleanliness. The cleanliness of Center Beach is spotless. Lower Beach has a cleanliness. The cleanliness of Lower Beach is spotless.

To cleanify the beach in (spot - a room):

unless the cleanliness of spot is spotless, now the cleanliness of spot is the cleanliness before the cleanliness of spot.

To dirtify the beach in (spot - a room) to a worst of (level - a cleanliness):

unless the cleanliness of spot >= level, now the cleanliness of spot is the cleanliness after the cleanliness of spot.

Every turn when time-to-adjust-filth is false and falling downtide (this is the dirty the beach rule):

now time-to-adjust-filth is true;

if the psyche of Progue is ignorance or the psyche of Progue is denial:

let clean-level be spotless;

otherwise if the psyche of Progue is fear or the psyche of Progue is suppression:

let clean-level be flecked;

otherwise if the psyche of Progue is uncertainty:

let clean-level be marred;

otherwise:

let clean-level be strewn;

dirtify the beach in South Beach to a worst of clean-level;

dirtify the beach in Center Beach to a worst of clean-level;

dirtify the beach in North Beach to a worst of clean-level.

Every turn when not falling downtide and time-to-adjust-filth is true:

now time-to-adjust-filth is false;

now tired-of-cleaning is 0.

time-to-adjust-filth is a truth state that varies. tired-of-cleaning is a number that varies.

Beach-cleaning is an action applying to one thing. Understand "clean [something]" as beach-cleaning. Check beach-cleaning: say "You brush away some of the dirt and grime, but don't reveal any new details." instead.

Instead of beach-cleaning the nearby beach:

if Progue is attentive and Progue is enclosed by location, say "Not while you're in the middle of talking to [the Progue]." instead;

if location is not regionally in Beachfront, say "The terrain here is too complex to effectively clean." instead;

if tired-of-cleaning > 4, say "Your back and hands are killing you-- you will collapse if you try to do any more cleaning right now." instead;

[if something dramatic is up, say "Now's not a good time for that." instead;]

increase tired-of-cleaning by 1;

pass 68 minutes of time;

say "Working systematically, you scour the beach for impurities. After an hour or so of backbreaking work you have [if cleanliness of location is spotless]found only a handful of material to cast in the ocean; the beach looks more or less as flawless and pristine as it did when you started[otherwise if cleanliness of location is flecked]restored it to a spotless expanse of nothing but smooth, white sand[otherwise if cleanliness of location is marred]removed all the major pieces of debris, leaving only the odd fleck of seaweed or shell to mar its white surface[otherwise]gotten rid of the largest and ugliest pieces of seaweed, but the beach is still strewn with countless smaller leaves, sticks, shells, and other debris[end if].";

cleanify the beach in location;

if Progue is enclosed by location:

say "[one of]'Good work,' [the Progue] says, nodding in satisfaction. 'I do like a clean beach.'[pclikesmore][or]'Excellent! Fantastic!' [the Progue] says. 'Keep it up!'[pcmaybelikesmore][stopping]".

To say pclikesmore: Progue likes you more, silently. To say pcmaybelikesmore: if a random chance of 1 in 3 succeeds, Progue likes you more.