Blue Lacuna — 301 of 467

Section - Backseat Dooring

[This is a hinty puzzle to give the player more opportunities to get clues about the door.]

Backseat Dooring is a guaranteed urgent triggered denialy episode. The subchange beat is silence. The boredom beat is silence. The bye beat is silence. The abruptbye beat is silence. The icebreaker is bd_intro.

A condition for Backseat Dooring:

if dph_postcolor is spoken or tomorrow-flag is true, rule fails; [Don't need this scene if player's already asked for a hint.]

if the player is in Back Room for at least the third time and lava tunnel door is closed and Jumble is unvisited and the animus of Progue is not resting, rule succeeds.

BD is a thread.

bd_intro is a beat in BD with reaction "'Oh! Trying to get that strange [dc_door1b] open, are you?' he asks. 'Wouldn't bother myself; hasn't been opened in years. Probably doesn't even lead anywhere.'". Check examining by name the lava tunnel door when Progue is attentive: try discussing dc_door1b instead. Check examining by name the arc of small buttons when Progue is attentive: try discussing dc_buttons instead. Check examining by name the small bands of vertical color when Progue is attentive: try discussing dc_doorcolors instead.

Check examining by name the red band when dph_red is available: try discussing dph_red instead. Check examining by name the blue band when dph_blue is available: try discussing dph_blue instead. Check examining by name the yellow band when dph_yellow is available: try discussing dph_yellow instead. Check examining by name the black band when dph_black is available: try discussing dph_black instead. Check examining by name the white band when dph_white is available: try discussing dph_white instead. Check examining by name the green band when dph_green is available: try discussing dph_green instead.

A finishing rule for Backseat Dooring:

ignore the episodes usually end when conversation does rule;

if location is not Back Room, rule succeeds;

if bd_intro is spoken and ( Progue is idle or last beat is bd_banter ) and a random chance of 1 in 5 succeeds, rule succeeds;

if dph_postcolor is spoken or tomorrow-flag is true, rule succeeds;

if the setting of the lava tunnel door is getting close to ltr combination of the lava tunnel door or setting of the lava tunnel door is getting close to rtl combination of the lava tunnel door, rule succeeds. [We don't want him to be around when the door gets opened.]

A completion rule for Backseat Dooring:

if Progue is enclosed by location, say "'Well, that's enough excitement for me,' [the Progue] says. 'Best of luck!'[paragraph break]";

post-conversation processing;

Progue starts fishing;

follow the Progue's motivation rule.

After pushing a lava door button when Progue is enclosed by location and psyche of Progue is denial: if Progue is idle, pre-conversation processing; force discuss bd_banter; continue the action. Instead of getting bored when current episode is Backseat Dooring: force discuss bd_banter.

bd_banter is a repeatable terminal beat in BD with reaction "'[one of]Ooh, good guess![or]Well, that's not the one I'd have pressed, but whatever,[or]I'd try pressing the whale one over and over again, just to see what happens,[or]You don't suppose those buttons have anything to do with this band of colors, do you?[or]Oh, this is exciting![or]Oh! Maybe it's a trap. I'd be careful, were I you,[or]Glad you've found a little project,[in random order]' he says.".