The primary active contact any player will have with the weather & time system will be when descing rooms. Players with some coding experience might want to look into using the various functions (see +WT) for descing other things than rooms. They could, for example, be used as switches in character descs.
In most cases (unless a player has been assigned to work on public rooms and for this purpose been given access to the relevant ZMO), players will not own or control the room they will be descing. This means that the room will first need to be setup with the correct parent by the Admin. Indoor rooms to either #54 (for windowless rooms) or #55 (for rooms with windows) and outdoor rooms will be set to #57. It also means that the descs will need to be submitted to the Admin so that the Admin can add them to the rooms.
The desc of each parent room is setup to evaluate a number of different desc components. For example, rooms parented to #55 will evaluate the attributes PRE-DESC, <LIGHTING>-DESC, POST-DESC, WINDOW-PREFIX and OUTSIDE-DESC. You can use all of these components, any combination of them or just one of them, that’s how flexible the system is. However, unless you have been instructed to do otherwise (for example, if your room is setup to always have an artificial light), use all of the desc parts except for possibly the PRE-DESC. To turn off any desc component that you won’t be using, use &<NAME>-DESC here=, for example &PRE-DESC here=. If it seems like a lot to write, keep in mind that descs for some lighting conditions (like NIGHT-DESC) can be very brief.
The PRE-DESC and the POST-DESC are entirely static and the standard on the game is to use the PRE-DESC to give a general introduction to or overview of a room and to use the POST-DESC to describe prominent exits. The main part of the desc should go in the <LIGHTING>-DESC, which varies depending on the lighting conditions (such as the time of the day, or the presence of artificial lighting or moonlight). It is suggested that players first write one of these variable descs and then adapt this desc for the other variations. For example, write your DAY-DESC first and make small changes for the rest of the <LIGHTING>-DESCs.
The variable descs also include the OUTSIDE-DESC, which varies with the weather, but unless told otherwise players can just use the standard which evaluates pre-made snippets of text.
&PRE-DESC here=One of the parts of the description that never changes, the other is POST-DESC.
&ARTIFICIAL-LIGHT-DESC here=What the room looks like by firelight, torchlight, etc., at any time of day.
&DARK-DESC HERE=What the room looks like when unlit.
For instructions on how to turn artificial lighting in a room on and off, see +WT +LIGHT.
&INSTRUCTIONS here= to turn these instructions off. You can suppress any other part of the description the same way, e.g.: &<NAME>-DESC here=.
Children of the Windowless Indoor Parent Room hear audible effects produced by the Storm Generator, but get no visuals.
Keep in mind that at any given time, either ARTIFICIAL-LIGHT-DESC or DARK-DESC is displayed, but never both.
&PRE-DESC here=Dark and small, the entrance hallway is not a particularly inviting part of the old keep. It is kept bare and simple so as not to obstruct traffic going to more worthwhile parts of the keep. The stone walls are decorated with only two hangings, one a large banner showing the arms of House Targaryen, the other an aged tapestry depicting Aegon the Conqueror and his sisters, Visenya and Rhaenys.
&ARTIFICIAL-LIGHT-DESC here=When the broad entry way doors are opened, sunlight can spill naturally past the threshold to illuminate the hallway. The tapestry that dominates one of the walls is more vibrant then. More usually, however, the doors are shut, and then only a few torches in brazen sconces afixed to the walls provide any worthwhile light. Flickering shadows pool in the corners, for the flames are constantly dancing thanks to a draft that seems never-ending.
&DARK-DESC here=With torches doused, the entrance hallway is dark and gloomy. A lone torch or candle might reveal something of the walls or the floor, or show a glimpse of the large banner and tapestry hanging on opposite walls, but for the most part it’s black as pitch. Perhaps on moonlit nights, a little of that light manages to pass through cracks in the entry way, but it barely relieves the oppressive darkness.
&POST-DESC here=The hallway continues on northwards, to where it eventually opens into the great hall of the keep. A passage leading westwards passes a flight of stairs that leads to the second floor.
&LIGHTSOURCE here=0
&LIGHT-OFF-MSG here=[name(%0)] douses the oil-lamps.
&LIGHT-ON-MSG here=[name(%0)] lights the oil-lamps.
&PRE-DESC here=One of the parts of the description that never changes, the other is POST-DESC.
&DAY-DESC here=What the room looks like by natural daylight. Overrides artificial light and portable light.
&ARTIFICIAL-LIGHT-DESC here=What the room looks like by firelight, torchlight, etc., at night. Overrides moon light.
&MOON-LIGHT-DESC here=What the room looks like at night when the weather is fair or clear and the moon is full.
&NIGHT-DESC here=What the room looks like at night with no artificial light sources and no moon light.
&WINDOW-PREFIX here=Some phrase that lets the viewer know that they’re looking through a window, door, etc., at something outside. For example: ‘Through the window, you can see that ‘. Used by the Storm Generator.
&OUTSIDE-DESC here=A description of what the viewer sees when they look out, for example: [u(window-prefix)] [u(#51/lowercase-short-weather)]. Or [u(window-prefix)] [u(#51/lowercase-long-weather)].
For instructions on how to turn artificial lighting in a room on and off, see +WT +LIGHT.
&INSTRUCTIONS here= to turn these instructions off. You can suppress any other part of the description the same way, e.g.: &<NAME>-DESC here=.
Children of the Windowed Indoor Parent Room receive both visual and audible effects from the Storm Generator.
Keep in mind that at any given time, either DAY-DESC, ARTIFICIAL-LIGHT-DESC, MOON-LIGHT-DESC or NIGHT-DESC is displayed, but never more than one.
&PRE-DESC here=A large, well-furnished room with a window over-looking the courtyard below.
&DAY-DESC here=Daylight streams in through the window.
&ARTIFICIAL-LIGHT-DESC here=The light from the oil-lamps on the walls illuminate the room now.
&MOON-LIGHT-DESC here=Only the light from the moon in the dark sky illuminates the room now.
&NIGHT-DESC here=With no moon in the sky, nor other light available, the room lies dark.
&POST-DESC here=A heavy door of age-darkened wood leads out into the hall beyond.
&OUTSIDE-DESC here=[u(window-prefix)] [u(#51/lowercase-long-weather)]
&WINDOW-PREFIX here=Outside
&LIGHTSOURCE here=0
&LIGHT-OFF-MSG here=[name(%0)] douses the oil-lamps.
&LIGHT-ON-MSG here=[name(%0)] lights the oil-lamps.
&PRE-DESC here=One of the parts of the description that never changes, the other is POST-DESC.
&SPRING-DAY-DESC here=What the place is like during a spring day.
&SPRING-NIGHT-DESC here=What the place is like during a spring night.
And so on. The variations are SPRING-DAY-DESC, SPRING-NIGHT-DESC, SUMMER-DAY-DESC, SUMMER-NIGHT-DESC, AUTUMN-DAY-DESC, AUTUMN-NIGHT-DESC, WINTER-DAY-DESC, and WINTER-NIGHT-DESC.
Don’t put things that are only true in specific weather conditions in the descriptions listed above; it’ll look funny if you describe a blue sky and the weathermaker comes up with rain.
&WEATHER-DESC here=[u(#51/short-weather)] or [u(#51/long-weather)]. You can also add [u(#51/tree-weather)] or any other environmental weather descriptions that have been written. To use the environmental effects, do something like &WEATHER-DESC here=[u(#51/short-weather)] [u(#51/tree-weather)]
&MOON-DESC here=Describe the [u(#53/moon-phase)] moon as it shines on the scenery at night.
&INSTRUCTIONS here= to turn these instructions off. You can suppress any other part of the description the same way, e.g.: &<NAME>-DESC here=.
&HEAR-WEATHER-EMITS here=0 turns the sunrise, sunset, etc. messages from the emits bank off; clearing the attribute turns them on (default) again.
&HEAR-TIDE-EMITS here=1 turns the tide emits on; clearing the attribute turns them off (default) again.
Remember to not put things that are true only in specific weather conditions in the <SEASON>-<TIME>-DESC. If the seasonal variations are small, it is possible to have one attribute simply reference another. For example, &SPRING-DAY-DESC here=[u(SUMMER-DAY-DESC)].
&PRE-DESC here=This dusty village square is small, surrounded by shabby buildings. The only notable adornment is an old gallows, rusted chains drooping down.
&SPRING-DAY-DESC here=Birds sing the songs of spring, while beyond the square the fresh green of leafy trees can be seen.
&SPRING-NIGHT-DESC here=Quiet for the most part, the occasional bark of laughter or shout of anger can be heard from the residents, and the decrepit inn sees the occasional visitor.
&SUMMER-DAY-DESC here=Summer’s ease gives the village a pleasant aspect, even as it intensifies the stench of the manure pile by the inn’s stables.
&SUMMER-NIGHT-DESC here=Crickets chirp when the weather permits, a counterpoint to the occasional sounds of humanity coming from the houses.
&AUTUMN-DAY-DESC here=With autumn rains comes mud, turning the square into a veritable sea. Trails in the mud reveal human traffic.
&AUTUMN-NIGHT-DESC here=The square, turned muddy by autumn rain, is deserted as the weather turns more chill. Only occasionally are people seen or heard.
&WINTER-DAY-DESC here=The square, alternately muddy and snow-covered, is bare of people standing about for their pleasure. Most of the villagers are busy with their own affairs.
&WINTER-NIGHT-DESC here=The silent square, muddy or snow-covered as weather demands, shows no signs of life. Winter has set its grip and has left the villagers uninterested in night outings.
&POST-DESC here=The chief of the shabby structures around the square is a small inn to the northwest, bearing a battered sign above its door. The road cuts through to east and west.
&WEATHER-DESC here=[u(#51/long-weather)] (or [u(#51/tree-weather)])
&MOON-DESC here=From high above, the [u(#53/moon-phase)] moon shines down on the landscape.
Category:System -> WeatherTime
