Transit System

Transit System provides a system for trains, buses, ferries, and other vehicles that might make regular stops at different places on the map for the player to mount and dismount. These items must be of the train-car kind, and must provide a table containing their t-schedule, as in

The COTA bus is a train-car in Starr Avenue. The t-schedule of the COTA bus is the Table of Bus t-schedule.

Schedules have the form of a two-column table such as

Table of Bus Schedule

transit time destination

The content of the t-schedule depends on whether the train-car is relatively-scheduled (in which case it repeatedly follows a t-schedule with fixed durations between stops) or absolutely-scheduled (in which case it arrives at specified times and stops its run when the t-schedule is complete).

A t-schedule for a relatively-scheduled train-car might look like

Table of Bus Schedule

transit time destination
1 minute Starr Avenue
1 minute Fourth Street
1 minute Fifth Street
1 minute Ninth Street
3 minutes Seventeenth Street
3 minutes Ninth Street
1 minute Fifth Street
1 minute Fourth Street

where "transit time" is the amount of time it takes to move *to* the destination listed in that row.

A t-schedule for an absolutely-scheduled train-car might look like

Table of Train Schedule

transit time destination
9:01 AM Boston
9:07 AM New York
9:10 AM Philadelphia
9:25 AM Pittsburgh
9:45 AM Chicago

We may also optionally give a train-car a "waiting duration", which is the amount of time it will spend at each stop waiting for people to get on and off. By default, waiting duration is zero, which means that a train-car will arrive at a location and then leave again on the following turn. This may be appropriate for buses but not so much for other kinds of transportation:

The waiting duration of the Virgin Train is 5.
The waiting duration of the Amtrak Train is 15.
The waiting duration of the Washington State Ferry is 45.

Note that schedules are assumed to be cyclical, so if we want a bus that goes back and forth along a straight line, we should make the t-schedule double back on itself: see the first example.

Between stops, a train-car is closed and the player is not allowed to leave. This is handled by the refusal to open while in motion rule.

Text about starting and stopping, and the opening and closing of doors, is controlled by five activities:

Describing departure of something is an activity.
Describing arrival of something is an activity.
Describing opening of something is an activity.
Describing closure of something is an activity.
Mentioning final stop of something is an activity.

So if we want to change the way something arrives -- or just how it arrives at a specific place -- we can write a rule for this. For instance:

Rule for describing arrival of the COTA bus when the COTA bus is in Fourth Street:
if the player is in the COTA bus, say "[The COTA bus] comes to an abrupt halt at Fourth Street, splashing muddy water all over the curb. [run paragraph on]";
otherwise say "[The COTA bus] pulls up suddenly and hard in a puddle. You are now dripping wet. [run paragraph on]".

The other four activities do not need "run paragraph on": it is included in this one because by default we construct a paragraph that consists of the arrival message followed immediately by the message that the doors are opening; this one would produce

The COTA bus comes to an abrupt halt at Fourth Street, splashing muddy water all over the curb. The doors open

as output. For all other cases, the activity output should be text ending with a full stop, as usual.

Example: * COTA - A bus running up and down High Street.

Copy "COTA" to clipboard

"COTA"

Include Transit System by Emily Short.

Starr Avenue is a room. Fourth Street is north of Starr Avenue. Fifth Street is north of Fourth Street. Sixth Street is north of Fifth Street. Seventh Street is north of Sixth Street. Eighth Street is north of Seventh Street. Ninth Street is north of Eighth Street. Eleventh Street is north of Ninth Street. Fifteenth Street is north of Eleventh Street. Seventeenth Street is north of Fifteenth Street.

The COTA bus is a relatively-scheduled train-car in Starr Avenue. The waiting duration of the COTA bus is 1 minute. The t-schedule of the COTA bus is the Table of Bus Schedule.

Table of Bus Schedule

transit timedestination
1 minuteStarr Avenue
1 minuteFourth Street
1 minuteFifth Street
1 minuteNinth Street
3 minutesSeventeenth Street
3 minutesNinth Street
1 minuteFifth Street
1 minuteFourth Street

Test me with "get on bus / z / z / z".

Example: * Amtrak - An Amtrak train running a long northeastern route, showing off absolutely-scheduled train-cars.

For the sake of example, I have given the train an impossibly fast schedule, so that we can see it arriving and departing on time without waiting through too many turns.

"Amtrak"

Include Transit System by Emily Short.

Chicago is west of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is west of Philadelphia. Philadelphia is south of New York. New York is southwest of Boston.

The player is in New York.

The Amtrak is an absolutely-scheduled train-car in Boston. The waiting duration of the Amtrak is 1 minute. The t-schedule of the Amtrak is the Table of Train Schedule.

Table of Train Schedule

transit timedestination
9:01 AMBoston
9:07 AMNew York
9:10 AMPhiladelphia
9:25 AMPittsburgh
9:45 AMChicago

When play begins, now the right hand status line is "[time of day]".

Test me with "z / z / z / z /z / z / z / enter amtrak / z / z / z / z / z".

Version 6 of Transit System by Emily Short begins here.

"Transit System provides a train-car kind which follows a schedule around the map, allowing the player or other characters to get on or off."

Section 1 - Train Cars

Transitional Location is a room.

A train-car is a kind of container. A train-car is usually lit.

A train-car is always openable and enterable. A train-car has a table-name called the t-schedule. A train-car has a time called the waiting duration.

A train-car has a time called the next-departure. A train-car has a time called the next-arrival. A train-car has a room called the next stop. A train-car has a number called stop number. [These are for bookkeeping and should not be set by the author.]

A train-car can be relatively-scheduled or absolutely-scheduled.
A train-car can be functional or off-line. A train-car is usually functional.

A train-car-door is a kind of thing.

The printed name of a train-car-door is "door". Understand "door" or "doors" as a train-car-door. One train-car-door is part of every train-car.

Instead of opening or closing a train-car (this is the refusal to open while in motion rule):
say "[We] [can't] operate the door [ourselves]. [It's] a safety precaution." (A)

Instead of opening or closing a train-car-door (called target) (this is the redirect opening of car doors rule):
let surroundings be a random train-car;
try opening the surroundings.

Every turn (this is the assess train-car movement rule):
repeat with item running through functional train-cars:
if the next-departure of the item is the time of day,
carry out the setting in motion activity with the item;
if the next-arrival of the item is the time of day,
carry out the stopping at station activity with the item.

Setting in motion something is an activity.
Stopping at station something is an activity.

Rule for printing room description details of a train-car (this is the avoid mentioning car emptiness rule):
do nothing instead.

After printing the name of a train-car (this is the avoid mentioning enclosed passengers rule):
omit contents in listing.

After deciding the scope of the player when the player is enclosed by a closed train-car (called the relevant car) (this is the recognize doors rule):
let the relevant door be a random train-car-door which is part of the relevant car;
place the relevant door in scope.

Section 2 - Starting Relatively-scheduled cars

Rule for setting in motion a functional relatively-scheduled train-car (called relevant car) (this is the starting relatively-scheduled cars rule):
increase the stop number of the relevant car by 1;
if the stop number of the relevant car is greater than the number of rows in the t-schedule of the relevant car, now the stop number of the relevant car is 1;
let N be the stop number of the relevant car;
choose row N in the t-schedule of the relevant car;
now the next-arrival of the relevant car is the time of day plus the transit time entry;
now the next stop of the relevant car is the destination entry;
now the relevant car is in the Transitional Location;

Section 3 - Starting Absolutely-scheduled cars

Rule for setting in motion a functional absolutely-scheduled train-car (called relevant car) (this is the starting absolutely-scheduled cars rule):
increase the stop number of the relevant car by 1;
if the stop number of the relevant car is greater than the number of rows in the t-schedule of the relevant car:
now the relevant car is off-line;
rule fails; [absolutely-scheduled cars should not start over again]
otherwise:
let N be the stop number of the relevant car;
choose row N in the t-schedule of the relevant car;
now the next-arrival of the relevant car is the transit time entry minus one minute;
now the next stop of the relevant car is the destination entry;
now the relevant car is in the Transitional Location.

Section 4 - Stopping

Rule for stopping at station a functional train-car (called relevant car) (this is the stopping cars rule):
move the relevant car to the next stop of the relevant car;
now the next-departure of the relevant car is the time of day plus the waiting duration of the relevant car;
increase the next-departure of the relevant car by 1 minute.

Section 5 - Description Features

Before setting in motion a functional train-car (called relevant car) (this is the doors close before departure rule):
if the player can see the relevant car, carry out the describing closure activity with the relevant car;
now the relevant car is closed.

Before setting in motion a functional train-car (called relevant car) (this is the describe car departure rule):
if the player can see the relevant car, carry out the describing departure activity with the relevant car.

After stopping at station a functional train-car (called relevant car) (this is the report train arrivals rule):
if the player can see the relevant car, carry out the describing arrival activity with the relevant car.

After stopping at station a functional train-car (called relevant car) (this is the doors open after arrival rule):
if the player can see the relevant car, carry out the describing opening activity with the relevant car;
now the relevant car is open.

After stopping at station an absolutely-scheduled train-car (called relevant car) (this is the note and announce last stops rule):
if the stop number of the relevant car is not less than the number of rows in the t-schedule of the relevant car:
carry out the mentioning final stop activity with the relevant car;
now the relevant car is off-line.

Describing departure of something is an activity.
Describing arrival of something is an activity.
Describing opening of something is an activity.
Describing closure of something is an activity.
Mentioning final stop of something is an activity.

To start is a verb. To set is a verb. To stop is a verb. To pull is a verb.

Rule for describing departure of a train-car (called the relevant car) (this is the standard departure-report rule):
if the player is enclosed by the relevant car, say "[The relevant car] [start] moving again." (A);
otherwise say "[The relevant car] [set] off." (B);

Rule for describing arrival of a train-car (called the relevant car) (this is the standard arrival-report rule):
if the player is enclosed by the relevant car, say "[The relevant car] [stop] at [the holder of the relevant car]. [run paragraph on]" (A);
otherwise say "[The relevant car] [pull] up. [run paragraph on]" (B);

Rule for describing opening of a train-car (called the relevant car) (this is the standard door-opening-report rule):
say "[regarding nothing]The door [open].[paragraph break]" (A);

Rule for describing closure of a train-car (called the relevant car) (this is the standard door-closing-report rule):
say "[regarding nothing]The door [if the player is not in the relevant car]of [the relevant car] [end if][close].[paragraph break]" (A);

Rule for mentioning final stop of a train-car (called the relevant car) (this is the standard final-stop-report rule):
if the player is in the relevant car, say "[regarding nothing]This [are] the final station stop for [the relevant car]." (A);

Section 6 - Sample Table

[This is included so that the extension will compile when included, even if there are no transit tables defined elsewhere.]

Table of Sample Schedule

transit timedestination
a timea room

Transit System ends here.