Tea and Toast — 22 of 31

Section - Is Our Player Progressing?

[This is a big list of things the player can do to progress. Not entirely happy with that.]

Opening the breadbox is progressing. Cutting the loaf of bread is progressing. Plugging is progressing. [For some reason the action is getting evaluated as "plugging the toaster into nothing" but plugging stuff in is always progress, and if something else gets added that isn't productive to plug in, well, at least it shows the player has the concept of plugging something in.] Inserting a bread slice into the toaster is progressing. Switching on the toaster is progressing. Filling the kettle with cold water is progressing. Switching on the sink is progressing. Switching on the kettle is progressing. Filling the tea strainer with loose tea is progressing. Inserting the strainer into the teapot is progressing. Filling the teapot with hot water is progressing. Filling a teacup with hot tea is progressing. Putting a teacup on the table is progressing. Taking a mission-critical thing is progressing.

The clue count is a number that varies.

The clue threshold is a number that varies. The clue threshold is 5.

After progressing (this is the reset the clue count rule):

now the clue count is -1; [this will get set back to 0 in the every turn rules]

continue the action.

The reset the clue count rule is listed first in the after rulebook. [Necessary so it doesn't get cut off when there's another after rule.]

Every turn (this is the increment the clue count rule):

increment the clue count.

Asking for help is an action out of world applying to nothing. Understand "help" or "hint" or "hints" or "walkthru" or "walkthrough" as asking for help.

Report asking for help:

if something on-stage is primed:

carry out the prompting activity with a random on-stage primed thing;

otherwise:

say "It looks as if there isn't anything vital for you to do right now. You might have to wait for something to happen, or maybe you've made your tea and toast already. You might try looking around at things while you wait, or thinking about things."