CLOK BBS

I was trying to think up a way to fix a major problem in clok, items, containers, corpses etc with the exact same name. Say you are holding two containers in your hand and you want to look at the container in your left hand? Here are some ideas:

Original - containers

You are holding a backpack in your right hand and a backpack in your left hand.
You are wearing a shadowy black hood, a black herb neckpouch, a blood talisman, a black oilcloth satchel, a black many-pocketed canvas backpack, a black rune-etched robe, a black and gold signet ring, a polished bloodstone band, a leather utility belt, a black canvas pouch, a gray canvas pouch, a leather haft-frog carrying an ice-barbed rusted scythe, some black loose cotton trousers and a pair of bronze-toed leather shoes.

Possible fix (numbers only appear when you have more than 1 item showing of the same name)

You are holding a backpack(1) in your right hand and a backpack(2) in your left hand.
You are wearing a shadowy black hood, a black herb neckpouch, a blood talisman, a black oilcloth satchel, a black many-pocketed canvas backpack, a black rune-etched robe, a black and gold signet ring, a polished bloodstone band, a leather utility belt, a black canvas pouch, a gray canvas pouch, a leather haft-frog carrying an ice-barbed rusted scythe, some black loose cotton trousers and a pair of bronze-toed leather shoes.

Original - corpses

[Forest, Bowtruckle Preserve] (OutWldFrDt)
Coniferous trees dominate the area. Tall mountains rise abruptly to the south. A prominent sign has been posted in a small central clearing, while a path can be seen leading up into the mountains to the south.
The area is mostly quiet.
You also notice the corpse of a large bowtruckle scarab, the corpse of a large bowtruckle scarab, the corpse of a large bowtruckle scarab, the corpse of a large bowtruckle scarab, the corpse of a large bowtruckle scarab and the corpse of a large bowtruckle scarab.
Also here: your Hyra spear sister (guarding you).
Obvious paths: north (Pl), west (Fr), northwest (Pl), northeast (Pl, Fr), east (Fr), southeast (Fr).

Possible fix (numbers only appear when you have more than 1 corpse showing with same name)

[Forest, Bowtruckle Preserve] (OutWldFrDt)
Coniferous trees dominate the area. Tall mountains rise abruptly to the south. A prominent sign has been posted in a small central clearing, while a path can be seen leading up into the mountains to the south.
The area is mostly quiet.
You also notice the corpse of a large bowtruckle scarab(1), the corpse of a large bowtruckle scarab(2), the corpse of a large bowtruckle scarab(3), the corpse of a large bowtruckle scarab(4), the corpse of a large bowtruckle scarab(5) and the corpse of a large bowtruckle scarab(6).
Also here: your Hyra spear sister (guarding you).
Obvious paths: north (Pl), west (Fr), northwest (Pl), northeast (Pl, Fr), east (Fr), southeast (Fr).

I think that's enough examples to bring across the point. This could work with just about everything, items dropped on the floor, multiple critters (I know there is a targeting system for that), tacos etc.

Of course I have no idea how difficult this would be to code and if it could be coded what errors the aftermath would bring.

I've been trying to think up a good way to implement something like this without making it too ugly. The problem with starting with 1 each time is that if someone grabs something before you do, that throws off the numbers for you. The problem with giving each object its own unique ID (and displaying them) is that eventually you'll be seeing "a travel ration(74285), some emberberries(103814)," ... etc.

I think the usefulness outweighs the ugliness, and after all, I can always make it an option one can toggle, and maybe make separate versions of commands ("idlook" instead of just "look") that will show the IDs in just that one instance, when you need it.

Why not be able to 'look in left/right backpack', 'desecrate third bowtruckle', etc. I know something like that is kind of implemented, supposedly.

Also, if you're wanting to know how much of an object is on the ground or in a container, what about a count command? For instance, count sinew in pack would return 'There are 438 pieces of sinew in a brown leather pack with crossed straps."

My suggestions are as follows:

glance
You are holding a backpack in your right hand and a backpack in your left hand.

look
You see a backpack, a backpack, a backpack and a backpack.

look in MY backpack
look in backpack
look in other backpack
look in MY other backpack
look in 3rd backpack
look in 4th backpack

This would work even if you were holding 2 backpacks with 4 on the ground.

This would apply to the backpacks only in that room at the time. (So no need to have backpack(3433415) in another room.)

If someone picked up the 2nd backpack(get other backpack) off the ground, the 3rd and 4th would change down, but I see that as a non-issue in comparison to the overall issue of currently not being able to distinguish from identical items

Stealing ideas from other games here but a suggestion anyway:

If you have all duplicate items numbered (or lettered) as above:

You see backpack (1), backpack (2), backpack (3)

But can then inscribe (or otherwise mark ) with a label that would be permanant.

Possibly: get backpack (check it is the right one), inscribe main

Then looking will show:

You see backpack (1), backpack (2), backpack (3, main)

You could then get the same backpack back by:
get backpack 3
or
get backpack main

Or something similar. Not sure about coding ramifications or syntax etc.
If you then dropped backpack 2 you they would be renumbered but the labels would remain:

You see backpack (1), backpack (2, main)

I've been working on the ability to target specific items in a "stack" by number. So if you see " ... a travel ration (x5) ... " you could "get 3 ration" to get the third from that stack. It doesn't work in every case yet, though (please BUG cases in which it doesn't work, by the way).

Tagging or inscribing items (inscriptions only visible and applicable to the individual who did the inscribing - this would be OOC inscribing for syntax/convenience purposes, not actually physically inscribing something into the item) could probably be made to work. It'd be somewhat a pain to implement since I'd have to find all instances of item targeting, although I've tried to set up a universal mechanic for that so I only have to alter it in one place when I need to, so it's something I'll be looking into anyway. Don't expect it terribly soon, though.