Multiple characters and nested prompts

[clawrenc at cup.hp.com]

As promised, how I handle all this lot.  My current handling (from
memory):

  Bubba> whoami
    (Bubba) Account: tester
      Active characters: Bernie, Boffo, Bubba.
      Bernie has one body: Bernie  // Bodies default to char. names
      Boffo has three bodies:  Marsh, Slug, Thwacker
      Bubba has one body: Bruce    // But don't have to
  Bubba> who
    (Bubba) Active accounts:
      Aulder     // Player's accounts currently active in the game
      Charliehorse
      Klepto
      Tester
      Thisnthat
  Bubba> l
    (Bruce) You see a long description
      of some place wherever.
  Bubba> switch to boffo  // You can be at the character or body level
  Boffo> l
    (Marsh) You see a long description
      of some place wherever.
    (Slug) You see a long description
      of some place wherever.
    (Thwacker) You see a long description
      of some place wherever.
  Bubba> bernie < l
    (Bernie) You see a long description
      of some place wherever.  
  Bubba> bernie < get bag
    (Thwacker) The troll smashes you over the head with his 
      club!  Ouch!
    (Bernie) Do you want the:
      1) Red bag
      2) Tattered paper bag
      3) Mouldy sack
      0) Cancel command
  Bernie>>                       // Auto prints the non current prompt
  Bubba> thwacker < fight troll  // because there's a filter there
    (Thwacker)  ...combat script stuff...
  Bernie>>
  Bubba> bernie < 2
    (Bernie) You take the paper bag.
  Bubba> cd thwacker              // Also works
  Thwacker> (do something nasty to troll)
    (Thwacker)...etc.

<<Been a long time since I've even looked at this stuff, I know I
forgot something, but I'm at work and the code is at home.  I'm pretty
sure I changed the "BodyID < Command" syntax to something else, but I
don't remember what.>>

I don't encourage players to play multiple characters with multiple
bodies simultaneously due to the playability aspects and IO overhead,
but it can happen.  More typically I'd expect to see players playing a
single character with perhaps two or three bodies.  Most smart players
will always have at least two bodies per character as death is
permanent and only occurs when all of a character's bodies die.

Note: This is also a big reason to play swarm/hive-type bodies.  They
are damned near immortal.

--
J C Lawrence                           Internet: claw at null.net
(Contractor)                           Internet: coder at ibm.net
---------------(*)               Internet: clawrenc at cup.hp.com
...Honorary Member Clan McFUD -- Teamer's Avenging Monolith...