Phantasmal Site > Phantasmal Tutorials > OLC > NoDesc objects

Non-Described ("nodesc") Objects

You've written some room descriptions and mentioned the far-off clouds, or the distant buildings, or the pebbles on the path. It'd be nice to have the player able to look at them since you'd like to hide important game clues in a few of them and more beautifully-written description than you can shake a stick at in all of them. What's a body to do?

If that body is using Phantasmal version 0.009 through 0.012, the answer is "learn about descless portables". They work a lot like containers, and can also be containers. (Note: NoDesc portables are likely to be phased out as soon as we have real object details, so don't get too attached to them!)

Let's say you've already created a setting with a need for nodesc objects. For instance, here's a rather lavish one.

tomb
Against the wall of the room, a stuffed wombat's mouth gapes eternally.
I mean, there's the rest of the wombat too, but it doesn't properly gape.
Sits, more.  Still.  Peaceful, even.  At least.  Well.  Y'know.  Still.

There's also a large sarcopha- sarca --  a coffin.  And a statue of Ghak'La.
Rumor has it that he's Messy-In-A-Hideous-Way.
*****
- statue of Ghak'La the Messy-In-A-Hideous-Way
- wombat
- a ceremonial dagger

Exits: 
>

Notice that your wombat (we'll call it dear little #206) is already described in the room, yet there it is in the object list. Boring. Repetitive. No good at all. So go ahead and type "set_obj_flag #206 nodesc yes". Have another look around the room. See a lack of wombat? Good.

There are some other side effects. If you try to take the wombat (try it!) you'll get the message "You can't carry that!". Why? For starters because it's there in the room decription. so people had better be able to keep referring to it. You can't pick it up and carry it off or the next fellow will type "examine wombat" and won't see one here. He'll feel confused. He'll feel betrayed. He'll follow it up by deciding you're a guy with a MUD that sucks. Don't be that guy.

You can, however, put things into and take them out of the nodesc object (such as a wombat) if it's also an open container. If you haven't already, you can type "set_obj_flag #206 cont yes" and "set_obj_flag #206 open 1" to make the wombat also be a perfectly usable open container. Yay! Now use that trick to make the statue and sarcophagus have descriptions and make sure you can put things into the sarcophagus but not into the statue.

What's next? You should read old tutorials for fun. It's what I do. Far better than having a social life. Has your MUDLib taken over the world yet? Is it based on Phantasmal? Is it also public domain? No adulation from eighteen year old boy-band fans for you until it is, young man.