!
! Blue Chairs
! help and hints
!

Class 	Hint
 class 	Option,
 with 	hints,
	number 0,
	description
	[ i;
	    print "Press ENTER or Q to return to the menu, or H for
		another hint.^^";

	    ! print already-displayed hints
	    ! this is sort of backwards to dovetail with print_hint()
	    
	    i = self.number;
	    self.number = 0;
	    
	    for (self.number = 0 : self.number <= i : self.number++)
		self.print_hint();

	    self.number--;
	    
	    ! loop around input
	    
	    while (self.number < (self.#hints / 2) - 1)
	    {
		i = KeyCharPrimitive();

		switch (i)
		{
		 13, 81, 113:
		    ! enter or Q
		    return 2;

		 72, 104:
		    ! H
		    self.number++;
		    self.print_hint();

		 default:
		    @sound_effect 2;
		};
	    };
	],
	print_hint
	[ left;
	    left = ((self.#hints) / 2) - self.number - 1;
	    style bold;
	    print "(";
	    
	    if (left)
		print left;
	    else
		print "no";

	    print " hint";

	    if (left ~= 1)
		print "s";

	    print " left)";
	    style roman;
	    print " ", (string) self.&hints-->(self.number), "^";
	];

Menu help_menu "Blue Chairs";

Option -> "Useful Things to Know"
 with description
    	    "This game uses color in very limited ways. Entering 
	    MONOCHROME will disable color, and COLOR will re-enable 
	    it. Nothing essential is conveyed through color.^^The 
	    best way to talk to people is to ASK or TELL them 
	    things. One-word topics are the tastiest. The one 
	    exception is if you'd like to ask someone for a ride. 
	    The most succinct way to do that is to type ASK person 
	    FOR A RIDE.^^When the prompt becomes two arrows (i.e. 
	    >>), that means you are saying something directly to 
	    another character. Sometimes this entails just a 
	    yes-or-no response; other times, you can say anything 
	    you want to.";

Option -> "About the Author"
 with description
    	    "Chris Klimas turned 23 two years ago. An elderly woman
	    working the register at a sandwich shop asked him today
	    how tall he is. He never knows the exact answer, even
	    though lots of people ask him. Lots of people also call
	    him a curmudgeon, even though he isn't. He loves lots of
	    things: beaches, pretty girls, waffles.^^He can be
	    reached at klimas@@64crunchable.net.";

Option -> "Apologies and Acknowledgments"
 with description
    	    "If you've never heard of Krispy Kremes, I'm sorry.^^If 
	    you've never heard of Dundalk... count yourself luckier 
	    than you would know.^^This game was produced using a 
	    combination of the programming language Inform, the text 
	    editor Emacs, an iBook that crapped out at the very last 
	    moment, and a dependable Linux box. So lots of people 
	    deserve thanks on that score.^^But in particular, thank 
	    you to my beta testers: Steve Bernard, Jonathan Blask, 
	    Erik Frederickson, Robb Sherwin, Mark Wickham, and this 
	    one dude who went by the name Elkins but never gave me 
	    his real name.^^Special thanks to Katie and Sarah, my 
	    first readers, for their encouragement.";

Option -> "The Official Bootleg Blue Chairs Soundtrack"
 with description
	[;
	    print "1. ~Car.~ Built to Spill, ";
	    style underline;
	    print "Live";
	    style roman;
	    print ".^2. ~I Might Be Wrong.~ Radiohead, ";
	    style underline;
	    print "Amnesiac";
	    style roman;
	    print ".^3. ~Music is Math.~ Boards of Canada, ";
	    style underline;
	    print "Geogaddi";
	    style roman;
	    print ".^4. ~80 Windows.~ Nada Surf, ";
	    style underline;
	    print "The Proximity Effect";
	    style roman;
	    print ".^5. ~Small Fires.~ Karate, ";
	    style underline;
	    print "Unsolved";
	    style roman;
	    print ".^6. ~Roberta C.~ Casiotone for the Painfully
		Alone, ";
	    style underline;
	    print "Twinkle Echo";
	    style roman;
	    print ".^7. ~Everyday.~ Yo La Tengo, ";
	    style underline;
	    print "And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out";
	    style roman;
	    print ".^8. ~Robert Lowell.~ They Might Be Giants, ";
	    style underline;
	    print "TMBG Unlimited";
	    style roman;
	    print ".^9. ~Lost Carol.~ Melissa Williamson, ";
	    style underline;
	    print "Silent Hill 3";
	    style roman;
	    print ".^10. ~A Legacy's Demise.~ Forget Cassettes, ";
	    style underline;
	    print "Instruments of Action";
	    style roman;
	    print ".^11. ~Peer Pressure.~ Jon Brion, ";
	    style underline;
	    print "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind";
	    style roman;
	    print ".^12. ~The Dumbing Down of Love.~ Frou Frou, ";
	    style underline;
	    print "Details";
	    style roman;
	    print ".^(hidden track) ~Anything But Ordinary.~ Avril
		Lavigne, ";
	    style underline;
	    print "Let Go";
	    style roman;
	    ".";
	];

Menu -> hint_menu "Hints for the Jaded"
 with	sync
	[;
	    ! This does some quick moves so that hints are only
	    ! available for the parts of the game you've visited.

	    if (post_attic has visited)
		move hint_party_menu to self;

	    if (cruising_baltimore has visited)
		move hint_driving_menu to self;

	    if (driving_to_donuts has visited)
		move hint_chris_car_menu to self;

	    if (limo has visited)
		move hint_desert_menu to self;

	    if (outside_station has visited)
		move hint_station_menu to self;

	    if (darkened_entrance has visited)
		move hint_labyrinth_menu to self;

	    if (fuckfuckfuck has visited)
		move hint_work_menu to self;

	    if (beatrice_front has visited)
		move hint_beatrice_menu to self;

	    if (epilogue_in_chair has visited)
		move hint_epilogue_menu to self;
	];

Menu -> -> hint_prologue_menu "Prologue";

Hint -> -> -> "Do I have to buy the drugs?"
 with 	hints
	    "Well, you don't have to do anything."
	    "But yes, if you want to continue in the story, you have
	    to buy the drugs.";

Hint -> -> -> "How do I pay for the drugs?"
 with	hints
	    "You'll need money, that's for sure."
	    "Maybe you've got some on you?"
	    "Look in your wallet.";

Menu hint_party_menu "The Party";

Hint -> "What am I supposed to do?"
 with	hints
	    "Well, you need to get to Beatrice, right?"
	    "You'll need to find someone who could give you a ride."
	    "Or you could try driving yourself.";

Hint -> "Is there anything useful in the attic?"
 with	hints
	    "Surely there's something among all that stuff."
	    "If you could shine some light in there, you might be able
	    to sort through it better."
	    "There's a flashlight in the kitchen cabinet."
	    "Turn on the flashight, then search the pile of stuff.";

Hint -> "Is there anything useful on the second floor?"
 with	hints
	    "Those girls seem interesting."
	    "They have something that might help you."
	    "But you have to be nice to them first."
	    "Talk to them for a while, and when you leave, they'll 
	    give you something.";

Hint -> "How do I get to that pole?"
 with	hints
	    "It's hard getting to where you want to, eh?"
	    "When in Rome..."
	    "Try dancing.";

Hint -> "How do I get the stoners to help me?"
 with	hints
	    "They're certainly unmotivated."
	    "They might be able to help you figure out exactly what
	    drug you just imbibed."
	    "But they're not going to give you a ride.";

Hint -> "How do I get my nerve up to dance?"
 with	hints
	    "There is a time-tested solution to this problem."
	    "Alcohol."
	    "There are two sources of alcohol in the party."
	    "One is where you might expect it; the other isn't."
	    "Try looking in the fridge that's in the kitchen."
	    "The other is in the attic."
	    "See the question about the attic for more help.";

Hint -> "I can't get out of this stupid dance floor."
 with	hints
	    "Well, if you remember, the living room is east of the
	    dance floor."
	    "You could try moving towards that."
	    "Or you could just stop dancing.";

hint -> "What can I do with the guy with the blue book?"
 with	hints
	    "He seems kind of out of it, doesn't he?"
	    "He doesn't seem to respond to anything you say."
	    "Try waking him up by giving him a push."
	    "Or you could throw something at him, though it's sort 
	    of mean.";

Hint -> "No one in here is willing to give me a ride."
 with	hints
	    "Maybe you just haven't noticed him yet."
	    "Or maybe you've mistaken for something else."
	    "Something inanimate."
	    "Try investigating that pole on the dance floor.";

Menu hint_driving_menu "Driving Your Car";

Hint -> "How do I get control of my car?"
 with 	hints
	    "Drugs are screwing with your mind, hunh?"
	    "If you could figure out a way to neutralize the effect
	    the drugs are having, maybe you could drive."
	    "Then again, you don't know what is actually wrong with 
	    you."
	    "There's no way to get control of your car.";

Menu hint_chris_car_menu "In Chris's Car";

Hint -> "How do I cool down?"
 with	hints
	    "It's Chris's car; try asking him about it."
	    "Try opening your window.";

Menu hint_desert_menu "The Desert";

Hint -> "What's up with the signs?"
 with	hints
	    "They are kind of weird."
	    "Probably important, too."
	    "Stuff stuck in the sand has one interesting property."
	    "You can pull it out."
	    "Try taking the signs.";

Hint -> "How do I get into the White House?"
 with	hints
	    "Maybe the statues have something to do with it?"
	    "Did you notice the hole that each has?"
	    "There are four statues, right?"
	    "There are four signs, too?"
	    "Maybe you could match the sign to the statue."
	    "See the hints about the statues for more help.";

Hint -> "What can I do with the statue of the young man?"
 with 	hints
	    "Doesn't it seem sort of familiar?"
	    "One would hope it would ring some bells."
	    "Did you examine yourself in the party?"
	    "It's you."
	    "Is there a sign that matches your state of mind?"
	    "It's the sign that reads ~I'm dreaming.~"
	    "Put it in the circular hole in the statue's base.";

Hint -> "What can I do with the statue of the tall man?"
 with	hints
	    "Does it remind you of anyone you've met?"
	    "Tall is the key word here."
	    "It's Chris."
	    "What was the first thing Chris asked you when you woke 
	    him up?"
	    "The sign that corresponds to this statue is ~I want to 
	    be rescued.~"
	    "Put it in the circular hole in the statue's base.";

Hint -> "What can I do with the statue of the young woman?"
 with 	hints
	    "Does it remind you of anyone in the game?"
	    "Maybe not."
	    "It's possible you didn't meet the character this is a
	    statue of."
	    "But then the sign that matches it still would apply."
	    "It's the sign that reads ~No one knows my name.~"
	    "Put it in the hole in the statue's base.";

Hint -> "What can I do with the statue of the beautiful woman?"
 with 	hints
	    "Does it remind you of anyone you've met?"
	    "Probably not -- it doesn't depict anyone you've 
	    encountered."
	    "But it is of someone in the game."
	    "Beatrice."
	    "Are there any signs that seem to fit her?"
	    "What do you think Beatrice is doing right now?"
	    "The sign that says ~I'm waiting for you,~ matches
	    this statue."
	    "Put it in the hole in the statue's base.";

Menu hint_station_menu "The Gas Station";

Hint -> "Where are the doughnuts?"
 with	hints
	    "Have you checked all the aisles in the mini-mart?"
	    "Maybe you should ask the Chinese kid about it.";

Hint -> "What is the Chinese kid talking about?"
 with	hints
	    "If you're asking about doughnuts, he's referring to the
	    back of the store."
	    "More specifically, the refrigerated case."
	    "Try opening the door to the case and entering it.";

Hint -> "Why won't Chris let me back into his car?"
 with	hints
	    "The boy is clearly fiending for those doughnuts."
	    "Ypu can't proceed without getting a doughnut for him";

Menu hint_labyrinth_menu "Darkened Passages";

Hint -> "This maze sucks."
 with	hints
	    "Really, it's not that bad. You don't need to do 
	    anything special to get past it."
	    "It's not really a maze, either."
	    "But hey -- check out the PDF file that should have been 
	    included with this game."
	    "There's a (partial) map scribbled in the upper-right 
	    corner.";

Hint -> "What am I supposed to be doing here?"
 with	hints
	    "Well, technically, you're still looking for a doughnut."
	    "But really, it's to find a way out."
	    "It probably has something to do with those blue things."
	    "The blue doors, specifically."
	    "See the questions about individual rooms for more help.";

Hint -> "I'm totally stuck."
 with	hints
	    "Well, you could always give up."
	    "Try returning to the mini-mart. (The real one, that is.)"
	    "If you've already found that part of the maze, then try
	    re-exploring places you've already been to."
	    "There are two branches of the maze that open up after you
	    find certain rooms, or after a certain period of time."
	    "One is north of Aisle 10."
	    "The other is south of Aisle 8.";

Hint -> "What's up with the people in here?"
 with	hints
	    "They don't seem to notice you."
	    "Maybe there are clues in what you see when you look at 
	    them."
	    "Maybe not."
	    "Some of them seem to be carrying interesting objects."
	    "You can take those objects.";

Hint -> "What can I do with the can of tunafish?"
 with	hints
	    "Its label is interesting."
	    "If you could open it, you could eat its contents."
	    "Too bad there isn't any way to open it."
	    "It's a red herring.";

Hint -> "What can I do with the lantern?"
 with	hints
	    "It provides light, as you might notice."
	    "See the question about the waiting room for more help.";

Hint -> "How do I survive the room with the blue chair?"
 with	hints
	    "Those monsters are scary, aren't they?"
	    "But they tell the truth."
	    "They won't hurt you."
	    "Try blowing out the candles.";

Hint -> "What can I do with this tile I've been given?"
 with	hints
	    "Have you tried opening a second blue door yet?"
	    "The gray room's pretty boring, eh?"
	    "Kind of like a placeholder?"
	    "Take a look at the recess at the center of the map room."
	    "If you put the tile in the space corresponding to where 
	    you found the gray room, there should be something new 
	    there."
	    "Climb into the bed.";

Hint -> "What can I do in the bank lobby?"
 with	hints
	    "The safe deposit vault seems like an obvious way to go."
	    "You'll need to find its combination, though."
	    "The combination is hidden in two places."
	    "One is in an envelope."
	    "See the question about the blue chair for help."
	    "The other is in the bank lobby itself."
	    "Try looking under the desk.";

Hint -> "What can I do in the mini-mart?"
 with	hints
	    "You could trade something for that key."
	    "The kid's pretty picky."
	    "Is there something that someone gave you, specifically
	    calling it useful?"
	    "You may not have actually received it."
	    "The kid will take the silver key."
	    "The key he gives you won't work in the mini-mart, 
	    though."
	    "It works in the waiting room.";

Hint -> "What can I do in the post office?"
 with	hints
	    "Those mailboxes seem interesting."
	    "So does the mail slot."
	    "Do you have anything worth mailing?"
	    "Like an envelope?"
	    "If you opened it first, it won't work."
	    "You'll have to find a different way to proceed.";

Hint -> "What can I do in the waiting room?"
 with	hints
	    "Waiting is boring."
	    "You could take charge of the situation by going through
	    the door."
	    "You'll need a key first."
	    "There are actually two keys that work."
	    "One is in the case in the mini-mart. (The fake one.)"
	    "The other is in the waiting room."
	    "It's inside the light bulb."
	    "Try breaking it."
	    "You'll need a light source of your own to actually get
	    the key."
	    "See the question about the lantern for more help.";

Hint -> "How do I get to the pool?"
 with 	hints
	    "You can see it from certain parts of the maze."
	    "It's too far down to jump into, though."
	    "Maybe if you had a parachute."
	    "Or a rope."
	    "There's no way to get to the pool.";

Menu hint_work_menu "Work";

Hint -> "What am I supposed to do here?"
 with	hints
	    "Try looking at your pager."
	    "You have to get to work and fix the servers.";

Menu hint_beatrice_menu "Beatrice's House";

Hint -> "How do I get into the dark parts of the house?"
 with 	hints
	    "A light source would help."
	    "It's too bad there aren't any in the house."
	    "Don't worry about it. You don't have to explore the dark
	    parts of the house to proceed.";

Hint -> "What can I do on the stairway?"
 with 	hints
	    "The gap seems sort of notable."
	    "But there's no way to climb into it."
	    "There isn't anything you can do in the stairway.";

Hint -> "How do I get to the playground?"
 with	hints
	    "You can't get to it from the dining room."
	    "You can't get to it by walking around the house."
	    "You can't get to it.";

Hint -> "So where is Beatrice?"
 with	hints
	    "Maybe she's not here at all."
	    "Maybe you shouldn't find her."
	    "Maybe you should look in her room."
	    "Maybe you can climb through the holes in the ceiling."
	    "Maybe you should stand on the bed first.";

Menu hint_epilogue_menu "Epilogue";

Hint -> "What am I supposed to do here?"
 with	hints
	    "Sorry -- no hints on this section."
	    "But if you're really stuck, try sleeping it off on the 
	    lawn chair.";

Hint -> "Is there more than one ending?"
 with	hints
	    "Yes."
	    "There are actually nine in all."
	    "But some of them happen earlier in the story."
	    "Happy hunting.";