First git commit after ~5 years of development

LICENSE

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+ __________
+/ Curveship
+  Copyright (c) 2011 Nick Montfort <[email protected]>
+
+Permission to use, copy, modify, and/or distribute this software for any
+purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above
+copyright notice and this permission notice appear in all copies.
+
+THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND THE AUTHOR DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES
+WITH REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
+MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR
+ANY SPECIAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES
+WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN
+ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF
+OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
+

NEXT_STEPS

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+## NEXT STEPS for Curveship ##
+
+<> Implement syllepsis, narration by category, which will apply very well to
+recounting:
+"You wandered to many places: From X to Y, from there back to X, ..."
+"You picked up several things. In Y, you acquired ..."
+"You did some other things. In Y, you ..."
+Each of these can be determined through filters on actions.
+
+<> Replace the current parser (hacked together in a few days) with a new one
+that is more expandable.
+
+<> See if the use of '_' can indicate discourse entities that are not
+simulated, including a "don't worry about that" message for each.
+
+<> Allow multiple direct object inputs ("take keys and lamp") by serializing 
+them into commands that each have a single object.
+
+<> Add the "all" quantifier so that "take all" is translated into (for
+instance) "take keys; take lamp; take food; take bottle."
+
+<> Disambiguate "drink water" and "drink water" (and all similar commands)
+by elaborating the command to "drink water from the bottle" and "drink water 
+from the stream"
+
+<> Do recognition of items in phases. For the specific case of TAKE:
+
+1. NOTHELD & ACCESSIBLE
+2. NOTHELD & PROXIMATE
+3. NOTHELD & VISIBLE
+4. HELD
+5. KNOWN
+
+For EXAMINE:
+
+1. VISIBLE
+2. PROXIMATE
+3. KNOWN
+
+Step 1 recognizes all items such that actions can succeed. That is, TAKE cannot 
+work unless an item is NOTHELD & ACCESSIBLE. So the rest is really just to 
+improve the "error message" explaining that the PC cannot take an item. The 
+next step finds the most likely items that cannot be taken: Those in the room 
+(PROXIMATE) but in closed containers (so they are not ACCESSIBLE). A bottle in 
+a closed cupboard, whether visible or not, would be in this category. (Maybe 
+with plannig or better higher-level commands the PC *would* be able to take it, 
+but not in the current system.) The next step finds items in adjacent rooms 
+that can be seen (but not taken, because they are far away). The next includes 
+the PC's own possessions, which cannot be taken, but perhaps the player's 
+mistake in typing a command can be explained with refereance to what is HELD. 
+Finally, the search expands to all known items -- anything that has been 
+mentioned. This could lead to a helpful message such as "The adventurer hasn't 
+seen the ax since he was in the Valley."
+
+<> Allow "say" to match multiple words. A hack is in place now that has a 
+grammar line for one word, two words, three words, or four words.
+
+<> Add real support for pronoun resolution. Currently object pronouns
+are added as referring nouns, so "take it" will produce a disambiguation
+message. A simple but real model of pronoun resolution could be added
+with little trouble and would work well, because the occurrence of nouns 
+is tracked in this system during text generation via slots (simulated items
+such as [@buildind\o]) and non-simuated discourse entities (_the_road).
+However, the full syntactical structure of the sentence is not represented,
+so some useful information will be missing.
+
+<> A scoring system.
+
+<> An encumberance system.
+
+<> A way to allow things like the scoring system and encumberance system to
+be added modularly, without patching the main code base.
+
+<> An idea; Implement postures, based on one's ability to SIT and LIE,
+although this is often just a matter of being ON a supporter, not really a
+posture model.
+
+    stand
+    sit
+    squat
+    crouch
+    lie, possibly broken down to:
+        lie prone (lie prostrate, prostrate myself, lie face down)
+        lie supine (lie on my back)
+        lie accumbent (lie on my side)
+    kneel
+    hang from X
+    get on all fours (crawl)
+
+<> A suggestion: Allow the player (in some modes) to enter narrative statements
+that are similar to commands (and aren't general natural language) but could
+refer to any character: "I go east" "The punk looks at the trash." Perhaps this
+would map to the commanded actor being a set of some or all actors. Different
+tenses and aspects probably have to be recognized.
+
+<> Implement different levels of "explicit I" and "explicit you" as composable 
+output filters. (These are variations in narrating I noted during my 
+disseration work, having to do with how many signs of narrator and narratee
+are shown.)
+

README

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+ __________
+/ Curveship
+  Interactive Narrating for Interactive Fiction
+                                               http://curveship.com
+                                               Nick Montfort
+
+Curveship is a command-line Python program. Python 2.7.1 is recommended, though
+earlier 2.X versions will work. Opening a terminal window (e.g., xterm on Linux
+Terminal on Mac, or the cmd.exe Windows Command Line) and working in that 
+window is necessary for any use of Curveship.
+
+The system is a Python framework that provides a way to:
+
+<> Simulate a fictional world to be presented in text, as all interactive
+   fiction systems do.
+
+<> Vary the way that the same underlying events are told, changing order,
+   speed, focalization, distance, time of narrating, and other qualities of the
+   narrating, a new contribution.
+
+Curveship is a complex system, developed for researchers in AI, computational
+creativity, narrative theory, and other fields in addition to IF author/
+programmers. The system will be most easily understood by those familiar with
+both interactive fiction and narrative theory.
+
+The most obvious things to do with the system at this point include writing
+interactive fiction for people to enjoy; teaching about interactive narrative
+and narrative theory; and integrating the system with story generators, drama
+managers, commonsense reasoning systems, and other AI systems for research
+purposes.
+
+There is not a manual or other extensive documentation for Curveship ready
+at the first time of release. The code is commented throughout. Also, several 
+articles have been published about the system. Beyond that, a short reference
+and a guide to writing string-with-slots templates can be found at 
+http://curveship.com. For now, familiarity with Python, a willingness to look 
+at the system's code, and a willingness to go through examples will be most 
+helpful in learning about Curveship.
+
+
+
+## CONTENTS
+
+Installing Python
+Example Fictions, a.k.a. Games
+Starting a Fiction, a.k.a. Game
+Debugging Directives
+Automated Play and Testing
+
+
+
+## INSTALLING PYTHON
+
+LINUX: Python is installed by default in most distribtuions. If necessary,
+install it via apt-get, rpm, GUI package installers, or other usual means.
+
+MAC OS X: Python is installed by default.
+
+WINDOWS: Install Python by downloading the Windows installer from Python.org.
+For instance, the current version at the release of Curveship was at:
+
+    http://www.python.org/ftp/python/2.7.1/python-2.7.1.msi
+
+Ensure that you can run Python from the command line by typing "python" there.
+You may need to add the Python directory to your path or type the full
+pathname. On Windows, for instance, this would be "\Python27\python" if you
+installed the version above in the default location.
+
+
+
+## EXAMPLE FICTIONS, A.K.A. GAMES
+
+The relative paths of all the example games are given in Linux/Mac OS X format.
+On Windows, "\" should be used instead of "/", as in "fiction\artmaking.py" All
+of these are found in the "fiction" directory.
+
+<> Artmaking -- An extremely simple but solvable one-page example game.
+   Introduces the major types of Items, subclassing Items, refusals, initial 
+   actions, and metadata.
+                                       artmaking.py
+
+<> The Simulated Bank Robbery -- Not an interactive fiction, but a static
+   story that can be told in many different ways. This defines actions and 
+   items in a minimal way; spin files can be applied to the fiction file to
+   produce different tellings.
+                                       robbery.py
+
+<> Cloak of Darkness -- The standard small demo game for IF, which has been
+   implemented in many different IF systems. Like Artmaking, it is not intended
+   to be fun, but instructive. Introduces multiple rooms, dark rooms, wearable
+   things, items that are part of others, consequences of failed actions, and a
+   darkness-causing item.
+                                       cloak.py
+
+<> Cloak of Darkness Plus -- An extended version of Cloak of Darkness.
+   Introduces an additional actor, items that serve as compartments which 
+   actors can enter, a thing which is a light source and can be turned on and
+   off, a substance, and a vessel.
+                                       cplus.py
+                                       cloak.py
+
+<> Lost One -- A demo of many actors performing actions in a large open area,
+   and of the way that the spin (the parameters for narrating) can change
+   based on the actions of the player character. Introduces views onto other
+   rooms and dynamic spin.
+                                       lost_one.py
+                                       plaza.py
+
+<> Adventure in Style -- A slightly modified version of the classic game
+   by Crowther and Woods, crossed with Queneau's Exercises in Style. A simple
+   built-in way to vary the telling is provided. For those familiar with the
+   original Adventure, this will be a very useful reference. The game provided 
+   is winnable, but has not been extensively tested, so some aspects of the
+   original Adventure (such as ways to perish) may not be implemented fully.
+   Nevertheless, this is the largest example and shows how many aspects of a
+   large-scale game can be implemented.
+                                       adventure.py
+
+
+
+## STARTING A FICTION, A.K.A. GAME
+
+To start the simplest example, Artmaking, first change to the main Curveship
+directory by typing:
+
+    cd CURVESHIP_PATH
+
+Where "CURVESHIP_PATH" is the directory where the main Curveship files are
+located. Then, type:
+
+    python curveship.py fiction/artmaking.py
+
+Except on WINDOWS, where it is necessary to use "\" instead of "/":
+
+    python curveship.py fiction\artmaking.py
+
+If you need to the type the full pathname of python to run it, substitute that
+for "python" in all of these commands.
+
+On LINUX & MAX OS X, "python curveship.py" can be abbreviated "./curveship.py"
+or (if the Curveship directory is added to one's path) "curveship.py".
+
+By default, Curveship does not start in debugging mode, but this mode will
+almost always be desired by IF authors and researchers. Debug mode allows the 
+directive "spin" (which displays and sets narrative parameters) to be used, as
+well as the "world" and "concept" directives. To run Curveship in this mode,
+use the "--debug" flag:
+
+    python curveship.py --debug fiction/artmaking.py
+
+You may wish to create an alias to curveship with the "--debug" flag to 
+facilitate use of the system.
+
+To start Adventure in Style, change to the main Curveship directory and type:
+
+    python curveship.py fiction/adventure.py
+
+To start "plain" Cloak of Darkness, Cloak of Darkness Plus, or Lost One:
+
+    python curveship.py fiction/cloak.py
+    python curveship.py fiction/cplus.py
+    python curveship.py fiction/lost_one.py
+
+Lost One uses fiction/plaza.py, but that module is not itself a fiction file,
+just the setting for Lost One. Cloak of Darkness Plus uses the basic Cloak of 
+Darkness file, cloak.py.
+
+You can update a fiction file with one or more additional spin when you start
+a fiction, e.g.:
+
+    python curveship.py fiction/cplus.py spin/personal.py
+    python curveship.py fiction/cplus.py spin/personal.py spin/surprise.py
+    python curveship.py fiction/cplus.py spin/surprise.py spin/hesitant.py
+
+Because Lost One uses a dynamic spin, some of the settings will be changed
+unless you type the directive "spin dynamic off" at the first prompt. If you
+turn on the lamp in Adventure in Style, the spin will similarly be changed.
+
+To produce a telling of a story, without the chance to interact, based on The
+Simulated Bank Robbery:
+
+    python curveship.py fiction/robbery.py
+
+Add the names of any span files afterwards to apply those spins. For instance:
+
+    python curveship.py fiction/cplus.py spin/valley.py spin/retrograde.py
+
+
+
+## DEBUGGING DIRECTIVES
+
+Some interesting debugging directives are "spin", "world", and "concept".
+
+Type "spin" to see the current narrative parameters. Type "spin" with 
+additional parameters to see particular settings or to change them. For 
+instance, "spin time" gives the time of narrating and "spin time after" sets 
+the time of narrating to after the events.
+
+Type "world" and "concept" to see how you can view the state of the IF world
+or of a particular actor's concept of the world.
+
+All possible debugging directives can be found in discourse_model.py within
+the Discourse class:
+
+    debugging_verbs
+    spin_arguments (these are possible arguments to "spin")
+
+They include "world tree" (see every item in the game, arranged in a tree,
+according the main simulation) and "world actions" (same for the actions).
+
+Also in Discourse is command_grammar, which shows which command verbs exist. A 
+small set (essentially, the verbs necessary to implement Adventure) has been 
+implemented.
+
+
+
+## AUTOMATED PLAY AND TESTING
+
+Inputs are available in the "walk" directory for all of the fiction files. If 
+you start them using the "--auto" flag AND a filename argument:
+
+    python curveship.py fiction/adventure.py --auto walk/adventure_win.txt
+
+Or, on Windows:
+
+    python curveship.py fiction\adventure.py --auto walk\adventure_win.txt
+
+Curveship will automatically run the series of commands which will bring you
+through the game to a winning ending.
+
+This can be used in testing fictions/games and in regression testing for the
+system itself.
+