Taking inventory (past tense taken inventory)
Taking an inventory of
one's immediate possessions: the things being carried, either directly or in
any containers being carried. When the player performs this action, either
the inventory listing, or else a special message if nothing is being carried
or worn, is printed during the carry out rules: nothing happens at the report
stage. The opposite happens for other people performing the action: nothing
happens during carry out, but a report such as 'Mr X looks through his
possessions.' is produced (provided Mr X is visible).
The exotic 'use inventory to set pronouns rule' allows the inventory
listing to change the current meanings of IT, HIM, HER, and so on for the
player's future commands. Thus if the player is carrying a certain female
cat, say, taking inventory might print up the name 'Missee Lee', and this
would set HER to refer to Missee Lee. Some IF authors dislike this
convention: it can be abolished by writing 'The use inventory to set
pronouns rule is not listed in any rulebook.'
Typed commands leading to this action
"take inventory"
"inventory"
Rules controlling this action
before doing something in The Captain's Office
carry out print empty inventory rule
carry out print standard inventory rule
carry out use inventory to set pronouns rule
report someone trying taking inventory [E1]
report an actor taking inventory report other people taking inventory rule