How to Print an Invalid Message in Your Python Text-Based Game

Описание: Learn how to implement an `invalid move message` in your Python text-based game to enhance user experience.
---
This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/68762653/ asked by the user 'ked730' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/16614886/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/68762675/ provided by the user 'Barmar' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/1491895/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

Visit these links for original content and any more details, such as alternate solutions, latest updates/developments on topic, comments, revision history etc. For example, the original title of the Question was: How do I get an invalid message to print?

Also, Content (except music) licensed under CC BY-SA https://meta.stackexchange.com/help/l...
The original Question post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license, and the original Answer post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license.

If anything seems off to you, please feel free to write me at vlogize [AT] gmail [DOT] com.
---
Introduction

Are you building a text-based game in Python and struggling to provide feedback to users when their chosen action isn’t valid? You're not alone! Many beginners face this issue while trying to handle user input. In this guide, we’ll focus on how to effectively display an error message when a player attempts to move in a direction that isn't allowed within the game.

Problem Overview

You have a game where players can navigate through different rooms on their journey. However, if they input an invalid direction, you want to inform them that their choice is not possible. This enhances the gameplay experience by guiding players and avoiding frustration.

Let's take a look at the basic structure of your game and understand the necessary modifications:

Your Current Code Structure

Your game consists of a dictionary representing rooms and the possible directions a player can move. Here’s a snippet of your code:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

The Solution

To display an invalid move message when a user makes an invalid input, you can modify your existing code by adding a condition to check if the user's input is within the available directions in the current room.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

Check User Input: Use the in operator to see if the direction provided by the user exists in the available directions for the current room.

Update the Current Room: Only change the currentbiome if the user's input is valid.

Error Message: If the input isn't valid (meaning the direction isn’t found in the dictionary), print a helpful message.

Revised Code Example

Here's how you would adjust your code:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Key Changes Made:

The line if swim in rooms[currentbiome]: checks if the player's desired direction is valid.

An error message is printed whenever the user attempts to move in an invalid direction.

Conclusion

Incorporating checks for valid input not only improves your game's user experience but also makes your code cleaner and more robust. Whenever players input a direction not available in the current room, they will now receive constructive feedback, leading to a more enjoyable gaming experience.

Feel free to tweak this example further to add more features or complexity as you continue developing your text-based game. Happy coding!