Alabaster — 5 of 123

Chapter 1 - Listing Quips

A quip can be listed or unlisted.

A plausibility rule for an unlisted quip (this is the don't suggest unlisted quips rule):

it is implausible.

[First plausibility rule for a quip (called target) when the current quip is dead-ended (this is the limit top-level suggestions rule):

if the target mentions something which is mentioned by the current quip:

make no decision;

it is dubious.] [1]

A plausibility rule for a shallowly-buried quip (called target) (this is the pruning mid-level suggestions rule):

if a quip indirectly-follows the current quip:

it is dubious;

if at least three quips indirectly-follow the previous quip:

it is dubious;

unless the current quip is dead-ended and the target mentions something which is mentioned by the current quip:

it is dubious.[2]

Rule for listing plausible quips when the current quip is dead-ended:

prepare a list of plausible quips;

if the number of filled rows in the Table of Scored Listing is 0:

rule succeeds;

if the number of filled rows in the Table of Scored Listing is greater than 4:

prepare a list of flagged-ready quips which mention every subject-relevant thing;

if the number of filled rows in the Table of Scored Listing is greater than 4 or the number of filled rows in the Table of Scored Listing is less than 1:

repeat with item running through listed flagged-ready quips in the quip-repository:

now every thing which is mentioned by the item is flagged-topical;

if a flagged-topical thing is subject-relevant:

prepare a list of subject-relevant flagged-topical things;

say "[one of]You could discuss[or]The conversation could turn to[at random] [the prepared list delimited in disjunctive style].";

now every thing is flagged-untopical; [3]

rule succeeds;

repeat through the Table of Scored Listing:

carry out the quip-introducing activity with the output entry;

[This could have blanked some rows out, so we want to check again:]

if the number of filled rows in the Table of Scored Listing is greater than 0,

say "[quip-suggestion-phrase][the prepared list delimited in disjunctive style].";