Feedback
From IFWiki
A nudge in the right direction when a player tries an incorrect action, or an encouraging response when the player does something right. For example:
>get coal The coals are far too hot to pick up with your bare hands. >pick up coal with tongs You remove a nice hot coal from the fire.
The enemy of helpful feedback is often the default response, which can mislead players into thinking they are on the wrong track when they are not. For example, a game might give the standard response "Violence isn't the answer to this one" when the player tries to break something, when violence is actually the answer (they just need to use the axe).
"If I’m doing the right thing, tell me I’m doing the right thing" - Dan Shiovitz.
Links
- Feedback and Default Messages in the IF Gems review quotes collection (also available from the IF Archive).