Base description
A base description consists of three fields, each with a 15-character capacity, and makes up the most basic description of items in GemStone IV. When displayed by the game engine, each 15-character field has a 'free' space that is inserted between it and its neighboring field. Spaces and articles such as 'a', 'and', or 'some' count against the 15-character allotment of each field.
The first 15-character field is generally referred to as the article field, presumably because it tends to begin with the articles 'a' or 'an' (or 'some' in the case of some plural items.) This field is not limited to only containing an article, however.
The second 15-character field is generally referred to as the adjective field, presumably because it tends to contain adjectives which describe the item in broad terms. Color, material and basic size or shape are examples of common types of adjectives use in this field.
The third 15-character field is generally referred to as the noun field, as it contains the noun by which items are primarily referenced by when issuing commands. In general the noun field is required to be a single noun, or rarely a hyphenated noun-like phrase (e.g. thigh-sheath.)
Base descriptions are sometimes referred as short descriptions or an item's 15/15/15 description.
Verb interactions
When using a verb to interact with an item, either the noun by itself, or the adjective's first word followed by the noun, may be used. Partial abbreviations are acceptable. For example, "a pinch of powdered iron filings" has the article "a pinch of", the adjective "powdered iron", and the noun "filings". To take it, some of the valid syntaxes are:
- GET FILINGS
- GET FIL
- GET POWDERED FILINGS
- GET POW FIL
Using the article, or more than one word of the adjective, is NOT valid:
- GET A PINCH OF FILINGS
- GET POWDERED IRON FILINGS
Note: It is, however, possible to specify the full adjective when using RUMMAGE {container} INGREDIENT {item description}.
Additionally, if there is an item in the room or the player's inventory that does not have an adjective, then command inputs that specify only the noun will always refer to that item. For example, if there is both "a diamond" and "an uncut maernstrike diamond" in the room, then GET DIAMOND will refer to the former. This is true even if the non-adjective item is concealed in a closed container: GET DIAMOND would in that case simply fail, and the adjective must be used (GET UNCUT DIAMOND) to pick up the uncut maernstrike diamond.