VB.net Navigating Text Adventure Game - vb.net

Question

I am working on a text adventure game. The goal of this program is to display three options and a textbox. The user can select one of the options by entering the corresponding number into a text box, which then is supposed to navigate the user into the next area, where the user is presented with another 3 options.
The issue I am currently having is navigating through the area game areas.
Sub gameOver(ByVal DeathMessage)
lblTitle.Text = "Game Over!"
lblMain.Text = DeathMessage
End Sub
Sub pgMain()
lblMain.Text = $"Enter 1 to start the game{vbCrLf}Enter 2 to quit the game"
If aryInput(0) = "1" Then
pg1()
ElseIf aryInput(0) = "2" Then
Me.Close()
End If
End Sub
Private Sub btnSubmit_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles btnSubmit.Click
aryInput(0) = tbxInput.Text
End Sub
Sub pg1() ' User picks a starting option
lblTitle.Text = "You spot a secret magical lair do you"
lblMain.Text = $"1. Enter the lair through the front door{vbCrLf}2. Enter the lair through the back door{vbCrLf}3. Wait untill midnight to enter the lair."
If aryInput(0) = "1" Then
MsgBox("Front door") 'pg2()
ElseIf aryInput(0) = "2" Then
MsgBox("backdoor")
pg3()
ElseIf aryInput(0) = "3" Then
gameOver("You were mauled by wolves")
End If
End Sub
'Sub pg2() ' User entered through the front door.
' lblMain.Text = $"1. Go to the chest{vbCrLf}2. Go to the bookshelf{vbCr}3. Go to the cauldron"
' If tbxInput.Text = "1" Then
' pg5() ' They went to the chest
' ElseIf tbxInput.Text = "2" Then
' pg6() ' User went to the bookshelf
' ElseIf tbxInput.Text = "3" Then
' pg7() ' User went to the cauldron
' End If
'End Sub
Sub pg3()
tbxInput.Text = Nothing
lblTitle.Text = "You were splashed with a poison spell do you"
lblMain.Text = $"1. Cut off the infected part{vbCrLf}2. Drink a bucket of milk{vbCrLf}3. Inject yourself with some sort of medical syringe"
If tbxInput.Text = "1" Then
MsgBox("Infected Part") 'pg8()
ElseIf tbxInput.Text = "2" Then
MsgBox("Milk") 'pg9()
ElseIf tbxInput.Text = "3" Then
gameOver("You injected yourself with viper venom.")
End If
End Sub
As you can probably tell I am having issues with getting the content of the textbox to decide where the user will go next. I have tried using Input Boxes, and yes it works but they have a character limit and I would prefer figuring out a way to do this with a text box. I was also considering a way using key presses instead of a button click. Sorry for the beginner question, I am still learning my way around Visual Basic. Thank you in advance!

Answer 1

I like radio buttons better because it is easier to control user input. A user can put anything in a text box and you need to handle the possibility that it is not 1, 2, or 3.
Initially RadioButton3.Visible is set to False at design time. It becomes visible if the user selects to start the game.
We kick the whole thing off in Form.Load. I declared a Form level variable to keep track of what page we are on, PageNum.
I have only set properties in the pgX subs. All the action is in the submit button. The first thing is to find which radio button is selected. The GetSelectedRadioButton returns the selected button or Nothing. You have to pass Me (which refers to the Form, the class where the code is running) as the container. Often radio buttons are found in a GroupBox or other container control so this allows for that.
You will need to write the code for pg5, pg6, pg7, pg8, and pg9. Also add Case 5, Case 6, Case 7, Case 8, and Case 9 to the submit button.
Private PageNum As Integer
Private Sub Form1_Load(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
pgMain()
End Sub
Private Sub pgMain()
lblMain.Text = "Make a selection and click Submit"
RadioButton1.Text = "start the game"
RadioButton2.Text = "quit the game"
End Sub
Private Sub btnSubmit_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles btnSubmit.Click
Dim rb As RadioButton = GetSelectedRadioButton(Me)
If rb IsNot Nothing Then
Dim Name = rb.Name
Select Case PageNum
Case 0
If Name = "RadioButton1" Then
pg1()
ElseIf Name = "RadioButton2" Then
Close()
End If
Case 1
If Name = "RadioButton1" Then
MsgBox("Front door") '
pg2()
ElseIf Name = "RadioButton2" Then
MsgBox("backdoor")
pg3()
ElseIf Name = "RadioButton3" Then
gameOver("You were mauled by wolves")
End If
Case 2
If Name = "RadioButton1" Then
pg5() ' They went to the chest
ElseIf Name = "RadioButton2" Then
pg6() ' User went to the bookshelf
ElseIf Name = "RadioButton3" Then
pg7() ' User went to the cauldron
End If
Case 3
If Name = "RadioButton1" Then
MsgBox("Infected Part")
pg8()
ElseIf Name = "RadioButton2" Then
MsgBox("Milk")
pg9()
ElseIf Name = "RadioButton3" Then
gameOver("You injected yourself with viper venom.")
End If
End Select
Else
MessageBox.Show("Please make a selection.")
End If
End Sub
Public Function GetSelectedRadioButton(Container As Control) As RadioButton
Dim rb = Container.Controls.OfType(Of RadioButton)().FirstOrDefault(Function(r) r.Checked = True)
Return rb
End Function
Private Sub pg1() ' User picks a starting option
PageNum = 1
lblTitle.Text = "You spot a secret magical lair do you"
RadioButton1.Text = "Enter the lair through the front door"
RadioButton2.Text = "Enter the lair through the back door"
RadioButton3.Visible = True 'Set to False at design time
RadioButton3.Text = "Wait untill midnight to enter the lair."
End Sub
Private Sub pg2() ' User entered through the front door.
PageNum = 2
lblTitle.Text = "You see a chest, a bookself, and a cauldron"
RadioButton1.Text = "Go to the chest"
RadioButton2.Text = "Go to the bookshelf"
RadioButton3.Text = "Go to the cauldron"
End Sub
Private Sub pg3()
PageNum = 3
lblTitle.Text = "You were splashed with a poison spell do you"
RadioButton1.Text = "Cut off the infected part"
RadioButton2.Text = "Drink a bucket of milk"
RadioButton3.Text = "Inject yourself with some sort of medical syringe"
End Sub
Private Sub gameOver(DeathMessage As String)
lblTitle.Text = "Game Over!"
lblMain.Text = DeathMessage
RadioButton1.Visible = False
RadioButton2.Visible = False
RadioButton3.Visible = False
btnSubmit.Visible = False
End Sub