# Help with true/false

**URL:** <https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/help-with-true-false/161242>\
**Category:** Game Development\
**Created:** [November 6, 2024, 5:09am UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/help-with-true-false/161242 "2024-11-06T05:09:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![fionapple](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/fionapple/32/241612_2.png) [@fionapple](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/fionapple)\
**Post date:** [November 6, 2024, 5:09am UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/help-with-true-false/161242/1 "2024-11-06T05:09:18Z")

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I asked for help on a separate issue but I decided I’d reach out about both to try my luck. Essentially, I tried to use true/false variables so that it’s not until the reader gets to a certain in the story that a bit of text appears in the stats.

The way I attempted to do this was:  
In my startup scene  
\*create mourning\_song true

Then in my prologue:  
\*set mourning\_song true

And in my stats to initiate:  
\*if (mourning\_song)  
[story text]

But it didn’t work. The story text appears before you get to that point in my story.

I really don’t know where I’m going wrong, please help! Thank you 🙂

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**Author:** ![valence](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/valence/32/203496_2.png) [@valence](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/valence)\
**Post date:** [November 6, 2024, 7:56am UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/help-with-true-false/161242/2 "2024-11-06T07:56:18Z")

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When you create the variable in the startup scene, you need to create it as false instead of true. Like this:

```choicescript
*create mourning_song false

```

> **Long-ish explanation**
>
> You can `*create` variables at any value that you want (either in the startup scene or using the `*temp` command elsewhere.) This goes for true/false, numerical values, and even the retrievable `"text"` variables.
> 
> However, whatever they are when you first `*create`/`*temp` them will be their default state until you change it with a `*set` command.
> 
> So your `mourning_song` variable is reading as true by default because that’s how you created it; meaning your `*set true` command in the prologue doesn’t change anything. That’s also why your stats page is always displaying it. Because it’s never set false.
> 
> I saw your other post and I would guess that you’re having the same problem with the `*temp` values as well, but it’s hard to say for sure without seeing more of the code or knowing what kind of errors your encountering.

Anyway, ‘mourning song’ is a pretty epic variable name! And I hope this helps!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![fionapple](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/fionapple/32/241612_2.png) [@fionapple](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/fionapple)\
**Post date:** [November 6, 2024, 1:52pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/help-with-true-false/161242/3 "2024-11-06T13:52:32Z")

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Thank you so much, this worked perfectly! I was genuinely losing hope before, now the answer seemed so simple all along haha!! Very grateful \<3

Also, I have yet to tackle my other dilemma, but I will try now with all the help I’ve been getting

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![valence](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/valence/32/203496_2.png) [@valence](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/valence)\
**Post date:** [November 6, 2024, 4:47pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/help-with-true-false/161242/4 "2024-11-06T16:47:37Z")

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Happy to help! And to hear that you’re not giving up. The forum is a great place to look around for answers!