macro
    d         return ".move 4 1"
    d+up      return ".move 4 0"
    a         return ".move 8 1"
    a+up      return ".move 8 0"
    shift     return ".run 1"
    shift+up  return ".run 0"
    space+rep return ".jump"

mob/player
    var
        move_dirs[0]

        tmp
            running = FALSE

    verb
        move(d as num, on as num)
            set name = ".move"
            if(on)
                move_dirs += d
            else
                move_dirs -= d

        run(on as num)
            set name = ".run"
            running = on

        jump()
            set name = ".jump"
            // etc.

    Tick()
        // -1, 0, or 1
        var moving = (EAST in move_dirs) - (WEST in move_dirs)

        // move some number of pixels in the direction of moving

// these are equivalent (uninitialized lists)
var L[]
var list/L

// these are equivalent (different from above)
var L[0]
var L[] = list()
var L[] = new
var list/L = list()
var list/L = new

// and these too
var L[5]
var L[] = list(null, null, null, null, null) // haha
var L[] = new (5)
var L[] = new /list (5)
var list/L = list(null, null, null, null, null)
var list/L = new (5)
var list/L = new /list (5)

var list/L = list(...)