Survey/Scout - Great for Rangers/Warriors

// Usage: survey
// Looks into all adjecent rooms from the player
// and shows all pcs/npcs in them
ACMD(do_survey)
{
    // check if they even know the skill
    if (IS_NPC(ch) || !GET_SKILL(ch, SKILL_SURVEY))
    {
        send_to_char(ch, "You have no idea how to do that.\r\n");
        return;
    }

    if (AFF_FLAGGED(ch, AFF_BLIND) && GET_LEVEL(ch) < LVL_IMMORT)
    {
        send_to_char(ch, "You can't see a thing, you're blind!\r\n");
        return;
    }
-    else if (IS_DARK(IN_ROOM(ch)) && !CAN_SEE_IN_DARK(ch))
+    if (IS_DARK(IN_ROOM(ch)) && !CAN_SEE_IN_DARK(ch)) // no need for "else" when you end the previous with a return.
    {
        send_to_char(ch, "It is pitch black...\r\n");
        return;
    }

    // survey is like the "spy" skill, but it looks in all rooms around you
    for (int i = 0; i < NUM_OF_DIRS; i++)
    {
        char cur_dir[MAX_INPUT_LENGTH];

        // temp direction so it can be capitalized
        sprintf(cur_dir, "%s", dirs[i]);

// this next bit is not needed. You already _know_ that the cur_dir is in dirs.
-        // look for the direction they typed within the dirs array
-        int look_type = search_block(cur_dir, dirs, FALSE);
-
-        // check for invalid direction
-        if (look_type == -1)
-        {
-            send_to_char(ch, "Look where???\r\n");
-            return;
-        }

        // invalid direction or no room?
-        if (look_type >= 0 && EXIT(ch, look_type) && !(EXIT(ch, look_type)->to_room == NOWHERE))
+        if (EXIT(ch, i) && !(EXIT(ch, i)->to_room == NOWHERE))
        {
// this bit reinvents the CAP function in utils.c.
-            char temp_string[MAX_INPUT_LENGTH];
-
-            // direction with capital first letter
-            strcpy(temp_string, dirs[look_type]);
-            temp_string[0] -= 32;
-            send_to_char(ch, "%s", CCNRM(ch, C_NRM));        // color for dir
-            send_to_char(ch, "%s:\r\n", temp_string);        // dir
+            send_to_char(ch, "%s%s:\r\n", CCNRM(ch, C_NRM), CAP(cur_dir)); // can send several at once

-            if (IS_SET(EXIT(ch, look_type)->exit_info, EX_CLOSED) && EXIT(ch, look_type)->keyword) {
+            if (IS_SET(EXIT(ch, i)->exit_info, EX_CLOSED) && EXIT(ch, i)->keyword) {
-                send_to_char(ch, "%s", CCYEL(ch, C_NRM));
-                send_to_char(ch, "The %s is closed.\r\n", fname(EXIT(ch, look_type)->keyword));
+                send_to_char(ch, "%sThe %s is closed.\r\n", CCYEL(ch, C_NRM), fname(EXIT(ch, i)->keyword));
            }
            else {
                // list of chars in room looking in, if none found tell player
                // NOTE: list_char_to_char actually lists the characters
-                if ((list_char_to_char(world[world[IN_ROOM(ch)].dir_option[look_type]->to_room].people, ch) == 0))
+                if ((list_char_to_char(world[world[IN_ROOM(ch)].dir_option[i]->to_room].people, ch) == 0))
                {
-                    send_to_char(ch, "%s", CCYEL(ch, C_NRM));
-                    send_to_char(ch, "No one.\r\n");
+                    send_to_char(ch, "%sNo one.\r\n", CCYEL(ch, C_NRM));
                }
            }
        }
    }
}