How to replace 'cutting' with 'cutting with something'

[payo]

Is there a way to replace the actions of cutting and attacking with a new action “chopping it with?”

A thing can be either a cutter or noncutter. A thing is usually a noncutter.

Chopping it with is an action applying to two things. Understand “chop [something] with [something]” and “ax [something] with [something]” and “cut [something] with [something]” and “attack [something] with [something]” as chopping it with.

ERROR CODE: Instead of cutting something, try chopping it with a cutter.

The above code doesn’t work…

The reason I want to do this is because the game usually returns “Cutting that up would achieve little” or “Violence isn’t the answer to this one…”

I could just use a lot of instead rules, but they have to be specific so I would have to write

Instead of cutting the white door, try chopping the white door with the axe.

But that is too specific, as the player may also be carrying a sword or only a sword and not the axe…

I doubt there is really a solution.

edit: It would be best if the game asked the player, would you like to use the axe or the sword? Or something similar.

edit: I’ve found one solution, which kind of sucks but…

Instead of cutting something, say “Try CUT [bracket]SOMETHING[close bracket] WITH [bracket]SOMETHING[close bracket], as in CUT TREE WITH AXE.”

Instead of attacking something, say “Try CUT [bracket]SOMETHING[close bracket] WITH [bracket]SOMETHING[close bracket], as in CUT TREE WITH AXE.”

That’s my provisional solution, but it seems jarring for the player.

[Ron_Newcomb]

I think I solved this by just using “attacking it with” – it doesn’t matter what we call the action behind the scenes – and un-hooked the commands from cutting and then hitched them to attacking like so:

Understand the commands "slice", "prune", "cut" and "chop" as something new.
Understand the commands "slice", "prune", "cut" and "chop" as "attack".

[payo]

Cool problem solved. I think I will try this with “get all” as it’s causing me problems.

[Ron_Newcomb]

@payo

Cool problem solved. I think I will try this with “get all” as it’s causing me problems.

There’s an activity or something called “Deciding whether all includes” for toying with “take all”. Check the Activities chapter in the manual.