Making an object that picks up other objects

Authoring Inform 7
1

I’m stuck again. I need to make an object that picks up other objects. For example, I have something that is out of reach unless the player has a robotic arm that can extend far enough to reach it.

But, I can’t figure it out.

Peter

2

Do you want to have the player type “GET SCREWDRIVER WITH ARM” or just have “GET SCREWDRIVER” work if you have the arm?

This is a pretty bare-bones way to do the second:

Check taking the screwdriver: unless the player carries the robotic arm: say "It's just out of reach. If only you had longer arms!"; stop the action.

Things you would want to add to this:

You should actually make sure this only happens when the screwdriver is wherever it starts out. It’d be very annoying if the player fished it out of the crevice, put it down, and then got this message. (Can be handled by adding a condition to this.)
You should probably create a message beyond the bland “Taken” when you take the screwdriver with the arm. (You can do this with a Report taking rule; add “rule succeeds” to the end if you don’t want “Taken” to be printed.) Again, this should only happen when you’re actually taking it with the arm.
You should implement “TAKE SCREWDRIVER WITH ARM” anyway, because it’s kind of annoying to try to have that command fail when you’re actually using the arm to take the screwdriver.
Other things I haven’t thought of, surely.

3

Yeah, I’d want to take the screwdriver with the arm, otherwise it is still outta reach. I’ll try your suggestions, thanks!

Peter

4

OK, then I think the first thing you want to do is:

Taking it with is an action applying to two things. Understand "take [something] with [something]" as taking it with. [And maybe you also have to include "get," "pick up," etc. in that understand line.]

And then define rules for taking it with. It might also be polite to give a hint if the player carries the robotic arm and is trying to take something that needs it, since players might assume that “TAKE SCREWDRIVER” uses the arm by default once they have it. (This depends on your puzzle structure; there are some games where it’s not obvious that the thing you have is something you can pick things up with.)

5

I made it work! WOO HOOOO! On to the next puzzle…