Vaguely going mystery

Authoring Inform 7
1

I am attempting to remap two vague commands without objects to sensible behavior. Examine without an object should simply be looking. Go without an object should map to an action I’ve defined go on which assumes a target location in each region.

The new vaguely going rule is listed instead of the block vaguely going rule in the for supplying a missing noun rules.

By default, x or go without an object say:

>go
You must supply a noun.

Here’s the remapping:

The new vaguely going rule is listed instead of the block vaguely going rule in the for supplying a missing noun rules.

This is the new vaguely going rule:
	if examining:
		try looking;
		[ continue the action; ]
	else:
  		try going_on;
	rule succeeds.

Interestingly this works fine. X looks around, and Go indeed does go on. However, at the end of that action, I still get the message

You must supply a noun.

With rules on, the relevant portion says:

Blackberry Tangle
[Rule “room description body text rule” applies.]
There are paths through the brambles, a maze with tantalizing fruit. Although this area is mostly picked since you and Honey and Grandpa came this way when you started picking this morning. You can still find some ripe berries though.

Looking for places you can explore: Through the blackberry tangle, you can follow the trail and go down along the creek shaded by lush green willow trees. Back the way you came, you can go to the clearing where Honey and Grandpa have been picking.

[Rule “room description paragraphs about objects rule” applies.]
[Rule “initialise locale description rule” applies.]
[Rule “find notable locale objects rule” applies.]
[Rule “standard notable locale objects rule” applies.]
[Rule “interesting locale paragraphs rule” applies.]
[Rule “don’t mention player’s supporter in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “don’t mention scenery in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “don’t mention undescribed items in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “set pronouns from items in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “offer items to writing a paragraph about rule” applies.]
[Rule “use initial appearance in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “describe what’s on scenery supporters in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “describe what’s on mentioned supporters in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “don’t mention player’s supporter in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “don’t mention scenery in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “don’t mention undescribed items in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “set pronouns from items in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “offer items to writing a paragraph about rule” applies.]
[Rule “use initial appearance in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “describe what’s on scenery supporters in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “describe what’s on mentioned supporters in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “don’t mention player’s supporter in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “don’t mention scenery in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “don’t mention undescribed items in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “set pronouns from items in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “offer items to writing a paragraph about rule” applies.]
[Rule “use initial appearance in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “describe what’s on scenery supporters in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “describe what’s on mentioned supporters in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “don’t mention player’s supporter in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “don’t mention scenery in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “don’t mention undescribed items in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “set pronouns from items in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “offer items to writing a paragraph about rule” applies.]
[Rule “use initial appearance in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “describe what’s on scenery supporters in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “describe what’s on mentioned supporters in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “don’t mention player’s supporter in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “don’t mention scenery in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “don’t mention undescribed items in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “set pronouns from items in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “offer items to writing a paragraph about rule” applies.]
[Rule “use initial appearance in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “describe what’s on scenery supporters in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “describe what’s on mentioned supporters in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “don’t mention player’s supporter in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “don’t mention scenery in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “don’t mention undescribed items in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “set pronouns from items in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “offer items to writing a paragraph about rule” applies.]
[Rule “use initial appearance in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “describe what’s on scenery supporters in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “describe what’s on mentioned supporters in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “don’t mention player’s supporter in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “don’t mention scenery in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “don’t mention undescribed items in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “set pronouns from items in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “offer items to writing a paragraph about rule” applies.]
[Rule “use initial appearance in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “describe what’s on scenery supporters in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “describe what’s on mentioned supporters in room descriptions rule” applies.]
[Rule “you-can-also-see rule” applies.]
[Rule “check new arrival rule” applies.]
[Rule “mark items as seen when looking rule” applies.]
[Rule “after stage rule” applies.]
[Rule “investigate player’s awareness after action rule” applies.]
[Rule “report stage rule” applies.]
[Rule “other people looking rule” applies.]
[Rule “last specific action-processing rule” applies.]
[Rule “last specific action-processing rule” applies.]
[Rule “after stage rule” applies.]
[Rule “investigate player’s awareness after action rule” applies.]
[Rule “report stage rule” applies.]
[Rule “last specific action-processing rule” applies.]
[Rule “after stage rule” applies.]
[Rule “investigate player’s awareness after action rule” applies.]
[Rule “report stage rule” applies.]
[Rule “last specific action-processing rule” applies.]
You must supply a noun.

How do I make the error message disappear?

2

It makes sense to dispatch actions to different actions in Before, Instead, or Check rules with instead try actioning (the instead being redundant in Instead, of course). But the supplying a missing noun activity takes place in the parser before the action rulebooks have begun. You can’t dispatch the action elsewhere there. You can insert another action invocation, which is what you’re doing.

What you really seem to want for the go case is:

Understand the command "go" as something new.
Understand "go" as going_on.
2 Likes
3

The block vaguely going rule is a “rule for supplying a missing noun”: it’s invoked when the parser finds a valid grammar line (in this case “go”), figures out the action, then realizes that action is missing its noun.

If the “rules for supplying a missing noun” don’t provide a noun, the action then fails with the message “you must supply a noun”. That’s where the message is coming from.

I agree with Zed. It’ll be easier to just write your own Understand lines; the “supplying a missing noun” activity isn’t designed to convert one action into a whole new one. But if you really want to do it that way, you’ll want to change the noun to some dummy object, then write a rule in the normal action rulebooks that notices that object and converts to a different action.

The placeholder is an object.
Rule for supplying a missing noun when going: now the noun is the placeholder.
Before going the placeholder: try [your action] instead.
3 Likes