by ukdane
ricky2002 wrote:
All actions are not taken simultaneously. They are taken in the order described in the rulebook. And if you are building two items then you build them sequentially. So yes, if you have an item that fulfills the requirements for two other inventions then you can build both, there is no rule to say you can only build one. Have fun! Rick
Page 8. Under the title "VERY IMPORTANT!" 3rd Paragraph:
"... They cannot use any resources gained in the same Action phase (although Actions are resolved in a certain order, you should always imagine that they are all done simultaneous), so when planning Actions, you should not only assign pawns to certain Actions, but it's also recommended to assign the required resources from the Availabel Resources space...
... The same applies to Items- you can only use items during this Phase which you already had while planning the Actions."
I think this is where maybe the OP has some confussion.
I've found that when resolving queries about the Robinson rules, applying a "real life" situation often helps.
So, I agree with Ricky, in the case of the OP's question, assuming that the rope has already been "invented", then he can cut a length of rope, in order to build X, then later the same day cut another length of rope to build Y, and so on. I don't think the he "Uses" all the rope, just a length of it.
When it comes to the action phase, I imagine it's simply a case of "what I did during day n" this I believe is also part of the reasoning behind the "candles" being called "candles", as they allowed you to work into the night (do an extra action).