Giving Commands to TAF - Aliases

Game authors are free to use any words in the solution string for a problem. This provides a creative freedom to the authors. They can use any command that makes sense to the internal logic of their game. They’re not restricted to using the built-in commands that come with the TAF software. This game-specific set of commands is known as the game vocabulary.

Perhaps a game calls for “magical” or archaic command words, or perhaps a game strives to use as close to modern, natural language as possible. The choice is entirely down to the game author. Even more flexibility can be provided through the use of aliases.

Aliases are alternative words that can be used instead of game-specific vocabulary words. Suppose a problem in a game requires the player to put the correct combination into a combination lock. In the case where the combination happens to be 3653, what should the solution string be?

• enter 3653
• turn 3653
• dial 3653
• combination 3653

Or something completely different?

It might sound odd to someone to say “dial 3653”, but sound natural for them to use “try 3653”. Aliases allow both of these terms — and others — to work as valid, acceptable solution strings.

Solution Strings

The action that solves a puzzle is called its solution, and it is entered into TAF as a solution string.

The use of those words is flexible too. Words can be defined as aliases of other words. For example if the phrase to solve a particular puzzle was “put on the head torch”, the game author may define “turn” and “switch” as aliases for “put”.

That means the player could solve the problem by typing any of:

• put on the head torch
• turn on the head torch
• switch on the head torch