Book - Tools For Deciding Which Not Sequential Puzzle Is Next


To scour recent input for puzzle suggestions:
    repeat through the Table of Temp Task Rankings:
        blank out the whole row;
    if puzzle-testing all, say "(Last 10 interacted-with items: [list of in-focus items])";
    if puzzle-testing all, say "(Last 10 visited locations: [list of stored venues])";
    [Iterate through each unique puzzle/object correspondence.]
    repeat through table of Puzzle Reference:
        if job entry is solved, next; [not interested in tasks that already solved.]
        if item entry is a room:
            [If we've recently been in this location, score points for the associated task.]
            let ctr be 0;
            repeat with loc running through list of stored venues:
                increase ctr by 1;
                if item entry is loc, score ctr puzzle points for job entry;
        otherwise:
            [If the object here matches a recently interacted-with object, score points based on how long ago the interaction occurred. ]
            let ctr be 0;
            repeat with obj running through list of in-focus items:
                increase ctr by 1;
                if item entry is obj, score ctr puzzle points for job entry;
        [Finally, if any nouns in this puzzle's task are visible or held, score more points for that task.]
        if item entry is a thing and item entry is not nothing and ( item entry is visible or item entry is held ) :
            if job entry is unsolved, score 11 puzzle points for job entry. [slowdown?]

To decide what object is the best choice of the ranked puzzles under (problem - a puzzle):
    sort Table of Temp Task Rankings in reverse puzz-rank order; [most likely first]
    let candidate be nothing;
    while candidate is nothing and there is a job in row 1 of Table of Temp Task Rankings:
        choose row 1 in Table of Temp Task Rankings;
        [reject any options that aren't parts of the puzzle we're currently considering. ]
        if the number of steps via the requiring relation from problem to job entry >= 0:
            let candidate be job entry;
        otherwise:
            blank out the whole row;
            sort Table of Temp Task Rankings in reverse puzz-rank order;
    if puzzle-testing all:
        repeat through table of Temp Task Rankings:
            say "[line break]-->[job entry] : [puzz-rank entry] points";
        say line break;
    if candidate is nothing: [no way to guess; so just pick one at random.]
        if puzzle-testing inferences, say "(no matches found; choosing at random)";
        now candidate is a random unsolved thing required by problem;
    [if what we picked is part of something unsolved, pick that instead.]
    let parent be requiree of candidate;
    while parent is sequential and parent is unsolved and parent is not problem and problem is not required by parent:
        now candidate is parent;
        now parent is requiree of candidate;
    decide on candidate.

To score (points - a number) puzzle points for (selectee - a task):
    if there is a job of selectee in Table of Temp Task Rankings:
        choose row with a job of selectee in Table of Temp Task Rankings;
        now puzz-rank entry is puzz-rank entry + points;
    otherwise:
        if the number of blank rows in Table of Temp Task Rankings > 0:
            choose a blank row in Table of Temp Task Rankings;
            now job entry is selectee;
            now puzz-rank entry is points.

Table of Temp Task Rankings

job	puzz-rank
a task	a number
with 20 blank rows.