An AskTellTopic is effectively a combination AskTopic and TellTopic; in other words it responds to both ASK X ABOUT Y and TELL X ABOUT Y, treating the two just the same. It is thus useful when you want players to be able to talk about a topic, but feel it doesn't make much difference whether they do so by telling or asking.
Let's suppose that this is how we want to handle conversing with the demons about the golden banana. We could put the following into the demonsChattering state:
++ AskTellTopic, StopEventList @goldenBanana
[
'<q>Say, do you little devils know anything about a Golden Banana?</q> you enquire.\b
<q>The Golden Banana!</q> one of them exclaims, <q>He knows of the Banana!
We wants it! We wants it!</q> ',
'<q>You seem interested in this Banana.</q> you remark.\b
The chief demon draws himself up to his full height and stares straight
at your navel. <q>Know that I am Princifax, leader of demons, Lord High
Big Stink, and recipient of three Rotten Tomato awards for Ham Actor of
the Underworld. Fear me! Fear me!</q>\b
<q>All hail Lord High Big Stink Princifax of the Rotten Tomato!</q> chorus
the other demons.\b
<q>Know too, feeble mortal, that the banana of which you speak is OURS!
We <i>demand</i> that if you know anything of it, you bring it to us.
Otherwise...</q> Princifax shakes his head, as if contemplating a fate worse
than death for you. ',
'<q>Why\'s this banana so important to you?</q> you wonder.\b
<q>It was stolen from us,</q> the demons reply indignantly, <q>By one of
your kind - so that makes <i>you</i> responsible for bringing it back to
us.</q>',
'<q>So you\'d like me to bring you back this banana?</q> you surmise.\b
<q>For a human you\'re almost quick on the uptake.</q> one of them
replies.'
]
;
Another reason for using a combination AskTellTopic might be when the command the player is most likely to use might alternate over the course of the topic as the situation changes. For example, depending on whether the player character has yet purchased a museum ticket or shown it to the curator, he might ask where to purchase a ticket, tell the curator that he's already purchased one, or ask whether he needs to buy another if he wants to return. We could handle this with the following group of TopicEntries, which should go in the curatorTalking InConversationState:
++ AskTellTopic @museumTicket
"<q>How do I get a museum ticket?</q> you want to know.\b
<q>There's a vending machine down the hall.</q> he tells you,
<q>You can get one there.</q>"
;
+++ AltTopic
"<q>I have bought a ticket.</q> you assure him.\b
<q>Let's see it, then.</q> {the curator/he} insists."
isActive = (museumTicket.moved)
;
+++ AltTopic
"<q>Do I need another ticket if I want to come in again?</q>
you ask.\b
<q>No,</q> he assures you, <q>the ticket you showed me is
good for multiple entry.</q> "
isActive = gRevealed('ticket-shown')
;