diff --git a/plugins/example.json b/plugins/example.json
index 08eda30f..6591a333 100644
--- a/plugins/example.json
+++ b/plugins/example.json
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 	},
 	"routes": {
 		"First Route": {
-			"pattern": "/YourAwesomePage",
+			"pattern": "/YourAwesomePage/{name:string}/{page:int}",
 			"file": "plugins/your-plugin/your-awesome-page.php",
 			"method": "GET",
 			"priority": "130"
diff --git a/system/router.php b/system/router.php
index d315f099..ff8c7d3d 100644
--- a/system/router.php
+++ b/system/router.php
@@ -116,6 +116,14 @@ $dispatcher = FastRoute\cachedDispatcher(function (FastRoute\RouteCollector $r)
 			$route[0] = ['GET', 'POST', 'PUT', 'DELETE', 'PATCH', 'HEAD'];
 		}
 
+		$aliases = [
+			[':int', ':string', ':alphanum'],
+			[':\d+', ':[A-Za-z0-9-_%+\']+}', ':[A-Za-z0-9]+'],
+		];
+
+		// apply aliases
+		$route[1] = str_replace($aliases[0], $aliases[1], $route[1]);
+
 		$r->addRoute($route[0], $route[1], $route[2]);
 	}
 
diff --git a/system/routes.php b/system/routes.php
index 9b13699f..c561f318 100644
--- a/system/routes.php
+++ b/system/routes.php
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 
 return [
 	['GET', '', '__redirect__/news'], // redirect empty URL to news
-	['GET', 'news/archive/{id:[0-9]+}[/]', 'news/archive.php'],
+	['GET', 'news/archive/{id:int}[/]', 'news/archive.php'],
 
 	// block access to some files
 	['*', 'account/base[/]', '404.php'], // this is to block account/base.php
@@ -29,29 +29,27 @@ return [
 	['GET', 'account/confirm_email/{hash:[A-Za-z0-9-_]+}[/]', 'account/confirm_email.php'],
 
 	['GET', 'bans/{page:\d+}[/]', 'bans.php'],
-	[['GET', 'POST'], 'characters[/{name:[A-Za-z0-9-_%+\']+}]', 'characters.php'],
-	['GET', 'changelog[/{page:\d+}]', 'changelog.php'],
-	['GET', 'creatures[/{name:[A-Za-z0-9-_%+\']+}]', 'creatures.php'],
+	[['GET', 'POST'], 'characters[/{name:string]', 'characters.php'],
+	['GET', 'changelog[/{page:int}]', 'changelog.php'],
+	['GET', 'creatures[/{name:string}]', 'creatures.php'],
 
-	['GET', 'faq[/{action:[A-Za-z0-9-_%+\']+}]', 'faq.php'],
+	['GET', 'faq[/{action:string}]', 'faq.php'],
 
-	[['GET', 'POST'], 'forum/{action:[A-Za-z0-9-_]+}[/]', 'forum.php'],
-	['GET', 'forum/board/{id:[0-9]+}[/]', 'forum/show_board.php'],
-	['GET', 'forum/board/{id:[0-9]+}/{page:[0-9]+}[/]', 'forum/show_board.php'],
-	['GET', 'forum/thread/{id:[0-9]+}[/]', 'forum/show_thread.php'],
+	[['GET', 'POST'], 'forum/{action:string}[/]', 'forum.php'],
+	['GET', 'forum/board/{id:int}[/]', 'forum/show_board.php'],
+	['GET', 'forum/board/{id:int}/{page:[0-9]+}[/]', 'forum/show_board.php'],
+	['GET', 'forum/thread/{id:int}[/]', 'forum/show_thread.php'],
 	//['GET', 'forum/thread/{id:[0-9]+}/{page:[0-9]+}[/]', 'forum/show_thread.php'],
 
-	['GET', 'gallery/{image:[0-9]+}[/]', 'gallery.php'],
-	[['GET', 'POST'], 'gallery/{action:[A-Za-z0-9-_]+}[/]', 'gallery.php'],
+	['GET', 'gallery/{image:int}[/]', 'gallery.php'],
+	[['GET', 'POST'], 'gallery/{action:string}[/]', 'gallery.php'],
 
-	[['GET', 'POST'], 'guilds/{guild:[A-Za-z0-9-_%+\']+}[/]', 'guilds/show.php'],
+	[['GET', 'POST'], 'guilds/{guild:string}[/]', 'guilds/show.php'],
 
-	['GET', 'highscores/{list:[A-Za-z0-9-_]+}/{vocation:[A-Za-z0-9-_]+}/{page:[0-9]+}[/]', 'highscores.php'],
-	['GET', 'highscores/{list:[A-Za-z0-9-_]+}/{page:[0-9]+}[/]', 'highscores.php'],
-	['GET', 'highscores/{list:[A-Za-z0-9-_]+}/{vocation:[A-Za-z0-9-_]+}[/]', 'highscores.php'],
-	['GET', 'highscores/{list:[A-Za-z0-9-_]+}[/]', 'highscores.php'],
-
-	['GET', 'online/{order:[A-Za-z0-9-_]+}[/]', 'online.php'],
+	['GET', 'highscores/{list:alphanum}/{vocation:alphanum}/{page:int}[/]', 'highscores.php'],
+	['GET', 'highscores/{list:alphanum}/{page:int}[/]', 'highscores.php'],
+	['GET', 'highscores/{list:alphanum}/{vocation:alphanum}[/]', 'highscores.php'],
+	['GET', 'highscores/{list:alphanum}[/]', 'highscores.php'],
 /*
 	'/^gifts\/history\/?$/' => array('subtopic' => 'gifts', 'action' => 'show_history'),
 	'/^polls\/[0-9]+\/?$/' => array('subtopic' => 'polls', 'id' => '$1'),