Authoring Examples

Context: HL Kit

Overview

The goal of this section is to provide concrete examples of how to create data files for whatever game system you choose. Although additional examples are included, there are two primary components of this section. The first is an examination of the Sample data files provided by the Kit, which also serve as the starting point for creating data files for your own game system. The second is a detailed walk-through that guides you through the evolution of fully operational data files for the Savage Worlds game system. Starting with the Skeleton data files, you'll witness how the entire process unfolds.

What We Assume

For all of the examples below, we assume that you've familiarized yourself with the rest of the Kit documentation and all of the core concepts. Regular references will be made to the terms, concepts, and mechanisms that are introduced by the Kit. At a minimum, you must be comfortable with the material presented in the Basic Concepts and Terminology section.

If you wish to actually modify any of the data files, you will need a text editor that allows you to edit XML files. If you are only viewing the files, more web browsers provide a reasonable solution for displaying the contents of XML files.

For editing, you can get by with the Notepad editor included with Windows. However, that editor is extremely limited in what it offers, so we recommend you use something with a little bit more functionality if at all possible. Numerous text editors are available for free online that will work well, while commercial tools are also available. A few options are listed below:

• Notepad++ - [1]
• EditPad Lite - [2]
• Textpad.com - [3]
• XMLMarker - [4]
• BBEdit - [5] (for mac users)

Sample/Skeleton Data Files

To simplify the creation of custom data files for a new game system, the Kit provides the Skeleton data files as a robust starting point. The Authoring Kit Sample game system provides a working example that builds directly on top of the Skeleton data files. The major facets of the Skeleton data files are discussed in their own section, which can be accessed via the link below.

• Skeleton Data Files

Savage Worlds Walk-Through

As mentioned above, the Kit includes complete data files for the Savage Worlds game system from Great White Games. We've written up a detailed walk-through of how we created these data files, using the Skeleton files as our starting point. This should provide an excellent guide for how to adapt the Skeleton files to whatever game system you have in mind. Click on the link below to follow the process from start to finish.

• Savage Worlds Walk-Through

Miscellaneous Examples

• [TBD]