Initial Changes (Savage)

Context: HL Kit … Authoring Examples … Savage Worlds Walk-Through 

Overview

When you finally get underway creating your data files, there are a few things that you must always do first, as outlined in the topics below.

Create the Game System

The very first step is to create your new game system. HL can automatically setup a new game system for you, starting you out with a set of data files that you can adapt and build upon. Go to the "Develop" menu and select the "Create New Game System" option. For the Savage Worlds data files, we'll specify the name of the game system as "Savage Worlds" and the folder to use as "savage". After a few moments, HL has set everything up properly, so you can go to the "File" menu, select "Switch Game System", and enter your new game system.

Review the Sample/Skeleton Data Files

The framework for your new game system is now setup. Since this framework provides all of the basics you'll need and must simply be fleshed out, we refer to this starting point as the "Skeleton" data files. If you haven't done so yet, now would be an ideal time to review the Kit documentation regarding the Skeleton data files, as it provides suggestions for how best to evolve them into a full-fledged game system.

You should also take the time to review the actual contents of the data files themselves and get familiar with them, as you'll begin modifying and adapting them in just a moment.

Update Game System Details

Once the new game system is in place, the first change to make is to modify the definition file for your game system. Open the file "definition.def" for editing. Near the top, you'll find the "game" element with assorted attributes containing placeholder information about the game system. Modify these attributes to accurately reflect the details for Savage Worlds. The result should be something like below.

<game
  game="Savage Worlds"
  publisher="Great White Games"
  website="http://www.greatwhitegames.com/"
  copyright="Copyright © 2004 by Great White Games. All rights reserved."
  legaloutput="Copyright © 2004 by Great White Games. All rights reserved."
  manualroot="savagemanual.htm"
  editorroot="authoring\savageedit.htm">
  </game>

Beneath the "game" element, you'll find the "author" element. Update the attributes for this element with appropriate details about you, the author. You should end up with something that parallels the example below.

<author
  author="Lone wolf Development"
  email="info@wolflair.com"
  website="www.wolflair.com">
  </author>

Once these changes are made, use the quick-reload mechanism by pressing <Ctrl-R>. This re-compiles and re-loads the data files to make sure everything is done correctly.

Release Information

Next up, you should revise the "release" element in the file "definition.def". The large block of description text at the end of the element is displayed to the user whenever the data files are loaded. This text should be revised to point the user in the right direction when first loading the data files. It should provide an overview of the data files, where to look for help, and anything else you think is important. You should also include a suitable legal notice regarding the data files and the game system. The final material for the Savage Worlds game system is shown below.

<release
  major="1"
  minor="0"
  required="3.0"
  summary="Core data files for Savage Worlds"><![CDATA[{b}{text ffff80}Savage Worlds data files for Hero Lab{text 010101}{/b}

Welcome to the Savage Worlds data files for Hero Lab! For details on using Hero Lab, please refer to the Tutorial and/or User Manual documentation that will be found with Hero Lab under the Start menu. There is one manual covering basic features of Hero Lab and another with specifics for the Savage Worlds data files.

These data files represent a complete implementation of the core rules for the Savage Worlds RPG from Great White Games. You can create any type of character outlined in the core rulebook using these data files. Many items have mouse-over information associated with them, so if you see an icon that isn't familiar, be sure to mouse over it for more information.

If you are looking at these data files with an eye towards creating files for a game of your own choosing, you'll find a detailed walk-through of how these data files were adapted from the Skeleton data files as part of the Authoring Kit documentation.

If you have questions or comments about Hero Lab, our public discussion forums can be found at the following URL: {u}~[(@http://support.wolflair.com/index.php?name=MDForum&file=index]http://support.wolflair.com/~[(#]{/u} There are separate forums for the product in general, each game system, and using the Authoring Kit. Please post your thoughts in the appropriate forum so that it is seen by the right people and responded to accordingly.

These data files are published under license from Great White Games.

Happy gaming!

{b}{text ffff80}Legal Information:{text 010101}{/b}
Copyright © 2008 Great White Games. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden, except for the purposes of reviews.
]]>
  </release>

IMPORTANT! Always make sure that you specify the "required" attribute appropriately. This should typically be the current version of Hero Lab at the time you release your data files. Doing so ensures that the data files can only be loaded into a version of HL that fully supports the data files you've created.