Templates

What is a Template?
A template is a fully functional example game that you can load in the Editor. Templates are useful as a start point, showing you the capability and flexibility the Editor tools offer to modifying assets.

Where to Find a Template
The templates panel displays by default every time the Editor is opened. However, templates can be loaded by clicking on the *New* button on the top left toolbar. As of the the Beta release, the Editor has three templates: Basic, RTS, and Platformer.

Using a Template
Since a template is a game, it can be edited, saved, and published just like any other game you may load into the Editor. If you would like to save the changes you make to a template, click on the *Save As* option instead of *Save* to save the template as a new game in your game library. It is not possible to *Save* changes in templates, as they cannot be overridden.

   The Basic template is the simplest template available in the Editor. It holds a few important assets like a player avatar controller, a ground plane, and a golden pineapple with a 'Trigger Volume'.The Basic template is intended to isolate a small set of assets to focus your attention on modifying and editing components and scripting behavior, pushing you to answer questions like: "What would happen if I change the size of the trigger volume?", "Can I swap out the golden pineapple for another asset?", and "What do I need to change to make my player avatar controller fly instead of walk?"

   The Combat Arena template is a template in the Editor that showcases Smart Conditions. It has a Capitan Blackclaw avatar controller, a terrain asset with several environmental props, and a group of Smart Condition assets that work with each other to create a win state.The Combat Arena template uses Waves to spawn enemies every certain amount of time using Timer Smart Conditions and checks for a goal enemy count with a Health Depleted Smart Condition. Different variables, states, and events can be changed to customize gameplay. The Smart Conditions allow for variables like the goal amount of enemies to defeat, enemy or asset type to be defeated to be editable within the *Inspector*. If you want to learn more about how to use Smart Conditions, check out the Editor Video Tutorials.

   The Foot Race template is a template available in the Editor that showcases Smart Conditions. It has a Capitan Blackclaw avatar controller, a terrain asset with several environmental props, and two Smart Condition assets, Timer Smart Condition and Trigger Smart Condition..The Foot Race template is intended to isolate two of the simplest Smart Conditions and show how easy they are to use and set up. The game state is set to win when the player character enters the trigger of the Smart Condition, which has a flag asset as a marker, before time runs out. The Smart Conditions allow for variables like the timer duration and time text colors to be editable within the *Inspector*. If you want to learn more about how to use Smart Conditions, check out the Editor Video Tutorials.

    The RTS-Survival template is a stripped down version of the RTS Core Game. It contains most of the assets available in the RTS. The main difference to note is the lack of environment props and level design. The RTS genre is a level design intensive, where placement of assets is core to success. The template has been purposefully left nearly empty to spark your creativity. RTS-Survival uses a Timer Smart Condition that works with the standard RTS Gameplay Logic. If you want to learn more about how to use Smart Conditions, check out the Editor Video Tutorials.
Although the template does not contain every available asset within *The Endless Mission* RTS genre, you can find an exhaustive list of available assets in RTS Assets.

     Unlike the RTS template, the Platformer template is a much more decorative but still simple in functionality. It contains most of the assets available in the Platformer Core Game. The Platformer genre is both level design and gameplay intensive, which makes it the most versatile genre to create games from. There are many assets available in the Platformer genre, many of which are visual effects and environmental props. The genre also introduces the concept of artificial intelligence in the set of three enemy types, whose behaviors can be edited. The platformer offers collectibles, moving platforms and the concepts of puzzles to create challenge for the player to get from point A to point B or defeat enemies.

    The Racer template is a stripped-down version of the Kart Racer Core Game. It is a fully functioning race but is only a slice of what can actually be built. The main differences between the two is the lack of environment props and level design. The template contains a small chunk of buildings that the track does not drive through and around, the track itself is a simple oval, and there are no massive jump sections. It still includes AI racers, power ups and speed plates though so you get a good overall vision of what makes up the Racer.
The biggest difference between this template and the others you might use in the Editor is that currently, the player does not have a way to assemble their own track by putting together track pieces. Instead, there are 7 premade tracks already built that can be dropped in to use as a starting point for your designs. You can find these tracks quickly and easily by typing the word "track" into the Editor search bar. You will find Banks, Figure 8, Hairpin, Oval (the default track), Speedway, Straightaway, and Twists and Turns.
When using these tracks just delete the default Oval one and drag and drop your new choice in. Then just make sure to position the track in the world so the Starting Line is just in front of the AI racers already in the scene. Once that is done, you can build up your scene by dragging and dropping the various city props to decorate your track area and add in speed plates and power ups where ever you want to adjust game play.
To get a good idea of how you can use these tracks to build your own version of the racer feel free to check out our YouTube Video for our Kart Racer Challenge
Or if you wanted to see how you can do away with the premade tracks altogether and still make a Racing Game, then check out the Making a Mascot Racer video we previously posted.