Game Editor

*Taken from the RealmCrafter: Standard documentation.*

Welcome to
the Realm Crafter Engine Game Editor Tutorial and Documentation. The Game Editor
(GE) is the most valuable tool in the library of Realm Crafter tools, it allows
for complete editing of your zone content, creation of actors, items, and many
more Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) content
creation.

The GE does
not do everything. There are terrain, rock, tree, dungeon, and various other
editors which are available for use with the Realm Crafter Engine. The GE works
well with these tools for a complete set of game creation
tools.

 This document
is designed to show the basics of all the workings of the GE, with out
overwhelming you with advanced options. Once you have completed this document
you will have an understanding of the workings of the GE, which will allow you
to use the GE in more advanced ways.

## Use of the GE in Realm Crafter

At first
glance, the Game Editor may appear to be a bit intimidating. While there are a
lot of tabs, each with specific number information, name, settings, and more, it
is not a tool that is confusing. Where to start and what exactly to use is the
goal of this document.

One important
aspect to the Game Editor is to realize that it is the most powerful tool in the
Realm Crafter Engine. This is the entire mechanics and engine call out system.
Meaning basically that this is the tool that dictates how fun and involved your
game is as well as how unique your game is.

Before you
really jump into the Game Editor there are several important factors you should
have in place. Know what skills and abilities will be in your game, how they
will work, and most importantly, how they will affect players, NPCs, and items.
If you start randomly creating and editing information you will run into issues.
Game making is not quick and easy, it takes time and patience.

The main
reason I have stressed the last point is that no one wants to have a game that
is over or under balanced (to hard/easy or not fun). If you have little or no
experience in designing mechanics, there are a huge number of PnP (Pen and
Paper) games on the commercial and independent market that show their statistics
and mechanics for skills and abilities.  They include Dungeons and
Dragons™ (D&D™,
AD&D™, and D20™),
Warhammer 40k™, and various White Wolf©
systems. Do not copy them, but use the information as a guide. You will not
regret the time spent designing a worthwhile mechanics system.

There is one
free to use mechanics system called Action Systems at http://www.goldrushgames.com/start/modules.php?op=modload&name=Downloads&file=index&req=viewdownload&cid=4
this is a free system (please read the legal documents and make sure you follow
them) it is a very good system comparable to the D20 system but in some ways a
bit more detailed.

You will
notice that the Game Editor is made up of several tabs. Each tab controls an
exact part of the game engine. It is important to know which tab controls what
aspect of the engine. Most are straightforward, but some are more generalized
because they cover so many different aspects of game design.

## Abilities Tab

The abilities
tab is for giving players the ability to have specific skills such as natural
healing, tracking, etc. This tab allows for naming of the ability, selecting
new, deleting, and saving.

You can also
select the ability icon, change the recharge time between uses, select which
races, and classes can use, and the actual script that will be used when the
ability is selected.

Abilities can
be almost anything, because of the scripting required for the ability to work.
So you will have much freedom to explore different abilities for your races and
classes.

## Actors Tab

The Actors
tab is where you set up everything from description, attributes to the model
being used by the actor in the game. There are many tabs inside this actual tab,
and each one has many options.

Actors are
the monsters, non playable characters, and anyone else that is not directly a
player. Actors use the same attributes and skills that your players will use.
They can use the same weapons and equipment.

Any model or
mesh can be set up as an actor. Any actor can be set up as a mount. The actual
number of actors is limitless, but you are restricted to five different
appearance settings per actor. You can create a new actor, which acts the same
as the other actor and uses the same model, to expand the number of actors with
a different look, but it will have a different name overall.

One of the
nice aspects of the Actors GUI is that you can complete an actor, and create a
copy file of the actor. Simply changing the name, and small adjustments later,
you have quickly created a similar actor. This saves a lot of time due to the
large number of settings possible for each actor.

 Copy Actor
 Delete Actors
 Save Actors
 Current actor pull down
 Double left arrow
 Double right arrow

 Actor Class
 Actor Description
 Genders
 Home faction

Attributes Sub Tab – GUI
 Attributes
Text Box
 Attribute
Value
 Attribute
maximum
absolute max attribute setting given to this actor, so spells, buffs do not over
power it

The Last Tab
is the Preview Tab. This area shows the actor in full 3d, fully textured, with
all GUBBINS so you know how it will look in the actual game.

The actor can
be rotated by clicking on the preview and moving your mouse.

## Animations Tab

Animation Tab
allows for setting up of all the animations used by the actors in the game
world. This is for selecting the animation set, selecting where the animation is
in the model, name of the animation, and adding new animations, or removing them
if need be.

The actual
animation frames number in the thousands, which is important to note. Since
changing the animation frame numbers in a set will have an effect on the look of
characters that use that set.

## Attributes Tab

Attributes
Tab is one of the most important parts of your games mechanics system. Since
this is where you add the default attributes the game will use. Each attribute
or skill created here can be placed on anything in game.

Attributes
and Skills are completely separate entities in the Realm Crafter Engine.
Attributes are considered Intellect, Strength, Stamina, etc. Skills are
considered fletching, tracking, blacksmithing, and more.

This area is
another section of the GE which is recommended that you have a game mechanics
system planned out before hand. While full editing is available later on, small
changes are easier then changing 100s or 1000s of items, stats, and actors
attributes.

or Option
 Save
Attributes Button
 Attributes
List Box
 Rename
Attribute
 Attribute is
a skill check box
attribute is actually a skill such as foraging or gun smith not an attribute
 New Attribute
Button
 Remove
Attribute Button
 Assignable
Attribute Points Available at Character Creation Scroll Box
points the player can distribute between the attributes for their
character

## Combat Tab

The combat
tab is for creating your combat types and mechanics. How they will be used with
different attacks, melee or ranged (Weapon, Gun, Bow, Spell, etc), is all
created here. There are 20 different damage types you can create for your game.
But each one would affect an entire type of attacks or weaponry such as blunt or
pierce.

The combat
options area is where you can change the combat delay, damage to weapons and
armor, the combat formula for how combat will work, where the number shows the
damage and if there is a faction change after the kill.

Advanced
combat mechanics do require some scripting knowledge, but there are a few normal
MMORPG combat mechanic systems already in place for you to use.

## Day & Seasons Tab

The Days and
Seasons Tab is for how the world will change as players experience your world.
From Year Length, Time Compression in the game (i.e. 5 minutes real time for 1
hour in game time), the current year in game, the current day in game, number of
months and their name, as well as number of days. Sun and Moons are also
determined here, when they come up, in which season, and how they look.

There is also
season control for selecting different seasons, how long they last, when
daylight and dusk happen. Full editing of the names of your seasons to how long
they last is available.

## Factions Tab

The Factions
tab is the political system for the game. These will be all of the factions used
in the game, and you can have up to 50 for the Realm Crafter Standard.  You can
also set default faction settings between other factions, for sworn enemies,
neutral or allies.

Since
factions play such an important role in the development of story and overall
feel of a game, a great deal of thought should be put into their function in the
game and their reactions to each other.

One of the
best games for factions and their interactions is Sony Online’s
Everquest™ www.everquest.com. This game has thousands
of factions, each reacting with each other in special ways. But Everquest II™
only uses a total of 48, much more streamline with better results.

and Options
 Save Faction
Button
 Faction list
box
 Rename
Faction
 Adjust rating
with this faction
faction is selected you can set the faction rating with another faction,
 This factions
rating with this faction
 Default
Rating
default rating for all players at creation if they are a certain faction type.
100% to -100% (Ally to at War). Fighting may happen at anytime between +25% to
-100% with trading happening with any faction but scripting can add situational
 New
Faction
 Remove
Faction
currently selected faction

## Interface Tab

The interface tab is for
creation of the interface your players will use during game play. Placement of
the chat windows, buff icons, radar maps, attributes bar etc are all placed in
this interface.

## Items Tab

The Items Tab
is for creating of all of the items, gear, weapons, treasure etc that are in the
game. There are several sub tabs in this area that have specific effects to the
items in the game.

Each item
will be given a value, weight and set of attributes. It is also possible to
restrict which race and class can use the item. Each item needs to be given an
icon thumbnail image for its actual look when in side the players’ inventory.

GUI
 New
Item
 Delete
Item
 Save
items
 Current Item
Pull Down
current item that can be edited but also allows for selecting of another
 Double Left
Arrow
 Double Right
Arrow
Item

Sub Tab – GUI
 Item
Name
 Item
Type
 Value
 Mass
Item

Sub Tab – GUI
 Miscellaneous
Data
can assign custom data to "other" type items, for scripting use

Appearance Sub Tab – GUI
 Change Button
– Item Thumbnail Texture
 Change Button
– Item Mesh Male/Female
 Gubbin Pull
Down
 Show this
Gubbin…. Check Box
box if you wish to see the item on the actual actor

Attributes Sub Tab – GUI
 Attributes
Text box
allows selecting of the attributes given to the specific
 Attribute
Value
allows for editing of the value given to the attribute for the specific
item

Tab – GUI
 Check Box –
Item can be stacked
 Check Box –
Item takes damage
 Item
Exclusive Race – Pull Down
 Item
Exclusive Class – Pull Down
 Item Runs
Script – Pull Down
specific script if the Item Thumb Nail is right clicked in
 Function to
start… - Pull Down
function to start up if the item is used

## Media Tab

The Media
Tab, exactly like it sounds, is for all the media you will have access to when
building your game levels. Meshes (Models), Textures, Sounds, and Music all are
selectable from here for preview. Please note that all media that will be used
in your game must be added to the media tab except textures for models, but
everything else including textures for the terrain editor, models, music and
sounds.

The top down
pull down GUI option allows for quick selecting of the type of media you wish to
view.

The full
preview of the media type is shown here. This is how the actual media will be
shown, or heard in the game. Perfect for making sure you are adding the correct
media to your zone.

## Other Tab

The others
tab contains a few parts of the actual game design system that do not fit into
the other tabs.

With this
area you can select the URL where the update system for your game (NOT Realm
Crafter) will look for updates as well as the IP or Host Name of the actual game
server.

It also
allows for setting of initial settings for players, such as money, creation of
money, reputation, views (first person, third person or both) and if the portals
are automatic when a player enters them. Account creation from the client as
well as hiding the character name tags is determined here.

## Particle Tab

The Particles
Tab is the main tab for the graphical special effects that you can use and
create for your game. You will notice that this tab has many GUI options for
full editing and creation of your special effects. Throughout the GE and this
document particles are referred to as emitters. Particles are the effects
created by the actual emitters.

The preview
window shows how the particle you are working on will look and react. This all
happens in real time for quick editing and perfecting of a specific look. Below
the preview window is a counter showing the number of active particles the
particle is emitting. The higher the number the more CPU processing power is
required.

The rest of
the tab contains several GUI buttons, and GUI options to use in the creation of
the particle effects from the emitter(s).

One good rule
of thumb when working with the Particle Editor is to do small changes, because
the effect may take a second or two before becoming noticeable.

## Project Tab

The Project
Tab is the first tab. There are four GUI buttons in this tab, labeled Build Full
Client, Build Minimum Client, Generate Client Update and Build Full
Server.

Each button
does exactly what it says. Build Full Client builds the full client into the
install directory in the projects folder in the Realm Crafter directory. This is
the actual client you will distribute to your players.

Build Minimum
Client only generates the actual program to distribute a very small client which
will require a full patch off the patch server.

Generate
Client Update allows for creation of small update features for your players to
download. These updates are the actual media and mechanic changes to the game -
Just like a normal MMORPG game update.

Build Full
Server, builds the actual server program (for windows only at this
time), which you run on
your server computer. This interacts with the MySQL database or the flat file
database and allows for connection by players.

When you build your Full
Server and Full / Minimum Client they enter your /Game and /Server directories
in your /Realmcrafter/project-name directory. Copy your entire server directory
to your server. It is also best to ZIP (compress) your /Game folder when you
distribute your game client.

See the server section
to see how to set up a server.

## Projectiles Tab

Projectiles
Tab contains all the information for the projectiles used in the game, from
spells and arrows to bullets and missiles. It is here you set up the overall
look of the projectile, how it acts during combat, its damage mechanics and
more.

Since the
potential for a large number of similar projectiles is more then possible, the
ability to copy the current projectile to a copy of itself has been added.

Projectiles
are another section where knowledge of your in game mechanics is something that
should be decided upon before creating. It is very easy to edit your projectiles
in any case.

## Zones Tab

*For more documentation on the Zones Tab, go to the Zones Tab wiki page.*

The Zones Tab is the actual
“meat and potatoes” of the entire Realm Crafter Engine. This is where you can
place the terrain, scenery (trees, buildings), change weather, add water, lava,
particle effects, sounds, music, player zone in portals and much
more.

The GUI interface for the
Zones Tab surrounds the preview / work window. The GUI controls are fairly
straight forward, even though there are a large amount of changes that happen
with in the window depending on which part of the zone you are working
with.