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<< Back to Category List
Simple Game Scripting Part 1:
Storing/Reading Your Scripts - page 2 |
Getting Started
The basic idea behind a custom scripting 'language'
for your game is so that you do not have to hard-code
every single possible event and conversation into
your game. It also avoids the need to recompile
the executable for the game each time you wish to
slightly alter the storyline or for example the
effects of drinking Potion X on a character with
a 'Good' alignment.
For this first article in the series I will be
explaining the general structure of your scripts,
and how to store your scripts on disk, then read
from them later.
Warning!
The method to read/write discussed in this article
will leave your scripts easily editable by the
end-user of your game. This is usually not desirable,
so I suggest changing these later to implement some
sort of custom resource-file setup that you should
use for your graphics and sounds as well.
Script File Syntax/Format
Your scripts will be plain text, formatted with
a very simple syntax:
| CommandName (Parameter1,[Parameter2],[...])
Each line will have this simple format. There is
an exception, though. You will want to be able
to define blocks of these commands (I will go
into why later). So, to define such a block:
| *Block* BlockType BlockName
...CommandsHere...
*EndBlock* BlockName
For example, if there is a block type called 'Event':
| *Block* Event Foo
Bar ("asdf")
*EndBlock* Foo
All commands must be contained in 'Blocks', even
if there is only one of them. The reasoning for
this will become clear later; for now just accept
my words as the truth :)
This is the simple structure of your scripts. It
may not seem very useful/extensible right now, but
later on you will understand. You will just have
to trust me about this, just as with the rule about
commands having to be within blocks.
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