Words used in these docs
These docs try to use plain words. Where the player, error messages or older pages use a technical name, it is listed here too.
| In these docs | Also called | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Moment | node, beat | One click-through step of the story: what happens, then what is said |
| Talking | talking | Who is speaking this moment — one id or several (may differ from who is on screen) |
| Scene | label | A named moment you can jump to (:: park) |
| Stage direction | command | A bracket line that changes the scene ([bg street]) |
| The short way to write it | script sugar, Mode A syntax | Writing a command as a bracket line instead of data |
| Script only | Mode A | The whole story in story/script.txt |
| Script + direction file | Mode B | Dialogue in the script, extra direction in story/story.json |
| All in story.json | Mode C | Every moment written as data |
| Flag | variable, var | Something the story remembers (helped, score) |
| Native extension | extensions[] | Custom code the player loads from game.json — Native extensions |
| Session | playthrough | New Game / Continue / Load until title — Save, Back and story end |
| Locale overlay | *_uk.json, script_en.txt, … | Language file next to a base file — Translations |
| Place on stage | slot | Where a character stands (left, center, right) — Planes and slots · Places on stage |
| Draw stack | plane | Fixed layer that decides what sits in front — Planes and slots |
| Arrangement | layout profile | A named set of places |
| Layered character | pack, composition | A character built from several pictures — Expressions and packs |
| Expression swap fade | composition_transitions | Soft blend when the look changes on stage — Expression fades |
| Talking and focus reactions | drive | Pictures or effects that change while a character speaks or is in focus — Talking and focus |
| Composition layer | pack layer | One stacked picture inside a character expression |
| Draw band (props) | sprite/obj layer | bg_front / fg / overlay — Sprites and objects |
| Silent line | (silent), driver_typing: false | Speaker line with typing mouth / beep off — Lines and speakers |
| Dialogue box | panel | The box the text appears in — What a panel is |
| Panel instance | panel id | Which box on screen (main, side, …) — How text finds a panel |
| Panel look | panel preset | Named look under panel.<name> in the theme — How a panel looks |
| Stacked panel lines | text_mode append | Keep earlier text and add the next moment’s text — Appending text |
| Panel height ceiling | max_height | How tall the plate may grow before body text scrolls — How a panel looks |
| Name plate | labelplate | The speaker’s name box — Name plate |
| Theme mood | theme_style | Overlay theme file for a stretch of play — Theme and the dialogue box |
| Interface | chrome | Menus, buttons and boxes around the story |
| Screen | screen | A full menu or overlay: title, pause, settings — Title, pause and settings screens |
| In-game bar | HUD | A small screen shown during play — Gameplay HUD |
| Stays until you change it | sticky | A setting that carries on to later moments |
| Live link to a flag | bind | A value on screen that follows a flag by itself |
| Look | style, pack, theme | How something is drawn |
| Reuse / build on | inheritance, extends | Start from an existing look or expression; change only what differs — kinds differ: Reusing settings |
| Pack look | source, style | Load a theme pack onto a button, choice or name-entry field |
| Expression variant | character extends / override / add | One expression built from another’s layers |
| Layer (front / back) | plane | Which things draw in front of which |
| Shared shape | contract | A settings shape used in many places |
| Effect | shader | A visual filter on a picture or the whole screen — Shaders |
| Show/hide blend | transition | How something appears or leaves — Transitions |
| Tween / preset motion | animate | Move or pulse something already on stage — Animation |
| Soft pointer | cursor | Custom mouse look — Cursor |
| Language overlay | locale, i18n | Extra language files and Settings switch — Translations |
| Author player | author mode | The player you write and test in — How you work |
| Released game | player build | What you give to readers — Build and hand off |
| Boot brand | splash | Loading / boot look — Title, icon, splash |