Scenario Design Dictionary

Before anyone can design, they must be familiar with the words and terminogly used in Scenario Designing and by the community. Below you will find a list of these words and what they mean.

• Scenario Designer: The people – the lads and lasses who work hard to create works of art in the scenario editor. They make the various scenarios in the community, in short they are the Creators.
• Scenario: The work of the creator, the creation of a single map using triggers to take it to a playable level.
• Scenario Editor: The tool used by the Scenario Design to create a scenario. It holds all the major functions needed to make a playable scenario.
• Trigger: In scenario design creation, scenario designers often rely on triggers to put their creations to higher levels.
  Triggers are the “background” work seen in scenarios. From dialogue messages, unit stat changes, weather, time editing, player editing, objectives and what not. All these things are created with the power of the trigger. Yet a trigger is nothing without its conditions and effects.
• Conditions: Conditions are related to Triggers, as they are what triggers a trigger. A condition defines what is needed for a trigger to be turned on and activate any effects in the trigger.
• Effect: Effects are what a trigger does once its’ condition is met. Effects differ very much, and it really depends on what the designer wants to occur after a pre-set condition is met.
• Campaign: The grouping of numerous scenarios under one file. Generally a large amount of scenarios under the same storyline will often be created into a campaign and released all at once.
• Map Design: Creating the lush landscapes, rolling hills, verdant planes and emerald seas is a long and difficult task. It is referred as Map Design, the process in which a designer creates the map which the scenario shall take place.
• Random Map Scripting (RMS): Random Map Scripting is the process of writing code, that in the end, will randomly create land forms for a game (like the ES maps which come with the game). These are often used to play basic B&D games, but at times they also can be used as a template for map designs.
• XS Code/Script: XS is the language that AoM uses to write triggers, it is derived from C. When you make triggers in the editor, the editor is converting from the interface into raw XS code which the scenario runs. If you write your own XS code without the editor, you can often accomplish far greater triggering feats.
• AI: Artificial Intelligence is used often in scenario creations. Often the A.I. for a game will need edited, sometimes even re-created. A.I. is used for the controlling of units, players and so forth. How they react, how they move and so forth are controlled with A.I.
• Mods: These are modifications/alterations to the basic game data files. This can include chaging game sounds, graphics, animations or in some cases totally convert some civilizations in Age of Mythology.
• Mod Makers: The people who make the mods to create a different work from art then Scenario Designers. Rarely, when the two combine i.e. Mod Makers and Scenario Designers some awesome creations are made.

Now that you are familiar with most of the scenario designing terms, a good place to start with be from the Scenario Editor : The Basics section.