MODSon[line.com] Wiki - Beta 1.0
Glossary
From MODSonline Wiki
This page was created to provide a list of commonly used terms and their definitions.
[edit] General Terms
| AI | Artificial Intellegance, computer science focusing on creating machines that can engage on behaviors that humans consider intelligent. |
| Coding | The act of writing code using language common to most programmers. Such code us most commonly but not limited to C++. Coding usually requires the programmer to compile the resulting files into a computer recognizable format such as a driver, executable, etc. which is then used by the computer's operating system. This differs from Scripting in that the language is not proprietary to the developers. |
| Coop | This refer to the possibility for multiple player to play a scenario or a campaign in cooperation. On game console this is usually done through a split screen, the maximum number of players is then restricted by the usability of the area dedicated to each player. Some game offers coop through network [example needed]. On PC, cooperative gameplay is very rarely available and almost always provided through network. |
| Game Engine | The software part of the game, as opposed to the media part of the game. It is composed of multiple sub-system among which the rendering engine, the network engine and the physique engine. |
| FOV | The abreviation for Field of View; the view of the world rendered on the player screen at any time. |
| Mapping | The act of creating custom levels also known as maps. They are referred to as maps due to their likeness to the map of a town, building or other geographic location or structure. |
| Modding | Modification of a game from it's original state. This word may be used to encompass the entire field of changing games including the addition of content that was not released by the developers of the game. However, more recently the term has been narrowed to define the act of modifying a games code rather than simply adding non-original content. |
| MP | Short for MultiPlayer, is a game which is played by several players. |
| Scripting | The act of writing code using the native language of a game's engine. The resulting code is read directly by the game engine rather than by the computer's operating system. Often this code does not need to be compiled to be understood by the game engine. |
| SP | Short for SinglePlayer, usually implies a game that can only be played by one person, |
[edit] Mapping Specific Terms
| BSP | Binary space partitioning. A resulting map format commonly used by game engines. |
| Brushes | Simple convex 3D geometric objects that are sized and rotated to build the environment. Those are usually referenced as Polyhedron. In the Game engine used by the CoD serie (as in the game engine originating from id Software) a brush is made from multiple plane intersecting. |
| Clipping | The action of cutting a brush or a patch by defining a plane that is never drawn. |
| Model/xmodel | Other name for a Prop. CANNOT be edited in Radiant. |
| Patch/Terrain | A specific type of Brush that is not a Polyhedron. Used for Decals and Terrain. There is a difference between the Patch and the Terrain; The Terrain being a specialized Patch. |
| Portal | An element that is an aspect of using the Binary space partitioning. See Mapping: Portal for more information. |
| Prefabs | A prefab is a entity object that can be added to an uncompiled map through the editor. It is a .pfb file in Call of Duty (original game), Call of Duty: United Offensive and .map file in Call of Duty 2. This is not a prop. It can be edited separately by simply 'entering'the prefab. |
| Prop | An object that has been modelled via a CAD program and that can be added to an uncompiled map, but CANNOT be edited in Radiant. |
| Radiant | A GUI map editor for making maps. Radiant is a specific software tool with specific versions for each game. One version of Radiant does not necessarily work with another game. Radiant is freely distributed so look for the specific version you need for your specific game via the internet. |
| Spawn Point | aka spawn. It is the location on the map where the player literaly appears on the map during a game. There is a kind of spawn point for nearly every type of gameplay (DM, TDM, CTF, S&D, etc ...). |
| Texture | An image that applied to a plane will render a type of surface. Texture can be combined to add effect. |
| Vertex | A single entity point at the intersection of two or more plane. Most of the time Vertex are individually manipulated when the mapper create Patch and Terrain. |
| Worldspawn | A setting of a map to specify the ambiance of the map related to the light. See Worldspawn_settings. |
[edit] Game Files
| .arena | A script file that contains a definition for the map (name, gametype) loaded by the game (see Arena file). |
| .bsp | See BSP above: compiled map file. |
| .d3dbsp | A .bsp file with a specific format for CoD2 map file. |
| .dds | An image file, used as an intermediate format between the user's file format to manipulate an image (ie: .jpeg/.gif/.png/etc ...) and the .iwd file format used ingame. |
| .gsc | A script file (plaine ANSI text file). |
| .iwi | An image asset file created with the Asset Manager. |
| .iwd | A zip file, with a remplaced extension, that is containing that media content of the game CoD2 and CoD4. Replace the .pak3 file type. |
| .map | An uncompiled map file format. Originate from the first id Tech engine for id software, it is a plain ANSI text file. |
| .pak3 | A zip file, with a remplaced extension, that is containing that media content of the game vCoD and CoD:UO. Replaced by the .iwd file in later CoD games. |
| .pfb | A map file, with a specific extension to high light the fact that it is used as a prefab and not as a full map. Rendered obsolete with CoD2. |
| .prt | A semi-compiled map file, that is normally destroyed during the compiling process. Having this file instead of a normal bsp file is a proof that the compilation didn't when through. |
| .sun | A script file used to tell the compiler how the sun flare effect should look like. |
