X-Git-Url: https://plomlompom.com/repos/feed.xml?a=blobdiff_plain;f=README;h=a944ceaac75398bcd0fb375016bae75213b0ec69;hb=c5b561a819b971151d824e0aa9622f6fc074ff28;hp=7963f621e5c7c1728d70283b73c80b2f13d2fd29;hpb=d12efb0addf420adc045cfb96647dff6241310ee;p=plomrogue

diff --git a/README b/README
index 7963f62..a944cea 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -79,24 +79,76 @@ option (like "-s100") to start the recording at the respective turn number.
 Hacking / server internals and configuration
 --------------------------------------------
 
-The movements/actions available to the player and the enemies are defined and
-can be changed in ./confserver/map_object_actions. Each entry consists of a
-first line of a numerical ID used internally to uniquely identify and manage the
-action, a second line of the number of turns the action takes, and a third line
-of a string that maps the action to the game logic to do when it is called.
-Finally, a delimiter line of "%%" ends the entry.
-
-The different map object types, i.e. species (including the player's human one)
-and item types, can be edited in ./confserver/defs. Here the first value is a
-numerical ID that represents the object type, the second one describes what type
-this object decomposes to when it gets destroyed/killed, the third value is the
-ASCII character used to represent the object visually on the map, the fourth
-value is the number of hitpoints the object starts with (items are dead and
-start with zero hitpoints, anything else moves), the fifth is the string that
-names the object in the game log. Finally, the same delimiter as for the map
-object action definitions file follows. Note that the only valid item use so
-far, consuming "magic meat" to gain hitpoints, is so far hard-coded (this should
-change in the future).
+The ./confserver/world file defines the map object types, actions available to
+them and the map itself. Each definition consists of a multi-line block wherein
+each line sets one attribute of the object type, action or the map.
+
+Here's a typical map definition block:
+
+MAP_TYPE 0
+HEIGHT 64
+WIDTH 64
+DIST_ORTHOGONAL 5
+DIST_DIAGONAL 7
+
+A line of "MAP_TYPE" followed by a non-empty token starts the map definition
+block. In the future, the second token may differentiate different map types,
+but as of right now, only one is available and the value is not interpreted.
+The numbers after "HEIGHT" and "WIDTH" give the map's vertical and horizontal
+extensions in cells. They must be >= 1 and <= 256. The numbers after
+"DIST_ORTHOGONAL" and "DIST_DIAGONAL" define the diagonal movement penalty as
+the second value divided by the first. The above values define a penalty ratio
+of 7/5 or 1.4, i.e. it takes 40% longer in turns to move diagonally than
+orthogonally. Set both to the same value to eliminate the diagonal movement
+penalty. A negative penalty to realize weird geometry is possible by setting
+"DIST_DIAGONAL" to a lower value than "DIST_ORTHOGONAL". Both values, however,
+must be >= 1 and <= 255.
+
+Here's a typical action definition block:
+
+ACTION 1
+NAME move
+EFFORT 5
+
+A line of "ACTION" followed by a number starts an action definition block and
+sets the action's id for internal use to 1. The number after "EFFORT" determines
+how many turns this action takes for the actor performing it. The string after
+"NAME" names the action. Furthermore, if it is one of "move", "pick_up", "drop"
+or "use", it matches internal functions described by these strings to this
+action. All other names (including "wait") currently are matched to a do-nothing
+wait function.
+
+Here's a typical map object type definition block: 
+
+OBJECT 2
+NAME ZOMBIE
+SYMBOL z
+LIFEPOINTS 3
+CORPSE_ID 5
+CONSUMABLE 0
+
+A line of "OBJECT" followed by a number starts it, and the number sets the
+object type's internal id. The number after "CONSUMABLE" defines the object
+as consumable (and to so many hitpoints gain). The character after "SYMBOL" is
+the one shown on the map to represent to object type. "LIFEPOINTS" is the start
+hitpoints value for this object type and defines it as animate if it is
+non-zero. The string after "NAME" sets the object type's name. "CORPSE_ID" sets
+the id of the object type that objects of this type degrade to if their
+hitpoints drop to zero if they start out as inanimate (what is not implemented
+yet: or if they are inanimate, but are otherwise crushed). Note that the
+"CORPSE_ID" must match the id of an object type defined in the file (before or
+after, it may even be the same).
+
+All these definition block members must be present within their blocks, but only
+"ACTION" / "OBJECT" / "MAP_TYPE" must be positioned at their respective blocks'
+first line; the others may appear in whatever order and even multiple times. If
+an object or action definition block is finished, however, it cannot be
+re-defined by starting a new block with the same object type or action id.
+
+Tokens in this config file are separated by whitespace. Single quotes can be
+put around string values that are to include whitespace by themslves. Note that
+all numbers must be decimal representations of unsigned 8 bit integers, i.e.
+>= 0 and < 256 and sans preceding "+".
 
 All source files are thoroughly documented to explain more details of
 plomrogue's internals. The ./roguelike-server executable can be run with a -v