HPL2/Glossary

This page explains words and terms which have a meaning unique to the engine.

General

Static object	An in-game object which is used only for physics collisions. They can't be influenced by scripts.
Entity	An in-game object with configurable parameters and custom physics bodies.
Item	A type of entity which can be collected and added to the player's inventory.
Area	Invisible in-game cuboid which marks 3D space. Used for a variety of things based on the type.
Script	Written code which determines what happens in a map. This includes events, puzzles, music, and more.

Types of creations

• Custom Stories (CS) - User-made content available from the game's main menu. This is the integrated method that most players will know about, and is the recommended approach for most creations unless the restrictions prove too limiting. Custom stories use all settings from the default config files the game was started with, which limits what the creator can change (for example being forced to use the default lantern).
• Full Conversion (FC) - Sometimes also referred to as Total Conversion (TC), this type lets the creator alter most aspects of the game. These mods are started by specifying custom config files at launch, often by use of a launch script. They are both more advanced to set up and more advanced for players to start, and as such are only recommended when a CS is not enough, and should be accompanied with installation instructions.
  1. Isolated Full Conversion (IFC) - When an FC is isolated, it means that all the content is contained within a single folder that does not overwrite any existing files. This is strongly recommended for all FC mods.
  2. Unisolated Full Conversion - An FC, the files of which aren't contained in a single folder. Such mods require the user to add more than one folder to their game. Additionally, it may require the user to replace certain original files or merge the mod folders with the base folders.

Making unisolated mods generally has no advantages over an isolated mod and isn't recommended out of courtesy to the players. This is because such mods can break the base game and/or other mods, and uninstalling them is an invested process that may require completely reinstalling the base game.

• Mods altering the base game - These mods require to be merged with the base game and are generally intended to replace existing functionality, like textures, sounds, or models. They should be limited in scope for a specific purpose, like changing the look or properties of the player's default lantern.