Point-and-Click Scripting

The Vicious scripting system is a robust solution that offers a unique point-and-click interface. Capitalizing on the data-driven model, all actions, functions, variables, and operators are selectable as individual elements, rather than entered manually as text. No coding is necessary and typing errors are virtually nonexistent. Right-clicking in the Script Editor accesses condition-sensitive script elements. These elements are combined into the events that drive the game, such as spawning characters, activating triggers, and checking controller states. To speed up the scripting process across games with similar dynamics, script events and other assets port easily between projects.

A full-featured debug system for scripts allows designers to set breakpoints and step line-by-line through the script during gameplay for easy debugging. The following features are available in the Script Debugger:

Easy Artificial Intelligence (AI) Development

Non-player game characters (NPCs) interact intelligently through the use of high- and low-level state machines. These state machines are created in the Vicious Editor and are reusable across several entity types. For example, a generic biped state machine can handle transitions between idle, moving, jumping, and landing for several different kinds of characters.

The state machines are also hierarchical. Child state machines inherit all the states and state functions of any ancestors. States can also be overridden in the child state machine and messages can be intercepted and/or trapped before a parent state machine can handle it. This enables creation of robust state machine systems for similar entity types with very little script redundancy. For example, a BaseWeapon state machine may implement states for idling, firing, and reloading of a weapon. The derived state machines for shotguns and pistols can altered for the specific firing states.

The Vicious Engine® utilizes NavMeshes, a fast and simple way to direct more natural AI movement. A NavMesh splits the map into groups of polygons that are merged into a field of possible movement. This allows for greater flexibility in moving around objects, because the NPCs direct their movement to an area, not to a specific point on the map. The Vicious Engine® also utilizes inheritance and lucid event messaging to create an intuitive development system for AI.

Straightforward Platform Conversion

A platform conversion utility simplifies the process of migrating the game to the following platforms: