Glossary
Definitions of the terms used throughout the Vastopia editor, dashboard and documentation, grouped by area and linked to the page that explains each one.
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How to use this page#
Terms are grouped by the part of the platform they belong to. Each entry gives the short definition and, where one exists, the page that goes deeper. Bold words inside a definition are other glossary entries.
Platform and accounts#
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Vastopia Editor | The Windows desktop application you build games in. It reads and writes a project folder and uploads builds. See Install the editor. |
| Game server | The authoritative C# (.NET 8) server that runs your game's rules: combat, inventory, drops, dialogue, scripts. The platform hosts it; you ship it data, not code. |
| Client | The Vastopia application players install. It opens on the launcher and then loads your game's content. The editor downloads a portable copy for Play Local. |
| Launcher | The client's first screen: the Discover game browser, social features, sign-in, and the Join a Beta field. |
| Discover | The game browser inside the client launcher. The website's public equivalent is the Explore page. |
| Creator Dashboard | The web app at /dashboard where builds arrive and games are launched, updated, monitored and billed. See Creator Dashboard. |
| Game ID | The UUID that ties a project to a game on the platform. Generated by the New Project wizard, stored in project.vastopia under [platform] game_id, registered with the platform when the project is opened while signed in. |
| API key | A token created on the dashboard under Account > API Keys that the editor can sign in with instead of the browser flow. See API keys and REST API. |
| MCP | The Model Context Protocol. The Vastopia MCP server exposes the editor's authoring operations as tools an AI agent can call, with or without the editor open. See AI-Accelerated Creation. |
| Source checkout | A local clone of the Vastopia-Server or Vastopia-Client repository, configured under Settings > Editor Settings... > Source Checkouts. Only needed for Dev Test. |
Projects and files#
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Project | One game as a folder on disk: assets/ (client side), server/ (server side), game_config.json and project.vastopia. There is no database. See Project structure. |
project.vastopia | The project descriptor, an INI file with [project], [paths], [game], [platform], [systems], [server] and [client] sections. |
game_config.json | Game metadata that ships with every build: title, version, description, genre, tags, the starting map and the spawn tile. The starting map and spawn tile are set on the Game Settings tab. See Game config. |
| Template | A zipped project skeleton a new game starts from. Three bundled starters ship with the editor (Arena, Quest, MMO), one per category; more can be published to the platform catalog. See Templates and gameplay systems. |
| Category | The genre a template declares: Diversion, Quest or MMO. Picking one is required in the New Project wizard. |
| Gameplay system | A named bundle of server modules, scripts, schemas, data, interfaces and tabs (Combat, Dialogue, Shops, Crafting, and so on). Switching a system off deletes its files from the project; some are also enforced by the server through server/data/systems.json. |
| Dual export | The rule that most content is written to both assets/data/ (what things look like) and server/data/ (what things do), sharing the same ID. The editors keep both sides in sync. See Data Editor. |
| Client data | The half of an entity the client needs: names, models, icons, animations. |
| Server data | The half the server needs: stats, drops, prices, spawn positions, collision, scripts. |
| Cloud project sync | A copy of the project source saved to the platform per game, latest wins, so it can be downloaded on another machine. Saved automatically after a successful publish. See Cloud project sync. |
| Dirty marker | The * appended to a tab title when it holds unsaved changes. Ctrl+S saves. See Editor tour. |
.export_cache | A per-project folder where converted model scenes are cached for both the editor and the publish. Never packed into a build. |
Maps#
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Map | A playable area saved as assets/maps/<name>/: a terrain scene, region data, props, walkability and water settings. See Map files and export. |
| Tile | The unit of game-logic space. One tile is 0.5 world units on each axis; tile coordinates are integers on X and Z. See Coordinate system. |
| Region | A 64 by 64 tile cell of the map grid. Only tiles inside active regions are walkable. New cells are added with the Add Region tool (G) in the Map Editor's Terrain mode. |
| Terrain | The sculpted, painted ground, edited in the Map Editor's Terrain mode. See Terrain. |
| Height layer | An elevated floor above the terrain (a bridge, an upper storey) with its own height offset and per-tile offsets. Objects and NPCs can be placed on a layer. See Height layers. |
| Region element | Any gameplay entity placed on a map in the Map Editor's Region mode: an NPC spawner, an interactable object, a location or a trigger zone. Stored in the map's regions.json. See Regions and elements. |
| NPC spawner | A region element that spawns an NPC definition at a point with a behavior: idle, wander or patrol. |
| Interactable object | A region element that places an object definition on the map. Its footprint (tile_width by tile_depth) always comes from the object definition, never from the map. |
| Location | A named area of tiles with optional environment overrides such as fog. |
| Trigger zone | An area that runs a server script when a player enters, exits or stays inside it (on_enter, on_exit, on_stay). |
| Walkability flags | Per-tile blocking information, stored in tile_flags.json and exported to the server's terrain file. |
| Prop | A decorative model placed in the Map Editor with no gameplay meaning: trees, rocks, fences. Stored in props.bin. See Props and model painting. |
| Painted meshes | Props laid down in bulk with the paint tool as batched copies. They always re-seat on the terrain when the ground under them changes. |
| Fixed / Align to Slope | Per-prop placement options: Fixed stops a prop from re-seating when the terrain is edited; Align to Slope tilts it to the surface normal instead of standing upright. Stored in the props_meta.json sidecar. |
| Building prefab | A reusable structure assembled in the Building Editor on a plot (width by depth tiles, plus floors), saved in building_prefabs.json and stamped onto maps from the Map Editor's Prefabs tab. See Building prefabs. |
| Starting map | The map and spawn coordinates a new player appears on, set on the Game Settings tab. |
Content and data#
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Item | A definition in items.json (both sides): name, icon, model, equip slot, stats and effects. See Items. |
| NPC | A non-player character definition: model, animations, combat stats, options and drops. Placed on maps through NPC spawners. See NPCs. |
| Object | A world object definition with a model, a tile footprint and interaction options. See Objects. |
| Animation base | A named rig (skeleton) that animation clips are retargeted to. NPCs reference a base plus per-base clip IDs; template projects ship a humanoid base. See Animations. |
| VFX | A visual effect saved as a self-contained scene under assets/vfx/ and listed in vfx_database.json. See VFX. |
| Loot table (drop table) | The rules for what an NPC, item, object or miscellaneous source drops, and with what chance. See Loot tables. |
| Skill | A trainable stat with an XP curve defined in skills_config.json; the client draws the skills panel from it. See Skills. |
| Shop, Recipe, Task, Dialogue | Schema-backed content authored in the Tools hub and stored under server/schemas/. See Game Tools. |
| Interface | A 2D screen scene under assets/interface/screens/, edited in the GUI Editor. See Interfaces and HUD. |
| Tab bar | The two rows of up to six tabs in the client's game screen, configured in tab_config.json. See Tabs. |
| Stat orb | A HUD pill bound to a stat, configured in map_area_config.json. See Game screen and HUD. |
| ID | Items, NPCs, objects and region elements are identified by numeric IDs that the editor and MCP allocate. Never invent one. |
Scripting#
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Script | A C# file in server/scripts/ that runs on the game server for one entity or event: an item handler, an NPC combat script, a command, a task. See Scripting. |
| Module | A long-lived server system in server/modules/ that subscribes to engine events and holds shared state. Scripts call modules directly; a module declared as ModuleBase<TSelf> also exposes a typed Instance. |
| Command | A player chat command such as ::anim 1, implemented as an ICommandScript. See Commands. |
| Script categories | The Script Editor's folders: Commands, Events, Systems and Utilities. See Script Editor. |
| Schema | A pair of JSON files under server/schemas/<Category>/<name>/: <name>.json declares the table and its fields, <name>_data.json holds the rows. The server loads them as data tables and the editor uses them for autocomplete and table editing. |
| Script bindings | The mapping from item, NPC, combat and object IDs to script files, written alongside each entity's script_path. |
| Compile-per-file | Each script file compiles on its own, so a helper declared in one script is not visible to another; shared logic belongs in a module. |
| Script API | The surface scripts can call (ScriptWorld, npc., obj. and so on), described by script_api.json for autocomplete. See Script API reference. |
Testing and publishing#
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Play Local | The top-bar button that deploys your server data to a temporary test server on the platform, builds the client content on your machine and launches the client logged in as you. See Test your game. |
| Test server | The per-game server the platform runs for Play Local. The editor boots it when a project opens and keeps it warm while you edit. |
| Dev Test / Dev Client | Developer-only buttons that compile and run the server from a source checkout on your machine and launch the client from source. Hidden in the installed editor. |
| Play Live | Launches the client against your launched production game. Enabled only once a version is deployed. |
| Build | What the editor uploads: a content PCK, a server data zip, game_config.json and a build manifest. Builds sit on the dashboard with a status until one is promoted. See Builds and versions. |
| PCK | The packed file of client content (maps, models, icons, interfaces, client data) that players download before they play. Play Local may split it into per-category packs. |
| Server data zip | The archive of server/data, server/modules, server/scripts and server/schemas that travels with every build and every Play Local press. |
| Build manifest | A small JSON summary of what a build contains (map and entity counts, per-pack file lists) used by the dashboard. |
| Incremental (bundles) | An opt-in publish mode that uploads only content-addressed bundles that changed since the last publish. Needs client v1.7.0 or newer. |
| Build status | Ready (pushed, not deployed), Live, Beta, Staged, Superseded, Archived, Uploading, Failed or Deleted, as shown on the dashboard's Builds page. |
| Version | A build that has been promoted to the live server. Labels run v1, v2, v3 for full updates and v2.1, v2.2 for patches. |
| Update (Reload completely) | Promoting a build as a new major version, optionally with an update post. |
| Patch (Hotfix) | Promoting a build as a quick fix that increments the patch number and takes an optional one-line note. |
| Update post | The title and release notes published with an update; drafts can be saved and attached later. See Updates, patches and rollback. |
| Rollback | Pushing an older build back to the live server. The dashboard warns when the selected build is outdated. |
| Beta build | A build deployed to the platform's shared beta server and shared with up to 10 testers through a beta code. See Beta access. |
| Beta code | The share code in the form MYGAME-AB12CD34 that testers paste into the launcher's Join a Beta field. |
| Launch | The dashboard wizard that takes a game from development to production: build, details, content rating and monetization, hosting plan and region, schedule, confirm. See Launch and hosting. |
Dashboard and hosting#
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Your games | The section on the dashboard's Home page listing every game on your account with its state: Live, Offline, Suspended or In development. |
| Game page tabs | Game Details (listing and branding), Production (shown once launched), Update (push builds) and History (promoted builds). |
| Hosting plan (tier) | Where the live server runs. Free — Community Hosting uses Vastopia's shared server at no cost; paid tiers provide a dedicated server with listed vCPU, RAM and approximate player capacity. |
| Region | The geographic location of a paid tier's dedicated server, chosen at launch and changeable later under Hosting & Billing. |
| Content rating | Everyone (6+), Teen (13+) or Mature (18+), set at launch. |
| Monetization | Free, In-App Purchases (free plus a store) or Paid Access (one-time price). |
| Offline | A live game taken off its server from the Production tab. Players cannot connect, billing pauses, and save data is kept for 30 days. See Billing and lifecycle. |
| Reset to Development | Returning a launched game to development so the launch flow can be run again. |
| Member role | A dashboard permission level for people you invite to manage the game. See Members, roles and staff. |
| Staff rank | An in-game rank: Player, Moderator (chat moderation), Admin (all built-in commands) or Owner (everything, plus granting ranks in game). |
| Builds page | The dashboard's cross-game list of every build with status filters, under the sidebar's Create group. |
| Creations | The dashboard page, under Library, that holds assets you have shared to the cloud library. See Cloud library. |
Assets#
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Asset Manager | The Assets tab in the editor: import, browse, tag and search the project's models, sprites, textures, audio and scenes. See Asset manager. |
| Asset types | SPRITE, MODEL_3D, AUDIO_SFX, AUDIO_MUSIC, TEXTURE, ANIMATION, UI_SCENE, SKELETON, OTHER. |
| ULID | The timestamp-sortable unique ID every imported asset receives; model folders are named <ULID>_<Name>. |
.scn | The self-contained compressed scene every imported .glb/.gltf model becomes. It is what ships in the build and what the client loads. See Models. |
| Texture size cap | The editor setting that downsizes model textures on import (default 2048 pixels) because texture resolution, not geometry, decides how much a model weighs. |
| Linked folder | An external model library browsed in place from disk without copying. Models enter the project only when used. See Linked folders. |
| Library | The editor's Library tab: a visual gallery of approved platform assets and project assets, any of which becomes a placeable prop in one click. The platform side is the cloud library. |
| Texture library | The per-project set of terrain textures and materials painted in the Map Editor. See Textures and terrain materials. |
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