Terms - Tiberian Dawn Editor Reference

Terminology

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | L | M | N | O | P | R | S | T | U | W

A

Action

May refer to a Trigger Action or Unit Action.

AI

Artificial intelligence. The logic the computer uses to control a non-human-controlled house in the game.

A superweapon which summons an A10 aircraft to bomb the target area with napalm. Available only via the "Airstrike" trigger action. In the GDI campaign missions the ability is granted when all Nod SAM sites have been destroyed. The ability can be used more than once, taking 8 minutes to recharge each time.

Armor

All objects have an armor type which determines what types of warhead they are most vulnerable to.

B

Base

An area of the map a house is trying to protect, usually containing one or more buildings belonging to them. A singleplayer scenario may contain a predefined base definition for the AI to follow, indicating where buildings should be built or rebuilt, and in what order. This is acheived using the "Base Priority" setting for each structure.

Bib

The bit of dirt infront of a building

Bin

Scenario file containing the map.

Build Level

Number indicating a technology level, higher being more sophisticated. A scenario has a build level which determines what units and buildings the player has access to. For singleplayer scenarios this corresponds to the technology that would be available when this many scenarios into the campaign. The tech levels are different for multiplayer. For both single and multi-player, level 99 and above should be considered off-limits as it allows the construction of things that aren't really intended to be built, such as the hospital and bio research lab, which don't do anything and cause graphical bugs in the sidebar. For the full tech tree, use build level 98. Note that the AI ignores tech level and prerequisite building requirements in singleplayer.

Bullet

Each unit type has a "weapon" type, and each weapon type has a "bullet" type which determines what kind of ordenance the weapon delivers. Each bullets type has a warhead type which determines the type of damage it causes on impact. There can be no more than 50 bullets in the game at once.

C

Capture-the-Flag

A game mode in multiplayer, where each side has to steal their opponent's flag and return it to their base

Cell

A square on the map. Cells are numbered from left to right, top to bottom, starting with zero as the top-left position. Cells are subdivided into leptons.

Cell Trigger

A trigger attached to a cell on the map.

Civilian

Non-military personel, such as local villagers. Civilians have their own House.

Concrete

Some of the game internals refer to concrete slabs or blocks. These were a holdover from Dune II in which buildings had to be constructed on concrete slabs to protect them from the desert sand. This feature is now obsolete.

Credits

The currency used to purchase or repair units and structures.

Cutscene

Video shown before or after a scenario.

D

Disaster Containment Team

A special house used in the easter egg "dino" scenarios which can build both GDI and Nod units and structures.

E

Event

May refer to a Trigger Event or Network Event

F

Fear

Infantry have a "fear" value, 0-255, which affects their behaviour. It increases as the infantry takes damage, and decreases over time. If a civilian's fear exceeds 10, they will run around at twice their usual speed, panicked. If a soldier's fear exceeds 10, they will go prone and move at half speed.

G

Goodies

Refers to crates that the player can pick up, containing resources and other bonuses

H

House

A side, GDI/Nod etc. Holdover from Dune II.

I

Impassable

Refers to cells that cannot be passed by a particular unit. Ground units cannot cross land types such as rocks or rivers, for example.

Infantry

Foot soldiers.

INI

Settings file containing definitions for a scenario

Ion Cannon

The GDI superweapon. An orbital particle beam cannon, made available upon construction of an Advanced Communications Center. The ability takes 10 minutes to charge and can be used more than once.

L

Lepton

Each cell on the map is divided into 256 x 256 "lepton" measures.

Loaner

Internally the game can mark a unit as a "loaner" which prevents the player from controlling it even if it is on their side. This is used for units carrying in reinforcements or performing air strikes.

M

Map

The tile layout for a scenario. Maps are always 64 x 64 cells and the map bounds define the region accessible to the player.

Map Editor

The software used to create scenarios.

Minimap

The radar display in the top section of the UI sidebar.

Mission

An object's behaviour, for AI scripting. There are two categories of missions, one for individual object behaviours and one for team behaviours. The meaning of certain unit missions vary depending on the object using them. For example the "Unload" unit mission is used when an APC delivers what it is carrying, but also when an MCV unpacks, or when a weapons factory produces a unit. The term "Mission" is also used loosely to refer to a Scenario.

Multiplayer

Human vs human game mode over LAN/internet. Scenarios can be specified as being for singleplayer or multiplayer.

N

Network Event

Types of message communicated from computer to computer in a multiplayer game

Nuclear Missile

The Nod superweapon, available upon construction of the Temple of Nod. The ability takes 14 minutes to charge and can be used once only in singleplayer, or more than once in multiplayer.

O

Object

A thing rendered on the map. Encompasses all overlays, bullets, buildings, units, infantry, smudges and terrain.

Overlay

General objects that sit on top of the map tiles but don't have any height, and serve only to display an icon there. Crates are implemented as overlays, as are walls.

P

Passable

Describes a cell that a particular unit can enter.

Pathfinding

The algorithm used to tell a unit the best route to take from one map cell to another.

Power

Refers to the power supplied by a power plant. Most GDI/Nod structures drain some amount of power. If the drain exceeds the supply, production is slowed, the minimap turns off, some buildings cannot operate, and all buildings above half strength take a point of damage every minute.

Prone

The body position infantry go into when under fire: face down on the ground. Prone infantry move at half speed but only take half damage.

R

Recruit

Refers to a computer-controlled house allocating units for one of two different purposes: for a team, or for a rescue mission. The AI will fill the roles specified by a team's type by recruiting existing units (idle or in a lower-priority team) or creating new units as necessary. The AI will recruit existing units for a rescue mission if their base or harvesters are attacked. Note that some unit missions prevent that unit from being recruited, and that aircraft are never recruited.

See also: Unit Missions, Rescue Mission, Team

Region

The map is broken down into 4x4 cell regions. Risk values are associated with each region as part of the AI pathfinding.

Reinforcements

Scripted sequence which creates a new team of units and brings them in from outside the bounds of the map. The means by which the team is delivered is determined by a source type.

Rescue Mission

When their base or harvesters are attacked, a computer-controlled house will recruit available units go on a "rescue mission" to retaliate against the enemy attacker. This behaviour is not activated if a defensive structure is attacked, or if the attacker is an aircraft or gunboat. Existing teams are emptied of their members and suspended for two minutes, unless they have a priority of 20 or above. Then units not in teams are recruited for the rescue based on their risk value vs the threat value of the attacker, and how quickly they can move there. Units with the "Sleep" or "Sticky" mission are never recruited for rescue missions.

Reward

Each unit and structure type has a reward associated with it, indicating how valuable that object is. This is used by the AI when choosing targets to attack.

Risk

Each unit and structure type has a risk value associated with it, indicating how much of a threat that object is. This is used in pathfinding.

S

Scenario

What the map editor creates. A "level" to play, either in singleplayer (standalone or part of the GDI/Nod campaign) or multiplayer (skirmish or internet play). A scenario consists of a "bin" file containing the map, and an accompanying "ini" file containing all the other required settings. A scenario is sometimes loosely referred to as a "mission" or "map", but note that these terms have their own specific meanings in the context of the map editor.

Sidebar

The area of the player's user interface to the right of the Tactical View which displays the radar, credits, build menus etc.

Singleplayer

The campaign scenarios, player vs AI. Scenarios can be specified as being for singleplayer or multiplayer.

Smudge

Craters and scorch marks left by explosions, etc.

Source

A method of delivering reinforcements.

Strength

The amount of damage an object can take before being destroyed, or the amount of damage a bullet will do before armor and other modifiers are applied.

Structure

An immobile techno object, some of which produce units or yield other benefits. A collection of structures make up a base. There can be no more than 500 structures in the game at once.

Superweapon

A type of weapon used as an ability directly from the UI sidebar, rather than carried by a unit. The superweapons are the Air Strike, Ion Cannon and Nuclear Missile.

T

Tactical View

The main window part of the player's user interface, which is scrolled around to show different parts of the larger scenario map.

TarCom

Refers to all moving, shooting vehicle objects; those with a "targeting computer"

Team

A group of units. Team types are used to instruct the AI what to attack with, what the player receives as reinforcements, etc. The AI creates empty teams then constructs and recruits units to fill them. A team has a list of missions which it carries out in order before disbanding. There is a max limit of 60 teams in the game at once, and a limit of 60 team types. Each team type may have up to 5 different types of unit and up to 20 missions in their mission list.

Team Mission

Missions given to a whole team of units, coordinating their behaviour. When a team reaches the end of its mission list, it is disbanded. However the "Loop" mission type can be used to create a looped mission list. Each team type may have a maximum of 20 missions in their list.

Tech Tree

Technology tree. Refers to the "tree" of units and structures made available to build by building other, prerequisite structures. Each house has a different tech tree. Note that the AI ignores build level and prerequisite structure requirements in singleplayer.

Technician

A civilian infantry that GDI or Nod might gain from the wreckage if one of their units or structures is destroyed. The infantry carries a pistol and the player can instruct them to attack. The technician isn't actually its own unit type, instead an infantry of type "c1" is created and a special flag is set so that its name is displayed as "Technician".

Techno

Refers to any object that can be owned, produced or delivered as reinforcements. Encompasses all buildings, infantry, and vehicles

Template

Groups of tiles which can be placed on the map in the map editor and form larger graphical features such as roads and cliff faces.

Terrain

Scenery objects that sit on top of the map tiles

Theater Type

Refers to the setting for the scenario. This primarily determines the graphics used for the map, ambient sounds, etc.

Threat

When choosing a target to attack, the AI will indentify the greatest threat within some given parameters. The selection takes into account who the target belongs to, how far away it is, its kill count, its risk value (the higher the better) and its reward value.

Trigger

Triggers are used to add scripted happennings to a scenario. A trigger can be attached to a cell or object, or simply associated with a House. Triggers cannot be attached to aircraft or non-prebuilt structures. A scenario can have up to 80 triggers defined.

Trigger Action

What happens as a result of a trigger activating.

Trigger Event

What must happen for a particular trigger to activate.

U

Unit

Strictly speaking this refers to vehicles, but the term is commonly used more loosely to refer to infantry, civilians and other mobile objects as well. Each unit type has a weapon type which determines how that unit fights. There can be no more than 500 units in the game at once.

See also: Unit Types, Weapon, Weapon Types

Unit Action

A command the player can give to one of their units

Unit Mission

Missions assigned to individual units.

W

Wall

A barrier that can be constructed one cell-sized section at a time. Walls are built and placed like structures, but are implemented internally as overlays, and as such take damage differently to structures or terrain objects. Rather than storing a strength value, each wall section only stores a much smaller "damage level". The wall's type determines the amount of damage that must be received in one go in order to bump this damage level by 1. If less than this amount of damage is received, the decision to bump the level is made by dice roll, with more damage having more chance. No kind of armor modifier is applied.

Warhead

Each "bullet" has a warhead definition which determines the type of damage that will happen when the bullet hits something. Warheads have a "spread" value which determines the falloff in damage over distance from the point of impact. A higher "spread" means the damage will carry further. Warheads also have a set of modifiers which adjust the damage according to the type of armor they have hit. A modifier of 25% means the damage is reduced to a quarter of the original value.

Waypoint

Used for marking special points on the map, to be referenced by scripting. A scenario can have up to 30 waypoints defined, each attached to a cell on the map.

Weapon

Each unit type has a weapon type which determines how that unit fights.

See also: Unit, Unit Types, Weapon Types