Steamforge Game Customization and Expansion System

Overview

The Game Customization and Expansion System introduces a flexible framework for designing, managing, and enhancing in-world experiences within Steamforge. It empowers server owners, GMs, and advanced players to create curated, dynamic, or narrative-driven content layered atop the systemic sandbox world.

1. Game Master Role

• Human Director: A designated Game Master (GM) can oversee player interactions, trigger events, and modify in-game content.
• Session Architect: GMs can organize "Games"—discrete experiences such as quests, events, dungeons, or entire campaigns.
• World Manipulator: In real time or in advance, GMs can alter environments, control NPCs, and manage player access or behavior.

2. World & Scenario Editing

• Creative Mode Access (Server Owners & GMs):
  • Unlimited placement and destruction of blocks, items, NPCs, and structures.
  • Real-time environment editing: terrain sculpting, lighting, weather control.
• Dungeon and Region Design:
  • Construct modular dungeons, puzzle rooms, or narrative hubs.
  • Place and link triggers, doors, traps, and resource nodes.

3. NPC and Dialogue Customization

• NPC Assignment:
  • Select existing in-world NPCs and assign them custom roles.
• Conversation Scripting:
  • Upload dialogue trees via JSON or use a visual editor.
  • Conversations can trigger quests, events, or environmental changes.
• Behavior Control:
  • Assign patrol routes, reactive behavior, faction standing, and conditions for interaction.

4. Event Scripting & Automation

• Trigger-Based Systems:
  • Define environmental or player-triggered actions (e.g., entering a room, completing a quest).
• Scripting Integration:
  • Support for structured scripting via JSON or a visual scripting tool.
  • Optional support for Lua or similar lightweight scripting languages.
• Automation:
  • Build logic-based sequences for puzzles, factories, traps, or AI routines.

5. Game Types and Structure

• Custom Game Modes:
  • Narrative Campaigns
  • PvE Raids
  • Arena Challenges
  • Factional Wars
• Player Access Control:
  • Define who can join, roles, starting locations, and loadouts.
• Persistent or Instanced:
  • Experiences can be tied to the persistent world or run in isolated zones.

6. Tools and Utilities

• Survey and Alignment Tools: Ensure placement of foundations and structures aligns for connected grids.
• NPC Manager Interface: Assign, modify, and monitor custom NPCs.
• Event Timeline Editor: Design branching timelines and timed triggers.

Summary

The Game Customization and Expansion System transforms Steamforge from a systemic sandbox into a platform for player-authored adventures. By providing powerful tools for scenario creation, world editing, and behavior scripting, it enables deeply personal and narratively rich experiences to unfold within the shared game world.