Eldiron Source

Eldiron Source is the text-first way to create Eldiron games. Instead of editing a single project in Eldiron Creator, you keep the game's configuration, maps, characters, items, screens, scripts, and procedural recipes in files that work well with a text editor and version control.

The eldiron-source command compiles this source folder into a regular .eldiron project. The resulting project can be played by the same Eldiron clients as a project created visually.

eldiron.toml + .els files + assets
                 |
          eldiron-source build
                 |
                 v
          build/game.eldiron

The source files are the source of truth. Treat the generated .eldiron file as build output: rebuilding replaces it.

When to use it

Eldiron Source is useful when you prefer:

• readable text files and normal version-control diffs;
• repeatable builds;
• large maps expressed as text grids;
• reusable procedural recipes stored beside the game source;
• editing game content with a code editor or automation tools.

Eldiron Creator remains the visual authoring environment. Both workflows produce the same project format, but a Source project is intended to be maintained from its source files rather than by editing its generated output.

In this chapter

• Getting Started covers downloads and the new, build, play, and watch commands.
• Project Structure explains eldiron.toml, source directories, assets, and build output.
• Source Files introduces characters, items, regions, terrain, screens, and embedded scripts.

For a complete example, see source_projects/stonefall-dungeon in the Eldiron repository.