[rob]

At 11:23 AM 8/30/2008, you wrote:

1) What is the ETA for the authoring kit to be released?

End of October.

2) Will there be a beta we can try out (if so, I'm interested in being a beta tester)?

The thing that is taking the longest right now is all the documentation. Consequently, there won't be a normal Beta period for the Kit. We're using the Savage Worlds data files and some other stuff we're doing internally as our testing grounds for the Kit. I'm assuming that we'll find a few issues after release that we missed and will need to be fixed, but the code is very solid right now and we'd rather get people using it widely instead of making most people wait an extra two months for a Beta period that will likely uncover just a few minor code issues and a bunch of documentation shortcomings. We're expecting to release documentation updates to the Kit after the initial release that cover more obscure mechanisms in greater depth than the initial docs will provide.

3) What should a person be familiar with (a certain programming language or standard etc) to take full advantage of the kit?

Be comfortable with XML (or HTML). Know the *basics* of programming in *some* language. All you'll need to know about is variables, arithmetic expressions, string expressions, if/then/else statements, and for/next loops. The internal scripts will be very short and sweet, except in race circumstances. They will be longer, but still very simple, for visual positioning, such as when you've got a panel with lots of stuff in it that all needs to be placed properly on the screen.

4) Will the authoring kit be made available for free or will it need to be purchased?

Yes and no. The Kit will be treated as a separate game system that will encompass all the data files released through it, including Savage Worlds. As such, you'll be able to play with the Kit to your heart's content in demo mode, with the same limitations as any normal game system in demo mode. You won't be able to save or print your *characters*. But you'll be able to save all your data file changes, allowing you to experiment with the Kit fully before plunking down your money.

5) What do the developers suspect that customers will like best about the kit?

We're going to great lengths to make the whole authoring process as easy as possible, and the engine has been designed to be very consistent in how everything works. So we've got our fingers crossed that authors will find the process to be much less daunting and more straightforward than they expect it to be - although it obviously will still require a fair amount of work. Beyond that, I think the biggest benefit will be that they can pretty readily adapt HL to whatever game system that they want to play, *without* having to get out a crowbar and spend lots of effort making a tool designed for one game system kinda work for a very different system. HL is a truly generic framework, so it can be easily tailored for any game. Prior to HL, there has never been a truly generic framework like this, and I believe that's going to be a real boon for everyone.