Here you will find key concepts about game modding that may help you navigate the tutorial.
| Vocab Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| Open Source Software | Any software with design that the public can see, modify, and share freely. Open source software should bring to mind keywords like collaboration, transparency, and open exchange. |
| Modding | Shorthand for “modifying,” game modding is the act of changing a digital game to do or display something different than originally intended by the developer. Game mods can be very simple (like changing an image) or very complex (like extending a game to include new areas of the map). Communities of modders of specific games often find each other in online forums and share their mods and ideas with each other. |
| Visual Graphics | What you see when you play a video game. |
| PNG | Short for Portable Network Graphic. PNG files contain compressed images. |
| Game Files | These files are what you download when you download Stardew Valley, and they are where all the game assets and coding come from. For our purposes, this is where you will find the .xnb files to unpack. |
| .xnb Files | When a game is created with XNA Game Studio, the images (and sometimes audio files) are saved as .xnb files. They are also called “compiled asset” files, and are comparable to zip files. When you open an .xnb file, you need to unpack it before you can view what’s inside. |
| .json Files | Stores data in JavaScript Object Notation (a standard data interchange format). They are human-readable, text-based files that are often used to transmit data between a web application and a server. |
| Packing a File | Putting several files in one file (called an archive). |
| Unpacking a File: | Making packed files individual again. |
Now that you have reviewed common vocab, move on to the tutorial!
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