The problem: The renamed character leaves outdated traces
Yesterda we brought order: enemies and abilities are typed, templated, and spawning new ones is just filling in a form.
Today you decide Chloe is a stale name. She's pivot to a different role, so you rename her to Hana. Easy - one edit in the project tree.
But Chloe was mentioned in ten more places. In the description of her ability, in the column header of the collection, etc. None of them will be updated when renaming, because each stores the name as a static string.
Now you have an orphaned doc and a stale spreadsheet in one afternoon. The bigger the project, the more broken links a single rename leaves behind.
The solution to our problem is through the connections between
The durable way to connect design elements is a reference - a link that points at the element itself, not at its label. A reference stores the element's stable ID, not its title. So when you rename Chloe to Hana, every link that pointed at her shows Hana immediately - no search, no fixing.
Link Chloe to her abilities
You previously created Chloe as a Game object, and Fire Extinguisher Shot as one of her abilities. In IMS Creators, there are several ways to link elements together:
- The "Element selector" field type - select the target element and the field becomes a link to it.
- Tables with element references - you can reference other project elements from table columns.
- Linked blocks - in text, the dialog editor, the level editor and other blocks you can add a link to an element, and it automatically creates a connection.
On Hana, add the Ability type Element Selection field and select Fire Extinguisher Shot.
Now Chloe and salvo are linked, not by a string, but by the ID of that element. The same can be done on the side of the ability: open the Fire Extinguisher Shot, add the field Used by type Element selectior and specify Hana. Two links describe one connection from both sides.
Link each survivor to their set of abilities, and disparate lists of characters and abilities will begin to connect with each other.
How to view the built connections
Building connections is half the battle. The second half is to track them. Open Hana, right-click and choose Show references.
This opens the link graph - Hana sits in the middle, and the elements she links to (her abilities, her item) fan out around her, along with anything that points back to her. Click any node to re-center the graph on it and keep exploring. Each edge is labeled with what kind of relationship it is: a derivation from a base object, a reference, or a mention.
Rename-safe links - and no orphaned mentionsThe names can be changed - the links will not fly, and the mentions will not turn into dummies
Important:
Objects remain consistent Rename Fire Extinguisher Shot to Foam Cannon Explosion. Each character, item, and document that referenced it now shows a new name.
What's next: structures and enums
Links connect elements, but the values inside them are still plain text. Tomorrow we will fix this with the help of structures and enumerations - reusable forms and lists of fixed values that will prevent similar values from conflicting with each other.
FAQ
What is an element reference in a game design document?
An element reference is a link from one design element to another that points to the target's stable ID rather than its name. When the target is renamed or edited, every link to it updates automatically, so the design stays consistent without manual fixing.
How do I link one element to another in IMS Creators?
There are several ways to link elements: through an Element selector field, through tables with element references, and through linked blocks - in text, the dialog editor, the level editor and other blocks you can add a link to an element, and it automatically links that element to the current document.
Where do I see all the connections in my project?
Open an element's menu and choose Show references. This opens the link graph, which shows the element in the center with everything it links to, plus anything that points back to it. Click any node to re-center and explore it.
Will renaming an element break my links?
No. Links store the element's ID, not its name, so a rename updates every place that references the element automatically. The displayed titles are resolved live.