   RPG world data
  What is the best way to create world data for an RPG? I mean the world maps, and in-game events. Should it be all done in scripts and map editor or is it simple enough to just create a bunch of classes and dump all the data you need in through code? I guess what I am asking is what is the standard way of doing this?   
  Hard coding data is not feasible for anything of non-trivial size.   ;  I really recommend putting your game data in separate data files.One method that I've seen used in some simple games is storing the map in an ASCII file with one row of characters for each row of tiles in the map (I.E. '#' for walls and '.' for open space). That might be a good way to get started and get something working.Some possible ways to store the data are as custom text files, custom binary files, scripts, or XML. Almost any approach will work, although some will be easier to work with.Don't worry about getting the perfect system; just get something working as a prototype then think about how you could have done things differently to improve it.   ;  If you're already integrating a scripting language, scripts-as-data-files might be the way to go. I've had success using Lua in this way. Check here for some more info.   ;  The type / scope of your RPG make a big difference here too, as well as your tool knowledge.  I mean if you are writing a weekend zork clone is different than an old bard's tale type game which is quite different than a modern retail game like oblivion.However in all cases the data is usually pulled out into seperate data files, dending on the type of data and the tool(s) used to create / edit it.For instance when I created a zork clone in pascal in college the data for the rooms, items, monsters, etc. was in 3 files.  1 file held the monter types (templates), 1 file held the item types (templates), and the primary file held the world (rooms, connections and initial places of items, monsters, etc).Back then I made them text files, today they could be anything, XML, INI, custom, binary, ... whatever you want.But then basically write a class or pair of functions to read/write each file type ...   