Every line a .guide file can hold, with what it does and a short example.
The full rules, the checks polestar lint runs and worked examples are in
GUIDE_FORMAT.md; packs are in PACKS.md.
polestar find <text> looks up the ids the examples use.
A guideOne route, written as a .guide file and compiled to Lua; its id reads like forever/alliance/human/01-elwynn-forest. is a header (lines in column 0) followed by steps; the lines inside a
stepOne stop in a guide: a title, optional conditions and tip, and at least one goal. are indented. Words are separated by spaces, "double quotes" hold
several words as one, and keywords ignore case.
A note for the whole step, shown in the guide window
tip Pull one kobold at a time.
image <path> [<w>x<h>]
A picture (a .tga or .blp in the packAn addon of guides for Polestar, built by the compiler from a folder with a pack.json (the folder is a pack too); Polestar's own is Polestar_Guides (pack id guides). folder) shown under the step's tip, such as a screenshot of a cave mouth
image media/fargodeep-mine.tga
zone <Name> / zone map <uiMapID>
Inside a step: the zone for coordinates from here on, also for the steps after it (after a step with only that sets one, name the zone again)
zone Elwynn Forest
only <condition>, ...
Inside a step: the step is only for matching characters
only Hunter
when <predicate>
Inside a step: the step is only for characters in that state when the route gets there (see Conditions checked during play)
when level<6
along [until <label>]
Inside a step: the route never stops there; its goals are done along the way, listed under the next steps until done (or until the labelled step)
along until camp
label <name>
Inside a step: names it for an along until before it
label camp
loop
Inside a step: its goto points are the places to search, in order, for the step's kill, collect and interact goals without @x,y
loop
note <text>
A line of information; never holds the player up
note The camp is busy at night.
level <N>
Reach level N, grinding if need be
level 2
level <N>.<fraction> / level <N>+<XP>
Reach a point inside level N: 12.5 is halfway through 12, 12+2500 is 2500 XP into it (to whole percent; needs Polestar 0.2.6)
level 12.5
# <text>
A note for you and other authors; players never see it
Take a quest; the giver and title come from the data
accept 783
turnin <quest> ["Title"]
Hand a quest in
turnin 783
lvl <N>
On accept: the level the quest needs, shown beside it
accept 7 lvl 2
complete <quest> ["Title"]
Finish every objective of a quest; give it a place (@x,y, or a goto before it) when its objectives have one, or the arrow has nowhere to point
complete 7 @48.5,31.0
npc <id>
Which NPC gives or takes the quest, when the data knows several
accept 5261 npc 196
object <id> / item <id>
The same for a quest started or ended at an object, or started by an item
accept 9400 object 1617
"<text>"
Right after an id: the quest title, or the name of the NPC, object or item, for content missing from the data; after the modifiers: the text players see instead of the generated one
accept 9201 "The First Step"
xp <N> / money <amount>
On turnin: what it pays (money 1g50s, 7s or copper)
turnin 9201 xp 210 money 1s
choose <item> ... / reward <item> ...
On turnin: the rewards to pick from, and the ones given outright
turnin 5261 choose 159 2589 reward 4306
direct
On turnin: handed in straight from the giver's window, with no accept (Distracting Jarven, the cloth donations). Buy or collect what it asks for with buy/collect: the quest never enters the log, so nothing tracks objectives for it
race, class and only take a comma list of names. Names in one group
match any of them; the groups must all match: only Warrior,Paladin,Dwarf
is a Dwarf who is a Warrior or a Paladin.
Line
What it does
Example
only <condition>, ...
After a goal: the goal is only for matching characters
One predicate per when line; a step with several needs all of them. !
turns any of them around but level. Once the route has passed the step,
the outcome stays.
Line
The step applies while
Example
when level<N (<=, >, >=)
the character's level compares so; N may be a point inside a level (12.5, 12+2500)
Several guides after this one: the player picks one, the first is your suggestion
next joe-routes/westfall, joe-routes/redridge
next <id> when <predicate>
One guide per line, offered only while the predicate (as on a step's when) holds when this guide ends; next lines add up. One option left: Polestar goes on to it; none: the guide ends there
next joe-routes/redridge when level>=15
pitch <text>
On a guide offered as a choice: one line on its card
pitch Short walks between quests.
pro <text> / con <text>
One advantage or drawback per line, under the pitch
pro Ends at a flight point
Line
What it does
Example
optional
After a goal: the step can be finished without it
kill 299 optional
group [N]
After a goal: it needs a group (of N players, 2-40); the guide window says so. Elites, dungeon and raid quests are found from the data without it