Choose your pack version

Choose the smallest contract that supports your story. A version string is not a migration: new versions may require new structures and capabilities.

Version	Use it for	Adds or preserves	Reference
0.2 · host profile	Maintaining a legacy pack	Legacy experience/persona/event graph; historical compatibility	All fields
0.3	A new State story	Public state, observations, rules, suggestions, cards, avatars and authored opening illustrations	All fields
0.4	Progression and keepsakes	0.3 features plus achievements, endings, collectible Pins and character casting	All fields
0.5	A visual novel	0.4 features plus stage bindings, scene cues, opening choices, authored character performance and turn scene illustrations	All fields

What the tools actually do

The separately available Creator Playground supports offline check --schema-only for its bundled 0.2–0.5 contracts. Its new, full check, HTML preview and submit commands remain 0.2 only. It does not include a 0.5 VN player or uploader. A schema pass is not semantic admission or a real playtest.

The docs’ 0.2 download is the StoryOrbit host profile. Portable Playground 0.2 snapshots may differ; compare exact schema digests. For 0.3–0.5, this site exports the canonical host models. An installed reader or host still needs to support the relevant feature.

Revisions within a version

The protocol version can stay at 0.5 while a schema gains fields. The current schema adds presentation.illustration_rules and illustrations[].variant_asset_ids, alongside authored APNG character performance. Follow the scene illustration tutorial for a working recipe. SpriteBinding.animation remains accepted for immutable compatibility; current VN readers do not play its legacy frames. Each reference shows a SHA-256 identity, a permanent raw-schema URL and structural changes from its preceding recorded revision. Structural changes do not establish semantic compatibility.

Keep pack IDs, entry IDs and progression IDs stable when revising a story. Increment manifest.revision for content changes. Existing journeys retain the revision they started with.

Separate support from verification

Contract	Docs download checker	Playground tooling	Uploader	Evidence for these examples
0.2 host profile	Exact digest supported	Portable snapshot can differ; full tooling is 0.2-only	Playground 0.2 only; compare host profile	Structure and host semantics on a synthetic reviewed copy; no service trial
0.3	Supported	check --schema-only	No State uploader in these downloads	Structure, state and media; no service trial
0.4	Supported	check --schema-only	Requires a compatible host workflow	Also rehearses both endings and achievement; no service trial
0.5 current snapshot	Supported, including scene rules and variants	Updated snapshot supports structure; no VN player	Requires the actual feature revision	Also checks stage references, images and frame alignment; no service trial

A published schema, a capable checker, an accepting uploader and a working reader are separate facts. Downloads record service_trial: not-run and published: false. Start with Lesson 1 without obtaining the private toolkit.

The historical 0.5 snapshot before sprite-frame animation is also retained. It is useful when diagnosing an older toolkit that rejects animation; current downloads continue to use the newer schema.

Last verified Playground compatibility

Verified on 2026-10-09 · toolkit commit 1d1c85b41ead75a6254750c78d0248e9b8e4a11d

This is a recorded check of the bundled schemas and make check. It does not query your installed copy or claim a live reader test. Compare the exact digest before using a new field.

Version	Verified SHA-256	Compared with these docs
0.3	e49ce735c6289cd993c9fadb794437f61019d40a73b3b01a2b22df84e091835d	Same schema bytes
0.4	e8bad25fb0cbdadeade111b1bf6c168690f29c5f09a8d91d5e6866245a29e7f3	Same schema bytes
0.5	207a991e1d8db8542287ef788345674dd745aa738079b8ba6e7ce30ef5ba94a1	Docs have a newer or different snapshot; toolkit recheck required