From here on the update will be referred to as 'v21'. People like to believe that only the Revisions system should be used (rXXXX), but v21 is shorter. If you don't like this please don't complain and just replace it in your mind as you read.
This is an attempt to remove the countless 'omg v21 what is it why can't i do this why can i do that' threads.Disclaimer: The majority of these are for Windows. If you don't have Windows then any fixes here that involve editing files may not work. If anything breaks because you do this on a non-Windows system don't blame me.
FAQ and Assistance
What are interiors and terrains and why were they removed?Interiors are basically big detailed cubes. They represent the 'interior' of a building. For example, the Bedroom or the Kitchen.
Terrains are a large field composed of lots of triangles. This forms a basic... well, terrain. Examples - The Slopes, outside of the Bedroom.
Interiors and Terrains were removed for several reasons.
1. They were simply not detailed enough. Really, think about it for a second. Terrains truly look horrible. They don't fit.
2. They made new features much harder to implement, getting in the way constantly.
3. They were full of bugs (vehicle collision, lights). See 2.
4. Blockland is a game about building, not realistic guns and convoluted gamemodes. Terrains removed from this theme;
they made players want to just load a map, make a crappy barrier, and shoot the hell out of everything with some friends.
If you want an FPS go play an FPS.
I found a bug! Dear god, it's the end of the world! Aaaaah!No, it's not. v21 is still an early beta version of sorts. It was released too early because lots of people want it. If you find a bug, here are three steps to take.
1.
DON'T PANIC2. Navigate to the Discussion board and go to the '
Bugs' topic, or click the handy little link labeled '
Bugs' right here.
3. Attempt to locate your bug. Read the ten most recent pages and the list on the first page.
3I. IF YOUR BUG IS THERE:
3IA. IF IT SAYS 'ADDRESSED', post on the topic that you're still having the problem - it isn't fixed.
3IB. IF IT SAYS 'FIXED', the problem was fixed for sure. Update your Blockland by restarting it.
3IC. IF IT DOES NOT SAY EITHER OF THESE, the problem is being fixed. Do not post or restart Blockland just yet. Hang tight.
3II. IF YOUR BUG IS NOT THERE:
3IIA. Post the bug on the topic.
3III. IF YOUR BUG IS LISTED AS 'MYSTERY':
3IIIA. IF YOU KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT SCRIPTING OR COMPUTERS, post as much data as you can find.
3IIIB. IF YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT COMPUTERS, just wait for it to be found and solved.
4. WAIT.
Why does v21 exist?! I didn't want this! I want a refund NOW!In all probability you won't get a refund.
v21 is the future!The majority of the community wanted it (although they'd prefer it if there were less bugs. See part 2.) Again, Blockland is a game about building. If you want an FPS or RPG, go play that instead. If you can implement the 'building' theme into an FPS or RPG while having a decent server that would be PERFECT.
What's a gamemode and how do I start a server with all my add-ons?A gamemode is a quick-start for a server of sorts. If you know how to script you can make your own!
They execute all of your add-ons in four or five clicks instead of two hundred.
If you want the old system choose the 'Custom' gamemode.
Shaders don't work! Help!Your graphics card probably isn't good enough. Try getting a better graphics card or just do without shaders. Also, make sure your drivers are updated.
Known (to me) cards that don't work:
1. Intel cards. These simply don't work with shaders for some reason.
2. nVidia Quadro FX series. These are CAD GRAPHICS cards, not gaming cards. They will not work well with gaming.
Their GLSL (OpenGL Scripting Language) version is extremely outdated and Blockland needs a higher one to work.
Shaders lag intensely! Help!See above issue.
If you just want shadows without shaders, or vice verse, you'll have to modify each one separately.
1. Make sure your blockland is closed.
2. Go to your client 'prefs.cs' file, which is most likely in '[your username]/Documents/Blockland/Config/Client'.
3. Double-click on it. If it asks you what to open it with use Notepad. DO NOT DOWNLOAD SOME FANCY PROGRAM,
OR USE WORDPAD, OR MS WORD. All three of these are unnecessary and, in all probability,
suck for what you're trying to do here.
4. Find the line that says '$pref::ShaderQuality' and '$pref::ShadowQuality'.
5. ON A SCALE OF ZERO TO FOUR, THIS IS THE QUALITY OF EACH OF THESE.
5a. If you want shaders but no shadows, set ShaderQuality to a number between one and four and ShadowQuality to zero.
5b. If you want shadows but no shaders, set ShadowQuality to a number between one and four and ShaderQuality to zero.
What ARE shadows and shaders anyways?Shadows are quite obvious. Shadows occur when there's a patch of somewhere where light isn't hitting an object.
Shaders are usually advanced lighting effects; although they can get much more complex. They can do things like making everything look cartoony and stuff.
Why did my add-on break?Several things needed by add-ons were deprecated (outdated), broken, or removed by the new update. Wait for the developer of the add-on to fix it - or try to fix it yourself if you know how.
Why are there no good servers?This is normal. You'll find one eventually. v21 should force people to be more creative, which is good. If you can try to suggest improvements for a server!
You're bad at making FAQs.Thank you, I try!
BIG OLE' LIST OF HELPFUL V21 ADD-ONSGSF's Terrain Bricks are an insanely helpful pack of bricks that can be used to make islands and terrain without an insane brick-count. This also includes PLANT BRICKS, MEDIEVAL BRICKS, and some new PRINTS - all of these are currently in BETA. Test them out, they work great!
The NARG Mods are several tools for quick-building, loading saves without admin, and generating terrain. Lots of people don't like these for some reason, so be careful.
(They can not like it if you're using it wrong. Load and make USEFUL things, idiots!)
Return To Blockland is an almost globally-used tool for chatting with friends, downloading add-ons, server support, and more! If you don't have this you need to get it now. You'll find many more useful add-ons and tools in RTB's
Mod Manager.RTB SEARCH - THESE FIT IN MOST SERVERS:
JVS Content (and content packs), One Random Brick Pack, Variable Conditional Events (VCE), Bot Events
RTB SEARCH - IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO HOST A MEDIEVAL-THEMED SERVER, YOU MIGHT FIND THESE HELPFUL:
Dragon Playertypes, Recurve Bow
RTB SEARCH - IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO HOST A DEATHMATCH, YOU MIGHT FIND THESE HELPFUL:
Tier Tactical, Sniper Rifle, HE Grenade, Shotgun, Frag Grenade, Minigun
Please post more helpful add-ons and unadressed problems below!
(If I am unable to edit this - probably am - SCROLL DOWN AND CHANGE PAGES FOR MORE HELP.)
