Author Topic: Return to Blockland  (Read 241171 times)


About
Return to Blockland (RTB 1.x) was one of the most popular Mods for Blockland 0002 (Alpha) before the retail version of Blockland was released. However the new RTB (2.0) is quite different to what people may be expecting. The older version actually changed most of Blockland 0002 and totally changed the way in which many aspects of it worked such as the inventory and trust systems. RTB 3 won't be like that - It will not be removing any of the features of Blockland you've come to love - It'll only be adding new resources and features for you to use. Here is a brief synopsis of the features we have in RTB 3.4.

  • In-Game Add-On Manager - This system will allow you to browse Add-Ons submitted to the RTB Add-Ons System, comment on them, rate them and finally download and install them without ever having to leave Blockland.

  • Online Add-On Browser - To go with the In-Game Add-On Manager, We've also got an Online version of this which is connected to our forums. Using this system you can submit your Add-Ons to our system, to be downloaded by users ingame!

  • In-Game IRC Client - You will now be able to access the RTB IRC from In-game using our renovated IRC Client.

  • Player Activity Tracking - Information about what server you're on, and how long you've been playing are sent to our Web Server so people can see who is currently playing Blockland and where.

  • Server Information Broadcasting - Information about the server you're hosting is sent to our Web Server such as the players on it, and even what Add-Ons you've enabled.

  • Colorset Management - Instead of having to copy a text document to a folder to change your colorset, you can now use our Colorset Manager that allows you to download Colorsets from the RTB System, preview them, and then apply them before you start your server, without ever having to leave Blockland.

  • Ingame Server Manager - The Ingame Server Manager will allow your Super Admins to manage your server by controlling the Auto Admin list, all the server preferences etc.

  • Game Tips on Loading - The Infomaniac will now give you information about Blockland when you're loading a server, so you can learn more about the intricacies of the game!

  • Server Information - When you attempt to join an RTB Server, you'll be presented with an information screen which will show you all the players on the server, and all the add-ons the server has.

  • Auto-Updater - RTB will automatically notify you when an update has become available and will allow you to download and install it immediately.

  • Content-Downloading - RTB will download all RTB add-ons from the server you're joining (without the scripts) to make it load much faster for you. This only downloads the shapes, sounds, textures and bricks needed to join the server.

http://forum.returntoblockland.com/

Modding
RTB provides a few methods to allow other add-ons to integrate themselves into RTB. You can read up on what kind of features RTB provides, and some sample code on how to use them:

http://returntoblockland.com/files/RTB_Documentation.pdf

Support
There are various ways to get support for RTB. The best way is to make a post in the Helpdesk of our forums (above) where you will get the fastest response. You can also send an email to support@returntoblockland.com.

Finally you can use the Bug Reporter in RTB by either clicking the link in the Mod Manager or clicking Help on the main menu.

Download
Return to Blockland v3.5

Installing
Simply place the System_ReturnToBlockland.zip inside your Add-Ons folder.
« Last Edit: November 08, 2010, 04:27:18 PM by Ephialtes »

Color Sets
Since RTB allows for color set loading from the Start Server screen, there is a special way you will need to pack your color set:
  • Must be in a .zip with the name Colorset_YourTitleHere.zip
  • Must contain the colorSet.txt in the zip
  • Must contain a description.txt in the zip with Title and Author fields
It will be placed in the add-ons folder like any other add-on.

Info Tips
Info Tips can be added to what the Infomaniac says on the loading screen using the following function:

RTB_addInfoTip("Tip","No-Bind Tip","Category");

Tip - The text that the Infomaniac will say.
No-Bind Tip - The Info Tips system adds a new type of TorqueML which is the <key:bindname> to show what key to press to perform a function. If the bindname you supplied in the tip is unbound, the No-Bind Tip will be shown instead.
Category - This is not used in RTB 2.0 however in RTB 2.1 you will be able to choose which categories of tips you will get to see.

Here is the code you should use:
Code: [Select]
if(isFile("Add-Ons/System_ReturnToBlockland/server.cs"))
{
   if(!$RTB::RTBR_InfoTips_Hook)
    exec("Add-Ons/System_ReturnToBlockland/RTBR_InfoTips_Hook.cs");
   RTB_addInfoTip("Press <key:showPlayerList> to bring up the player trust box.","It looks like you can't open the player menu! Open the options menu and assign a key to it!");
}

This code should be placed in the client.cs of your Add-On

Pref Manager
RTB will be including a preference manager which will be accessible to Super Admins on the server. Any add-on can register prefs to be managed by this using the following function:

RTB_registerPref("Pref Name","Category","Pref","Var Type","Your Mod Name","Default Pref Value","Requires Server Restart","Host Only");

Pref Name - The display name of your Pref.
Category - This will usually be the name of your Add-on.
Pref - The actual variable name without the $.
Var Type - The field type, much like the events system it supports list, string (max length), bool and int (minval) (maxval).
Your Mod Name - The name of your mod, simply for error reporting.
Default Pref Value - Enter a default value for the pref if it has not been changed or set before.
Requires Server Restart - Puts a * in the gui to show that changing it will require a server restart.
Host Only - This will prevent non-hosts from changing that setting.

Here is an example:
Code: [Select]
if(isFile("Add-Ons/System_ReturnToBlockland/server.cs"))
{
   if(!$RTB::RTBR_ServerControl_Hook)
      exec("Add-Ons/System_ReturnToBlockland/RTBR_ServerControl_Hook.cs");
   RTB_registerPref("Duplicator Timeout","Duplicator","Duplicator::Timeout","int 0 60","Tool_Duplicator",40,0,0);
}
else
{
   $Duplicator::Timeout = 40;
}
This would register a pref called "Duplicator Timeout" in the Duplicator category which would change the $Duplicator::Timeout pref. The user would be allowed to enter an integer between 0 and 60 inclusive. The pref is registered by the Tool_Duplicator add-on. The default timeout is 40 seconds. It does not require a restart to begin working and both the host AND super admins can change it. If RTB is not installed, it will set the $Duplicator::Timeout value to 40 anyway so the add-on still works.

This code should be placed in the server.cs of your Add-On

Mod Manager
I have now added a system whereby you can provide text-based links to RTB mods which will open them ingame using the following method:

Code: [Select]
<a:rtb-fileid>File Title</a>
For example:
<a:rtb-31>Sawn-off Shotgun</a> would cause the sawn-off shotgun to be displayed in-game for anyone who clicked it.

Finally released, let's hope it's worth it :)

Wow this really looks great I can't wait until I get home to try it out.

A lot of work went into this, we hope you guys enjoy it! :D

Yay! downloaded, good job Ephi!

I had posted but then the topic was deleted :o
Anywho, like I had said before,

Epic.

EDIT: Lol blocked twice by new posts being made.


Awsome! Just epic! NICE EPHI!

Edit: OMG this is more awsome than it sounds!
« Last Edit: November 03, 2008, 02:27:53 PM by Zerteith »


Great work. Glad it's finnaly out.


I just went in my pants.

EXCELLENT!

Sweet. Awesome. Outstanding. Wonderful. Excellent.

Excellent. It's finally released.
« Last Edit: November 03, 2008, 02:17:23 PM by Space Guy »