Posts on Jun 2012

Minor Build 424

Build 424 is on its way out which has two purposes:

– A number of API calls made from KAG servers to the API were changed such that they do not cause lag spikes on the server in certain situations.  The server should also deal better with the API being unavailable (if it is completely unavailable, people will not be able to join but the players already in the server should be fine)

– There have been a handful of changes/hotfixes since 421 came out, so it is time to bump to the next build number to ensure everyone has the latest and greatest

If you are a server owner and have noticed any new problems with this build (or can state for sure that certain netcode hangs/crashes are no longer present), please head over to the forums and speak your mind in this thread.

FliesLikeABrick

Hotfix on 421

I just pushed a hotfix for build 421, it’s almost entirely behind-the-scenes changes:

– Removed a lot of old master code.  Client and server will no longer connect to master.kag2d.com.  This also potentially fixed some stability issues in the server and the client as well (possibly fixing the server browser crash reported by some Windows users)

– Slight change to browser UI

– Changes to browser help text

– kag://address:port/password now works on Windows

– /path/to/kag join server:port [password] now works on all OSes.  This in combination with kag:// should open potential to a lot of new scripts/tools which use the API to do things as people have started discussing on the forums and IRC

– client login code is 100% new, interface no longer freezes when you click the login button

– servers no longer attempt to upload bots to the API as players present in the server (whoops)

-miscellaneous code cleanup

Also, I created a new subforum for community development discussions/brainstorming and to create a dialogue between community devs themselves and the KAG developers. This is where requests from community developers should make informed requests about things like desired scripting hooks, API calls/data, etc in addition to any of the usual developer-developer technical talk.  So far it’s just me posting a few things, but by all means join in!

As for this hotfix build on 421, you can discuss that in the other thread 

-FliesLikeABrick

New build with completely new server browser interface

A new build (still build number 421 since there are no netcode changes) is on its way out right now —

Shadlington and myself have been working hard over the past 3-4 days to build a new server browser that has some proper filters and search abilities. Here is a quick list of the new features:

• Search instantly for whole player names, partial server names, partial descriptions, partial IP addresses, or partial game mode names
• Filter in/out gold and passworded servers
• Show only selected game modes
• Shadlington build a custom control for selecting how many players are in a server. It is extremely intuitive and allows you to set the minimum and maximum threshold for how many players you want in servers. You can select everything from empty to full, or do things like “half full to almost full”
• The minimaps are now shown centered in the preview window (so you don’t see some meaningless piece of sky), though you can drag them around as always

This is a few days of hard work for the new interface, but on top of months of work developing the new King Arthur’s Gold API which is the backend for the new fast server browser as well as the new authentication code that was rolled out a few months ago.

The API is used by things like this server browser as well as available for use by community developers. Another post should be coming on that in the next week or so as it is more ready for public use.

Much more should be coming in the near future in terms of finding friends and viewing who is in a server before you join it. This information is all already available over the API, in case any site/server owners or developers want to start using this data. Post in this forum thread if you are a developer interested in some API information.

Favorites are still a bit buggy, but we waned to get this new interface out and used rather than waiting longer just to fix something that has been broken for a long time 

Here is the quick overview of how the new browser works

How to use the server browser

Instant Search: If you enter text here it will filter the server list down to those containing this text in one of the following fields: name, description, game mode, IP address. It will also search the names of players on servers shown.  Only entire names are matched.

e.g. entering ‘Shadlington’ will find any servers with ‘Shadlington’ in the name/description or any that Shadlington is playing on.

Players (%) slider: Use this to set the min and max percent full you want servers to be.

e.g. set it to 1% min and 99% max to find servers that are not empty and not full, or set it to 50% to 99% to find servers that are ‘at least half full’.

Gold/Passworded servers: These buttons have three states – No/Yes/Doesn’t Matter.

Map Preview: This shows the current state of the map on the server. Note that it can be dragged.

For more information, go to the KAG Wiki article for Server Browser.

Join the discussion on the forums in here!

-FliesLikeABrick

Hotfix Build 421

This build just addresses the “Mash C to Mine Faster” bug, and archers having a gimped first shot (which were the same bug, it turns out).

Update your clients and servers!

Faster server browser released

Build 420 is on its way out now, with it is a complete overhaul to the server browser and the way servers register themselves with the central list.  The server browser looks identical, though in the next release or two it will change in appearance and gain significantly more filtering functionality.  These now make use of the King Arthur’s Gold central API, which will be getting a post of its own soon as it becomes more complete and is ready for use by community developers. 

For starters, the minimap of any server can be found by going to https ://api.kag2d.com/server/ip/{IPADDRESS}/port/{PORT}/minimap such as https://api.kag2d.com/server/ip/67.23.118.185/port/50314/minimap .  The status of a server can be viewed in machine-readable JSON format at a similar URL, such as https://api.kag2d.com/server/ip/67.23.118.185/port/50314/status (note that the exact keys present are still subject to change, consider this a preview).  The server list can also be fetched in a machine-readable JSON format at https://api.kag2d.com/servers/current/1/connectable/1 (and append /build/420 to only see servers in build 420.  The next post on the API will explain all of the other filters available)

Here is a full changelog for this otherwise small release:

– server browser now uses API and threaded calls

– more colors in server preview minimap in server browser

– many server browser bugs fixed

– made arrows not damage at minimum velocity under water

– made arrows skip higher

– dirt no longer created for infinite support

– fixed dropping mats working always -> allowing inf mats on startup

Here’s what some servers look like currently:

[FR] Nemesis Clan WOOD-WATER Unlimited Lives

U13 USEast 32 slot FullCTF Gold:

Discussion on the forums here

Scripting in the works! Also, gigantic changes to Building and Fire, and Server Browser improvements.

We’re working on getting scripting happening per-component for all entities!

This means that complex behaviours can be programmed per-entity, rather than relying on hardcoded components to do it for you. This is good for us as it means we can iterate far more quickly on things like siege engines and such, but also good for modders as it means they can code their own animation logic and AI for NPCs, and make special items ingame. Next build is gonna be excellent.

Just a heads up to modders: Unfortunately, this means breaking compatibility with all existing config files – not invalidating them entirely, but they’ll require conversion. Conversion is as simple as adding “$script =” to the top of all of the component sections, but it needs to be done by hand to avoid mangling your configs. Once the release is out, have a look at the default configs to see how it’s done.

We’re changing the way building works at the level of the tilemap – all constructed blocks will be separate entities, and all dirt etc will remain on the tilemap. This means that blocks can be properly layered on top of each other, and that the support code can be optimised a fair bit as it wont need to flood through the entire map. This will also solve issues with (for example) bits of the map collapsing when they shouldn’t. Because blocks will have their own HP, this opens up the way for per-block resistances to different attacks, so knights will be able to grind down a stone block over time (read: 100 hits or so).

The cooler part of the constructed block changes is that we’ll be able to have multi-tile blocks to construct, like 2×1 column blocks that will break as one piece. This should give more variation to buildings, and allow some more complicated blocks to make their way into the game (such as traps, elevators and so on).

Fire has also started being drafted up in code, and while it’s early days, I’ve been having excellent fun burning down wooden towers with it.

Tom and Ryan are working on the server browser, which is now lightning fast, fully threaded and about 80% easier to work with.

We expect the conversion of map stuff to take a little longer, and there aren’t screenshots to show yet, but there will likely be some dev videos as we make progress. Figured you guys would like an update on what’s getting worked on other than continued balancing tweaks.

Discuss here.

Geti

Build 415 hotfixes

I’ve been recording some awesome time-lapse videos today (like this one) and in the meantime doing a bunch of critical fixes for the “Water & Wood” release. Here’s the list of today’s patches, I hope you don’t mind the frequent autoupdates:

– camera doesn’t shake for spectator

– zombies difficulty tweaks (generally more difficult when days go by)

– fixed waves showing when no water present

– fixed holding [V] to fly with knight

– added difficulty(int) function for zombies

– if difficulty over 999 zombies spawn in day too

– spectator has zoomed out view by default

– mouse middle button in specator mode zooms in

– FullCTF turns on gold by default

– mats spawn even without tent

– suddendeath water comes down

– increased trees in all mapo gens

– fixed “cant” messages being shown not for player

– added more debug info for client MAP crash

– fixed workshops giving infinite items on tap [E]

MM