Blog

[KAG] BUILD 1537 – Quality of Life

Hey guys, mostly a “quality-of-life” build this time but also brings some important balance changes and content.


Prepare to get creative!

Before we get started, there are a few minor issues that have bled through from TR development into KAG, the “big” one is that fonts are smaller in various places – including the “Respawn In” dialogue and the loading screens. The old fonts will be back as soon as we find out exactly where they should be changed back properly (rather than a band-aid fix). If you notice any other strangeness please let us know ASAP so we can fix it!

Major Changes:

  • Mechanisms in Sandbox:
    That’s right, mechanisms are finally available for building in sandbox and mods; along with a fancy “paged” building menu. There’ll be a guide coming in future about how the mechanisms system works with examples, but for now they’re there to play with and can be saved into custom image maps with the usual /savemap setup – this works for loading (for example) an unpopulated TDM map and adding in traps to the design. Be sure if you do later editing of the image that you use an image that can handle transparency – no MSPaint for mechanisms maps I’m afraid!
  • Surrender Vote:
    There are some games that end up very one-sided – rather than having 5 players yelling “please cap, please” and the entire enemy team destroying your base for twenty minutes before they finally realise theres a flag to take, you can now “gg” out of the game with a vote. We’ll be monitoring abuse of this currently experimental feature but we earnestly hope it’ll help ease the frustration of a stomp.
  • Vehicle Conversion:
    There’s a new GUI and better mechanics for vehicle conversion, based on live players within a generous radius – this allows capping siege engines from a little further away, but also allows defending them; the time to convert is also a bit longer. We’ll address the issues with spawning on contested engines soon.
  • Trap Block Behaviour:
    Trap blocks now can be opened by same-team players, much like doors, which prevents them from team-trapping people and limits the amount of damage a new builder can do in building their “genius trap”.
    There is also a simple way to disable the new trap block functionality, which it utilised in TDM because some map designs rely on the old functionality.
  • Materials Back from Many Blocks:
    In particular, doors and trap blocks give a fair percentage of the materials used for construction back, which punishes misclicks less and allows counter-tunnellers to get rewarded for their trouble. Plaforms do not give material back at this point due to them already being ubiquitous and not being team-biased.
  • Wood doors decay Under Water:
    A suggested counter-tunneling mechanic that we’re trying, stone doors and U-bends will have to be utilised more to defend against flooding in tunnels, rather than simply spamming cheap wood doors every few blocks.

Minor changes:

  • New Mechanisms:
    A motion sensor source block, directional wires for packing in dense designs, and a new appearance for the light component!
  • Cancel Building Button:
    Oddly this is one of the most-requested functionalities of new players coming to KAG from minecraft and the like; a way to put away any block. While it may not really affect you, a lot of players have a simple mental disagreement with it, so we’ve added a button to allow you to cancel building completely. Old players may or may not wish to use it.
  • Traders aren’t in the way:
    Traders are now no longer able to block arrows, explosions etc at their posts.
  • Nicer TDM Scoreboard:
    More changes will inevitably follow, but we took the feedback recieved about the TDM Scoreboard to heart and made some changes; clan tags and usernames can now be seen, the spectators list renders correctly, and colours are back to indicate various user types.

Have Fun!

Geti/Max

Full Changelog:
[moved] traders into sprite layer rather than separate blob (thanks Verra)
[fixed] a few rules that were still using traders as blobs
[added] clantag/username support to the TDM scoreboard (partial thanks to verra)
[added] "admin colours" to TDM scoreboard (thanks Verra)
[modified] ctf_givespawnitems sets timers reliably at start of game
[added] water decays wooden doors quite quickly in CTF, Sandbox and TTH (not TDM to avoid breaking maps)
[updated] engine - fixed missing map edges, Maths::Clamp/Clamp01
[added] fire spreads on some blocks dying as well as over time
[added] materials back from some constructed blobs when destroyed as builder
[added] can move through trap-blocks like doors if they are like-team (prevents getting trapped in giant pits by "genius" teammates)
[added] old trap block behaviour to TDM (set with tag on rules "old trap blocks")
[added] Elbow and Tee Wires to BasePNGColors.as and BasePNGLoader.as
[added] elbow wire junction
[added] tee wire junction
[fixed] wire background layer
[modified] Wire.as to include functionality for elbow and tee wire junctions
[added] functionality in BlobPlacement.as for held blocks to ignore builder facing
[updated] Lamp component to be directional, and more visually distinct
[added] early opt tag checking for BuilderHittable.as, use "builder always hit"
[modified] CommonBuilderBlocks.as to add blocks based on gamemode
[MOD WARNING][removed] CTF_BuilderMenu.as, CommonBuilderBlocks.as inherited this scripts functionality
[MOD WARNING][removed] WAR_BuilderMenu.as, CommonBuilderBlocks.as inherited this scripts functionality
[added] Mechanisms to Sandbox
[updated] engine with changes for snapping camera to pixels + changes to minimap
[added] GamblersDen map for TDM
[updated] BuilderInventory.as to use CInventory::getInventorySlots()
[added] arbitrary costs to CommonBuilderBlocks.as for Mechanisms
[added] new mechanism component, motion sensor
[added] another constructor to the Component class
[added] Mechanical click sounds for mechanisms, thanks Rayne!
[fixed] connecting to non-LAN hosts while server is running (caused all sorts of weird bugs, thanks makmoud98)
[fixed] unsigned issue with fire_time (could cause lock-ups of vehicles)
[added] new vehicle conversion HUD + fixed vehicle convert sync + made rules more "fair" to both sides (defenders dont hard-reset the timer, but attackers can win by majority - both are displayed)
[added] Stop Building button and functionality to BuilderInventory.as
[added] ClearCarriedBlock(CBlob@) to BuilderCommon.as
[modified] BuilderIcons.png to include the new stop building icon
[MOD INFO][modified] CommonBuilderBlocks.as to include documentation for adding your own pages
[updated] GenerateFromKAGGen.as, fixes tile map hooks not working
[updated] BasePNGLoader.as
[added] LoaderColors.as, replaces BasePNGColors.as
[added] LoaderUtilities.as, holds tile map hooks
[added] vote surrender - experimental

KAG – Build Server Issues + Revert

Hey guys, some might have noticed a new build come out of OSX/Linux but not make it to windows – the windows build machine is unable to push to release at the moment, so we’re totally reverting the build now, and will work on getting the next version re-released ASAP. Sorry for any confusion or hassle in the meantime, we’ll be working to get the issues sorted out come Monday.

Thanks for bearing with us!

Cheers,
Max/Geti

Issues with authentication

Hello,

We are terribly sorry for any problems that you’re facing at the moment. It appears that due to KAG being featured in flash sale and some minor on-going issues with our ISP where the authentication server resides, many of you are having problems with logging in.

We are aware that timing couldn’t be worse but please bear with us. We’re doing our best to fix the issues.

Discussion thread.

Cheers,
Furai

[KAG] BUILD 1500

Hey everyone!

1500 days since we started KAG, who knew? A medium-size patch today, more mechanisms/TDM stuff but we’re sorry to say that building them is gonna have to wait until next time. There’s lots of fixes and tweaks inbound and a couple of things for modders to watch out for, so let’s get cracking!


Lots more dastardly contraptions await!

Heads up: if you want an early preview of the mechanisms stuff as a mod that works in Sandbox, you can PM Skinney on the forums.

More TDM maps!

There are quite a few more maps in the TDM pool, often utilising the new mechanisms stuff. If you haven’t already, give TDM another go, it’s quite a fresh mode now and the mechanisms help avoid maps becoming samey too fast.

New TDM Scoreboard!

There’s a new TDM Scoreboard as an example of the new scoreboard override functionality! Let us know if there’s any issues with it and see the script TDM_Interface for a code example – be sure to set showscoreboard to false in the corresponding gamemode.cfg if you do anything with it!

Various Mechanisms Bugs Fixed

A few of the new maps and some of the old ones brought out bugs in the mechanisms we hadn’t seen before, these have been fixed this time around. Keep the reports coming if you see anything fishy!

Boulders Fixed

Boulders have had this a long time coming and you know it. Boulder-fu is still possible, but significantly less insta-kill. They also bounce off a bit which makes it much harder to chain, and a lot funnier to look at.

Slash Cancelling Bug Fixed

Only a few people knew about this, thankfully, but it’s been removed. It won’t be re-added if we can help it.

Buttons Fixed!

A long standing issue with the activate buttons has been found and fixed, which was a combined effort between myself and Skinney; they are now activated based on world distance and blob position, not screen distance, which means that zooming in and out isn’t necessary for very small buttons to work any more! Let us know if we’ve missed any buttons that are unaligned as a result of this ASAP!
A heads up to modders: this will break the positioning of anything that uses the activate buttons! Please revisit your mods and adjust the offset vectors, they’re now in world space.

There are quite a few other minor bugs fixed as well, check the full changelog for those.

Have Fun!

Max/Geti

Full Changelog: 
[updated] engine with fix for CButton stuff
          needs checking all instances of the interaction buttons
[fixed][test] slash cancelling
          need opinions on if knights damaging stuff while using menus is a real issue
[added] arrowdown.png - not sure why it went missing
[added] new TDM scoreboard with kills, deaths, kdr, spectator list, and sorted by kdr :)
[fixed] shop default button position
[fixed] CTF shop button positions
[fixed] trading shop button position
[fixed] storage drop backpack and inventory button positions
[fixed] OneClassAvailable.as default button position
[fixed] CTF class button positions
[added] enable radius to shop, and class change buttons
           (radius or mean of width and height, uses the larger of the two)
[removed] Storage.psd
[fixed] BasePNGColors.as alpha documentation example
[fixed] TDM_Ruins.as button position
[fixed] Warboat.as change class button position
[fixed] Ballista.as class change button position
[modified] Ballista.as conditions for creating class change button
           now requires !isFlipped so buttons don't weirdly overlap
[fixed] PopWheelsOff.as immobilize button position
[fixed] VehicleCommon.as flip button position
[fixed] hall button positions
[fixed] crate buttons
[fixed] a few more hall buttons
[removed] 8x_Level2.png from TDM mapcycle
[removed] Torment.png from maps and TDM mapcycle
[added] new TDM map, RumbleGround.png
[added] new TDM map, RoyalTomb.png
[added] new TDM map, ForgottenHero.png
[added] new TDM map, BorgRuins.png
[added] new TDM map, RattleCage.png
[added] new TDM map, LonelyTreasure.png
[modified] TDM mapcycle to include new maps
[fixed] receiver not always being powered by emitters
[modified] receiver sprite
[modified] emitter sprite
[fixed] obstructor sound bug
[modified] increased emitter/receiver distance to 20
[fixed] boulders

[KAG] Build 1492 – Mechanisms and More!

Hey guys and girls, pretty big build coming today which is why there’s been such a delay between releases!

Without further ado lets get right into the changes:


Diabolical contraptions await in TDM!

Mechanisms

    A whole host of mechanisms to build the dynamic structures of your dreams! From randomisation and memory to routing and logic to multiple inputs and outputs, Skinney’s work on mechansisms is finally getting a fully networked public release!

    This is the intial testing release, so we’re not quite ready to give you the keys to the car – we’ll be doing another build very soon allowing you to build with these mechanisms in sandbox, but we want to do a pilot release with them just in TDM for testing that they work on a bigger scale!

    Be sure to check out the TDM servers and report any and all bugs in the forum thread and let us know what you think of the potential!

Balance Tweaks

  • Resupply
    You can now resupply at your matching class shop in CTF without switching class. This allows more forward builder action, and easier archer resupply on the frontlines as well. Hopefully we’ll be seeing more forward expansions as a result!
  • Maps
    Some maps with balance/fun issues have been removed from CTF and TDM, and a “simple” map has been added to the CTF pool. This should give a taste of the straight-up, no-gimmicks play that’s been very popular on the flat maps server – the map isn’t a completely flat line like the ones there, but it’s as close as we’d like to come without stealing their thunder.

Better Drowning

    Drowning has long been a sore point for many people – the sync issues have been fixed and the interface has been replaced with bubbles that indicate how much air you have left. Let us know what you think of the changes!

Anti-Hack

    Work has been done on detecting the most common form of speed-hack for KAG, Cheat Engine’s Speedhack. Upon detection the game will disconnect you, issue a warning to the server, and the server will log the event for administrator action. This can result in your account being permanently flagged as a hacker, so don’t do it.

    This Anti-Hack is by no means unbeatable, but should definitely spoil the fun of several repeat offenders. Enjoy.

Translation

    Work has been done on making translation of the game possible by simple substitutions from json files – this is currently not utilised throughout the game code but will be in time, and will allow translation work to be done by anyone interested – modders in particular can look into the getTranslatedString function and the g_locale setting, as well as checking out the new locale files.

Bug Fixes

    The following bugs have been fixed:

    • Cant bind up/down arrow keys
    • Cant double-bind keys (will warn you now)
    • Crash on removing server from favourites
    • News reader broken
    • More – see the full changelog for details!

That’s all for this time, but as I said there’s more coming soon, stay tuned to the blog or forums for more news!

If you can’t be bothered checking frequently, you can always follow us on twitter or like us on facebook if you’d prefer to stay up to date that way!

Have Fun!

Max/Geti

Full Changelog:
[added][script] direct icon rendering functions (without frame numbers) - warning, dont use with anything you want pixeloffsets out of (eg actor sprites)
	        void GUI::DrawIconDirect(const string &in textureFilename, Vec2f pos, Vec2f framePos, Vec2f frameDimension)
	        void GUI::DrawIconDirect(const string &in textureFilename, Vec2f pos, Vec2f framePos, Vec2f frameDimension, f32 scale, int team_num, SColor color)
[removed] shadowor minotaur map
[added] hearth plains map
[modified] options for chat filter + updated noswears script
[added] mazey box head (welcome back)
[fixed] crash on removing server from favourites
[removed] screen blinking while rebinding keys
[added] word wrapping for a bunch of menu controls
[fixed] news reader
[added] some really crappy pl translations :)
[modified] improved look of resolution setup in starter
[fixed] cant bind up/down arrow keys
[modified] can double-bind keys, will warn you now
[added][script] string.toLower and toUpper
[script][added] Callback for tile collapses: bool onMapTileCollapse(CMap@ this, u32 offset)
[script][added] Tranlsation functionality:
	string getTranslatedString( const string &in toBeTranslated )
	void GUI::DrawTranslatedText( const string &in text, Vec2f upperleft, Vec2f lowerright, SColor color, bool HorCenter, bool VerCenter, bool drawBackgroundPane )
	void GUI::DrawTranslatedText( const string &in text, Vec2f upperleft, Vec2f lowerright, SColor color, bool HorCenter, bool VerCenter )
	void GUI::DrawTranslatedText( const string &in text, Vec2f pos, SColor color )
	void GUI::DrawTranslatedTextCentered( const string &in text, Vec2f pos, SColor color )
[modified] TDM map cycle - has mechanisms maps now, retired a few maps as well.
[fixed] drowning desync issues
[added] bubbles to indicate air instead of screen flash
[added] mechanisms
[added] quickjoin does not join known-banned servers
[added] can resupply at ctf shops without changing class (class must match)
[modified] Duke_Jordan head to MadRaccoon head at request of both of them
[fixed] emitsound issues for loaded blobs

[TR] Demo Build 2!

Hey folks! Time for a new demo build of Trench Run!


Make those shots count, snipers, as there’s more cooldown before you can fire again!

This build is to polish up a few issues before moving onto the online multiplayer stuff, which will be coming quite soon to those that have pre-ordered. Friendly reminder that you can preorder at trenchrun.thd.vg to support development, and for early preview access to the full version builds, including online builds as soon as they’re out. The demo will remain free of charge.


A sneak peek at the new mountain biome coming to supporters soon!

This build contains balance and map tweaks, and a lot of bug fixes and general changes – here’s a look at the changes in depth:

Balance Tweaks

  • The sniper recycle times have been increased so there’s a full 1 second between shots – this makes the class less spammy and more tactical.
  • The engineer drops crates closer to itself, to avoid dropping crates “behind” people in some situations.
  • The engineer can steer the missile more accurately.

Map Tweaks

  • Lots of small choke points and unreachable ladders have been fixed or tweaked.
  • Some extra auto-tiling and map smoothing has been added, particularly applying to the vegetation tiles.

Bug Fixes and Miscellaneous

  • The commando doesn’t start “holding the air” every round.
  • “Setup” was renamed to “Options” after it confused a few people.
  • Emoticons removed (at least for now) as they have something to replace them planned + they dont work properly in local multi.
  • A lot of non-demo or old content stripped out to prevent too much speculation.
  • Readme and T+C patched – no more KAG readme, relevant credits included, and the T+C is much much more concise and relevant.
  • Fixed a bug where extra bots would spawn when sv_bots was set non-zero.
  • Fixed the volume slider stuff in the menu.
  • Fixed cant climb ladder from ground with up.
  • Fixed a keys lockup with the engineeer.


It’s much easier to get missiles around corners, at least when they’re at low speed!

There’ll be a few more tweaks to make to the demo build before moving on, but after that it’ll be onto online play, new gamemodes and a lot more!

Make sure to check here regularly to stay up to date, or follow us on Twitter or like us on facebook for regular updates that way!

Have Fun!

Max and Michal

[TR] Demo is Live!

It’s the 28th! That means you can now grab the first demo build of Trench Run! Keep in mind that this is not an online multiplayer version of the game; it’s a preview release to let you experience the game with friends or bots ASAP.

Get it here!

Quite a lot of changes have been made in the last week; adapting to constant expo and other dev feedback, so there might be some stuff in there that’s under-tested. That said, the game stood up well to being projected on the wall and played and spectated by rows of (possibly drunk) people, so we’re pretty confident you’ll enjoy yourselves.

What to expect:

  • Quick turnaround, couch-friendly skirmish mode
  • Four classes designed to be as orthagonal as possible
  • Bullet spamming and tactical nades as Assault
  • Best *blam chk chk* experience out there as Sniper
  • Rockets and crates, crates, crates as Engineer
  • Sneaky backstabbing flashbanging action as Commando

What’s Coming:

  • All the good stuff from the preorder poster.
  • Most important “Not Included Yet” points:
    • Online Multiplayer
    • Bigger/Longer/Sillier Game Modes
    • More Maps, Music and Overall Polish
    • A new class

What to keep in mind:

  • This is the initial release; everything’s subject to change etc etc etc. Standard “preview build” disclaimer stuff here, you should know the drill by now.
  • We’re a bit fried from A MAZE Berlin, so some of the more recent changes might be a little rough. Let us know if there’s anything broken that we’ve missed.
  • Have fun! It’s not a “serious” game and definitely a change of pace from KAG (or soldat!), so be sure to go in with an open mind and a smile on your face.
  • The game works best and is tested most on windows.
  • You’ll get a feel for some of it playing alone with a keyboard with bots, but TR is best enjoyed with four gamepads, four (or more) good friends, your choice of beer or wine (adults only of course) and a fat squishy couch.

Get it here!

Currently the game is available for pre-order for 33% off, with a four pack available at a rate of 50% so you and your couch buddies can continue playing together when the online modes come. Steam keys will of course be included once the game is on steam. You can buy it on the page above.

Have Fun!

Max, Michal, and everyone at THD

[KAG] BUILD 1453 – Fixes and “Ergonomic” Tweaks

Hey dudes and ladies, just a small accumulation of fixes here and there; getting it out before a bigger wave of community fixes are merged in and mechanisms and new menus are ready, which will be the next few big builds to make it out.


Knights have swanky new slash animations.

The fixes this time around largely focus on making it easier to get into and removing areas of confusion. They should result in clearer combat, easier to navigate bases, and fewer admin/hosting headaches.

An overview of the changes:

  • Slashes Visible
    Knight slash range is now shown with an overlayed animation, showing the approximate arc, duration and distance of slashes. We’ll listen to feedback on this one and may be tweaking the effect, but it’s something we’ve had ongoing confusion about exactly how far you can reach, how aiming works and so on, and this should help with that.
  • Swear Filter
    Turning on kids safe mode will also turn on a rudimentary swear filter; this might be split out to its own setting if there’s enough demand. It can be activated serverside (ie “on for everyone”) by setting g_kidssafe on in autoconfig or the console.
  • Door Mechanics Revised
    The door visible orientation no longer matters for doors opening angle – if you press “towards” the door, it will open now. You can still rotate doors for aesthetic purposes, but this is intended to lead to fewer mistaken placements of expensive doors costing the team time throughout the game, or resources to remedy.
    Doors are also more prone to damage from builders and explosives, making countering tunnels and opening the front of bases easier to accomplish.
  • Map Extension Issues Fixed
    The map extensions that were incorrectly identified from the mods folder and elsewhere should work, and savemap should append the assumed .png extension correctly again.
  • “Jab Spam” Nerfed Forever
    Mostly kidding, but the shield is more of a hard counter to jabs than it used to be, with extra stun time from jabbing a shield, giving ample time to punish spammers.
  • Miscellaneous Changes
    Most of these fixes are community sourced or inspired, thanks again for your continued outreach of inspiration and support.

    • Can’t farm team-mates
      A bug in the coin allocation script was fixed that allowed you to farm coins by teamkilling each other with spikes. Thanks to Cameron1010 for picking it up.
    • Scripts Reformatted
      A bunch of inconsistent formatting throughout the scripts was fixed; this results in quite a large patch all things considered, but will only have to be done once. Thanks to Rayne and IceDragon for bringing it up.
    • Fixed TDM Mapcycle Issues
      Specific settings could cause the TDM Mapcycle to break and play the same map over and over; this has been fixed.

That’s it for this time, let us know what you think of the changes in the forum thread!

Have Fun!

Geti/Max

Full Changelog:
[added] working swear filter when kid safe mode set on - will also filter serverside if server has kid safe set
[added] better door opening/closing that doesn't worry too much about directionality - thanks Cameron1010!
[modified] doors easier to damage as builder and with bombs to counter door spam - thanks Cameron1010!
[added] bigger indicator of slash distance
[fixed] TDM not setting mapcycle to work (fixes "derp" setup issues, usually when swapping gamemodes)
[fixed] can farm team-mates for coins with spike kills - thanks cameron1010 for the report!
[modified] formatted every script for consistent tab indenting, bracket style, etc. Reduced file size a bit due to sheer reduction in space bytes
[fixed] particles not created at edge of screen on different res aspect ration
[modified] correct aspect ratio resolutions are at top of list in setup
[fixed] pitch corrected sounds no playing if too many sounds played at once
[fixed] issues loading maps with dots in the path instead of the filename
[fixed] savemap broken by previous fixes

[KAG] BUILD 1435 – Community Fixes and Modding Opportunities Abound

The build server is back up and running which means it’s time for a new update! It should be out in the next hour or so across the platforms, please bear with us as server counts will (as always) drop and rise again as they update!


You guys rock!

Big thanks to Fuzzle, Skinney, Makmoud98, Verra, Zerd, and Kodysch/Oodle for a lot of the code and map fixes contributed in this build, it’s wonderful to see the community chipping in and making the changes that they want to see in the game for themselves. We’re really keen to see the modding API get as much use as possible, especially for changes that can make their way to the vanilla game!

Notable changes from the community in this build:

  • Many “consistency” fixes from Fuzzle
    Many things including size mismatches (boulder but not keg fitting in inventory), vote crashing (leo you know who to thank) vehicle detaching strangeness, bad tile cursor, missing menus, missing animations, teammates breaking held items, and many more have been whack-a-mole’d by Fuzzle. The sheer number of contributions has been great, often small things but KAG is definitely a case of devil-in-the-details! Many great quality-of-life changes here!
  • Siege engine GUI from Makmoud98
    Mak has got a lot of work done on making the siege engine GUI look and feel even better since the previous build. The angle counter has been removed which may be controversial, but the charge bar now has a nice slider that shows where the previous shot was made, which is very important for shot consistency and making your stone and bolts count (particularly in gather)!
  • Fixes to Archers for Verra and Zerd
    Two separate issues with the archer firing code have been identified and fixed by Verra and Zerd, arrow jamming and the overcharge “auto-hold” that was a 3 frame trick. Should make archer play a little more consistent, particularly in high tension situations. Verra also contributed some changes fixing “weirdness” with setting knights alight with fire arrows.
  • Kodysch fixed some map “bugs”
    These have been a long time coming now due to the delay between builds, but a few stray pixels here and there really put a damper on the TDM experience.
    (More to come in that department soon, stay tuned!)

Notable changes and additions to the modding API:

  • Map Loading and Saving
    The console-exposed /savemap command has long been defunct, but has been renewed for preliminary use and tied to the scripting API with this build. You can now implement map saving functionality in the same file as used to define map loading of a particular format.
    These format loads/saves should be as 1:1 as possible, meaning if a format implements saving, it should be able to load the maps that it saves. The currently implemented example of this is any map saved with .png extension is compatible with the .png loading functionality (Credit to Skinney for the implementation of the actual map saving functionality)
  • CFileImage can now save png files to cache and maps
    This is obviously important for the map saving functionality above, but could be used to save other data in a pictorial form, and even potentially allow saving and loading some client side drawings, or any other use you can dream of. The file saving is restricted inside maps and cache for security reasons, however, as we cant have you spamming image files in abitrary disk locations.
  • Mod Detection on rebuild/reload commands
    We’ve been told that people are intentionally skirting the mod detection side of stuff to create server side mods – while we don’t necessarily disagree with the intent there (nothing needs to be downloaded to the client), we recieved multiple complaints from other admins about this. As such, running rebuild, reload, or reloadall will mark the server as modded.
    We’d much rather people just host modded servers for variety and to enforce to the community that it is ok; quick join joins modded servers as of a few builds ago and this build brings changes for fewer “naggy” messages about joining modded servers as well.
  • Map Tile Hooks
    More info and examples of using this will come (at latest with the release of Trench Run), but basically hooks have been added to map scripts for tile flag setting/syncing and to make damaging tiles an easier process to script (ie working with server_DestroyTile). The hooks are as follows:

    TileType server_onTileHit(CMap@ this, f32 damage, u32 index, TileType oldTileType)
    void onSetTile(CMap@ this, u32 index, TileType newtile, TileType oldtile)

    Get in touch with me if you need more information; they generally need to go in the map load script as its the only one present upon map loading (when you want to set the flags for the first time).

Modding Opportunities:
The modding community has been picking up a bit recently, with a few ongoing community projects able to use as much attention as they can get:

  • ReBalance Mod
    Rayne, Skinney and Verra have been working on a mod to rebalance the game for more pub-friendly play, with the freedom to break/remove/add stuff that we just don’t have with the vanilla game. They’re also happy to collaborate with anyone competent and pleasant to work with. They’re taking any and all community input on board and adding new things literally every day of the week; find out how to play the mod and leave feedback in the thread HERE.
  • Gather
    Cameron1010’s Gather mod and setup is in need of more patronage and feedback on what people would like to see changed/added (gamemode changes? captains mode?), as well as contributers to help lighten the load. Gather is a “casual competitive” mode where players can have a competitive experience without joining a clan or waiting for clan matches to be arranged. Remember though, it only works if people join and add!
    Thread HERE!
  • Shiprekt and Roleplay
    Less opportunities and more shout-outs to perseverent modders; community additions to Shiprekt and the ongoing role-play mod have been great to see continue well into 2015. Keep doing what you’re doing guys!

We’ll be posting some big news about Trench Run soon too, so keep your eyes peeled for that!

Have Fun!

Geti/Max

Full Changelog (messy due to incorporation of some sub-changelogs):

[modified] console gives warning on trying to run scripts on client (was double-protected)
[added] total mod files download progress bar
[removed] thumbs down in servers browser for unverified mods
[modified] mod downloads prompt appears only once
[added] can save/create image files from CFileImage - only to Base/Maps/ and Cache/ though.
[modified] /savemap calls a hook in registered map scripts
[fixed] custom map "formats" (eg .yourformat.png) not being registered right - this allows proper saving and loading of different "types" of png files.
[fixed] 32 bit maps wrongly loaded
[fixed] sometimes collisions wouldn't update with tilemap hook flags
[added] [script] hooks for the tilemap hitting tiles and on setting tiles (for syncing of tile flags for custom tiles in TR and mods)
[script][added] bool CScriptedBrowser::getServerPlayers( APIServer@ server, APIPlayer@[]@ players )
[script][added] CopyToClipboard and getFromClipboard
[added] updated vehicle charge bar from makmoud89
- adds a "last charge" slider which turns red when you are close to the charge of your last shot
- adds a cooldown bar for the ballista
- fixed various display bugs
- removes the angle display (noone contacted thought it was necessary)
[fixed] eggs can be stored in inventory
[fixed] food is the same size as materials
[fixed] missing arrows on Catapult seat
[fixed] shielded knights can be burned from the back now + 0 damage hits with fire don't ignite. (thanks Verra!)
[fixed] triple shot "jam" and archer speed mismatch (was still 70% sometimes) (thanks Zerd!)
[added] savemap functionality for pngs - Thanks Skinney! - TODO: fix up any weird stuff with the derived loaders, which probably wont work for saving at the moment.
[fixed] idiot doors on The Cauldron map
[added] can save images
[added] more fuzzle fixes:
	[fixed] Vehicles Buttons only show if you overlap the vehicle.
	[fixed] Vehicles Buttons won't show if you're attached to the vehicle.
	[fixed] buttons didn't show after you'd detached from a seat.
	[fixed] could use buttons on enemy vehicles.
	[fixed] Firing on detach.
	[fixed] Catapult animation.
	[modified] lock button icon ("immobilise")
	[fixed] hit logic, could hit items carried by players from the same team, could hit blocks carried by the Builder.
	[fixed] Items dropped on class switch
	[fixed] couldn't switch class if you'd detached from the blob not not "re-touched" (boat, ballista)
[added] helpful death tip about resource resupplies at workshops
[fixed] that animals could be ridden through the barrier
[fixed] more vote crash issues
[modified] tile background script simpler - careful any modder that uses it for big objects though, it wont work any more
[modified] catapult rocks more consistent - can hit same-team blocks, carried items etc
[fixed] bunk crate offsets
[modified] big work on ballista bolts hitting/mechanics by Fuzzle (should be less "???")
[modified] fish not consumed when destroyed in someone's hands (thanks Fuzzle)
[modified] mines cant be hit by team builders to prevent them getting "smashed" in hands - better fix coming (thanks Fuzzle)
[fixed] arrows hitting blobs (eg platforms) through tile walls (thanks Fuzzle)
[added] EXPERIMENTAL: siege weapons shot angles are affected by their in game angle - didn't work this way due to fears of overpowered ballista placement but we can try it out.
[fixed] tutorial didn't know about new triple shot
[fixed] ballista eats materials on class switch
[modified] merge behaviour a little - can merge going into inventory too.
[modified] mines set damage owner when added to inventory
[modified] swapping class preserves your stun (thanks makmoud!)
[added] changes from Fuzzle:
 - boulder doesn't fit in inventory
 - tile cursor "fixed"
 - item name code centred on blob
 - pickup/throw double tap issue fixed
 - food doesn't stack in inventory
 - quarters no menu after sleeping issues fixed
 - boat shop menu uses 2x2 icons
 - popping wheels off ballista/cata removes driver seat
 - shops put items where they "should" go
  - things used from hands go to hands, or inventory if not available
  - things used from inventory go to inventory, or hands if not available
  - if neither are available whatever you were holding is dropped
[fixed] "crash in spawnfish" when failed to load map.
[fixed] missing traders on kodysch_Upshoot map (TDM)

[KAG] Community Fix Build Delays

Surprise surprise there are some delays with the build; this time due to Trench Run changes sneaking in and messing with things on the network – we’ll get a build out as soon as we can next week but we aren’t confident to push a relatively untested fix out just now. Community fixes have kept flowing in too and some of them could use more testing before going public as well.

There’s actually a very big pair of change coming for modders that enables the custom destructible, synced tiles in TR, as well as scripted map saving commands, and these will likely flow on to make mods like the various spinoffs of ShipRekt richer as development continues. They cover the last “big missing things” in the kag engine mod API, in our eyes at least. We look forward to seeing what you guys come up with using it!

We trust that you understand we’d rather an unpatched KAG to a broken KAG over the weekend, sorry for the delay on this swathe of fixes and
modding additions!

Have Fun!

Max/Geti

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