1.2.6 Flash (SWF) and QuickTime (MOV) support
dropped.
1.2.7 MP3 support
DimensioneX supports playing MP3 backing music on the player’s browser by using standard HTML object embed.
Also, the user has to enable the Music option on the login screen, and enable pop-ups when on the game server.
To try this feature, check out the JukeBox on the network version of the Underworld Online game (http://www.underworld-game.net – Play Now – connect, enter the castle, mid hallway, enter the bar).
To learn more, see the PlayBackground instruction, and the section about server settings (dimensionex.properties): protectMusic setting.
1.2.8 Custom client behaviour
The behaviour on the client (user’s browser) is determined by a combination of he following elements:
- Frame structure: contained in the client file (file with “.client” extension on the server, as configured in the worldnav.properties file)
- Client-side scripts: Javascript contained in the script file (file named “client.script” on the server)
- Appearence: User chosen skin (DXS file on the server, possible choices listed in the game’s GUI section)
- Messages: Language file in use (as configured in the worldnav.propertis file)
With some lower probability, client behaviour can be determined by:
- Command PANELs in use
- HTML and simple javascripts produced by the game engine
- HTML and scripts produced (typically via the Print instruction) in the game scripts
The game programmer can influence all the elements, with the sole exception of what is generated by the game engine (built-in) which can only be altered by modifying the game engine java source. The important step is to figue out what needs to be modified to produce the desired effect. A little trial and error will help, but you can ask for help at the Developer’s Pub forum.
To change the client behaviour, some knowledge of HTML, CSS and Javascript is required.
Recommended reading in this document:
- Basics->Configuration
- SKINS->Customizing the user interface
- PANELs
- About the DimensioneX Client
1.2.9 Stopwords system
To limit the risk of people being offended by nerds who log in and use bad wording in the game, the game engine offers a filter that blocks unwanted characters and words.
- The filter can be configured at server slot level (see Basics->Configuration ->Game Settings, worldnav.properties file) and it is active on nicknames.
- To activate the filter on the chat system, you simply state this in the WORLD definition by using the MUTING tag (see DimensioneX DXW Reference->WORLD). You can even fine tune the way the filter will work on the chat.
1.2.10 Banning system
Due to persistent presence of nerds who enter games and offend, the game engine was equipped by an effective banning system.
The banning of a user can be done in two ways:
- At run-time by means of a script, by using the Ban instruction. This method is particularly effective as it provides what we call sticky banning.
- At run-time by altering the WORLD’s property named “_bannedClients”. This is actually a “black list” containing all banned IPs separated by pipe signs.
The banning of a user can be permanent or not, at game programmer’s will. All you need is to save banned users’ IP numbers (_bannedClients property) on disk by using the saveSetting instruction, and restore it back by using the getSetting instruction when the game restarts.
The banning of a user can be sticky. When a user is banned via the Ban instruction, a cookie is silently passed to the user’s browser. If the user changes IP and tries to log back in, he is reckognized because of that cookie, and the new IP is added to the black list.
When a user is banned, he cannot log on any more on any of the slots of the server on which he has been banned from. At each trial, he will be redirected to a standard page telling him he has been banned: http://dimensionex.sourceforge.net/banning.htm
To allow back a banned user, both the following conditions must be verified, in the provided order:
- The users uses an IP which is not in the game’s black list (_bannedClients property)
- The users has cleared its cache and cookies before attempting to log on.
For more details on how to use this feature, see the following sections:
-
- Basics->Configuration ->Game Settings
- DimensioneX SmallBasic Reference->Object Models->World->_BannedClients
- DimensioneX SmallBasic Reference->Instructions->Ban