Mission Editor
by Ben Woodhead · in Torque Game Engine · 12/30/2003 (9:44 am) · 4 replies
Hello Everybody,
I am starting on a 3d board game using torque and I was wondering if I actually need to use the mission editor for this or is there a better way to do this.
Here is what I need to accomplish, any ideas about how to go about this would be greatly appriciated.
Client/Server based game.
Simple 3d board with the ability to pick up the pieces.
Secure location for the rules. Can't trust the moders.
Do I have to have my own master server or can you request a private lookup from garage games or do I need the master server at all? Can I just point people directly to the dedicated server?
Should I store the rules on the Dedicated server so the moders can't hack the scripts?
And the most important question, to define this board game should I use the indoor editor, outdoor mission editor or can I simple load the models and skip the mission editor and the indoor editors?
Ok, on the executable questions.
Does torque load plugins as needed, ie if I don't want to use the terrain engine do I have recomile the executable or can i simple just not include the dll for the parts that I don't need.
Thanks you,
Ben
I am starting on a 3d board game using torque and I was wondering if I actually need to use the mission editor for this or is there a better way to do this.
Here is what I need to accomplish, any ideas about how to go about this would be greatly appriciated.
Client/Server based game.
Simple 3d board with the ability to pick up the pieces.
Secure location for the rules. Can't trust the moders.
Do I have to have my own master server or can you request a private lookup from garage games or do I need the master server at all? Can I just point people directly to the dedicated server?
Should I store the rules on the Dedicated server so the moders can't hack the scripts?
And the most important question, to define this board game should I use the indoor editor, outdoor mission editor or can I simple load the models and skip the mission editor and the indoor editors?
Ok, on the executable questions.
Does torque load plugins as needed, ie if I don't want to use the terrain engine do I have recomile the executable or can i simple just not include the dll for the parts that I don't need.
Thanks you,
Ben
About the author
#2
The only script files that torque will not compile to dso are mis files. This is hardcoded behavoir. It does this so that it can manually read the MissionInfo object within the mis file. Your rules should probably live outside a mis file.
If you are worried about modding... well, you can check the CRC of an arbirtary file at any time. Torque normally uses this to keep art resources consistant across clients, but you could just as easily save the appropriate CRC for a dso file, and check it at any time.
12/30/2003 (10:46 am)
A master server is going to be expensive. Unless you are prepared to dedicate the kind of money & maintainance to this that a master server would require, I'd encourage you to just distribute DSO files.The only script files that torque will not compile to dso are mis files. This is hardcoded behavoir. It does this so that it can manually read the MissionInfo object within the mis file. Your rules should probably live outside a mis file.
If you are worried about modding... well, you can check the CRC of an arbirtary file at any time. Torque normally uses this to keep art resources consistant across clients, but you could just as easily save the appropriate CRC for a dso file, and check it at any time.
#3
So basically, I really want to keep everything in cs files (aside from the models).
Thanks, Ben
12/30/2003 (2:36 pm)
Hey, thanks for the tips.. I actually have the servers and a fiber line so I am not worried about the internet connection.. But I will keep that in mind..So basically, I really want to keep everything in cs files (aside from the models).
Thanks, Ben
#4
12/30/2003 (7:05 pm)
You guys are probably talking about a more comprehensive central server when you use the term "master server" but in general Torque parlance, a master server is responsible for tracking active game servers and nothing more. GG has been running one with zero effort for years now; it's taken up very little bandwidth and generally been a non-issue. 
Associate Ron Yacketta
If you put the rules in the .mis file then yes, a player could hack away. I would be mor einclined to place rules in a .cs file which is compiled into a .dso. When it came time to ship the game (alpha/beta/final etc) I would only send out the .dso files.
There are no .dll's you get the entire engine when you compile. There is a resource floating around that talks about removing terrain from the mission file, that is having a mission without a terrain.
-Ron