Add-On Releases - v3 Arcade - Games Arcade System for 3.6.0

Staff note: Requesting or posting links to sites for massive game downloads is considered posting links to Warez and is not allowed. Also see: Posting/requesting (links to) Game Downloads
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v3 Arcade
for vBulletin 3.6.1
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"v3 Arcade" is the third Arcade system I've written for vBulletin. It's coded from scratch, not a port of an older version - and because it was coded specifically for vBulletin 3.6 it uses the product system for code modifications, and utilizes AJAX technology throughout. Here's a brief rundown of the features in this version of v3 Arcade.

- Supports both v3 Arcade and iB games.
- Download *legal* free, premium and multiplayer games directly from v3arcade.com to your Arcade installation.
- Import script to convert your old v3 Arcade installation. (A script to import games, scores and news from old IBPro installations is available here, thanks to Tigga: http:www.v3arcade.com/forums/showthread.php?t=324)
- AJAX based instant ratings, for simple to use game ratings.
- AJAX based inline score moderation.
- AJAX based instant game searching.
- Tabbed, customizable categories.
- Challenge system for one-on-one contests.
- User-permission based settings for email/PM notification, challenge settings.
- Streamlined viewing modes for users with lower resolutions.
- AJAX based quick stats, for viewing statistics by passing the cursor over a username.
- Mass import tools for importing games in bulk.
- Reverse and decimal based scoring.
- Arcade-only closure with customizable message.
- Per game criteria, allows you to control access to games by reputation, posts, registration length.
- Postbit based awards.
- Personalized recommendations for other games users might like, based on what they?re playing.
- Quick stats, letting a user know how many other scores are above and below theirs.
- Score ranking.
- Admin customizable ?score feedback?, displays a message based on how well as user has done.
- Numerous Admin CP settings to control things like popup opacity, maximum comment length, hover delay length, and numerous other behaviors.
- Full admin control over the types of content allowed in comments (BB code, HTML, smilies, etc.)
- Usergroup based access permissions.
- Fully phrased, for each translation into other languages.
- An ever growing collection of third party add-ons, thanks to Oblivion Knight.
- A slick, professional layout.

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Change Log
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1.0.0 - First public release.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

1.0.1 - Bug fixes and feature release.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
- More visible postbit award presence.
- Reverse scoring option added to games.
- Data dictionary implementation, makes sure the Arcade database changes are correctly made.
- Template grouping.
- "Posts in the last 24 hours" criteria added to games.

1.0.5 - Bug fixes and feature release.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
- Added search on/off toggle function in Admin CP.
- Opera compatibility fixed.
- Welcome message now an Admin CP option.
- Use "Miniature Mode" By Default option added to the Admin CP.
- New AJAX based favorites system.
- Hooks in place for vbBux integration (coming soon from CMX_CMGSCCC)
- Per-category on/off settings.
- Default user settings for challenges and notifications.
- Database error when pruning a user?s scores with table prefix.
- Database error when viewing distinct high scores when the table is empty.
- Notification bug fixes, users should now be notified based on their Arcade settings.
- Timestamp bug fixed for news and events.

1.0.6 - Bug fixes.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
- Fixed a bug where unregistered users could challenge people in the Arcade.
- "Wipe All Scores" tool added.
- "arcade_award_bit" template is now cached correctly.

1.0.7 - Features and Bug fixes.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
- Guests can now play games, but their scores aren't recorded. If a guest plays a game, they're asked to register if they want their score recorded afterwards.
- Admins can now wipe all scores through the Admin CP.
- Admins now have a tool to enable challenges by default for all users.
- Usergroup requirements for games are now in place.
- Admins can now choose to flip the columns and have the smaller panel on the left, with the larger content area on the right.
- News & Events - now entries contain links to games.
- Numerous bug fixes.
- Mass category changer for altering game categories en masse.
- High score rebuilder in the Admin CP.


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Branding Free
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All v3 Arcade installations carry and require a small "v3 Arcade" logo in the footer, as well as the text "Powered by v3 Arcade" which links to http:www.v3arcade.com. For information on legally removing the branding, please visit www.v3arcade.com.


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www.v3arcade.com
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If you're looking for more games, add-ons, support, tutorials, or anything Arcade related - www.v3arcade.com is the place to go.

Bug tracking: http://www.v3arcade.com/forums/vbugs.php

You can contact me directly at john@v3arcade.com for support.


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Many thanks to...
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- All branding-free customers and donors, for supporting the project.
- Oblivion Knight, for his work on the forums and great add-ons.
- Snowy, for his work on the forums.
- Andreas a.k.a. KirbyDE, for his vB 3.5 tutorials.


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Copyright
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All code in distributed in this zip is Copyright ?2005 John Warwick, with the following exceptions:
class_tar.php - Credits within.
All Actionscript code within the included .swf files, unless otherwise noted.

[MrZeropage]

Originally Posted by DjTaz

If the site owner has permissions to use a game on a site then its usually a global permission to use that game on any site unless the owner of the site writes the games. If there is no permssions to use that game , then that site owner shouldnt have the game up in the first place , so where does the morality begin and end ?

But if some website admin SOLD a game (e.g. non-free PNflashgames) he paid for it and copyright is fine. Using your tool and ripping that sold game off the site and re-use it on your own is piracy.
The better, clean way would be an addon for the arcade so the admin can choose to offer his games (or just games out of certain categories) for free download. If enabled, a "download game" appears in the gamelist.

This way the arcade's admin has control over what is happening to his games.


Is your script some .exe file doing all this (extracting, downloading...) or some PHP ?

[Marco van Herwaarden]

We are currently discussing this script among staff, but on the first look we will not allow it.

[DjTaz]

Originally Posted by MrZeropage

Is your script some .exe file doing all this (extracting, downloading...) or some PHP ?

Its a PHP script. Most people could write the part that gets the swf and gif's , but this one also writes the installer file as well , which makes life easier - places all 4 files in the /games folder in admincp ready for the mass-install part of V3Games to install them in one click.

[DjTaz]

Originally Posted by Marco van Herwaarden

We are currently discussing this script among staff, but on the first look we will not allow it.

No bother lads, I havent shared this with anyone else yet as i know once it gets out there that theres no taking it back , so i wanted to see what was said about it first.
I will be keeping this for my own use as its exceptionally handy for myself , but if you decide thats its against the best interests of the community i will respect that decision.

[micheal332001]

Originally Posted by DjTaz

Thats up to the morality of the person using the script


It does utilise another site to get a game , but in the same way a guest would play a game on a site.


isnt this almost exactly the same as 1 ???


Thats entirely possible , but it is a way for people to get games for FREE and not get charged like most of the other places that promise games and then try to charge, so it would only be polite to ask the owner before downloading.



1 person downloading a game is the same bandwidth as 1 person playing a game. If a site cant handle the bandwidth of a person playing a game , then the site shouldnt have an arcade on it.


I could write a section into the script that auto mails the owner of the site the games are being taken from to thank them for the game, but it wont make much difference in the end if people want to abuse it.

you like repeating yourself. By controlled i assume you mean charge people for it ?


I would feel that i have shared games that i didnt own in the first place and helped out others with no personal benifit to be gained from it. (also 30 games x 85 pages = 2550 games )


I dont see how this would be the best way ? That would limit the choice that people had in getting games and reduce the effectiveness of the script for people to get free games and never have to pay people offering 500 games at a cost.


If the site owner has permissions to use a game on a site then its usually a global permission to use that game on any site unless the owner of the site writes the games. If there is no permssions to use that game , then that site owner shouldnt have the game up in the first place , so where does the morality begin and end ?

The code is users and if anyone miss uses the script it is down to you as the owner of the script, as you will be letting people steam files from other sites.
Weather or not a game is on someones site with or without the game owners permission does not mean that you can steal the game from someone elses site without asking the site owner first.

With your script you are letting people do this and the person that is responcible is you as you are the owner of the script to let people do this.

It would not take alot to change your code to attack someones site and steal alot more than just swf files and image files.

vb.org will not let you use there site to release a script of this type as it is an infringement of alot of copyrights.

1st copyright is stealing games from someones site without asking.
2nd copyright is letting people take games that dont have permission or athorization to use the game weather that site has permission or not to use that game does not make it right to steal it.
3rd cross-site scripting to another site without owners knowing and some hosts will not like this as well.

[DjTaz]

Originally Posted by micheal332001

Weather or not a game is on someones site with or without the game owners permission does not mean that you can steal the game from someone elses site without asking the site owner first.

People can already get games off other peoples sites if they know how to do it. This would just automate the procress, but most people who run a website are entirely capable to getting a game if they need it

[QUOTE=micheal332001;1458494]
With your script you are letting people do this and the person that is responcible is you as you are the owner of the script to let people do this.

Are you saying that the pirate bay are responsible for people downloading illegal software as thats the type of comparison your coming to?
I wrote a script that allows people to download a game off a website. Im assuming that the games they are downloading will be copyright free and they have the site owners permission. I cannot be held responsible for how others misuse a script no more than the pirate bay can be held responsible for people downloading illegal files using their perfectly good and legal system of torrents.

Originally Posted by micheal332001

It would not take alot to change your code to attack someones site and steal alot more than just swf files and image files.

Have you seen the script ? How would you know how its coded ?

Originally Posted by micheal332001

vb.org will not let you use there site to release a script of this type as it is an infringement of alot of copyrights.

Firstly , the word is 'their' and not 'there' and secondly they never said they will not let me release this script , they said it was being discussed. The script itself doesnt infringe on any copyrights and you are slandering my by saying this , which im sure is against most forum rules. The script is capable of being misused but then again so are zip files that contain games are are sold by people for a profit without any of the monies going to the game owners.

Originally Posted by micheal332001

1st copyright is stealing games from someones site without asking.

Your assuming missuse of the script , I have developed it to get games with no copyright and with the site owners permissions. If you are suggesting otherwise then its slanderous.

Originally Posted by micheal332001

2nd copyright is letting people take games that dont have permission or athorization to use the game weather that site has permission or not to use that game does not make it right to steal it.

There is no stealing when the person has permissions - why do you keep assuming that the script was written to steal - the script was written to get legitimate games with the permissions of the owners of the site. Only a dark mind would think so negatively.

Originally Posted by micheal332001

3rd cross-site scripting to another site without owners knowing and some hosts will not like this as well.

The way you are thinking here is that logging into another website to play a game is stealing , because your basically using someone elses site to play a game on it. Once you have the owners permission to play a game on a site , and by joining you do have , then its perfectly ok to play the game. If you have his permission to download the game then again its not stealing. If someone puts a game on their site that has a copyright issue then its up to the site owner to screen that game for copyright. The script i have lets you get a game , its doesnt install the game for you , the V3 installer does that , which i didnt write.
My script will allow a user to get a game , but it doesnt in any way install the game for you.

Its the same as someone getting a zip file of say 500 games off someone and installing them all on their site - is the person they bought the game off responsible for them installing the games on their site ?

[MrZeropage]

Endless discussion... for what ?

I think for latest/new gameconversions this will not work for additional stuff stored in /gamedata-folder
Guess it is only working for v3arcade-games...

Anyway - let vb.org staff discuss this and wait until further trouble...

[xHLHx Darkskilz]

Sounds a bit retarded uut what means: Now CHMOD the /arcade directory and all its subfolders to 0777

[DjTaz]

Originally Posted by MrZeropage

Endless discussion... for what ?

I think for latest/new gameconversions this will not work for additional stuff stored in /gamedata-folder
Guess it is only working for v3arcade-games...

Anyway - let vb.org staff discuss this and wait until further trouble...

It does work with the /gamedata-folder as well , but its only in beta mode for that ... thats a tad more complicated.
And yes , i wont be doing anything either way until the staff give a final yay or nay.

[DjTaz]

Originally Posted by xHLHx Darkskilz

Sounds a bit retarded uut what means: Now CHMOD the /arcade directory and all its subfolders to 0777

CHMOD is an abbreviation from ' Change Mode ' and what that command means is to change the mode of the file to 777 which means read, write and execute access for everyone.

If you have FTP in windows then right click the folder and select properties and set it to all boxes ticked.
If you use an FTP program , just look for CHMOD/ or permissions and set that to 777
if you have SSH - browse to the folder and type CHMOD 777 foldername

If your stuck still , check google for CHMOD and it should lead you in the right direction.