vbProArcade Beta 2

vbProArcade Beta 2

1/5/03: Beta 2 released
9/12/02: Beta 1.03 zip updated to include safe mode fix
9/3/02: Beta 1.03 released -- small bug fixes, see below
9/1/02: Beta 1 of vbProArcade has been posted. Please see below for installation instructions.


Background Information

vbProArcade is a fully-customizable Flash arcade add-on for vBulletin, complete with game-by-game scoreboards, forum integration, a "champions" system, statistics, and more.

This is an extensive hack that is still in BETA form, and I don't recommend installing it if you are not willing to work through potential issues and future updates/upgrades! I am working on making the installation instructions as easy as possible, but it will probably be some time before it is perfect.

Watch this post for updates as they happen, and check out screenshots from the list below. If you would like to see the hack in action, you may visit my Shadows of Namek forums. You will need to register to play, but you can view the scoreboards and the arcade itself as a guest.


Credits

This hack materialized thanks to work and help from a number of people and forums. Here they are:

• Original vbTetris Hack by Erwin Loh
• Original vbTetris Leaderboard Hack by John Warwick (john.eovie)
• One of my users, Simon Steel, for work on Flash coding/recoding
• The users of one of my forums, Shadows of Namek, for their extensive testing of the system
• And The Kryptonian for pre-release and release candidate installation testing.

Games

So far, there are FIVE GAMES that work correctly with this hack. They are:

Breakout
Pacman
Snake
Space Invaders
Tetris

All five .SWF files are included in the release archive.

There is now a Flash Games Development Thread for the purpose of modifying existing games to work with vbProArcade, or for creating new games to be compatible with vbProArcade. If you have a game that you wish to see modified but don't know how, post the .FLA source in that thread and hopefully somebody can assist you.


Installation Instructions

Download the file attached to this post, unzip it and familiarize yourself with the contents BEFORE doing anything.

There are TWO separate files worth reading, the Documentation and the Installation Instructions. I recommend that you read both BEFORE doing anything else.

Once you have done this, the instructions to be followed are contained in vbproarcade-install.txt. Follow them as precisely as possible. If you encounter an error somewhere, it is likely that you missed a step or made a small error. Please double-check your work BEFORE posting about problems here.

And it cannot be said enough: read that file before you do anything, and if you are unsure of something, please post your question(s) before attempting to install the hack.


Problems and Fixes/Workarounds (as of 1/5)

• None

Known Bugs/Limitations

Here is the list of stuff that I know does not work. I will be working towards correcting these bugs BEFORE adding new features for the next release.

• Netscape will allow you to play the games but not record scores
• If a user uses the "Back" button to go to the game screen, and does not refresh before playing, the score will result in a Security Violation. This is by design.

Screen Shots for Beta 2

Here is the list of posts from this thread that contain screen shots for the new version. Check them out!

• Main Arcade Screen: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...106#post292106
• Game Screen: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...107#post292107
• Game Over Screen: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...109#post292109
• Scoreboard: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...110#post292110
• Top Score Board: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...111#post292111
• Admin Modify Game: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...112#post292112
• Who's Online Display: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...113#post292113
• User Detail Screen: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...811#post337811
• Admin Score Editor: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...736#post338736
• Champ System in Postbit: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...745#post338745
• Modify Games in Admin CP (contracted): https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...858#post389858
• Modify Games in Admin CP (expanded): https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...859#post389859

Upcoming Features

This is the stuff that is in progress for future release:

• Complete Admin Panel Scoreboard Editor
• Additional integration with vB
• Even better Who's Online screen

Some have emailed or PM'd me asking if I would accept donations for my work on this hack, and yes, I certainly will, and any and all support is greatly appreciated. With over 2,000 lines of original PHP code, in addition to HTML and Flash work, I have spent a great deal of time developing and debugging the source for this, and it is a great feeling to have people like it so much that they want to give something back.

All donations received go directly back into supporting my websites and my design activities. You may click here to donate via Paypal. Note that donations are by no means required, and not donating does not mean you won't get support for the hack.

Last but not least, thanks for checking this out!

[chad777]

How do you tell if you are running in safe mode ?

If you can tell me that I have my own server I could setup one of my domains for you to test on

[futureal]

Two ways:

#1 - When you go to the vbProArcade admin panel it will echo a line at the top right now saying something like "safeupload is 1" if it says 1 you are in Safe Mode, otherwise you're not.

#2 - If icons/thumbnails are working, you're probably not in safe mode.

I have servers up the ying-yang, but all my vhosts are in normal mode, and my dedicated box I can't change because I am running scripts that are dependant on it *not* being in safe mode.

[Souly]

I don?t understand the problem.

I am running on a SafeMode Server and i have no Problems with the upload from proarcadeadmin.php!

I have craeate /tmp/ Folders for the SafeMode and all works fine!

I see only one Error in the Script:
When one of the follow two fields are empty, and when i klick "Submit Changes" ...........

1) Use Scoreboard Icon-Upload New Icon
2) Use King Ico-Upload New Icon

....... i become the follow Errors:

When i input all Data i see the follow:
safeupload is: 1
tmppath is: tmp
Arcade options updated!

I think, when some has problems and don?t give new Information about the problem, why you will do so much for this user? I am not seeing a safemode Problem!

I like to test some new Flashgames and change the *.fla files to work this the score system. How did you send the Scores to the proarcade.php?
The follow diesnt work in my nes tertis version

PHP Code:

getURL ("proarcade.php?action=gameover", "_self", "POST"); 


[2 X Viverridae]

@ futureal - check your PM's.

[futureal]

Souly: Thanks for the info, that helps out. I will re-check the logic as far as which thing gets updated when Submit is preessed.

2 X: Will check. Thanks!

[Dark Jim]

Great hack, seems to work fine except for uploading the images. I'm not running safe mode and all other file uploads from the admin cp work fine except this. A bug I noticed is that the comment on the top scrore board is not updated if you get another high score. This may already have been said but I have no time to read the entire thread. Anyway :thumbsup: and hope to see more of this.

[Zach]

Before I start really looking for the prob, wondering if someone would know this one off the top of their head where my prob is


Blank Screen

http://forums.fantasysportswire.com/...&game=breakout

Proper Error

http://forums.fantasysportswire.com/...ion=scoreboard

Blank Screen

http://forums.fantasysportswire.com/proarcade.php




Almost seems like it would be a template prob but all the templates are there.

Any ideas, my mind does not want to figure this one out

[wolfe]

hey d00d can u Intergrate this hack with Lesanes Store Hack

so please pay for the arcade and make tickets like 500 Dollers for a 1/2 Week ticket to play arcades etc

[chad777]

Originally posted by Zach
Before I start really looking for the prob, wondering if someone would know this one off the top of their head where my prob is


Blank Screen

http://forums.fantasysportswire.com/...&game=breakout

Proper Error

http://forums.fantasysportswire.com/...ion=scoreboard

Blank Screen

http://forums.fantasysportswire.com/proarcade.php




Almost seems like it would be a template prob but all the templates are there.

Any ideas, my mind does not want to figure this one out

Blank Screen

Make sure the path to the game is right.... it happen to me and that was what the problem was.

The other error ? not sure you didn't change anything in the file did you ?

[a43079]

i am getting these error tha hack works fine but i cant upload ithe images to the database.. this is the errors it gives me
but the images are gif????

safeupload is: 0
tmppath is: /tmp
vbProArcade Error: is not a valid file type for images (only gif/jpg/png are supported)

Arcade options updated!