v3 Arcade - Games Arcade & Challenge System [vB 3.0.3]

v3 Arcade [3.0.3]
Games Arcade for vB3
Game copyrights belong to their respective owners.
v3 Arcade - Copyright ?2004 John Warwick, All Rights Reserved.
__________________________________
Arcade Verson: 1.0
vB Version: vBulletin 3.0.3
Author: John Warwick
Email: John[at]eovieinteractive.com
Site: www.v3arcade.com
??????????????????????????????????

Updates
==========================
1.0.0 - Initial release

1.0.1 - Bug fix update
? This release addressed a couple of small bugs. Information on fixing
these issues can be found in the FAQ. (Included in this zip.)

1.0.2 - Bug fixes and new features
? This release makes all games on the Arcade main page appear in the
order which they were installed, regardless of whether or not it has
been played. (With the newest games at the top.)
? It includes a
page navigation system, allowing users to browse games by page. By default, 10 games appear per page.
? There is also a new search feature, for finding games by name/description. (Accessible through the "Search" menu in the navigation bar.)
? This release should be less CPU intensive than previous versions.

1.0.3 - Bug fixes
? Security fixes

History & Hack Information
- So, what is the v3 Arcade?
The v3 Arcade is exactly what the name implies - an online games arcade that offers seamless integration with your vBulletin forum.

The v3 Arcade is the first of the new generation of vBulletin additions. Back from its roots, the v3 Arcade is the vBulletin 3 edition of my original Arcade written in late 2002 (not to be confused with futureal's 'ProArcade', which was written during the Arcade's beta phase).

v3 Arcade Features Include:
? Integrated Flash gaming for vBulletin 3
? Advanced leader board system
? FULL Mozilla/Netscape Compatibility
? Moderation abilities for Mods/Super Mods/Admins
? PM & Email notification for events
? Advanced statistics for all users
? A higher level of security
? "Arcade Challenges", 1-on-1 contests between users
? Arcade awards system
? Automated and manual score pruning tools

This installation comes loaded with the following games:
? Tetris
? Snake
? Asteroids
? Chopper Challenge
? Space Invaders

If you have the source (.FLA) for a game that you want to use in the v3 Arcade, you can send the required files to john@v3arcade.com for conversion. (Providing permission has been given by the original author.) Within a reasonable delay, I'll post the converted game and installation script on vBulletin.org.


Testing
Tested on vBulletin 3.0.3, across multiple unhacked installations.


Thanks to...
? Kura: For helping out with vB3 difficulties!
? Erwin: Whose vB2 Flash Player inspired the original hacks
? Paul Neave: For providing the source for 4 of the standard v3 Arcade games


IMPORTANT NOTES
? If you do install this hack, please click on the INSTALL button. There are going to be some updates for this which you're really not going to want to miss!
? Each Arcade page has an Eovie Interactive and Flash Player link at the bottom. This is optional, but greatly appreciated.
? You may have noticed that this release of the v3 Arcade is not fully phrased. To phrase the arcade would require well over a hundred phrases to be added, making for a lengthy installation process! Futures version of the v3 Arcade will be phrased, with a more automated installation.
? And don't forget - BACKUP BEFORE YOU INSTALL!


Regarding the "ProArcade"
There has been a lot of debate on vb.org recently about the ownership of hack "concepts". My original Arcade hack (on which the v3 Arcade is based), was a progression of the my vBTetris Leaderboard hack - both of which came about before the ProArcade. I've spoken to Erwin regarding this, and he can confirm that this has always been an independent development; hence the v3 Arcade was authorised for release.

Fixes
If you're installing the Arcade from scratch, there are no fixes or updates to be applied. Simply follow the instructions in Installation.txt.
If you've already installed the Arcade, make the changes in Updates.txt.

[Click HERE to view a list of released games and modifications!]

Demos/Add-Ons/Beta Testing
www.v3arcade.com

Download the v3 Arcade (1.0.3) here:

[Briboy923]

I get forbidden error =(

[Loyalty4Life]

I just installed this earlier tonight. I just wanted to post and say that it's really great! Thanks a billion for making this, John! I am really impressed.

[John]

Changing hosts (again) at the moment, so my email might flicker on and off.

[Fi_InCogNiTo]

I searched the thread, but could not find a post on this problem. After I deleted a user who had high scores on my forum, it showed him as a champ but with no username. Also, it lists the user in the top ten with no username, just a score. I even removed invalid scores in the admincp and waitied for the cron job to fix it. It's been like that for a couple days.

See the attached screenshots.

[Rocol]

Mars Rover ... Excellent addition to the Arcade .. but I have a problem with it .. It works perfectly other than it doesn't record the scores at the end of the game .. I have installed as per the instructions ( although they are for Penguin Bashing ) .. have I slipped up somewhere please ?? .. much obliged for any assistance

[NyCwill]

can someone tell me how to uninstall a game?? not deactivate it but delete it from the database......and also how to uninstall the hack?

[Nam]

my goodness, being a webmaster and still posting .bmp files for image on web?

Anway, as mentioned before, the easiest way to fix the penguin problem is to let whoever score latest + highest get the trophy, this will make people keep playing eventhough they know it isn't possible to get higher score.

[John]

New site, http://www.v3arcade.com

Not only a demo site for people wanting to test the Arcade, the public beta tests of various new features will be carried out there.

Edit: No style, *yet*

[LLFan]

>>and also how to uninstall the hack?<<

I second this, could someone please offer an idea as how to uninstall this hack.

[BillaBongUSA]

I dunno, can't you just reverse the steps that you used to install it, and delete the templates from your style, and remove the tables that it created in your MySQL database?

[John]

Originally Posted by BillaBongUSA

I dunno, can't you just reverse the steps that you used to install it, and delete the templates from your style, and remove the tables that it created in your MySQL database?

What he said. ^

Remove file modifications, delete the arcade templates and phrases, and then manually remove the additional tables in the database.

[John]

An alternative method of displaying awards in the postbit:

http://www.v3arcade.com/play/showthread.php?t=10

[madhouse]

John that looks really nice but I dont think it will work well for people using the PostBit Legacy(Old VB Postbit)

Originally Posted by MK@spug.net

We appreciate all the time you've spent on this hack and on support issues John.

There's what appears to be a bug in the system with regards to challenges and the champion. If a user wins the top score of the game through a challenge, the medal does not appear in his posting (in the forum, under his name). It's however reflected correctly on in the Arcade high score for that game.

User reporting bug on my site: http://www.spug.net/showthread.php?t=51060
High score for Maeda Path: http://www.spug.net/arcade.php?do=scores&name=maeda

roychang is the winner but he won it through a challenge. He's correctly listed as the winner in the Arcade. However, in his posting (http://www.spug.net/showthread.php?t=51060), you'll notice that the title does not appear under his name. The title appears under the name of the user dm318, who got second place in Maeda Path playing the normal game (instead of the challenge).

John, thanks for the fix of includes/cron/arcadeupdate.php . I suppose that this will stop future occurance of such a problem but will it fix the problem in the past? I've uploaded the new php a few days back but dm318 is still displayed as the Maeda Path champion in postings.

[Detomah]

Originally Posted by John

An alternative method of displaying awards in the postbit:

http://www.v3arcade.com/play/showthread.php?t=10

Great little hack. Not sure if i'll need it or not yet though as there's not a single user on my forum with more than one high score to their names at the moment. I've saved the hack to my computer for when we have hundreds of games though.

Uninstalling the Arcade can be a oddle, depending if you have other hacks installed or not or whether you have made modifications to the templates, but especially it depends whether you made thos all important backups of files.

If it's your only mod and hack, you simply delete all the games, images and php scripts that came with the arcade. Revert all the modified templates back to the originals, and over write the original .php forum files you edited with the backups you made before starting editing (you did do backups right?) then go to the database, delete the 4 games tables, then delete the other 3-4 bits in the database that need deleting (I can't remember exactly which bits they are off the top of my head - I'm sure John could tell you)

If you have already got other mods, hacks in place or didn't do backups, you'll have to go through each template and .php file and manually reverse every single bit of text/code you replaced or added. As well as still removing things such as the games, images, added database bits and arcade scripts. (Seriously easier if you had made backups of the .php files and templates, just before adding the arcade, for such purposes) then you can simply overwrite all the .php files back to that stage, but still have all your other hacks in place.

Hope that helps a little.