Updates 4/25/12

* various bug fixes detailed on *clp
* unstable containment artifact added
* medical bay artifact added
* shrike spear artifact added, and weapon/attack

LambdaMOO/Hellcore: Broadcasting to an IRC server

On Wayfar, when a player is killed they get a death taunt in the style of the LORD or BBS door games.  When enough kills are accumulated the MOO connects to an IRC server, posts a kill update, and then disconnects.

The commands to interact with an IRC server are straightforward:

conn = open_network_connection(server, port);
set_connection_option(conn, "hold-input", 1);

Open the connection and tell the MOO not interpret anything on this connection as a game command.



notify(conn, "USER YOUR_USR_NAME 8 *  : your_comment");
botname = "Jerkturkey";
notify(conn, "NICK " + botname);

That sends the USER and NICK.  Now the IRC server will send a bunch of nonsense at you, then disconnect you if you don't answer the ping request in time.  So we wait for the first ping before we start sending messages:


while (line = read(conn))
      if (hurf = $su:explode(line))
        if ($su:uppercase(hurf[1]) == "PING")
          notify(conn, "PONG " + hurf[2]);
          break;
        endif
      endif
    endwhile

Note that we have to reply with information from the request.  Next up, join a channel:

notify(conn, "JOIN #wayfar1444");

Send whatever messages we've arranged, preferably a batch of messages:

for x in ($web.irc_queue)
     notify(conn, "PRIVMSG #wayfar1444 :"+x);
endfor

Tell the IRC server we're leaving and disconnect:

notify(conn, "QUIT");
boot_player(conn);

Updates 4/20/12

* reroll storage locker for saving player gear between ascensions
* increased the consider output for products, weapons, armor
* added a repossession AI - instead of player vehicles and buildings being destroyed they will become purchaseable and hackable
* bug fixesss
* added player nicknames and nicknames unlocked by skill acquisition
* Data Pro no longer requires the off-world operation skill Data Operation.
* minor cleanups to the skills interface
* improved the starship landing interface with more information
* NPC equipping routines cleaned up
* couple of wildlife and products added
* added an advanced version of the basic tool that will prompt for materials instead of requiring manual addition:

* massive upgrade to the holo-vid generator, courtesy of Cheechlizard:

How to write a useable item in Hellcore/Wayfar

Step 1: create the item from an appropriate parent.

Step 2: add a verb on the item for the player to kick off the action, it should look like this:

@verb #itemid:use this none none
1: if(this.location != player)
2: return player:tell("You have to be holding this to use it!");
3: else
4: player:queue_action($actions.use, {this, #-1}, 1, "use "+this:name());
5: endif

Step 3: Write two new verbs on the item to handle the use action:

do_use_start(OBJ who, OBJ on)
do_use_finish(OBJ who, OBJ on)

In our example we are just using the item, we aren't using it on anything.  This would need a more complex verb on the item in the form of:
@verb #itemid use this on any

And then you'd need to match the any against and item or person.

Updates 4/17/12

* added the first working artifact, a faulty auspex that scans for hidden items nearby.  It can be researched from a discoverable green orb found in forest biomes.
* TV and camera system implemented by Tigwyk:

* a multitude of bug fixes