[WIP] Server Mod Help Chat

Release Thread

Offer help on server mods via a chat bot. Chat is available in the game lobby and in game. In the lobby, it will greet new players in order tell them about the !topics command.

Chat Commands

- !commands: list commands
- !topics: list topics
- ?<topic>: print the text associated with the given topic

Providing Chat Help

This mod attempts to load a file named `<server mod idenfier>/mod_help.json`. The directory name *must* be the same identifier which appears in your `modinfo.json`. Example: `com.wondible.pa.my_awesome_mod/mod_help.json`.

Chat Topics

The JSON file should contain a `topics` object with simple topic-text pairs.

Code:

    {
      "topics": {
        "my awesome mod": "Brief overview",
        "another topic": "...",
        "mymod tips": "..."
      }
    }

All chat topics are merged, so please try to choose topic names which are unlikely to collide with other mods (such as `tips`)

Announcements

The JSON file may contain an `announcement` string. Announcements occur when a player enters the lobby. The intended use is for mods that can offer additional lobby functionality by shadowing. Please use with restraint.

Code:

    {
      "announcement": "Extra lobby functionality is available.  If you don't see XXXX, refresh the UI (F5 by default).",
      "topics": {...}
    }

Mod

- https://github.com/pamods/server_mod_help_chat

Mods with provisional support

To test, download an archive.

- https://github.com/JustinLove/extreme_energy_combat
- https://github.com/JustinLove/extremely_efficient_engineers
- https://github.com/JustinLove/finite_metal
- https://github.com/JustinLove/junkyard_wars
- https://github.com/JustinLove/no_metal_commander
- https://github.com/JustinLove/puppetmaster
- https://github.com/JustinLove/reclaimable_features

Added help support my server mods on github; use as examples or download an archive to test.

- https://github.com/JustinLove/extreme_energy_combat
- https://github.com/JustinLove/extremely_efficient_engineers
- https://github.com/JustinLove/finite_metal
- https://github.com/JustinLove/junkyard_wars
- https://github.com/JustinLove/low_energy_commander
- https://github.com/JustinLove/minimal_mex
- https://github.com/JustinLove/no_metal_commander
- https://github.com/JustinLove/puppetmaster
- https://github.com/JustinLove/reclaimable_features
- https://github.com/JustinLove/wreckage

Server Mod Help Chat 0.2.0

- Fix greeting players.
- Disable greeting players when there are no topics.
- Simple prefix matching (!c matches !commands, and so on)

Should I credit you in the modinfo.json if I use this?

EDIT: Also is there an example mod that I can see to find out how to add the chat bot? I looked in pupetmaster and there was nothing. The only thing that is confusing me is the "topics" stuff. I already made the server_mod_help.json.

Not for just a JSON file.

Key (e.g."puppetmaster" is the thing you can type (prefixed by ?, so "?puppetmaster"), and then the bot answers with the value (a summary of the mod, in this case)

I placed everything inside the coui path (ui/mods/server_mod_help_chat) and placed the server_mod_help.json inside the server mod identifier, but when I load up the game, it doesn't work.

Maybe it's a bug or something? I'll post a link (file is too large) to my .zip here if you want to take a look, unless I did something stupid with the paths.

I want this to be a thing!!!

Git branch may work better for the large file issue.

This is a client mod; the chatbot runs in your client. This will be a lot more obvious once it's on PAMM. (The player guide version will either be a server mod or a framework you add to your mod, depending on how things shake out) All you need is the JSON file.

I tried it and the file loads fine.

"mod name", "advice", "summary", and possibly "fabricators" are too generic. "mod name" can simply be "dox4lyf", which might be better pointed at summary. You could try a simple prefix for the rest like "d4l advice"

Let me know if that seems awkward - I've got it in WIP to shake things out. If you want each mod to have it's own namespace, I'm open to ideas on how to make the chat interface handle that gracefully.

I basically got a client mod for free while making player guide help, so the json file will be changing from server_mod_help.json to mod_help.json. If it's not too hard, the chat mod will have one interim version that loads both files.

Server Mod Help Chat 0.3.0

- Interim version supports both mod_help.json and server_mod_help.json. server_mod_help will be removed in next version
- Matching is case-insensitive
- If a mod provides no topics, a default is provided with the mod description
- More general substring matching

All of my mods with provisional support have been moved to mod_help.json on github.

I've looked at the examples you got on there but it doesn't appear to be working for me

can you take a peek when you have a moment and let me know what about this situation is busted?

https://github.com/lrolleman/anti-popcorn-pamm

It's not in a directory with a name matching the mod identifier. This is confusing in your repo because you've got the mod one level deep, in a directory that happens to have the same name. So relative to the repo you'll need to put it in com.nixtempestas.antipopcorn/com.nixtempestas.antipopcorn/mod_help.json

strange, but it now works, so I can live with strange

I'm now including the mod help as part of anti-popcorn on PAMM. I really like this