T4 Modules Howto Guide/Getting Started
Getting Started
In order to start your own module, you need to create a new directory in the /game/modules/ directory, into which you copy the contents of either /game/modules/example/ or /game/modules/example_realtime/, which will give you bare-bones but working base to work off of.
init.lua
The first file you need to customize is the init.lua file. This file has a few things you need to edit to make this module your own:
| Setting | Effect |
|---|---|
| name | This is the official name of the module as seen in module selection list. |
| long_name | This is the long name of the module that appears is descriptions. |
| short_name | This is a short name used internal to the module. Preferred to be lower case and should be the same as the folder name. |
| author | Your name or pseudonym and email address. |
| homepage | Optional homepage of the module. |
| version | Module version. Does not automatically update. Change this between releases to differentiate them. |
| engine | Expected engine version. |
| description | A description of your module. Can be multiple lines and paragraphs. |
| starter | Only change if you know what you are doing. And if you have to ask, you don't. |
| show_only_on_cheat | If true, prevents this module from appearing in the mods list normally. This is enabled by default on the example module and should be disabled in your module. |
| no_get_name | Prevents the new character name dialog from showing up for your module. Use this if you set the character name yourself in your module. |
| allow_userchat | Registers 'space' as a key to talk, joins a channel named "module", and inits the chat system. If the game implements a game.logChat(str, ...) method it'll send chat listens to there. |
Launching your module using command line parameters
By now you should be able to start t-engine normally and see your module in the list when you select new game. However, when changing features then quickly wanting to see its effects, this process involves a lot of unneeded clicks and wasted time. For this reason t-engine.exe supports various command line parameters.
| Parameter | Effect |
|---|---|
| -M<Module> | Auto-loads the specified module (using the module's short_name). |
| -u<name> | Uses the specified name for the character. |
| -n | Forces a new character, overwriting any old saves with the same name. |
To take advantage of this in windows, you need to right-click on t-engine.exe and select 'Create Shortcut'. On the created shortcut right-click again and select properties. In the dialog add the following to the Target field:
.../t-engine.exe -MMyModule -udefault -n
Replacing MyModule with your module name and default with whichever character name you desire. Using this shortcut now will launch your module directly, saving you some time while prototyping.
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