Main

Game Bootstrap

• The game starts with the Main class, which is invoked by the preloader.
• Begin resource unpacking.
  • Event listeners are registered for successful and failed unpacking events.
  • Resources are unpacked and loaded asynchronously in the background.
  • Once completed, a notification is dispatched indicating that resource loading is done.

Socket Server Connection Establishment

• Begin connection to socket server.
  • This is triggered by calling the connect() method on the Network class, which internally invokes a private joinRoom() method.
  • joinRoom() uses the PlayerIO Multiplayer API to request create and join room (API 27).
  • API server responds room data and the endpoint for the socket server.
  • Client connects to the socket server from the given endpoint and port.
  • Client initially send <policy-file-request/> and server must reply appropriately, by allowing request from any domain to the server port (with byte 0 appended after the policy file response).
  • Client sends the initial "join" message which includes the data received from API 27.
  • The socket server replies with a playerio.joinresult message:
    • If the join is valid, send a true boolean value.
    • If the join is invalid, send false along with an error message.
  • Upon success, a connected event is dispatched, indicating the socket connection is ready for communication.

Initial Data Exchange & Player Data Loading

• Early socket communication is focused on retrieving the player’s game state and additional data stored in the server.
• onGameReady function from Network class is expected to run.
  • The "gr" message (game ready) should be sent from the socket server:
    • The message contains 5 values:
      1. Server time in long data type.
      2. Binaries data in XML or gzipped XML, which are assets like buildings.xml, attire.xml, etc. The game updates its loaded XML with the one sent from server.
      3. JSON cost table data, possibly the in-game cost for items or upgrades.
      4. JSON survivor class table, the specific stats of a survivor class (e.g., baseAttributes like health, combatMelee, movement).
      5. JSON login player state, allegedly updates from server (like news, sales) and other events that has occured while player is logged out.
  • The onNetworkGameDataReceived from core Main.as will be triggered every time the game receives XML files from server. This method updates the game’s currently loaded XML with the newly received XML.
  • The JSON dumps are parsed and stored in local variables in the Network class for later use.
  • Next is loading PlayerObjects, NeighborHistory, and Inventory from BigDB by making request to API 85. A network error (which force disconnects the player) will be raised if the loaded objects are empty or null.
• When all three objects are loaded successfully, onPlayerDataLoaded is called.
• onPlayerDataLoaded
  • Create in-game Survivor objects using the AHBuildSrvs method. This method internally reads the parsed survivor class table from the server, loads local assets and data, and maps them to the corresponding survivor object.
  • Parses playerObject and loginPlayerState to initializes internal game state.
  • Initializes core game systems: GlobalQuestSystem, QuestSystem, OfferSystem, and AllianceSystem.
  • Send the game ready signal.

Game Start

• The onNetworkGameReady method in main listens for the game ready signal and calls the onReady method next, which:
  • Closes the loading dialogue and removes network listeners for loading/error/start connection events.
  • Opens the “create survivor” dialogue (if necessary).
  • After survivor is created, or if player player has already created one before, game start signal will be dispatched and Game.as (as well as Tutorial.as if not finished tutorial) will enter the stage.
  • The most important method is loading the compound with the method gotoCompound of Game.as.

Past this, everything isn’t really sequential anymore, so we stop here. See also Game and Tutorial.