Documentation Home > More Configuration
Customize the Headers
Customize the Footers
Customize the CSS file
Customize the Icons
Customize the Shoutbox
Customize the PHP code
Expanding the game
If you want to customize the Java applet loading screen, switch the Title.png file in the images/ folder.
Want to enhance the Java applet, download the source code here.
Customize the Headers
There are a number of PHP files with header in the name. I set up the PHP scripts to each load their own header files - so you can have different looks for each game screen. A header is really just the top portion of a HTML page before the PHP code starts to execute.
If you're not sure about HTML, I recommend Googling some HTML Tutorials so you can get up to speed. It's recommended that you know something about HTML before you start messing with stuff. Try here http://www.w3schools.com/html/
The header files container a game.css file. Leave this in all the headers so the game screen keep a consistent look. Same for the JavaScript stuff.
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Customize the Footers
The footer files are extremely simple right now. Just a few closing HTML tags and that's it. As you expand the look of the game the bottom half of your HTML page will go in here. I recommend making a whole HTML page that looks the way you like it, then chop it in half so you can put part in the header file and part in the footer file.
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Customize the CSS File
The CSS file, Cascading Stylesheets, is a file that controls the font effects for the text in the game screens. It's much easier to control the look through one file. I recommend Googling for some CSS Tutorials. Try here http://www.w3schools.com/css/default.asp
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Customize the Icons
To customize and make your own icons, I recommend making icons 50 pixels wide and 50 pixels high. If you can't make them within (or close to) these dimensions, then they may not look so good or fit in the inventory window.
I do recommend using transparent GIF files. I explained how to make transparent files in the Charas Tutorial - so follow the steps there - they're quite similar.
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Customize the Shoutbox
The Shoutbox is 3rd party so I can only give so much info here. There is a shoutbox.css file in the Shoutbox folder that controls the majority of style for the Shoutbox. Edit there first.
Just want to give credit to the guys who made the Shoutbox, they did an awesome job! I got the Shoutbox from here, not sure if he made it.
Set your Shoutbox password in the Shoutbox/shoutbox_cookies.php file. Access your admin section at Shoutbox/
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Customize the PHP code
So you want to expand the PHP code, awesome! I recommend looking up some PHP tutorials on Google, and use this site religiously PHP Manual.
The PHP code already written includes most of the functions that you will need to advance the code. I have written code to read from text files, write to text files, set cookies, remove cookies, etc.
There's tons of PHP code out there and PHP forums where other PHP programmers will post responses to your questions. I even have a PHP forum to ask questions at.
I wish you the best of luck with advancing the game, and I will gladly answer questions and give ideas for writing code.
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Expanding the Game
So this is it, the end of my tutorial. I can't believe how much info I've given here - I feel like it's too much, or not enough. I've spent about a week writing this documentation, so I hope you get what you need from it.
The Java applet is provided by Golden Studios, and I believe is open source. The PHP was written by me, so it is open source. I as that you never charge money for your game and just have a lot of fun with it.
Building RPG games for the Internet is a lot of fun - I find it very challenging trying to keep up with my players :) It's hard to believe I started Create or Conquer in 2004, left it alone until early 2006, and now it's been in Beta since July 2006 and has almost 2000 members to date! I have 10 moderators who add content and police content for me.
I hope you get great enjoyment out of building your game based on this basic game engine! Please send me an email if you have the game running and have advanced it, I'd love to come play some quests, fight some monsters, and party with some players!
Best of luck! - Rob/Eliia
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