MOTD Manager

Version History

Build Version	Change Date	Change Type	Description
676042	2025-06-21	stable	Current version

Overview

The MotdManager class handles the Message of the Day system for Don't Starve Together. It downloads, caches, and manages announcements including patch notes, skin previews, Twitch integration content, and general news. The system provides organized content delivery to players through the game's main menu interface.

Usage Example

-- Check if MOTD is enabled
if TheMotdManager:IsEnabled() then
    print("MOTD system is active")
end

-- Get current MOTD data
local motd_info, sorted_keys = TheMotdManager:GetMotd()

-- Check for updates
if TheMotdManager:IsNewUpdateAvailable() then
    print("New game update available!")
end

-- Get patch notes
local patch_notes = TheMotdManager:GetPatchNotes()
print("Latest patch:", patch_notes.data.title)

Core Methods

MotdManager:IsEnabled()

Status: stable

Description: Checks if the MOTD system is enabled for the current platform. Currently only enabled for Steam and Rail platforms.

Returns:

• (boolean): True if MOTD is enabled, false otherwise

Example:

if TheMotdManager:IsEnabled() then
    TheMotdManager:Initialize()
end

MotdManager:Initialize()

Status: stable

Description: Initializes the MOTD system by loading cached data and starting the download process for fresh content.

Example:

TheMotdManager:Initialize()

MotdManager:IsLoadingMotdInfo()

Status: stable

Description: Checks if the MOTD system is currently downloading or processing content.

Returns:

• (boolean): True if loading, false when complete

Example:

if not TheMotdManager:IsLoadingMotdInfo() then
    -- Safe to access MOTD data
    local motd_data = TheMotdManager:GetMotd()
end

Content Management

MotdManager:GetMotd()

Status: stable

Description: Returns the current MOTD information and sorted content keys for display ordering.

Returns:

• (table): MOTD information table
• (table): Array of sorted content keys

Example:

local motd_info, sorted_keys = TheMotdManager:GetMotd()
for i, key in ipairs(sorted_keys) do
    local content = motd_info[key]
    print(content.data.title, content.data.category)
end

MotdManager:SetMotdInfo(info, live_build)

Status: stable

Description: Updates the MOTD information with new content and build version data.

Parameters:

• info (table): New MOTD information
• live_build (number): Current live build number

MotdManager:GetPatchNotes()

Status: stable

Description: Retrieves the most recent patch notes content, prioritizing the first patch notes category item.

Returns:

• (table): Patch notes content table with data and metadata

Example:

local patch_notes = TheMotdManager:GetPatchNotes()
if patch_notes then
    print("Latest patch:", patch_notes.data.title)
    print("Description:", patch_notes.data.description)
    if patch_notes.meta.is_new then
        print("This is new content!")
    end
end

MotdManager:IsNewUpdateAvailable()

Status: stable

Description: Checks if a newer game version is available compared to the current client version.

Returns:

• (boolean): True if an update is available, false otherwise

Example:

if TheMotdManager:IsNewUpdateAvailable() then
    -- Display update notification to player
    print("New game version available!")
end

Download Management

MotdManager:DownloadMotdInfo(max_retries)

Status: stable

Description: Downloads fresh MOTD information from the server with retry logic for failed attempts.

Parameters:

• max_retries (number): Maximum number of download attempts

MotdManager:LoadCachedMotdInfo()

Status: stable

Description: Loads previously cached MOTD information from persistent storage to provide offline content.

MotdManager:Save()

Status: stable

Description: Saves current MOTD information to persistent storage for caching.

Content Interaction

MotdManager:MarkAsSeen(boxid)

Status: stable

Description: Marks a specific MOTD content item as seen by the player, updating its metadata and saving the state.

Parameters:

• boxid (string): Unique identifier for the content item

Example:

-- Mark patch notes as seen when player views them
TheMotdManager:MarkAsSeen("patch_notes_123")

MotdManager:IsImageLoaded(cell_id)

Status: stable

Description: Checks if an image has been downloaded and cached for a specific content cell.

Parameters:

• cell_id (string): Content cell identifier

Returns:

• (boolean): True if image is loaded, false otherwise

Example:

if TheMotdManager:IsImageLoaded("skin_preview_456") then
    -- Display the cached image
end

Event Handling

MotdManager:SetLoadingDone()

Status: stable

Description: Marks the MOTD loading process as complete and triggers the global event for UI updates.

MotdManager:AddOnMotdDownloadedCB(ent, cb_fn)

Status: stable

Description: Registers a callback function to be executed when MOTD downloading is complete.

Parameters:

• ent (Entity): Entity to listen for the event
• cb_fn (function): Callback function to execute

Example:

TheMotdManager:AddOnMotdDownloadedCB(TheGlobalInstance, function(event_data)
    if event_data.success then
        print("MOTD loaded successfully")
        -- Update UI with new content
    else
        print("MOTD loading failed")
    end
end)

Data Processing

MotdManager:MakeSortedKeys(motd_info)

Status: stable

Description: Processes MOTD information to create a sorted list of content keys based on category priority, group order, and newness.

Parameters:

• motd_info (table): Raw MOTD information

Returns:

• (table): Array of sorted content keys

Image Management

MotdManager:LoadCachedImages()

Status: stable

Description: Loads all cached images for MOTD content that has associated image files.

MotdManager:GetImagesToDownload()

Status: stable

Description: Determines which images need to be downloaded and assigns available image slots to content.

Returns:

• (table): Queue of images to download with assigned file slots

Content Categories

The MOTD system organizes content into categories with specific display priorities:

Category Order

1. patchnotes (Priority 1): Game update announcements and patch notes
2. skins (Priority 2): New skin releases and cosmetic content
3. twitch (Priority 3): Twitch integration and streaming-related content
4. news (Priority 4): General game news and announcements
5. none (Priority 100): Uncategorized content

Content Structure

content_item = {
    id = "unique_identifier",
    data = {
        title = "Content Title",
        description = "Content description text",
        category = "patchnotes",
        group_order = 1,
        image_url = "https://example.com/image.jpg",
        no_image = false,
        hidden = false
    },
    meta = {
        is_new = true,
        last_seen = 1234567890,
        image_file = "box1"
    }
}

Configuration Constants

MAX_RETRIES

Value: 4 Description: Maximum number of retry attempts for MOTD downloads

MAX_IMAGE_RETRIES

Value: 1 Description: Maximum retry attempts for image downloads

MAX_IMAGE_FILES

Value: 10 Description: Maximum number of cached image files

CACHE_FILE_NAME

Value: "motd_info" or "motd_info_dev" Description: Persistent storage filename (varies by build type)

Error Handling

The MOTD system includes comprehensive error handling:

• Network Failures: Automatic retry with exponential backoff
• Parsing Errors: Graceful fallback to cached content
• Missing Images: Content display without images when unavailable
• Corrupted Cache: Automatic cache rebuilding on detection

Platform Integration

Steam Platform

• Integrates with Steam's content delivery system
• Respects Steam's connectivity status
• Uses Steam's image caching mechanisms

Rail Platform

• Similar functionality adapted for Rail platform requirements
• Platform-specific content delivery endpoints
• Rail-compatible image management

Performance Considerations

Image Optimization

• Limits concurrent image downloads
• Implements image slot management
• Provides progressive loading for better user experience

Memory Management

• Automatic cleanup of old cached content
• Efficient JSON parsing and storage
• Controlled memory footprint for image data

Integration

The MOTD Manager integrates with:

• Main Menu UI: Content display and interaction
• Network System: Content downloading and synchronization
• Persistent Storage: Caching and offline functionality
• Event System: UI update notifications
• Platform Services: Steam/Rail integration

Related Modules

• Frontend: Main menu and UI integration
• JSON: Data parsing and encoding
• Networking: Content download system