Skip to main content

Motdmanager

Based on game build 714014 | Last updated: 2026-03-10

Overview​

MotdManager is a singleton-like component responsible for fetching, parsing, caching, and serving Message of the Day (MOTD) data. It downloads structured JSON content (e.g., patch notes, skins, news, Twitch stream info) from a remote server, handles offline caching via TheSim:GetPersistentString / SavePersistentString, and supports image downloads. It integrates with the UI via the widgets/redux/templates module and exposes data to screens like the main menu and skins browser. It does not attach directly to entities; instead, it is typically instantiated as TheMotdManager in the main script.

Usage example​

TheMotdManager = require "motdmanager"
TheMotdManager:Initialize()
if TheMotdManager:IsNewUpdateAvailable() then
    print("New patch notes available")
end
local motd_info, sorted_keys = TheMotdManager:GetMotd()

Dependencies & tags​

Components used: None (no component-based interactions) Tags: None identified

Properties​

PropertyTypeDefault ValueDescription
motd_infotable{}Parsed MOTD data by box ID (e.g., ID_<guid>). Each entry has .data and .meta subtables.
motd_sorted_keystable{}Ordered list of box IDs, sorted by category, group order, and title.
live_buildnumber-1Server-provided live build version used to detect updates.
isloading_motdinfobooleantruetrue while MOTD info is still being loaded or downloaded.

Main functions​

IsEnabled()​

  • Description: Checks whether the MOTD system is enabled (only on Steam or Rail platforms).
  • Parameters: None.
  • Returns: boolean — true if enabled, otherwise false.

Initialize()​

  • Description: Kickstarts the MOTD system by loading cached data and initiating the network fetch.
  • Parameters: None.
  • Returns: Nothing.
  • Error states: Does not throw; fails gracefully if network is unavailable.

IsLoadingMotdInfo()​

  • Description: Returns whether MOTD info is still being loaded.
  • Parameters: None.
  • Returns: boolean — true if loading is in progress.

SetMotdInfo(info, live_build)​

  • Description: Updates the internal MOTD data and sorts it. Limits stored boxes to MAX_IMAGE_FILES (10).
  • Parameters:
    • info (table) — Raw MOTD data after parsing and restructuring.
    • live_build (string | number) — Server build version for update detection.
  • Returns: Nothing.

GetMotd()​

  • Description: Returns the current MOTD data and sorted keys.
  • Parameters: None.
  • Returns: (table, table) — motd_info (box ID → entry), motd_sorted_keys (ordered list of IDs).

IsNewUpdateAvailable()​

  • Description: Determines if a newer game build is available on the server.
  • Parameters: None.
  • Returns: boolean — true if live_build > APP_VERSION.

GetPatchNotes()​

  • Description: Returns the first visible "patchnotes" box, or a default placeholder if none found.
  • Parameters: None.
  • Returns: table — Patch notes box data (or fallback object with no_image = true).

MarkAsSeen(boxid)​

  • Description: Marks a MOTD box as "seen" by updating its last_seen timestamp and saving. Only acts if the box exists and is marked as is_new.
  • Parameters:
    • boxid (string) — Box ID (e.g., "ID_<guid>").
  • Returns: Nothing.

SetLoadingDone()​

  • Description: Marks loading as complete and pushes the "motd_info_loaded" event.
  • Parameters: None.
  • Returns: Nothing.

AddOnMotdDownloadedCB(ent, cb_fn)​

  • Description: Registers a callback to be invoked when "motd_info_loaded" is pushed.
  • Parameters:
    • ent (Entity) — Entity to attach the listener to (typically TheGlobalInstance).
    • cb_fn (function) — Callback function accepting (event, data) signature.
  • Returns: Nothing.

GetImagesToDownload()​

  • Description: Returns a prioritized list of images to download, respecting MAX_IMAGE_FILES.
  • Parameters: None.
  • Returns: table — List of {cell_id, image_url, image_file?} tables for each pending image.

DownloadMotdInfo(remaining_retries)​

  • Description: Initiates the HTTP request for MOTD JSON. Retries up to MAX_RETRIES (4) on failure.
  • Parameters:
    • remaining_retries (number) — Remaining attempts allowed.
  • Returns: Nothing.

DownloadMotdImages(download_queue, retries)​

  • Description: Downloads images in parallel, storing each as a .tex file under a boxN name. Retries up to 2 times per image.
  • Parameters:
    • download_queue (table) — Queue of image download tasks.
    • retries (number) — Current retry count for the current image.
  • Returns: Nothing.

LoadCachedImages()​

  • Description: Preloads cached images for all MOTD boxes that already have image_file metadata.
  • Parameters: None.
  • Returns: Nothing.

Events & listeners​

  • Listens to: motd_info_loaded — via AddOnMotdDownloadedCB, invoked after full MOTD data is processed.
  • Pushes:
    • motd_info_loaded — {success = boolean} — fired in SetLoadingDone after data load completes (success or failure).
    • motd_image_loaded — {cell_id = string} — fired per image after successful download or fallback.