SC2Mapster

What I want to do is create an efficient delay between targets so that a unit is free to attack at their normal attack rate but have to spend some time before attacking a particular target. It's not for AI it's for a unit controlled by a player.

I'm trying to figure the most efficient way to do this since I basically want marines to do it.

I couldn't find an entry for target acquisition under weapon but I know that I don't want to disable the weapon because the unit will not take aim but will start walking toward the target. So I guess I could use either a dummy weapon or a hidden cost(cooldown/energy/custom resource) that I manipulate. I want it to be as seamless and efficient as possible.

I don't think behaviors will do what I want because I imagine putting a behavior on a unit would not validate that it's any particular unit that has finished aiming and also stacking needless amounts of behaviors with hundreds of marines firing at the same target I imagine would put a wrench in the performance.

A channeled ability might work but I am not entirely sure how to go about it so that the unit can attack and channel at the same time and in such a way that it would be efficient for 100's of units attacking.

@adovid: Go

have the unit put a debuff on the unit when it attacks.....

add a validator to the units weapon so that it can not attack the unit with the debuff on it...

actually I would add the debuff through a trigger.... if you only want the delay on a specific unit.... but still put the validator on the units weapon

@SouLCarveRR: Go

Is it possible to put a validator to a weapon? I can use a validator for the gauss rifle damage effect but I don't see a field for the gauss rifle :(.

Trying to wrap my mind around the possibility of using a persistent effect and some kind of unit/order validator that compares the target of the presistent effect to the target of the order/damage effect.

@adovid: Go

actually I think you would put the validator on the "attack" ability....

I dont deal with weapons a whole lot

@SouLCarveRR: Go

Yea it's kind of messy :(. Been spending a couple of days trying to wrap my head around a reasonable approach.

@adovid: Go

you could give also make the unit invulnerable for a short period if the player only has one unit....

but imo .... I wouldnt make a game play in such a manner.... why wouldnt a marine be able to shoot something if its in front of him.... doesnt make sense

@SouLCarveRR: Go

It's not so much about attacking the target in front of him as much as taking a split second or two to acquire a new target in a chaotic situation which isn't entirely unrealistic.

It basically breaks stutterstep without breaking the unit's turn radius or attack rate.

Ugh, if I could use a persistent effect to do the work I would but stim get's broken :(.

@adovid: Go Not sure if the OP is still looking for a solution to this or already found one, but the Drakken (SP?) Laser Drill (the massive laser drill from the campaign on the mission where you get siege tanks) has exactly what you're talking about - it deals damage at its normal weapon rate once it fires, but has a 'lock on' delay after it first picks an attack target.

So enable campaign dependencies and see how they implemented that.