SC2Mapster

I'd like to know how to duplicate certain abilities (Rail Gun Snipe, Toss Shredder Grenade, Cloak, etc.) so I can give them to a custom unit I'm working on.

The thing is, I don't know what to check / uncheck in the duplicates field; Supposedly, I only need to check whatever I need to modify (so the original stays, well, original), but I don't know what to modify (actors? effects?), and for some reason, it doesn't duplicate everything (if I check, say, effects, some of the actors will be missing). I know that there are a LOT of requirements (unit, button, effects, etc.), but I'm not sure how to work them.

For example, I'm going to duplicate the Rail Gun Snipe, and give it to a Hero Ghost unit. Instead of doing a 300 (iirc) point damage, I'd like it to do 100, +60 vs. Light. I'd also like to change the Ability Description (it describes Raynor firing the gun. My unit isn't Raynor), and the Hotkey. What do I copy from the original that would allow me to modify those values?

First time poster, first time map maker (for SC2, anyway). Thanks to any and all who will answer.

I'd suggest you to create everything yourself, and then just copy the fields you need from the original ability.

No need to duplicate ability if you just want to add some ability for your custom unit.

Wouldn't it be nice if you could duplicate an ability without worrying about which components of it need to be duplicated? Without worrying about actor fields being misnamed? Now you can, thanks to the magic of Templates!

Take your Rail Gun Snipe ability as an example. If someone were to make a Template for that ability, the only thing you would need to do to duplicate it would be to specify a few values like Damage and Model, which fill in the Template. All the tedious bullsh*t would be taken care of for you.

Templates can be made for pretty much any group of XML data, including annoying shit like leveled abilities and attachments.

Quote from ScorpSCII: Go

I'd suggest you to create everything yourself, and then just copy the fields you need from the original ability.

Yikes.

How do you assign / link an actor to an ability?

Quote from DrSuperEvil: Go

The Events+ field of the actor.

Thanks. This will come in handy in future projects.