I'm working on a map atm where each of the three races starts with a hero. That hero levels up to 20. however, at level 5 the player must make a choice as to the path of the hero. For example, the basic hero begins as a Marine. At level five the player decides whether the hero becomes a Firebat or a Marauder. I want to use a custom UI window button for the choice, one similar to skill trees I see in many RPG style maps(I cannot find any tutorials on how to make those kinds of windows); however only 2 buttons. They click Firebat or Marauder and bam, the hero is transformed into that hero version of the unit.
To add to the difficulty upon reaching level 2 and every level there after they get a skill point similar to Warcraft 3 and at level 2 they unlock 2 abilities unique to the form with which to put points into. So the new form at level 5 needs to not only replace the old, but it must carry over its attributes, learned abilities at the rank learned as well as any unspent skill points. I have no clue how to do the carry over of the ability ranks and stats but I think with some time I could work out the transformation.
When the player chooses a path, say Marauder, they unlock 2 new abilities unique to the form that require skill points to learn and improve. At level 10 the player is forced to make another choice; because they chose Marauder they must now choose between Ghost, Reaper or Medic forms. (I want to make a UI window for this selection as well) once you choose one of these three (final selection) you unlock 2 new abilities unique to the form with which to put points into but they still keep the old abilities. And at 15 they unlock their final ability. Every learned ability except for the last at 15 has 3 ranks.
So the jimmie of it is I need to know how to create UI menu buttons that upon click transform the hero into a new unit (or replace it with a new unit) but carries over the attribute stats, learned and unlearned abilities at their learned rank as well as any unspent skill points.
Any help or clues to help me unravel it would be awesome.
No abilities mess with the attributes and because I know how the stats scale per from I can just create a new Stat behavior for each from if the hero is being replaced instead of transformed.
the custom UI's you are talking about are called Dialogs, I'm not sure if there are any tutorials on them, but creating them can be challanging and a pain for someone new to the editor. This to me sounds like it would all be done in the data editor apart from the abilites and the hero leveling.
I would first suggest you go look up a tutorial on hero creation, Biffu has one that is easy to follow and explains how to do everything in the galaxy editor. once you have created your heroes your going to need to make actors for all the posible changes your hero is going to face and create all the abilities and posibilities your hero may have.
Then once you have the basis of your Hero set up your going to need to set up the custom dialogs in triggers and check the heroes level every time he gains experience to see if he levels or not, if he does then you would want to display these dialogs with a choice and then modify your hero with a trigger accordingly.
This is no easy task. But take one step at a time ask for help, and post requests for help in the appropriate forum, for instance if your stuck on the data editor post your question in the data editor, if you get stuck with the triggers ask for help in the triggers section. The tutorial section if for players that are writing a tutorial on how to acheive something that other players may find to be of use.
I've created the level 1-5 begining for the terran and there are 2 minor bugs i'm trying to work out.
1: is the animation. when the unit 1st goes to attack he'll take a shot before returning to an idle standing stance to finish the attack. he wont continue to use the attack animation untill he is done attacking.
2: one of the learn abilities buttons in the learning part of the command card is showing the rank number on the button. wouldn't be a problem if the other one was too. having 1 do it and 1 not is rather annoying when I dont know how to alter that. Can't seem to find the flag for it either.
EDIT: Also, just to clerify...
I dont actully want to use a skill tree. I want a small 2 button window to pop up next to the hero's selection icon to the right above the comand card. After the player makes a selection the window will vanish. at 10 the same thing happens but with 3 icons to choose from.
I was origonally planning to have a "Hero structure" dedicated to this instead. It would also house the rez button.
I instead decided to use the pop up menu to decide the transformation and to put the rez button on the home structures; ie nexus and the various hives and comand centers. My idea was that if the hero died they could rez at any one of current home structure which would make it eaier to move the hero back into the place for them.
I'm working on a map atm where each of the three races starts with a hero. That hero levels up to 20. however, at level 5 the player must make a choice as to the path of the hero. For example, the basic hero begins as a Marine. At level five the player decides whether the hero becomes a Firebat or a Marauder. I want to use a custom UI window button for the choice, one similar to skill trees I see in many RPG style maps(I cannot find any tutorials on how to make those kinds of windows); however only 2 buttons. They click Firebat or Marauder and bam, the hero is transformed into that hero version of the unit.
To add to the difficulty upon reaching level 2 and every level there after they get a skill point similar to Warcraft 3 and at level 2 they unlock 2 abilities unique to the form with which to put points into. So the new form at level 5 needs to not only replace the old, but it must carry over its attributes, learned abilities at the rank learned as well as any unspent skill points. I have no clue how to do the carry over of the ability ranks and stats but I think with some time I could work out the transformation.
When the player chooses a path, say Marauder, they unlock 2 new abilities unique to the form that require skill points to learn and improve. At level 10 the player is forced to make another choice; because they chose Marauder they must now choose between Ghost, Reaper or Medic forms. (I want to make a UI window for this selection as well) once you choose one of these three (final selection) you unlock 2 new abilities unique to the form with which to put points into but they still keep the old abilities. And at 15 they unlock their final ability. Every learned ability except for the last at 15 has 3 ranks.
So the jimmie of it is I need to know how to create UI menu buttons that upon click transform the hero into a new unit (or replace it with a new unit) but carries over the attribute stats, learned and unlearned abilities at their learned rank as well as any unspent skill points.
Any help or clues to help me unravel it would be awesome.
No abilities mess with the attributes and because I know how the stats scale per from I can just create a new Stat behavior for each from if the hero is being replaced instead of transformed.
This is a huge task.
the custom UI's you are talking about are called Dialogs, I'm not sure if there are any tutorials on them, but creating them can be challanging and a pain for someone new to the editor. This to me sounds like it would all be done in the data editor apart from the abilites and the hero leveling.
I would first suggest you go look up a tutorial on hero creation, Biffu has one that is easy to follow and explains how to do everything in the galaxy editor. once you have created your heroes your going to need to make actors for all the posible changes your hero is going to face and create all the abilities and posibilities your hero may have.
Then once you have the basis of your Hero set up your going to need to set up the custom dialogs in triggers and check the heroes level every time he gains experience to see if he levels or not, if he does then you would want to display these dialogs with a choice and then modify your hero with a trigger accordingly.
This is no easy task. But take one step at a time ask for help, and post requests for help in the appropriate forum, for instance if your stuck on the data editor post your question in the data editor, if you get stuck with the triggers ask for help in the triggers section. The tutorial section if for players that are writing a tutorial on how to acheive something that other players may find to be of use.
Good Luck!
@nevjmac: Go
I've created the level 1-5 begining for the terran and there are 2 minor bugs i'm trying to work out.
EDIT: Also, just to clerify...
I dont actully want to use a skill tree. I want a small 2 button window to pop up next to the hero's selection icon to the right above the comand card. After the player makes a selection the window will vanish. at 10 the same thing happens but with 3 icons to choose from.
I was origonally planning to have a "Hero structure" dedicated to this instead. It would also house the rez button.
I instead decided to use the pop up menu to decide the transformation and to put the rez button on the home structures; ie nexus and the various hives and comand centers. My idea was that if the hero died they could rez at any one of current home structure which would make it eaier to move the hero back into the place for them.
Would my origonal idea be better?