I think you can create a dummy missile that stops when it hits any unit.
You can use things like impact effects, periodic effects on the missile itself, etc to do a lot with that.
Like you can have the unit attack anyway but not have the bullets hit the target (they hit the car first).
You can try thing with validators too, but no idea if they'd work:
Validate that there are no units with a distance from the caster less than the distance from the caster to the target && the distance between the caster and unit + the distance between the target and unit must approximate (can you have +- in validators) the distance between the caster and target.
Assume I am making a MOBA, I can put all data (hero stuff) and all triggers (waves, hero select dialogs, etc) into a Mod and put this onto a new map.
Of course I'd have to re-place points and regions, then go through the triggers and re-reference them. No big deal.
If I want to make balance updates (weapon damage, or a timer's rate of expiration) - I'd make the updates in the mod.
Would these automatically update in any maps with the mod as a dependency? Or would I have to reload the mod or whatnot? I'm assuming I'd have to republish any maps, just wondering if the editor sees "oh hey that mod changed, let me update this map here"
And if I apply a mod to my original map (the one with the stuff I am turning into the mod), will it overwrite everything with the mod's info?
If the summoned units don't use energy, you can use the energy as a timer - set their energy regeneration rate to -1 per second.
You then have, on Summoned Unit Birth, a Search Area Effect run that looks for units of that type.
This Search Area has an Enumerate Area Validator for the Target checking for units that fulfil another two Validators - Same unit type, and Target (of Enumerate Area) has less Energy than the Target of the Search Area Effect. Enumerate Area is set for the entire map.
The Enumerate Area Validator is set to negative, so it's validating that there are no units of the same type with less energy on the map. If this is true, that means that that target of the Search Area Effect is the oldest (lowest energy) unit of that type on the map. It then applies an effect killing it.
You can also use Veterancy, Behavior Count or maybe even a unit field instead of Energy.
I'm not very good with the whole Caster/Target/Source stuff so I'm not sure what value to set for what and for what effect, but I think this'd be possible.
When I start a map I like to lay out all units/buildings I think I want to use, organize them on-map and whatnot. Helps to see them when you are planning factions.
Few Tips
use Records, Arrays, Action Groups and Action Definitions to keep your triggering neat and reduce the work you do.
This one is preference - don't modify existing units, copy them. When you copy them, on the check list check any unit-specific boxes (Weapon, Effects, Actor) - these will usually have the units name on them. Model isn't usually necessary to copy. What this does is creates a copy of those items that are automatically linked to your new unit (very important for actors). This applies to all data types.
Check out the buttons at the top of the Data Window. I almost never view raw data, but I switch constantly between uh... List and table views? The table view is a nice GUI to work with with tabs for quick editing of related fields, and the list view has a search bar (the search sorting transfers to the table view if you switch) that makes it real quick to find fields you want. List view also shows "non-default" entries at the top in blue, which is very useful for finding what makes an effect or whatever do what. Look at a preexisting ability or whatever in list view to see exactly what fields make the ability work. Mess around with the buttons.
2) Copy a Gather ability for gathering and put it on your unit. Check the Resource Drop Off fields on the unit so resources can be deposited at it.
"Upgrades" like requiring a spawning pool are handled through the Requirement data type. This data type can check if a player has researched an Upgrade (separate data type), if they have a certain unit type (like if they have a lair) and more. You link this to an ability to make that ability require meeting that Requirement.
The Validator data type is in a sense like a Requirement for Effect and Behavior (buffs) data types. They are quite different in what they can do (validators usually check the target/casters status, requirements check the player) but they both fulfill the role of enabling/disabling something.
Abilities and Weapons are ways of initiating an Effect, essentially how you get a unit to use an Effect (things like applying buffs, doing damage etc are Effects). Abilities and Weapons inherit the validator of the primary effect they cause, meaning it can't be used if that validator returns false. Most accept only 1 "primary" effect but you can use a Set Effect to combine multiple effects - but be sure you validate at the set level. Learn what the Caster/Target/Source fields (usually under an effects Target tab) do asap.
3/4) Easy. Basic triggering and ui/map setting changes. May take some time to figure out where to enter those values but its pretty simple.
5) importing is actually really easy and quick, so don't be afraid to try it. Only thing that's weird is setting textures if the model isn't pretextured.
Dune-Runners
Omnivorous, fast and vicious. Dune-Runners (zerglings) travel in vast swarms across the map, devouring all opponents and resources in their path
Reproduces rapidly, but must reproduce in spawning pools. Initially weak but scale exponentially with upgrades.
Zergling - Very fast
Raptor - Leaps into combat and up cliffs, Attacks ignore armor
Pack Master - Researches upgrades, More durable, Ranged attack, Randomly spawned from eggs
Baneling - Explodes!
Roaches
Durable, Roaches aren't the strongest but are damn near impossible to exterminate. Can almost instantly replenish their numbers, regenerate very quickly, can burrow to set up ambushes and can be upgraded to split into Roachlings upon death that can grow into full-sized Roachs.
Roach - durable, can be upgraded to use a ranged attack
Roachling - weak with no attack, but can grow into a Roach
Roach Warren - researches upgrades, scans the map and can be upgraded to function like a Nydus Worm
Hydralisks
Powerful with a ranged attack, Hydralisks automatically from Dens and can collect meat to feed to their young to increase reprduction rate.
Hydralisk - weak with a melee attack, should be upgraded to a Hunter-Killer for combat.
Hunter-Killer - standard ranged unit, powerful and cheap to produce
Warden - advanced melee strain, tank-like and can morph into a defensive cocoon to create chokepoints
Glaive Wyrm - advanced ranged strain, powerful with a long-range bouncing attack
Hive
Defensive structure-building race, spawns from Hatcheries and excels at map control. Spreads creep.
Drone - standard gatherer, produces buildings
Guardian - durable long-ranged unit with a very powerful AOE attack, but expends energy to use this attack. Very powerful in short skirmishes off the creep.
Creep Tumor - spreads creep, can be upgraded to a Creep Cancer that is cloaked, detects units and spreads creep further
Spine Colony
Spore Colony - Advanced defensive building with an AOE "poison". Poisoned enemies trail creep behind them.
Automatons
Self-assembling machines. Powerful in short engagements, builds advanced caster units instead of researching upgrades.
Constructor - builder/gatherer, can repair units out of combat and has a powerful anti-structure attack
Mobile Silo - burrows to arm an extremely powerful long-range single-target sabot round with a long cooldown.
Spider Mine - burrows to arm an AOE attack
Reactor - builds Spider Mines, can self-destruct for a huge AOE explosion
Monitor - advanced spellcaster with a powerful ranged beam, can cast forcefield, hallucination and grant allies an overshield.
RepairBot - advanced spellcaster, can rapidly repair units, cloak burrowed Mobile Silos / Spider Mines and can blink in and out of combat
The Brood
Controls a single all-powerful Brood Mother and her swarm of Broodlings
Brood Mother - very powerful single unit with an array of upgradeable offensive and defensive abilities
Broodling - weak swarm unit that reproduces rapidly. Provides a meat shield and damage can add up
Consort - evolved Broodling, more durable and increases the damage of nearby Broodlings
Energyling - Broodling engorged with energies, can be consumed by the Brood Mother to restore energy.
Select a Strain, kill and devour your enemies, collect Essence and evolve.
Introducing a game that attempts to bridge the gap between goal-focused single-hero games and full-scale macro-heavy RTS', Kill Devour Evolve is an objective-based "mini-rts" where players select one of several Strains and compete in events to earn upgrades, evolutions and Essence for victory.
I previously posted this in early-alpha as "Darwin's Paradise", but have made significant developments since then and the game is almost ready for a Beta Phase (all features implemented, but with limited events and strains and with imperfect balance).
Please check out the game, available in the North America arcade as "Kill Devour Evolve (Alpha Playtest) and let me know what you think! Any and all recommendations / comments are welcome, and if you're interested in checking out the map file please let me know and I can send you an unlocked copy - I'd love to hear feedback on how efficient my data/triggering is, and would be happy to share any features with other mapmakers.
I intend to implement a mirrored team map set up somewhat like a MOBA, which I will try to get out once I have all features in and major bugs squashed. Input on "MOBA-fying" my map would be welcome as well - What would be cool team objectives? Would defensive structures / creep waves fit the game? Etc. etc.
Concepts/Goals:
Fast-paced gameplay with minimal focus on economy / macro
Encourage frequent conflict through events
Strains fit widely different playstyles (Brood is hero-like, Dune-Runners for people who love fast swarms...)
Minimize chaos from controlling many different unit types
Automatons setting up an ambush - poor Hydralisks never knew what hit 'em
Claim resources!
Win events for Terrazine and Essence - vital for upgrades and victory!
I see the point about cheating.
Personally though, I don't care about "cheating" at the moment - I want a way to track pick / win rates and such for multiplayer versus balancing.
I disagree that they'd have very little usability, though a lot of the usability could be kinda accomplished with Map Updates - but using banks would allow for a more "organic" process that can progress without the map owner's interference.
Wouldn't that defrauding rely on the defrauding players running a modified copy of the map that accesses the same bank? Not sure how they can corrupt the bank by just playing the map otherwise. Wintrading and other malevolent behavior that takes place within the "rules" of the map would be a problem for all types of banks.
Server-side map-attached banks don't need to replace the current local banks, I was thinking of them more as a server-side place for the "map" to store data. Synchronization wouldn't be an issue for this if timestamps are attached to any saved data, with each sync comparing and taking only the most recent if there is a conflict. I'd assume the bank would only update before/after games though, I can see dynamic updating during a match leading to a ton of problems.
Currently the only way I can think of to do this would be to attach game info to every player's bank with a timestamp, then run a trigger every match pulling all these, saving all unique timestamps into an array or whatever then saving it over the previous data in each player's bank. Essentially seeding all pick/winrate information between all players - but this relies on me playing the game with someone well-connected to the network to load the info into my bank for reading, and risks missing out on data if the network is disconnected at points.
I assumed by server-side banks they meant banks per-map, with the map being able to read any banks attached to it - even if the player or however they do it isn't playing the map at the time.
I guess that's a bit of an assumption.
If it's just a server-side version of the current bank system, who cares? But the above would be amazing. Where does it say what they were considering?
You can have every Hero have several Behaviors on it with a Periodic Effect looking to apply a Buff to Monsters.
You can have one of these for several "tiers" of level differences - for instance 1 (barely harder), 3 (little harder), 6, 10, 20, 35, 50 (impossible)
Each one of them uses a Unit Compare Veterancy (you can try using another Unit Compare) validator to compare the difference in levels between the target (Monster) and source (Hero). Pretty sure this works if you set the Other Unit fields. And make sure you set it to Greater Than or Equal To or Less Than or Equal To (not sure which it'd be)
If the Monster is that many levels higher than the Player, it'll apply the buff which increases the Monster's attack speed or even health or armor by an amount you want for a short period, maybe 1 second. You can either stack the effects (so he'll be hit by multiple Buffs) or use a Switch to only apply one of them.
You set the debuffs to how you feel they should be - maybe a Monster 50 levels higher will gain 500 armor and do 1000% damage?
Won't be that much work if you only have a couple of tiers, but setting one of them up for every level difference would be a pain.
If you need to have multiple Heros of different levels, you can switch it and have a DEBUFF applied to the Hero so a stronger Hero can beat up a dragon while a level 1 peasant smokes a pipe nearby.
If you have the Bunker casting an ability targeting the units, with an issue order effect that commands unit to use the Bunker's ability... You could have the caster/target values switched up.
Sounds like you're having the Bunker issue a command to the Marines ordering the BUNKER itself to use an ability. But maybe you got it right. If you put the ability on the command card and use it manually, does it work? Also, Index 0 may be Load All not Load Unit. Not sure if that matters.
Does allowing Self-Cast on the Load/Unload ability under Commands - Flags do anything?
Any Unit Takes Fatal or Non-Fatal Damage (from [Specify your Weapon's dmg effect here])
It may be more reliable, I've had issues with using attack firing even if the attack is cancelled before damage is done.
You also may want to specify a condition that the owner of the damaging unit is not the owner of the damaged unit, so you can't leech by attacking your own units.
You should use a Redirect Missile effect instead. I think the missile-effect retargeting is primarily for if a missile's target dies mid-flight and probably will be error-prone if you use it to try to redirect missiles to a specific target. 50 range is ridiculously large too.
Look at the Shield Generator map for an example.
You can create a behavior (Buff - "Retarget Shields") and give it a periodic Search Area effect, then place this on the shield generator (or missile, if you swap the target and caster). Give the Search Area effect a Redirect Missile effect, validating that only missiles you want to hit the shield are redirected only to the shield.
If you set it up for the shield, essentially you are having the shield periodically search for nearby missiles. When it finds one, the shield (through a Redirect Missile effect) changes the missiles target to the shield..
0
What you trying to do?
I think you can create a dummy missile that stops when it hits any unit.
You can use things like impact effects, periodic effects on the missile itself, etc to do a lot with that.
Like you can have the unit attack anyway but not have the bullets hit the target (they hit the car first).
You can try thing with validators too, but no idea if they'd work:
Validate that there are no units with a distance from the caster less than the distance from the caster to the target && the distance between the caster and unit + the distance between the target and unit must approximate (can you have +- in validators) the distance between the caster and target.
0
@TyaArcade: Go
Thanks a lot for the help folks. Just to clarify.
Assume I am making a MOBA, I can put all data (hero stuff) and all triggers (waves, hero select dialogs, etc) into a Mod and put this onto a new map.
Of course I'd have to re-place points and regions, then go through the triggers and re-reference them. No big deal.
If I want to make balance updates (weapon damage, or a timer's rate of expiration) - I'd make the updates in the mod.
Would these automatically update in any maps with the mod as a dependency? Or would I have to reload the mod or whatnot? I'm assuming I'd have to republish any maps, just wondering if the editor sees "oh hey that mod changed, let me update this map here"
And if I apply a mod to my original map (the one with the stuff I am turning into the mod), will it overwrite everything with the mod's info?
0
I'm working on a game I'd like to be able to play on several maps (maybe 1 is a jungle arena, the next is on a spaceship...)
The maps would need to share Data, Triggers and Regions/Points though regionds and points aren't too important.
What would be the best way to update multiple maps with the same data and triggers, rather than manually editing each map.
Can you import data and trigger libraries without overwriting map-specific trigger/data (wouldnt share ID's with the importing assets)?
And what is the best means to do this?
0
@Demtrod: Go
Uhh... ok ok. This is messy.
If the summoned units don't use energy, you can use the energy as a timer - set their energy regeneration rate to -1 per second.
You then have, on Summoned Unit Birth, a Search Area Effect run that looks for units of that type.
This Search Area has an Enumerate Area Validator for the Target checking for units that fulfil another two Validators - Same unit type, and Target (of Enumerate Area) has less Energy than the Target of the Search Area Effect. Enumerate Area is set for the entire map.
The Enumerate Area Validator is set to negative, so it's validating that there are no units of the same type with less energy on the map. If this is true, that means that that target of the Search Area Effect is the oldest (lowest energy) unit of that type on the map. It then applies an effect killing it.
You can also use Veterancy, Behavior Count or maybe even a unit field instead of Energy.
I'm not very good with the whole Caster/Target/Source stuff so I'm not sure what value to set for what and for what effect, but I think this'd be possible.
0
When I start a map I like to lay out all units/buildings I think I want to use, organize them on-map and whatnot. Helps to see them when you are planning factions.
Few Tips
2) Copy a Gather ability for gathering and put it on your unit. Check the Resource Drop Off fields on the unit so resources can be deposited at it.
"Upgrades" like requiring a spawning pool are handled through the Requirement data type. This data type can check if a player has researched an Upgrade (separate data type), if they have a certain unit type (like if they have a lair) and more. You link this to an ability to make that ability require meeting that Requirement.
The Validator data type is in a sense like a Requirement for Effect and Behavior (buffs) data types. They are quite different in what they can do (validators usually check the target/casters status, requirements check the player) but they both fulfill the role of enabling/disabling something.
Abilities and Weapons are ways of initiating an Effect, essentially how you get a unit to use an Effect (things like applying buffs, doing damage etc are Effects). Abilities and Weapons inherit the validator of the primary effect they cause, meaning it can't be used if that validator returns false. Most accept only 1 "primary" effect but you can use a Set Effect to combine multiple effects - but be sure you validate at the set level. Learn what the Caster/Target/Source fields (usually under an effects Target tab) do asap.
3/4) Easy. Basic triggering and ui/map setting changes. May take some time to figure out where to enter those values but its pretty simple.
5) importing is actually really easy and quick, so don't be afraid to try it. Only thing that's weird is setting textures if the model isn't pretextured.
0
Implemented Strains
Dune-Runners Omnivorous, fast and vicious. Dune-Runners (zerglings) travel in vast swarms across the map, devouring all opponents and resources in their path Reproduces rapidly, but must reproduce in spawning pools. Initially weak but scale exponentially with upgrades.
Roaches Durable, Roaches aren't the strongest but are damn near impossible to exterminate. Can almost instantly replenish their numbers, regenerate very quickly, can burrow to set up ambushes and can be upgraded to split into Roachlings upon death that can grow into full-sized Roachs.
Hydralisks Powerful with a ranged attack, Hydralisks automatically from Dens and can collect meat to feed to their young to increase reprduction rate.
Hive Defensive structure-building race, spawns from Hatcheries and excels at map control. Spreads creep.
Automatons Self-assembling machines. Powerful in short engagements, builds advanced caster units instead of researching upgrades.
The Brood Controls a single all-powerful Brood Mother and her swarm of Broodlings
0
Select a Strain, kill and devour your enemies, collect Essence and evolve.
Introducing a game that attempts to bridge the gap between goal-focused single-hero games and full-scale macro-heavy RTS', Kill Devour Evolve is an objective-based "mini-rts" where players select one of several Strains and compete in events to earn upgrades, evolutions and Essence for victory.
I previously posted this in early-alpha as "Darwin's Paradise", but have made significant developments since then and the game is almost ready for a Beta Phase (all features implemented, but with limited events and strains and with imperfect balance).
Please check out the game, available in the North America arcade as "Kill Devour Evolve (Alpha Playtest) and let me know what you think! Any and all recommendations / comments are welcome, and if you're interested in checking out the map file please let me know and I can send you an unlocked copy - I'd love to hear feedback on how efficient my data/triggering is, and would be happy to share any features with other mapmakers.
I intend to implement a mirrored team map set up somewhat like a MOBA, which I will try to get out once I have all features in and major bugs squashed. Input on "MOBA-fying" my map would be welcome as well - What would be cool team objectives? Would defensive structures / creep waves fit the game? Etc. etc.
Concepts/Goals:
0
@ImperialGood: Go
I see the point about cheating. Personally though, I don't care about "cheating" at the moment - I want a way to track pick / win rates and such for multiplayer versus balancing.
I disagree that they'd have very little usability, though a lot of the usability could be kinda accomplished with Map Updates - but using banks would allow for a more "organic" process that can progress without the map owner's interference.
Wouldn't that defrauding rely on the defrauding players running a modified copy of the map that accesses the same bank? Not sure how they can corrupt the bank by just playing the map otherwise. Wintrading and other malevolent behavior that takes place within the "rules" of the map would be a problem for all types of banks.
Server-side map-attached banks don't need to replace the current local banks, I was thinking of them more as a server-side place for the "map" to store data. Synchronization wouldn't be an issue for this if timestamps are attached to any saved data, with each sync comparing and taking only the most recent if there is a conflict. I'd assume the bank would only update before/after games though, I can see dynamic updating during a match leading to a ton of problems.
Currently the only way I can think of to do this would be to attach game info to every player's bank with a timestamp, then run a trigger every match pulling all these, saving all unique timestamps into an array or whatever then saving it over the previous data in each player's bank. Essentially seeding all pick/winrate information between all players - but this relies on me playing the game with someone well-connected to the network to load the info into my bank for reading, and risks missing out on data if the network is disconnected at points.
0
@ImperialGood: Go
I assumed by server-side banks they meant banks per-map, with the map being able to read any banks attached to it - even if the player or however they do it isn't playing the map at the time.
I guess that's a bit of an assumption.
If it's just a server-side version of the current bank system, who cares? But the above would be amazing. Where does it say what they were considering?
0
@TheUltragon: Go
Would be great for keeping track of Pick/Winrates.
I'd rather not have to set up some sort of "viral" thing to do so. Actually that sounds kinda fun, but still.
0
You can have every Hero have several Behaviors on it with a Periodic Effect looking to apply a Buff to Monsters. You can have one of these for several "tiers" of level differences - for instance 1 (barely harder), 3 (little harder), 6, 10, 20, 35, 50 (impossible)
Each one of them uses a Unit Compare Veterancy (you can try using another Unit Compare) validator to compare the difference in levels between the target (Monster) and source (Hero). Pretty sure this works if you set the Other Unit fields. And make sure you set it to Greater Than or Equal To or Less Than or Equal To (not sure which it'd be)
If the Monster is that many levels higher than the Player, it'll apply the buff which increases the Monster's attack speed or even health or armor by an amount you want for a short period, maybe 1 second. You can either stack the effects (so he'll be hit by multiple Buffs) or use a Switch to only apply one of them.
You set the debuffs to how you feel they should be - maybe a Monster 50 levels higher will gain 500 armor and do 1000% damage?
Won't be that much work if you only have a couple of tiers, but setting one of them up for every level difference would be a pain.
If you need to have multiple Heros of different levels, you can switch it and have a DEBUFF applied to the Hero so a stronger Hero can beat up a dragon while a level 1 peasant smokes a pipe nearby.
0
If you have the Bunker casting an ability targeting the units, with an issue order effect that commands unit to use the Bunker's ability... You could have the caster/target values switched up.
Sounds like you're having the Bunker issue a command to the Marines ordering the BUNKER itself to use an ability. But maybe you got it right. If you put the ability on the command card and use it manually, does it work? Also, Index 0 may be Load All not Load Unit. Not sure if that matters.
Does allowing Self-Cast on the Load/Unload ability under Commands - Flags do anything?
0
Try changing the Event to
Any Unit Takes Fatal or Non-Fatal Damage (from [Specify your Weapon's dmg effect here])
It may be more reliable, I've had issues with using attack firing even if the attack is cancelled before damage is done.
You also may want to specify a condition that the owner of the damaging unit is not the owner of the damaged unit, so you can't leech by attacking your own units.
0
You should use a Redirect Missile effect instead. I think the missile-effect retargeting is primarily for if a missile's target dies mid-flight and probably will be error-prone if you use it to try to redirect missiles to a specific target. 50 range is ridiculously large too.
Look at the Shield Generator map for an example.
You can create a behavior (Buff - "Retarget Shields") and give it a periodic Search Area effect, then place this on the shield generator (or missile, if you swap the target and caster). Give the Search Area effect a Redirect Missile effect, validating that only missiles you want to hit the shield are redirected only to the shield.
If you set it up for the shield, essentially you are having the shield periodically search for nearby missiles. When it finds one, the shield (through a Redirect Missile effect) changes the missiles target to the shield..
0
@nostradamus1915: Go
Not sure how you have it set up. Maybe it's disappearing because it can't find a new target?
What do you mean by "all other units become not valid"? And what kinda triggers are you using? You can do redirecting like that without triggers.
Are you using a Redirect Missile effect?