OrbWeaver on 8/5/2005 at 19:39
Quote Posted by Bumbleson
Ahem....if my eyes don't betray me, that is exactly what they're doing: they throw a "copy" of their glaive, followed by a trail of blue light, and the "original" is still in their hands.
I think they might look better if the glave itself was more visible (it tends to get lost in the emitter to give the impression of a photon cannon or something), moved faster, left a longer, more persistent trail that faded slowly (or drifted away like smoke), and if the trail was a black or dark red rather than electric blue.
This would then look like it was throwing a super-fast red-hot metal projectile, rather than firing a futuristic weapon.
Crispy on 9/5/2005 at 11:23
Quote Posted by Bumbleson
Ahem....if my eyes don't betray me, that is exactly what they're doing: they throw a "copy" of their glaive, followed by a trail of blue light, and the "original" is still in their hands.
Heh... really? I hadn't noticed. I guess the blue glow blinded me to the rest of it. :)
Okay, looking in the editor - it does indeed have the glaive mesh. The emitters used by the projectile are under Actor>FX>Emitter>SpellEmitter, and are called KeeperAssassinGlaiveHitEmitter and KeeperAssassinGlaiveProjEmitter. "Hit" is for when it collides with something, and "Proj" is for when it flies. It's quite simple to change the colour from blue to, say, red; in the emitter class's properties, expand Emitter->Emitters->[#]->Color->ColorScale->[#]->Color, where # is any number that's there. You'll find a whole bunch of colour specifications; change them to whatever you like. I made them red - and it looks a bit cooler but has the same laser-blast effect. (And as someone mentioned earlier, coolness is not the point; it's the problem. :))
Emitters are pretty versatile, though, so just about any kind of effect you like is possible. Check out the various kinds of smoke under Actor>FX>Emitter. A toned-down fire effect in combination with a tweaked smoke emitter would probably look quite good. Keep in mind that effects used for a projectile are different from those used for a static emitter; ChimneySmoke, for example, won't move at all, and will simply emit at the point that the projectile is launched. It never goes away, either. (I tried using it as a test. You end up with permanent smokestacks billowing all around the Enforcer, it's hilarious.)
To attach an emitter to a spell projectile, right-click on the spell projectile's class and choose Show Links. Add a RigidAttachment link to each emitter class that's supposed to travel with it, and a DeathSpawn link to each emitter that's supposed to only display on death.
To use a different projectile altogether, replace the existing Projectile link from the KeeperAssassinGlaive class to the KeeperAssassinProjectile class. (Under WorldObj>SetDressing>AIParts>MagicWand and SpellProjectile>DefaultSpellProjectile respectively.)
I'm looking at all these properties and going "wow, I'm impressed" - emitters and projectiles are both fairly straightforward to use but are also very powerful. I can't wait to see what amazing things people will come up with using these in the future. :)
Fallen+Keeper on 10/5/2005 at 02:51
So exactly what's the status of the new Keeper Assassins? What positions on the list of things that had to be improved can be checked for now?
Bumbleson on 10/5/2005 at 21:20
I don't know for sure. It depends on whether we are satisfied with what we have achieved by now. I'm still racking my brains for a way to make some of the changes available for the OMs, so those without the editor can also use them. It seems that as long as the modifications are restricted to the gamesys and new scripts, they can be used with the shipping version of the game by just coping over the modified gamesys and the *.tsd script files. The gamesys would replace the old one in the System folder and the script files would got to CONTENT\T3\TriggerScript\DynamicallyLoaded (the last two folders have to be created first). I've successfully tested this today with my flashbomb script. Of course we would have to merge all the changes in one gamesys file and use script file names that match the references in the gamesys.
So currently I'm looking for ways of improving some of the changes (like the telepathic behavior) in a way that doesn't need level modifications. Unfortunately the limited scripting system is about to thwart me again :mad:
I need a way to create a link from/to all instances (!) of an unlinked archetype class (the assassins) with a script. A more complicated and error-prone alternative would be to replace the assassins in the level with a copy from the archetype (I can do that already), but the copies don't link to the old patrol path.
Maximius on 10/5/2005 at 21:47
Bumbleson, what about a noise, heard only by Enforcers, heard throughout a map, generated by the Enforcer who spots Garrett. The noise would be broadcast by the targeting Enforcer for the length of time it searches for Garrett. They would home in on the noise as they would a normal suspicious sound.
If a noise cannot be transmitted over the entire map, would it be possible to create embedded transmitters that could relay the message? Picture a trigger/stim "node", several of them covering any given map in a grid, buried in architecture or made invisible. When a particular noise, hidden from other AIs and Garrett, is generated, the node nearest the origin "hears" it, is triggered, and fires off another silent signal whose range is at least enough to reach the next node, and which alerts any AIs who are enabled to hear the noise. If this is possible, it could be used as a general network for any special sensory or messaging system for AIs, including a sense of smell or some sort of psychic tracking thingy.
P.S. my vote is keep the glaive as a melee weapon, lose the glaive shaped power bolt, give the Enforcers an assassins weapon like they need, blowgun w/darts ala the apebeasts of T2 or crossbow pistols. Wouldnt mind some spell powers, just not the flying glaive shape.
Bumbleson on 10/5/2005 at 22:14
Maximius, what you suggest would also require level changes. Rantako's method of calling the Enforcer's to the place where Garrett was last spotted does work, but only in newly created maps, because the required TriggerScript link to the GenericActor archetype isn't inherited by the already existing instances of the assassins in the OMs. So I either need a way to create new links or to replace the assassins and link the new ones to the existing patrol paths. The problem is that all the conditions seem to require an already existing link to the object or archetype in question. You can't reference all the concrete instances of a class.
If I use a noise that only Enforcers can hear (I don't even know if that is possible), they would behave as if they had heard the player, even though he may be far away. I don't think this is very realistic. It ought to look as if the one Enforcer that has seen Garrett is summoning his allies and they all come running at once.
Fallen+Keeper on 11/5/2005 at 00:56
I'm sure that if New Horizon is still available, he will help to merge new Keeper Assassins with his Minimalist Mod. :)
Maximius on 11/5/2005 at 13:21
I thought becaues Garrett only hears the Enforcers that there may be some sort of AI specific noises, Im guessing now their sounds probably something specific to Garrett.
Bumbleson on 11/5/2005 at 20:32
The "thoughts" of the Enforcers are not generated inside the game world. They are more like background music or Garrett's own comments. Other AIs can not hear them.
angrypenguin on 12/5/2005 at 18:18
This may be stupid but didnt john p edit the game levels with his texture packs tool.
Or was that something else. :confused:
