Feature Request

[Icepick]

Ive got 2 requests for additions to the modding system:

1. A new building type, similar to the StaticShape, except that it is destroyable. When its intact, it is Online, and once it's destroyed, it becomes Offline (for the sake of scripts, mission objectives).

2. AISpawnPoints that only spawn when the building they are linked to is online, and will stop if it goes offline, and start again if the building goes back online.

Thats all!

Edit: Another idea! Actually an extention of the 2 I just posted but there you go. A Destroyable Building, which spawns a specified unit until its destroyed. Spawning can be set to 'off' by default, and activated by another building (safearea, control tower, etc).

[The GoldFish]

I'd like it if buildings being online/offline reflected their current status - eg safe areas still seem to be on if their unit contents falls back below their activation point.

[FinnG]

it would be useful if you could have more than one portrait to talk to

[trickfred]

It would also be useful to be able to designate different graphics to different group of Virii - and Darwinians, not sure if that's possible either.

[Icepick]

Well I had tried to use an AntNest with a new shape and no ants as a destroyable building, but unfortunately, AntNests don't appear to have any online/offline states, which means they cant be directly used for mission objectives, and since I dont want any ants at all, I cant use an ant count either. Back to the drawing board, i guess.

Edit: Tried putting Walls around the Nest and using a single ant, but unfortunately, ants ignore wall clipping and just walk right through :/

[mindule]

Well, can grenades/ rockets pass through laser walls? If not, then maybe you can make some sort of raised land that you can throw grenades off of.

Or, since I just realised it, you need the ant alive, eh?

[The GoldFish]

hey uh, did setting the army ant's speed to 0 cross your mind?

[FinnG]

cool idea

[Tortanick]

Tiffid with no eggs?

[nihilisthetics]

Id like to be able to set the root folder for all your mod files from within a script

[Icepick]

hey uh, did setting the army ant's speed to 0 cross your mind?

Actually, no it hadnt. There are a couple of issues with that, which are easily fixed (ie, ants from an AntNest dont show up as ArmyAnts for SafeArea purposes on initial level load), so you need to create a seperate ant and put it down, but anyway, that part is now working.

Problem is, I still have no way of shutting down spawn points if there is more than just that as a mission objective (ie, destroying the one building isnt the the only objective - spawn points only turn off when objectives are complete).

[Cyberdyne]

I`d like the mod directory structure altered so that different levels can have different sprites and models etc.

A general folder for all levels and map_name folders for individual levels which overide the general folder, with stats.txt and shapes, sprites and textures folders in each map_name folder.

And finally, a 'Release Mod' option in the editor which packs it into a rar .dat file which can be just dropped in the mods folder, instead of having to extract a zip file. This shouldn`t be a problem as rar is already supported.

Another idea, an enemy_stats.txt with research levels as well so reds and greens can have different abilities. So that the reds can use only airstrike for example. This should also go in the map_name folders.

Icepick, ants ignore wall clipping because they don`t have a Gunmetal material strip applied in their shape files.

[The GoldFish]

Squads and officers don't have one either - does it only effect enemies then?

[Cyberdyne]

I`m not sure, I assumed the gunmetal material works collisions because a while back I removed the gunmetal strips from the powerstation and then everything passed through it. However, (slaps my head) I`ve just tried something out and engineers and squads are now colliding with one of my own static shapes(recogniser) without gunmetal material.
But again I just put a new shape in and nothing collides with it. Its a bridge too, so I was hoping my squads, dg`s and officers could use it but they can`t. Arrghh. Its driving me mad.

[xander]

In the spirit of asking for more building types, I have another. I would like to see a building type that is (again) much like StaticShape, however with the addition of markers/ports for DGs. The building is offline until the ports are filled by DGs, then it becomes online. Bonus points if the user can set how many of the total ports must be filled to bring the building online.

If anyone knows of a way that this can be done now, I'll buy them a beer.

xander