[ian-reeds-games] Re: Some feature suggestions

  • From: Zak Claassen <zak.claassen@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: ian-reeds-games@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2013 22:06:01 +0200

Hi, didn't know about the error, I just tested it and apparently the
AI doesn't realise the range is being limited and tries to use the
skill at its original range.  Just in case it helps to find the bug,
the message I get when an enemy archer, standing on terrain which
decreases range by 1, tries to use an attack which has an initial
range of 3, is:
That is too far away, you can only perform attack 2 spaces away.
There is a bug in the artificial intelligence.  It was trying to perform attack
Hope that can be fixed at some point.  I'm not making a map that I'm
going to release yet, since it's my first map its more for testing and
playing around with ideas than anything else.

On 1/17/13, Allan Thompson <allan1.thompson@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> Hi Zak,
> The problem, at least with enemy units when it comes to range bonus at a
> negative value, is that the game throws up a error message everytime the bad
> guys want to use it. Still, sight range can limit the range so that is
> something, but doesn't solve the problem entirely. For instance, if someone
> falls into a pit, they shouldn't be able to have a ranged attack within it.
>
>
> Yes, you hit the summon thing on the head. You would use some kind of point
> value for each transportable unit. When you want to load a unit, it  kills
> the unit and then adds a point to the transporting unit. Then it transports
> the unit and summons the same unit back using the point. It isn't a pretty
> way to do it but I think it is possible.
>
> Still, what if your unit is special and has a victory condition attached to
> it, that would end the game, lol. Or what if the unit was injured? It would
> get an automatic healing by loading and unloading off a transport unit,
> although that might make sense in some circumstances.
>
> I like those examples, archers in a boat, or a sniper on a helicopter makes
> a lot of sense for a volume or carry flag. I like the idea that units could
> have diffrent weight or volume values which can mean diffrent squads of
> diffrent units could still use the same transportation unit. I don't know if
> it is easy or not to program either but it should be possible I would
> imagine.
> Thanks for clarifying on the ignore max flag.
>
> So you are making a map of some sort? Can I ask what it is? it sounds
> interesting.
>
> al
>
>
> "The truth will set you free"
> Jesus Christ of Nazareth 33A.D.
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: Zak Claassen
>   To: ian-reeds-games@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>   Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2013 2:11 AM
>   Subject: [ian-reeds-games] Re: Some feature suggestions
>
>
>   Hi Alan, thanks for your reply.
>   You can already decrease a unit's range, just use a negative value for
>   range_bonus, like range_bonus=-1.  I use it in my map to decrease
>   range in jungle terrain.
>   The ignore_max flag allows you to restore health passed a unit's
>   maximum health with a healing skill for example, but it doesn't change
>   the max health itself.  But it would be useful to for example set a
>   unit's team so that you can convert enemy units.  I'm not sure how it
>   would work with adding or removing flags which don't use equals, but
>   that would also be useful, for example to remove a flying flag if you
>   want to land a flying unit.
>   I'm not sure I understand what you mean with using summon, what I want
>   to do is for example have units move onto a ship, then move that ship
>   across water, and then disembark my units on the new land.  Do you
>   mean I should have a skill on the ship which destroys the unit when I
>   want to load it, and then summons it when it reaches the other side?
>   The problem with that is you need a specific unit name in summon
>   (makes me think that some kind of variable to store this kind of thing
>   would be useful).  Um maybe what could be done is have seperate
>   summons for each unit, and let each one require a specific point, when
>   you want to load a unit onto the ship make it use a skill targeting
>   the ship which kills the unit and restores its specific point to the
>   ship, giving it the ability to summon it again.  That wouldn't be very
>   clean but I think it could work.
>
>   On 1/17/13, Allan Thompson <allan1.thompson@xxxxxxx> wrote:
>   > I like alot of your ideas.
>   >
>   > I think along with a sight range bonus there should also be a sight
> range
>   > penelty, likewise with range bonus/there should be a range penelty.
>   >
>   > I like the idea of immunity from a skill, I can see where this could
> come in
>   > useful for a variety of reasons. An elf could have sleep magic immunity,
> a
>   > ring of protection could make someone immune to fire, a radiation suit
> can
>   > make one immune from radiation etc and so forth. In the case you
> mentioned,
>   > your units that shouldn't get a flying skill cast on them, can have an
>   > immunity flag making it impossible to do so.
>   >
>   > I haven't read the user guide lately, but I think there might already be
> a
>   > way to change a flag value, at least for a while. I think it is called
>   > ignore_max or something like that, it is a skill flag I believe. I
> haven't
>   > had a chance to play with that flag yet. I think Austen uses that in
> his
>   > kingdom of war map, so I got to take a look at how it works.
>   >
>   > For just "carrying" units, one way to do it is to use the summon skill
> flag.
>   > Essentially, it can simulate the  carrying of anything that does not
> need to
>   > interact along with the carrying unit. For example, shuttlecraft inside
> a
>   > spaceship, or greek warriors inside a trojan horse.
>   >
>   > Still, your request has great merit cause there is certain ocasions
> were
>   > both the carrying unit and the carried unit can both act, and even
>   > independently of each other. For example a horse and rider. The horse
> can
>   > move, and have actions like attack, while the rider can have their own
>   > actions as well. A summon flag won't really work  completely for a
> situation
>   > like that.
>   >
>   > I wasn't trying to judge your ideas or anything. I just  liked some of
> them
>   > and wanted to expound or  give examples of some flags that might be
> useful
>   > till those things you mentioned get implemented. So I apologize ahead
> of
>   > time if I am stepping on toes.
>   > al
>   > "The truth will set you free"
>   > Jesus Christ of Nazareth 33A.D.
>   >   ----- Original Message -----
>   >   From: Zak Claassen
>   >   To: ian-reeds-games@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>   >   Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2013 12:25 PM
>   >   Subject: [ian-reeds-games] Some feature suggestions
>   >
>   >
>   >   Hi, I've got a few feature suggestions that I would like to see in
> the
>   >   game if they're not too hard to implement.
>   >   1. A sight_range_bonus, not sure if its already planned or weather
> its
>   >   problematic to code or something, but it would just make sense to
> have
>   >   it since we have a range_bonus.
>   >   2. Give a unit/structure the ability to contain other units, to for
>   >   example create a carrier unit/structure to transport other units over
>   >   terrain which they cannot move across, such as a flying carrier or a
>   >   ship to take units across water.
>   >   3. A flag for points that would make so that it wouldn't be read out
>   >   when pressing f4 on a unit.  Would be useful for example when you're
>   >   creating points to do something you can't do directly but it isn't
>   >   necessary for the player to know about them.
>   >   4. The ability to set the value of a unit flag, for example to change
>   >   the team or modify a unit's maximum health, with a skill or effect.
>   >   5. The ability to cause certain units not to be affected by
> particular
>   >   skills.  I remember this one being mentioned before.  For example, I
>   >   have a skill which, when used on units, allow them to fly for a turn,
>   >   but there are some units for which I don't want this to be possible.
>   >   Not sure how many of these are practical, just some ideas.
>   >
>

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