[Brainstorimg ideas or coding help] - Ambush

06-08-2008, 10:57 PM

Hi everybody:

There's one spell that has made me sick for a long time and it's called Ambush. The spell does the following:

A land unit jumps to get a flying unit.
The ambusher unit gets paused while the spell is active (because it's holding the flying unit on land)
Thew ambusher can be attacked.
The spell effect is removed before its normal duration if the caster or the target dies.

Unfortunately I've been noticing some issues in this spell, and more if you play in bigger maps (there's more chance to get the non known issue).

So I have 2 options:

Replace the spell by other concept
Find a better way of develop this spell.

Meanwhile I'll show you how's the code of this spell so you can get the idea how it was developed.

JASS:

library Ambush requires HandleVars, MovSys, ProjSys

globals
    private constant integer SpellID = 'A00C' // Spell ID, based on Web
    private constant integer BuffID  = 'B00Z' // Buff ID
    private constant real    Height  = 5.    // Sets the height location of the caster respect the flying height of the target unit
    private constant real    dt      = 0.1    // timer interval
    private constant real    Speed   = 1500.
endglobals

private struct AData
    static integer index = 0
    static group Amb
    
    unit caster
    unit target
    boolean hasbuff
    
    private static method onInit takes nothing returns nothing
        set AData.Amb = CreateGroup()
    endmethod
    
    static method create takes unit c, unit t returns AData
        local AData A = AData.allocate()
        set A.caster = c
        set A.target = t
        set A.hasbuff = false
        if integer(A) > AData.index then
            set AData.index = integer(A)
        endif
        return A
    endmethod
    
    method onDestroy takes nothing returns nothing
        call PauseUnit(.caster, false)
        call SetUnitPosition(.caster, GetUnitX(.caster), GetUnitY(.caster))
        call SetUnitFlyHeight(.caster, 0, 0)
        set .caster = null
        set .target = null
        if integer(this) == AData.index then
            set AData.index = AData.index - 1
        endif
        set this = 0
    endmethod
endstruct

private function Loop takes nothing returns nothing
    local integer i = 0
    local AData A
    loop
        exitwhen i > AData.index
        set A = AData( i )
        if integer(A) > 0 then
            if not A.hasbuff and GetUnitAbilityLevel(A.target, BuffID) > 0 and IsUnitInGroup(A.caster, AData.Amb) then
                set A.hasbuff = true
            endif
            if A.hasbuff and GetUnitAbilityLevel(A.target, BuffID) > 0 then
                call SetUnitFlyHeight(A.caster, GetUnitFlyHeight(A.target) + Height, 0.) // this seems it doesn't work
            endif
            if GetWidgetLife(A.caster) < 0.405 then
                call SetUnitAbilityLevel(A.target, BuffID, 0)
            endif
            if A.hasbuff and GetUnitAbilityLevel(A.target, BuffID) < 1 then
                call GroupRemoveUnit(AData.Amb, A.caster)
                call A.destroy()
            endif
        endif
        set i = i + 1
    endloop
endfunction

private function end takes nothing returns nothing
    call PauseUnit(GetUnitProjectile(), true)
    call SetUnitAnimation(GetUnitProjectile(), "stand")
    call GroupAddUnit(AData.Amb, GetUnitProjectile())
endfunction

private function Conditions takes nothing returns boolean
    return GetSpellAbilityId() == SpellID
endfunction

private function EffectActions takes nothing returns nothing
    call SetHandleInt(GetTriggerUnit(), "Data", integer(AData.create(GetTriggerUnit(), GetSpellTargetUnit())))
endfunction

private function Actions takes nothing returns nothing
    local unit c =GetTriggerUnit()
    local AData A = AData( GetHandleInt(c, "Data") )
    local vector pi = vector.create(GetUnitX(c), GetUnitY(c), GetUnitFlyHeight(c))
    local vector pf = vector.create(GetUnitX(A.target), GetUnitY(A.target), GetUnitFlyHeight(A.target))
    local vector vi = vector.create(Speed, GetUnitFacing(c) * bj_DEGTORAD, bj_PI/2)
    local vector vf = vector.create(Speed, GetUnitsAngle(c, A.target), 0.)
    local Projectile P = Projectile.createSpherical(c, pi, pf, vi, vf, GetUnitsDist(c, A.target) / Speed, true)
    call P.SetEndCode(SCOPE_PRIVATE + "end")
    call FlushHandleLocals(c)
    set c = null
endfunction

//===========================================================================
function InitTrig_Ambush takes nothing returns nothing
    set gg_trg_Ambush = CreateTrigger(  )
    call TriggerRegisterAnyUnitEventBJ( gg_trg_Ambush, EVENT_PLAYER_UNIT_SPELL_EFFECT )
    call TriggerAddCondition( gg_trg_Ambush, Condition( function Conditions ) )
    call TriggerAddAction( gg_trg_Ambush, function EffectActions )
    set gg_trg_Ambush = CreateTrigger(  )
    call TriggerRegisterAnyUnitEventBJ( gg_trg_Ambush, EVENT_PLAYER_UNIT_SPELL_ENDCAST )
    call TriggerAddCondition( gg_trg_Ambush, Condition( function Conditions ) )
    call TriggerAddAction( gg_trg_Ambush, function Actions )
    call TimerStart(CreateTimer(), dt, true, function Loop)
endfunction

endlibrary

06-10-2008, 11:59 PM	#2
Kyrbi0	I know you're all about amazing custom triggered abilities... But you could go for an aerial version of Devour (Aerial Capture), and just have the unit that uses it have a custom animation where he jumps high into the air and opens his mouth. Basically would just be Devour, with targets modified to be "Air" (although I'm sure you knew that) :/

06-11-2008, 01:47 AM	#3
JetFangInferno	That might be hard to model because devor puts the devoured unit inside the devourer's stomach. Thus, the devoured unit's model disappears. You would have to create another dummy model or something and that's just really messy.

06-11-2008, 02:19 AM	#4
Kyrbi0	Oh. I was suggesting a similar, replacement ability. I agree, making a dummy model would be messy.

06-11-2008, 02:50 AM

moyack

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kyrbi0

I know you're all about amazing custom triggered abilities... But you could go for an aerial version of Devour (Aerial Capture), and just have the unit that uses it have a custom animation where he jumps high into the air and opens his mouth.

Basically would just be Devour, with targets modified to be "Air" (although I'm sure you knew that) :/

the only thing that don't fit is how a small creature like the demon soldier can eat a big air unit, like a couatl or a dark drake, it would look terrible.

06-11-2008, 03:45 AM	#6
Kyrbi0	Ah, I didn't know the unit that would be using it... Well, you could always fob it off with some method of removing the "eating unit" icon... Otherwise, no idea.

07-06-2008, 03:19 AM	#7
moyack	Ok, since we have other unit which can neutralize air units (Dark Drake), I've decided to change this Ambush ability with this one: Spell Name: Carnage. Spell type: Passive. Description: Gives to the Demon soldier the ability to have a chance of 15% of deal 10 additional damage and convert this damage into heal for themselves (10 hitpoints gained). What do you think??

07-06-2008, 04:05 AM

Kyrbi0

So a passive 15% to deal 10 bonus damage and get 10 hp back?...

Interesting in theory, but execution seems weak. Unless this unit is:
A - very low HP,
B - very low attack damage, or
C - extremely high attack rate,

Then this ability will benefit him almost nothing.
I would suggest either one or two of the following:
- Increase the chance-percentage (like 25%, or 40%)
- Increase the bonus-damage and heal amount (perhaps 50, like a critical strike + effective heal)
- Make him deal X bonus damage (10, ~20, etc), but instead he Heals equal to the amount of damage he does in total (i.e., if he has 12-15 attack damage and deals 13 damage + 10, he gets healed 23 damage)

Meh, just a thought. Cool idea, though; an interesting mix of Critical Strike and Vampiric Aura.

07-06-2008, 04:16 AM	#9
Szythe	Why not base the ambush ability off of aerial shackles? Just mess with the units' flying heights at the beginning when you cast it, and when it ends, and remove the lightning-effect of the ability.

07-06-2008, 04:48 AM

#10

moyack

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kyrbi0

Actually they have low hitpoints and they eventually can get attack speed increase. About the values... well, it's a matter of balance and easily fixable.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Szythe

Why not base the ambush ability off of aerial shackles? Just mess with the units' flying heights at the beginning when you cast it, and when it ends, and remove the lightning-effect of the ability.

But... aerial shackles allow me to melee attackers to deal damage to it?? The problem is not with this spell as is, it consist in that the caster has a small chance (but noticeable in a full house game) to get paused and useless.

One of my last test seems that it showed me the cause: if the target unit dies when the caster is flying toward him, the spell gets the bug. Unfortunately it has been difficult for me to repeat the effect in order to confirm.

07-06-2008, 04:50 AM	#11
Kyrbi0	No, I don't think Aerial Shackles enables ground units to attack it; only Ensnare or Web used on Air units. Assuming you're able to mess with flying height upon casting of Aerial Shackles, I think that's a totally viable option; fits all the parameters you set, and requires minimal (like, GUI even) triggers.

07-06-2008, 04:59 AM	#12
moyack	I need that the land melee units would be able to attack the affected unit, so I based in on web. Additionally there's other problem, if you get the flyheight of the webbed unit, it won't show the current one, but the standard fly height (as it weren't affected by the spell), that means that the caster will look flying over him which is utterly ugly.

07-06-2008, 05:55 PM	#13
JetFangInferno	Perhaps you can get the fly height - a number?

07-09-2008, 03:14 AM	#14
Kyrbi0	Oh, I thought you didn't want allied ground melee units to be able to attack the targetted air unit. Ahh... Then I got nothing. However, if you do decide to go with the Carnage ability, realize that I meant nothing against the ability itself; it's great. But you're right, the numbers are a bit off. I didn't realize you were just posing "test numbers". My bad.

02-11-2009, 01:56 AM	#15
moyack	Solved & closed