Trigger Examples for Newbs and Experts Alike

Hey all, if you don't already know, I'm currently working on a Total Conversion of Warcraft 3 into Warcraft 2. I've seen a lot of questions recently about Multiboards, Floating Text, and other things that I have in my list of currently working triggers for my TC. So I've decided to share some (most) of the triggers I've currently developed, and do it in one map (like it will be in the finished product). Some are pretty basic, and some are pretty advanced, so I hope this helps a lot of people. Here's a list of what's included in this map download:

Oil Gathering System: This system consists of 21 Triggers and 31 Variables. It has this many in order to increase it's portability (almost 100% copy and pastable to a new map) and to make it very authentic. Oil Tankers disappear when they enter an Oil Platform and are destroyed if it is killed while they are hidden. The tankers automatically find their way back to the nearest drop off point, and this behavior can also be activated by a custom "Return Oil" ability. When tankers return to the drop off with a load of oil, floating text is created above them showing how much oil has been gathered. The floating text rises and fades just like the text for gold and lumber gathering. The amount of Oil is displayed using a Multiboard. Creating a new Oil Patch is very easy, and you don't need to modify the triggers at all! Just place the included custom unit "Oil Patch" and the triggers detect it and do the work for you. This system contains triggers for both advanced and beginning triggerists. There are JASS as well as GUI triggers in it, and anyone looking to see how Multiboards work or how to create Floating Text like bounties or gold/lumber text can easily extract what they need.

Warcraft 2 Style "Upkeep": This system of triggers uses negative upkeep rates to increase gold/lumber production WC2-style when your Town Hall is upgraded and/or a lumber mill is built. Also makes sure to reduce these rates when those buildings are destroyed.

Reduced Training Queue: In Warcraft 2, you could only build one unit/upgrade at a time at one building. This small system uses a unique way of reducing the queue back down to one unit. Also included in this system is a few simple actions to make units only cost food after they've been built, a la WC2.

Selection Lock: One of my more unpopular decisions... this system reduces the amount of selectable units to 9. It functions great, but it has an unfortunate side effect of causing an order issued immediately after a unit is selected to be ignored.

Stop Autocast Repair: The same system can be used to stop any autocast spell. It's one trigger and requires a dummy ability to work with. As it's name implies, it stops Repair from being put on Autocast.

Remove Rally Points: Another unpopular decision... these two triggers remove the Rally Point (ARal) ability from buildings.

Quests: Examples of how to make quests, using the quests from the WC2 Human Mission "Hillsbrad". The terrain in this example is also that of the Hillsbrad mission, except of course of the water and boat. This is for newer modders.

Defeat: Examples of how to create defeat conditions. The example is losing all your buildings. Again, this is for newer modders.

Cheats: Recreates some cheats from WC2 including "Glittering Prizes", "Never a Winner", "day", "ucla", "Unite the Clans", "You Pitiful Worm", "Make it so", and "On Screen". The "Make It so" cheat shows how to call a normal cheat ("Warpten")

Debug Kill: Just a simple trigger that kills all selected units when you type "-kill", used for debugging.

Also, there are many imported files in this map including some custom command buttons by Panto (thanks man) and some from me (these are all conversions of WC2 command buttons except for my "Oil Resource" icon). Also, some modified sounds (the autocast sound and upkeep ring are now blank). There is one modified interface file, and that is for use in the "Reduced Training Queue" so that you can't see the other slots in the interface (even though they weren't used).



I'd really appreciate questions, comments, any sort of feedback :)

Ahhh!

Even if you are trying to make it athentic, please don't do that! if there is one thing that I cant stand about old sratagy games its the fact you can only build one at a time, you have to constantly babysit the freakin' building and keep pressing the "build grunt" button, ITS GOD DAMN ANNYING!.

Oh ya, great stuff

Thanks, man :)

About the train queue... yes, I was trying to be authentic, but it was also a few other things. Being able to build only one unit at a time/building is a balance and playability issue. Warcraft 2 was more about hording units rather than micromanagement, and if you could just sit back and queue units, it would throw everything out of whack. Also, I did it because it's a technical feat, and I learned a lot while doing it. I like to prove that it CAN be done :)

Just dled, have yet to try out but sounds really cool.

I hope you find it interesting and/or helpful :)

EDIT: If you guys liked it, please give it a good rating! :D

Wow, some of those are neat ideas, and really cool, keep it up!

However, some of those are horrible, horrible decisions... I mean, your sending gaming technology BACK 5 years, why do that? Warcraft 3 is heading in a GREAT direction with allowing better control over units in battle. Sure there are some things that could be toned down (like the prowess of heroes), but autocast, large selectable groups, etc. are GOOD things to the game.

Think about it man. Whereas its neat that you have the know how to do these things, no one's going to want to play a gimped game for the sake of old school authenticity. Stick to brining back war 2's atmosphere and story and whatnot, not the 1995 technology of gaming.

Sheesh, one unit queuables... In fact, i would buy you a pizza if you could find away to INCREASE the amount of selectable units...

I mostly really want to borrow your oil system, if that's ok with you, the melee mod i have has a bunch of boats for each race (up to five per race +transporter, eat that!), and that would be a really neat feature to include. With your permission of course...

Sure you can use and/or modify my Oil System, that's what I put it up for :) All I ask is a mention in the credits. About why I made some of the decisions I've made, I explained that in an earlier post in this thread. I hope you enjoy!

Way to share what you've done with the community, element_5, and way to be cool about criticism.

You're making me think maybe I should put out some kind of behind-the-scenes map with generic trigger information, too.

Anyway, good work, and thanks.