Bridge Creation Trigger.

First, thanks in advanced if anyone wishes to help me with this.

I am making a map with a 10 x 10 grid of square islands. Between each island is a single row of shallow water as a separator. To help me explain, I'll just focus on four squares called A1, A2, B1 and B2.

[ A1 ] [ A2 ]
[ B1 ] [ B2 ]

At the center of each side of each square, there is a building (checkered square) that I want to have a button. I want it so that clicking this button will start construction of a building (bridge) that will rise up and connect the two islands.

I also want it so that if one side starts building, it can't be cancelled (if possible)

Thirdly, which I'm sure I could find out... I want it so that starting construction on one side prevents the other side from building, to prevent problems.. (Probably just going to change the checkered box to a red one without the build bridge ability. To alert people on the other side that a bridge is under construction)

Perfered stats in case someone cares to help with this.
Build time: 4-5 seconds or so
Cost: 50 wood

Why cant you just do this by yourself? The concept isnt that difficult. When the guy chooses to construct the bridge, remove the pathing blockers that you placed infront of the bridge (submerged under the water), and slowly rise the Z of the bridge until its what you want. (destructible - set Z ... I think)

to create the bridge just make a trigger to create a destructible when an ability is cast. Also, when the ability is cast remove the ability from the other side. You can cross a bridge while its being built, so an easy way to make them unable to cross it would be to create pathing blockers at both ends of the bridge, and remove them when the time is up. Or have pathing blockers start out in the area near the bridge, and kill them when the bridge is finished. :8

I know it may sound simple to you, johnfn. But everyone starts from somewhere.. and this is my time to start out.

I'm rather new to making trigger based abilities. If I would have done a single one before, I'm sure I wouldn't be asking such a simple question it seems. Do either of you know a good link to the basics of doing this? I'm having issues finding it.

Thanks for both your advices. When you place the destructable, do I have to make a region/set a trigger to that point.. or is there an easier way that could help me along. Doesn't look like it.

Sorry, dont mean to be evil. I came here and i had no idea how to do anything, so i know what its like.

Yeah, there is an easier way. You can just place the bridge where you want it to be (i mean in the WE editor). Then you select it and press ctrl+page down to make it sink below the water. Then, with a trigger (have an event make the trigger fire when you want to create the bridge), remove the old doodad, and create a new one with a higher Z offset.

If this makes no sense (and i think it might not) then just reply saying what doesnt make sense, ill be glad to help.

Good news and bad news.

First, putting the bridge below land still let's the game register that the bridge is indeed there.. no matter how low it goes. So my little unit walks down one side of the cliff, through the water and up the other side of the cliff.

I tried finding a way to make the bridge in the spot with a trigger, and the bridge is "hovering" above the cliffs, where it's sides just sit there and the unit bumps it's head on the side of it.

I tried to find a way to manipulate it in the triggers, but I could only find ways to change the height of units in the triggers, not doodads/destructables.

I put a bridge that I wanted at the point I wanted it, and then used CNTL+PgDown to get it below sight. My goal is to move it up to the level so that it will work as a bridge then.

Toying with finding the trigger, This is what I got.

Unit: Bridge Plot
Equiped ability on Unit: Bridge Build (Customly made)

Trigger:
Event -When Bridge Plot 0041 <gen> begins casting an ability
Condition - Ability cast = Bridge Build
Action - ...

I'm having issues in finding a trigger that can move it up in terms of Z

Ok good. Now what you need is a pathing blocker. goto doodads->pathing blockers. Place a pathing blocker in front of the bridge. Then when you have the trigger to rise the bridge up, remove the pathing blockers. (destructible-destroy)


Edit: Oh, and to set height of destructibles, you will have to destroy the old one (mentioned above) and create a new one via Destructible - create with Z offset. (Z specifies how high the destructable is).

First, I couldn't find any sort of way to create a destructable with Z offset, I can't find that in my options. So I did something rather unusual, that still makes it rather interesting.

I tried seeing what happened when the bridge was set to 0 life, and it did what I thought it did, crumble down and no one could cross it. What's interesting is that it left the two "support pillars" which is just fine, it gives a good "Character" reason why the units want to build a bridge RIGHT there instead of 3 feet to the right.

Then, instead of creating a bridge with trial and error Z triggering (which I felt was impossible at the time) I just had the button trigger "Revive Doodad with birth animation". So now the bridge comes up from the ground in a nifty, not so "sudden" way.

After toying with the darn triggers for about 5 hours straight, it just clicked.

John, at first I was worried that you were rather rude, but you've proven incredibly helpful throught this all, thanks a ton.

i think you can create the bridge and use the animation play death animation in the initialazetion trigger after this use the
destructible hide your bridge.
when you start building use the triggers:
animation play birth animation
you have to make the animation slower if you want the constraction to take more time, sorry i dont remember the exact trigger, then use:
destuctible show destuctible, and i think you will have to use pahing blockers to prevent units to cross the bridge when you construct it.

after I felt like I had a clue what I was doing, I found an interesting way around that, and made it part of my map.

I made a for loop that made integers from 1 to 100 (representing percentage til done)

From there, I made it increment every .3 seconds(30 second build time), and put an effect here and there to make it look smoother. Then showed the output of "integer" as a floating text.

It doesn't make it bad, when you wait til 100 and see the bridge neatly flow up from the ground suddenly.

This will allow for the ally and it's companions in my map to know progress, since there can be times that all three will be waiting for the same bridge, to flow across and attack the other side if it's taken.