I've made a HUGE Carrier ship that shoots a "Beam Swarm" weapon, using the ColossusBeam model. It shoots 5 individual beams, and I know it does(even though I only see 1 beam) because the damage on 1 beam isn't enough to kill a marine but I get 1 shot kills when I test the map now since I figured out how to actually make it fire 5 beams through additional effects::
Swarm Beam (set) (effect calls each Beam 1 through 5 so now I get 1 hit kills regardless
Swarm Beam 1 (damage)
Swarm Beam 2 (damage)
Swarm Beam 3 (damage)
Swarm Beam 4 (damage)
Swarm Beam 5 (damage)
Anyways, I toyed around with Behaviors, Validators, Targets, Searches and whatnot and I cannot figure out how to get the Beams to target separately. I do not want 5 minimum targets before it shoots the beams. If there are 4 targets, shoot beams 1-4 at each target, beam 5 will randomly select 1 of 4 targets, that sort of deal.
I also tried adding 2 Beam Swarm weapons to the same unit, it shows up 'properly' in the editor, but in game there's only 1 weapon tooltip showing and if there are 2, I cannot tell(since the beams target the same target).
I took a peak at the Campaign Medivac upgrade(dual beam/targets) and I was not successful in adapting it to my Beam Swarm.
If I added Medivac - Heal Beam is Busy behavior to the unit/weapon, it won't even fire in game. If I add Medivac - Heal Beam is Available(or whatever - going off memory for now) it will fire the Beam Swarm no problems.
Have you tried weapon options and un-checking only fire at attack target? Might help to look at battle cruisers since they seem to have weapons that attack multiple targets.
Just tried it... Battlecruisers have "Only Fire At Attack Target" checked, but I unchecked it on my Beam Swarm and it did not change a thing.
So then I placed a Battlecruiser & Merc Battlecruiser in the map to see their ATS weapon, it only hits 1 target. I think the confusion(about 1 cruiser hitting multiple targets) comes from the fact that most ppl have more than 1, and with all the "missiles" fired by the battlecruiser(s) make it seem like 1 is hitting more than 1 ground target when in fact they only hit 1 target.
Well, I'll keep trying anyways.
EDIT: I got it working 100% now! I'll make an update with all I had to do(and undo, haha).
OK, SOLUTION TIME!!
I'm not going to make a full on tutorial, because I pretty much followed the
specifically part on 'The Lancer' marine. Except I made my unit a Carrier, with the Dark Carrier model. Tweaked it however I wanted and that's that. For less confusion, my effect/weapon is called Beam Swarm.
Here are 2 things that need to be done.
First, we need to add a new Effect.
Effect Name: Beam Swarm (Search)
Effect Type: Search Area
Based On: Weapon Search Area
AI - AI Notify Flags: Hurt Enemy
Effect - Response Flags: Acquire, Flee
Search - Areas +: Arc 360, Effect - Beam Swarm (Damage), Max Count - 5, Radius - anywhere from 360 to 500(it doesn't make a difference, at least none I could tell).
There, that's done. You now have 1 weapon that can hit multiple targets. Max Count 5 is important in the (Search) effect... that is max # of targets, and the Effect calls up the Damage effect part of the attack. -1 max count = unlimited targets. 15 max count = 15 targets, you get the picture.
Max Count 5 under a (damage) effect does not increase targets fired at to 5. Only (search) effect seems to do that.
Arcs & Radius' below 360 seemed to make a difference, very noticeable with 90 arc 360 radius.
In the case of 360/360, the Beam Ship(Carrier) remained stationary and fired at 5 targets at a time, in a 360 circle until they were all dead, without having to turn to face targets. Sometimes it would even shoot 3 targets above, and 2 targets below the model of the Beam Ship.
In the case of 90 Arc 360 Radius, the Beam Ship would only fire the beams in a 90 Degree Arc at a time, regardless of # of targets in that 90 degree arc. Let's say there are 5 marines to your left, 2 to your right. You order a stop action to the Beam Ship, and it decides to shoot right first. Well it will only shoot 2 lasers(no stacking 3 lasers on 1 unit and 2 on the other) until targets are dead, THEN shoot all 5 beams at the left side.
Some slight oddities with this setup(nothing fatal)
Stationary targets/targets that can shoot back, that have been attacked, will continue to be attacked until dead. Basically, it won't retarget the 5 lasers until they are dead. Throw in 1 Medivac, 4 marines die, well now 4 beams retarget and 5th beam continues firing on original target number 5.
Mobile Targets that retreat/can't fight back(like zerglings) _MIGHT_ be attacked a second time if they are still in range of the attack. The beam seems to recycle target priority in this case based on distance(or so it would seem) even though I did not change any target priorities.
Focus Firing... well... sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. In _MOST_ tests, whatever unit I would click would be fired upon until dead, with 4 other targets randomly chosen (closest to the Beam Ship). And in a _FEW_ tests, the Beam Ship would REFUSE to attack my chosen target and choose 5 random targets, even if within range. And nothing was changed between these tests when it would sometimes and sometimes not focus on a unit.
That's pretty much it!
Also, you DO NOT need the effects listed in my first post, Swarm Beam (Set) and Swarm Beam 1-5 (Damage). Just thought I would make that clear.
The Impact Loction+ field of the Beam Swarm (Search) should be Source Unit. Else, the additional beams will find their targets 360 to 500 units FROM THE TARGET OF THE 1st BEAM, giving a range larger than you set in your weapon.
Yes this I realized a while ago and did fix it. I had noticed that bug quite often, and it only ever really did it from time to time. For the most part I was happy with it at the time.
This was the very first thing I created with the Editor. =D
I just never thought of updating the post.
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I've made a HUGE Carrier ship that shoots a "Beam Swarm" weapon, using the ColossusBeam model. It shoots 5 individual beams, and I know it does(even though I only see 1 beam) because the damage on 1 beam isn't enough to kill a marine but I get 1 shot kills when I test the map now since I figured out how to actually make it fire 5 beams through additional effects::
Anyways, I toyed around with Behaviors, Validators, Targets, Searches and whatnot and I cannot figure out how to get the Beams to target separately. I do not want 5 minimum targets before it shoots the beams. If there are 4 targets, shoot beams 1-4 at each target, beam 5 will randomly select 1 of 4 targets, that sort of deal.
I also tried adding 2 Beam Swarm weapons to the same unit, it shows up 'properly' in the editor, but in game there's only 1 weapon tooltip showing and if there are 2, I cannot tell(since the beams target the same target).
I took a peak at the Campaign Medivac upgrade(dual beam/targets) and I was not successful in adapting it to my Beam Swarm. If I added Medivac - Heal Beam is Busy behavior to the unit/weapon, it won't even fire in game. If I add Medivac - Heal Beam is Available(or whatever - going off memory for now) it will fire the Beam Swarm no problems.
Any Ideas??
Thx for any help.
Have you tried weapon options and un-checking only fire at attack target? Might help to look at battle cruisers since they seem to have weapons that attack multiple targets.
@adovid: Go
Just tried it... Battlecruisers have "Only Fire At Attack Target" checked, but I unchecked it on my Beam Swarm and it did not change a thing. So then I placed a Battlecruiser & Merc Battlecruiser in the map to see their ATS weapon, it only hits 1 target. I think the confusion(about 1 cruiser hitting multiple targets) comes from the fact that most ppl have more than 1, and with all the "missiles" fired by the battlecruiser(s) make it seem like 1 is hitting more than 1 ground target when in fact they only hit 1 target.
Well, I'll keep trying anyways.
EDIT: I got it working 100% now! I'll make an update with all I had to do(and undo, haha).
OK, SOLUTION TIME!!
I'm not going to make a full on tutorial, because I pretty much followed the
specifically part on 'The Lancer' marine. Except I made my unit a Carrier, with the Dark Carrier model. Tweaked it however I wanted and that's that. For less confusion, my effect/weapon is called Beam Swarm.
Here are 2 things that need to be done.
First, we need to add a new Effect.
Second, we need to slightly modify the weapon field(if you followed The Lancer's Weapon section) change
There, that's done. You now have 1 weapon that can hit multiple targets. Max Count 5 is important in the (Search) effect... that is max # of targets, and the Effect calls up the Damage effect part of the attack. -1 max count = unlimited targets. 15 max count = 15 targets, you get the picture.
Max Count 5 under a (damage) effect does not increase targets fired at to 5. Only (search) effect seems to do that.
Arcs & Radius' below 360 seemed to make a difference, very noticeable with 90 arc 360 radius.
In the case of 360/360, the Beam Ship(Carrier) remained stationary and fired at 5 targets at a time, in a 360 circle until they were all dead, without having to turn to face targets. Sometimes it would even shoot 3 targets above, and 2 targets below the model of the Beam Ship.
In the case of 90 Arc 360 Radius, the Beam Ship would only fire the beams in a 90 Degree Arc at a time, regardless of # of targets in that 90 degree arc. Let's say there are 5 marines to your left, 2 to your right. You order a stop action to the Beam Ship, and it decides to shoot right first. Well it will only shoot 2 lasers(no stacking 3 lasers on 1 unit and 2 on the other) until targets are dead, THEN shoot all 5 beams at the left side.
Some slight oddities with this setup(nothing fatal)
That's pretty much it!
Also, you DO NOT need the effects listed in my first post, Swarm Beam (Set) and Swarm Beam 1-5 (Damage). Just thought I would make that clear.
The Impact Loction+ field of the Beam Swarm (Search) should be Source Unit. Else, the additional beams will find their targets 360 to 500 units FROM THE TARGET OF THE 1st BEAM, giving a range larger than you set in your weapon.
@ftbhrygvn: Go
Yes this I realized a while ago and did fix it. I had noticed that bug quite often, and it only ever really did it from time to time. For the most part I was happy with it at the time.
This was the very first thing I created with the Editor. =D
I just never thought of updating the post.