Yeah sorta like that, the "buff" would ultimately change what the unit is considered in validators. So really you would be more dependent upon the validators already build into starcraft to help you make certain units attackable and unattackable.
So say in region 1 right below a staircase, the enemy is given the temporary validator of "ground" right at the foot of the stairs. On the top of stairs themselves is a marine considered "stairs," and on the next floor there is a marine given the validator "floortwo." The unit's weapon (his weapon ability to attack) would change per region however.
The marine on the stairs is allowed to attack those individuals with the validator "stairs," since he is on them and "ground" since he should ultimately be able to see the unit at the bottom of the stairs (Weapon Ability 1: Can only attack units with validators "ground" and "stairs"— like a marauder can only attack those units that are considered as "ground" validated [aka why they cannot attack air]).
The marine with the "floortwo" validator would be given the ability to attack units with the validators "floortwo" and "stairs," but would not be given the ability to attack units with the validator of "ground" (Weapon Ability 2: Can only attack units with validators "floortwo" and "stairs").
Triggers would also check height requirements to give certain validator buffs, particularly helpful if your region overlaps the main area of your first floor, second floor, third floor, etc.
That would eliminate the need the check whether or not, with triggers, if unit A could attack unit B depending on whether or not they have certain buffs on them. Instead, the game would do the "buff checking" for you and which attack ability you had would determine whether or not you could attack certain units in specific regions with their respective buff-given validators. By god, I think I confused myself while writing this lol. Sorry if it was unclear or my post took a different direction from your question.
Currently those units are just set up on different heights so that I could make all of the floors, on the same level, at the same height. Sadly there's about 500 doodads PER building, so that sure to cause some havoc to lower end computers >.<! Far clip would not be allowable, though you would have the ability to rotate your camera by 90 degrees so you could see all cardinal directions. Overlapping and using custom occlusion was something I've been pondering for awhile and I'm still debating as to how to go about it.
As far as I know, multi-pathing is impossible and it is not included in my current working theory =X . As far as I know, I think you would need to be a data god to pull that off—so yeah my map would be a series of illusions. The roads are Rubble Wall Corners (at x: 500, y: 500, z: 500 scale) and pushed under the ground until only the top is showing. The white markings are Ground Props that have been scaled accordingly and made white, and of course will be the first thing to go when I decide to cut down on doodad numbers.
Exactly, stairs would apply buffs that would in turn check on or off validators (i.e level one is considered ground and level two is considered air). I'll try to answer
A) Once I think about it some more, its been a hectic day so far.
B) You could make under stairs walkable, except for the first region under the first stair (going from the first to the second floor)—making each region (and its trigger) ask conditionally what the units current height is within a range and if it is not within that range do nothing and if it is lower or raise it accordingly. The first step is the only problem as it would ask whether their height is 0, which in this case it would be, thus raising their height to say .2 height, if they then where at a .2 height and exited the region, ultimately triggering the exit region trigger, they would then be reduced to a 0 height. If they walked under step three, the step would ask whether they were were coming from a height of .8 (the step above) or .4 (the step below), so a height of 0 would not cause the trigger to.. well.. trigger and change the units height. (I hope I stated this right haha)
C) Validators would ultimately eliminate this problem, and since it is a TPS using a different traceline technique there would be no need for a visible projectile so you would not see art effects moving through the ground or other doodads... Instead with an invisible projectile you would only see the art effects of it firing from the attacking unit and an art effect like blood on the hostile target that is hit by the invisible projectile.
D) Yeah, this is my current problem I'm dealing with, is whether to use the actor hiding like librarian said or to search for another way. Either way, its going to be a gigantic pain no doubt, but I saw that from the beginning. This was more a project to test the waters and hope it works in the way I wish it would.
RPG's and grenades I originally saw as a problem, but again you can change hero abilities with triggers due to their heights (so grenade ability 1 throws a grenade at height 1, grenade ability 2 at height 2, etc.) again another pain, but artistic and playable environments on different floors I think are still entirely possible by using that method.
Wow, that got a lot of people talking.. lol. Right now its just the illusion of height so I could map everything out, but I was intending on doing as someone mentioned, height by triggers and using regions & validators to "describe" what level they were on and what level they could shoot. Like what madlibrarian suggested, each stair would actually lower or heighten depending on your previous height, that way you wouldn't get the glitchy movements if you decided to switch directions. Validator's would keep units from hitting those on multiple levels (since it was going to be a TPS mouse-click trace line system), but yes sticking multiple staircases would result in some glitchy substance, but I think that could be fixed—then again it's also 7:40am and I'm not truly awake =P. Hopefully I answered some questions, but I actually need to go to volunteering =X bbl.
I've trying been trying to experiment with the same sort of thing for awhile, my intention was to make a huge map of custom buildings that had higher floors as well as basements for use as a zombie/shooter/etc. map with all levels walk-able. However, it's on hold due to my shatty habit of using too many doodads. So as of now I'm waiting for the moment in which I can swallow my pride, remove some of the detail, and continue onward =/.
Here's some screenshots of it if you're interested, although it's so very far from done or polished (i.e there are no roofs yet):
[Left-most screenshot is a subway] [Right-most screenshot a high security bank]
Thanks Mozared, you were right, looked kinda ghetto sticking out of the mountain side like that lol. I added a pipe like you suggested, hopefully in the way in which you intended; if not, I still think it looks much better than it did before. Also stuck some smaller pipes on the side to make the "big-pipe-look" less monotonous.
I like that you've given yours much more of a grand scale (my two cave entrances are dinky and less ambitious). I find myself wishing the marine in the second picture next to the sandbags was manning that bi-gun turret that is in the campaign facing the exit of the cave, but I also like big guns =P. Also, some sort of supporting beams like the Space Platform Sign Towers would look cool scattered around the interior of the cave I think, just an idea.
That bridge is awesome, I wish I had known about the existence of that sooner... I wanted to put a curved one in the lava jungle WTE we did a while back but I couldn't think of a way to make that flattened log path!
My apologies for the fat all-in-one post lol. Here's the laser gun with the new metal sheath:
Finally found enough time/focus/creativity to come back from my terraining break... but I think I went a little crazy on the environment/lighting effects.
It is supposed to depict the generic "evil-do'er's" lair on an island; added a laser-destruco-cannon jutting out of the mountain on the left side... which would be used for future world domination =P.
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@Scbroodsc2: Go
Yeah sorta like that, the "buff" would ultimately change what the unit is considered in validators. So really you would be more dependent upon the validators already build into starcraft to help you make certain units attackable and unattackable.
So say in region 1 right below a staircase, the enemy is given the temporary validator of "ground" right at the foot of the stairs. On the top of stairs themselves is a marine considered "stairs," and on the next floor there is a marine given the validator "floortwo." The unit's weapon (his weapon ability to attack) would change per region however.
The marine on the stairs is allowed to attack those individuals with the validator "stairs," since he is on them and "ground" since he should ultimately be able to see the unit at the bottom of the stairs (Weapon Ability 1: Can only attack units with validators "ground" and "stairs"— like a marauder can only attack those units that are considered as "ground" validated [aka why they cannot attack air]).
The marine with the "floortwo" validator would be given the ability to attack units with the validators "floortwo" and "stairs," but would not be given the ability to attack units with the validator of "ground" (Weapon Ability 2: Can only attack units with validators "floortwo" and "stairs").
Triggers would also check height requirements to give certain validator buffs, particularly helpful if your region overlaps the main area of your first floor, second floor, third floor, etc.
That would eliminate the need the check whether or not, with triggers, if unit A could attack unit B depending on whether or not they have certain buffs on them. Instead, the game would do the "buff checking" for you and which attack ability you had would determine whether or not you could attack certain units in specific regions with their respective buff-given validators. By god, I think I confused myself while writing this lol. Sorry if it was unclear or my post took a different direction from your question.
@Zolstice: Go
Currently those units are just set up on different heights so that I could make all of the floors, on the same level, at the same height. Sadly there's about 500 doodads PER building, so that sure to cause some havoc to lower end computers >.<! Far clip would not be allowable, though you would have the ability to rotate your camera by 90 degrees so you could see all cardinal directions. Overlapping and using custom occlusion was something I've been pondering for awhile and I'm still debating as to how to go about it.
@madlibrarian: Go
That's pretty much exactly my plan, but if my version works correctly all levels would be accessible.
@SheogorathSC: Go
As far as I know, multi-pathing is impossible and it is not included in my current working theory =X . As far as I know, I think you would need to be a data god to pull that off—so yeah my map would be a series of illusions. The roads are Rubble Wall Corners (at x: 500, y: 500, z: 500 scale) and pushed under the ground until only the top is showing. The white markings are Ground Props that have been scaled accordingly and made white, and of course will be the first thing to go when I decide to cut down on doodad numbers.
@Mozared: Go
Exactly, stairs would apply buffs that would in turn check on or off validators (i.e level one is considered ground and level two is considered air). I'll try to answer A) Once I think about it some more, its been a hectic day so far. B) You could make under stairs walkable, except for the first region under the first stair (going from the first to the second floor)—making each region (and its trigger) ask conditionally what the units current height is within a range and if it is not within that range do nothing and if it is lower or raise it accordingly. The first step is the only problem as it would ask whether their height is 0, which in this case it would be, thus raising their height to say .2 height, if they then where at a .2 height and exited the region, ultimately triggering the exit region trigger, they would then be reduced to a 0 height. If they walked under step three, the step would ask whether they were were coming from a height of .8 (the step above) or .4 (the step below), so a height of 0 would not cause the trigger to.. well.. trigger and change the units height. (I hope I stated this right haha) C) Validators would ultimately eliminate this problem, and since it is a TPS using a different traceline technique there would be no need for a visible projectile so you would not see art effects moving through the ground or other doodads... Instead with an invisible projectile you would only see the art effects of it firing from the attacking unit and an art effect like blood on the hostile target that is hit by the invisible projectile. D) Yeah, this is my current problem I'm dealing with, is whether to use the actor hiding like librarian said or to search for another way. Either way, its going to be a gigantic pain no doubt, but I saw that from the beginning. This was more a project to test the waters and hope it works in the way I wish it would.
RPG's and grenades I originally saw as a problem, but again you can change hero abilities with triggers due to their heights (so grenade ability 1 throws a grenade at height 1, grenade ability 2 at height 2, etc.) again another pain, but artistic and playable environments on different floors I think are still entirely possible by using that method.
Wow, that got a lot of people talking.. lol. Right now its just the illusion of height so I could map everything out, but I was intending on doing as someone mentioned, height by triggers and using regions & validators to "describe" what level they were on and what level they could shoot. Like what madlibrarian suggested, each stair would actually lower or heighten depending on your previous height, that way you wouldn't get the glitchy movements if you decided to switch directions. Validator's would keep units from hitting those on multiple levels (since it was going to be a TPS mouse-click trace line system), but yes sticking multiple staircases would result in some glitchy substance, but I think that could be fixed—then again it's also 7:40am and I'm not truly awake =P. Hopefully I answered some questions, but I actually need to go to volunteering =X bbl.
@Scbroodsc2: Go
I've trying been trying to experiment with the same sort of thing for awhile, my intention was to make a huge map of custom buildings that had higher floors as well as basements for use as a zombie/shooter/etc. map with all levels walk-able. However, it's on hold due to my shatty habit of using too many doodads. So as of now I'm waiting for the moment in which I can swallow my pride, remove some of the detail, and continue onward =/.
Here's some screenshots of it if you're interested, although it's so very far from done or polished (i.e there are no roofs yet):
[Left-most screenshot is a subway] [Right-most screenshot a high security bank]
@madlibrarian: Go
Yeah I like window boards too much, just imagine my reaction when I saw the big ones in your terrain. =P
@Mozared: Go
Thanks Mozared, you were right, looked kinda ghetto sticking out of the mountain side like that lol. I added a pipe like you suggested, hopefully in the way in which you intended; if not, I still think it looks much better than it did before. Also stuck some smaller pipes on the side to make the "big-pipe-look" less monotonous.
@Nebuli2: Go
That looks pretty sick already, what percentage done is that in the photo? Definitely looking forward to seeing the end product.
@madlibrarian: Go
I like that you've given yours much more of a grand scale (my two cave entrances are dinky and less ambitious). I find myself wishing the marine in the second picture next to the sandbags was manning that bi-gun turret that is in the campaign facing the exit of the cave, but I also like big guns =P. Also, some sort of supporting beams like the Space Platform Sign Towers would look cool scattered around the interior of the cave I think, just an idea.
@SheogorathSC: Go
That bridge is awesome, I wish I had known about the existence of that sooner... I wanted to put a curved one in the lava jungle WTE we did a while back but I couldn't think of a way to make that flattened log path!
Finally found enough time/focus/creativity to come back from my terraining break... but I think I went a little crazy on the environment/lighting effects.
It is supposed to depict the generic "evil-do'er's" lair on an island; added a laser-destruco-cannon jutting out of the mountain on the left side... which would be used for future world domination =P.