SC2Mapster

You could pick a unit with the trigger isntead of having one specific on your map.

I use the trigger below. It picks players from a player group (activePlayers in my case) and runs the actions for each. This works as long as you have only one unit owned per player at any given time. It works for one player at least (I havnt tested online) and I'm not sure that several players can share a camera object.

For the portrait bug, you can see I use the solution Draken2223 suggested in the thread stevehammon reffered to a couple of posts above. I hope the repeat actions forever-part wont slow the game online.

    Events
        Game - Map initialization
    Local Variables
    Conditions
    Actions
        Player Group - Pick each player in activePlayers and do (Actions)
            Actions
                General - If (Conditions) then do multiple (Actions)
                    If Then Else
                        General - Else if (Conditions) then do (Actions)
                            Else If
                            Then
                                Camera - Apply Camera 001 for player (Picked player) over 0.1 seconds with 100% initial velocity, 0% deceleration, and Include Target
                                Camera - Lock camera input for player (Picked player)
                                General - Repeat (Actions) forever
                                    Actions
                                        Timer - Start (New timer) as a One Shot timer that will expire in 0.1 Game Time seconds
                                        General - Wait for (Last started timer) to have 0.0 seconds Remaining
                                        Unit Group - Pick each unit in (Any units in (Entire map) owned by player (Picked player) matching Excluded: Missile, Dead, Hidden, with at most 1) and do (Actions)
                                            Actions
                                                Unit Selection - Select (Picked unit) for player (Picked player)
                                                Camera - Follow for player (Picked player) (Unit group((Picked unit))) with the camera and Clear Current Target
                                        Timer - Restart (Last started timer)

If you want to switch to another unit or point to view you need to use this action first:

        Camera - Stop Following for player (Owner of (Triggering unit)) (Unit group((Triggering unit))) with the camera and Clear Current Target

Otherwise, the camera will attempt to follow both units. You actually use the same trigger fro start/stop followiong. There was a lot of frustration before I foudn that out :)

Please let me know if you try this online. Can several players share a camera object?

This is actually cool, but creates problem when the unit dies. I could tell it with an event to 'unmerge' instead of dying? Also, for the purpose of my Possession ability, I need the Next Unit to be the target unit, which might not be possible to spell out in the events (unless i can save the target as a global variable and use that value in events?)

I currently use the bunker LOAD ability and when using Possession (ability with 0.1 range) on the 'transport' unit, a trigger orders the target unit to Load the caster unit. Another trigger changes the owner. To leave the possessed unit, I simply use the same ability and unload command. Also, I return the 'tranpsort' unit to the previous owner with a trigger.

The only problem is the cargo UI, which covers the unit weapon and armor info. I don't know how to disable it.

Take a peak at the current version of my map if you want, it gives you a better idea of what I'm trying to accomplish and how far I've come. Any feedback is welcome :) Thanks

I encourage the notion to create exercises ... but this ability sounds like it coudl be done in several ways, although the results will be nearly the same.. so what's the point?

An exercise sounds to me like a tutorial lacking the means of the exercise. This looks more like a challenge of some sorts

Quote from Forge_User_44640877: Go

@wingednosering: Go

I tiried this and the missile and beams are synced, but the damage does nto apply. I set my damage effect as the impact effect for both attack actors - beam and missile. Shouldn't it be enough to refer to the damage effect just once, on impact?

I set the damage effect to be the final effect on the Launch Missile effect, and that works. Also, I removed any reference to the damage effect from the attack actors, even the beam, and both still function properly.

Using the final is a workaround, though and I don't understand why I cant do damage on the impact?

Quote from wingednosering: Go

If you want the beam and missile to sync up, remove the damage effect from the set and add it to the impact of the missile. Make sure the missile's actor receives this change as well. I'm not 100%, but that should work.

I tiried this and the missile and beams are synced, but the damage does nto apply. I set my damage effect as the impact effect for both attack actors - beam and missile. Shouldn't it be enough to refer to the damage effect just once, on impact?

Cool, thanks.

What about triggering the behavior when a unit dies? I supose you could run a trigger when a unit dies, pick units owned by the triggering player in a reagion ceated around the killed unit (destroy the region) and and add a buff that starts the behavior .. kindof?

Or can you do that with the data editor also?

Creating regions with every kill might slow the game, I supose.

Edit: sorry if I'm getting off-topic, but it's a valid pursue, taking that it's about incorporating the effect this topic is about.

Thanks for the tutorial.

Could this be used to create a fleeing behavior? I supose I could have an event trigger the behavior instead than an ability - so that when you kill another unit of the same player close by (search area when a unit is killed and trigger the behavior on the ones close by?) - and have the unit wander on and off away from the killing unit.

I can see how this could be done by triggers, I think, but I don't know enough about events.

Also, how do you make the points dynamic, so that the paniced moves away from the killing unit? Is it even possible?

Thanks, but no, the missle does not show when you target a unit - only the beam does. It only appears when targetting a point, although I use "target unit/point". I need the missile to appear when targetting units also

EDIT: I tried adding my missile launch to the set, and it worked almsot the way I wanted. However, the beam is instant, does damage to target, and the missile won't reach the target until the second after. The effect I am looking for is for the beam to appear when the missile reach the target.

Before I started to work on the missile the beam wasn't instant, but appeared only when the search area detected a unit.

There are a coupple of other issues with the ability also that you might want to know of, or test with the original tutorial beam/missile (since my variant might be a little off).

1. The aim precision is awful - if there are two units right beside one another, and you target one of them, it will just as well hit the other one. I believe I fixed this by chagning the range of the search area to 0.1 instead of 1. Correct?

2. If you aim right between two units, sometimes, the search area hits both and the effect appears on both of them. This could also have to do with the radius of the search area? The number of targets should be limited to 1, though. Could I been missing some setting for this?

3. The missile travels along ground and does not collide with cliffs or anything but targettable units. It will travel down and up a cliff, which looks strange. Optimally, a missle should go is past any downward cliff and colllide with any upward cliff (or ramp), I think, and playing the proper impact effect. This is about tweaking - do you think it's possible?

4. If your caster unit is moving when the missile launches, it will launch in the oposite direction. Not sure if this also applies to the persistent, though.

As a side note, I'm not meaning to critize, just help out.

Cool, thanks. I havn't been able to solve it

I'm using both a missle and a beam, having the beam appear only when you hit a unit with the ability. For some reason there is no longer any damage done. This bug appeared when I got the missile dummy to work and I fail to see how those coudl have anything to do with another.

I'm taking a good long look at what I've done so far, trying to understand what went wrong where. It might be obvious to you, though, if you'd be so kind and take a look at my current setup in the data editor.

EDIT: sorry - the damage DOES apply .. I fixed that. But the missle doesnt appear when targetting units, only when targetting points. That's the problem

I got the missile to work, following a very basic tutorial from Riley: http://rileystarcraft.blogspot.com/2010/06/tutorial-create-missile-weapon.html

I also took the necessary steps in your reply post on how to change from missle to beam. However, my beam still appears upon impact (which is not an issue), and the missile only appears when targetting units. Do I need a second miss-actor?

Edit: I've tried a damage dummy and a seperate missile action actor, with events and launch effect accordingly, but the missile doesn't appear. Could you explain step by step how to set it up and more importanly - why? I woudl be grateful, and would try out your long range variant also :P

It seems to work as intended now. I had my set (apply buff- and do damage-effects) in the expire field of the first persistent I made. I set expire to the remove buff as you suggested. I never had a set for the remvoe buff and damage dummy. I have toyed aroudn with the Data editor some and goind to take a long look at this .. to be frank I don't udnerstand all of it. Why, for isntnace, do I need a damage dummy?

Thanks again, btw - and to give you some constructive feedback - more explanations of what each step int e tutorial does, would help. It also wouldn't hurt to learn that your ability needs to use the first persistent as effect - effect.

I'm moving on to trying out missles instead of beams, and try the longer range variant for you. I'll Let you know of my progress :)

PS. I will also attempt at making several validators that tells the missle to affect certain units with buffs, but still moves through them - while some units will collide with the missle and take damage .. but first sthings first.

Thanks for the tutorial. I'm trying to use this for a possession-ability, where the caster casts a dummy ability on target (range 1) and the target by triggers gains the comand center load ability and is ordered to load the caster. The problem is the caster isn't loaded. I can, however, as the caster unit, right click on the transport to get loaded.

This is the action:

Unit - Order (Triggering ability target unit) to (Ghast - Shell - Load (Command Center) targeting (Triggering unit)) (Replace Existing Orders)

Anyone got an idea why this isn't working? I've also tried the Load (Bunker) command. Thanks

Edit: I got it to work by using the data editor instead. I also need to figure out how to remove the cargo status UI that overrides the weapon and armor UI for the transporting unit.

Thanks a lot for taking your time and checking out the problem in my map. It works - although when the Spear Contact buff is applied to caster, the ability cease to function. Do I really need 3 persistents and the buff, still?

PS. thanks - it's a placeholder map though, but I'll like to repeat the terrain concept .. orange fog, green/grey rocks and blue details looks nice I think.

Quote from wingednosering: Go

Sorry for not responding for so long guys. In answer to the 'miss' questions, another value needs to be set, which I forgot to list, which causes your beams to produce the effect Nahotnoj described when left unaltered. I have updated the first post with the missing value.

I am also going to add an 'alternative method' to the first post for long range abilities.

Good to see you're back! For us who have already doen the tutorial - what other value needs to be set? About the lon range alternative, shouldn't this replace the original method.. 'cos it's better?

Update:

I found it under "fun additions" and tried it out. It doesnt work for me. Should my ability use the search behavior? My ability is called "spear" Thanks