Discussion: How to Implement SCUD Launchers and the Like

[zo-zo]

I've downloaded a SCUD launcher and I would like some ideas on how to implement.

Are you using as artillery; if so, what are you using for the hit animation.

Can it be used to replace a tactical nuke. I'm thinking it can't replace the tactical nuke because the attack animation is the missile on it's way down to the earth and I don't want to see a SCUD laucher flying down to earth.

Cruise missile replacement, this seems to have the most promise.

I'd like some ideas/thoughts.

 

[Wyrmshadow]

Cruise missile tag so you get 1 use out of it.

Or very expensive super long range artillery unit.

 

[MeteorPunch]

Are you using as artillery; if so, what are you using for the hit animation..

The hit is the explosions that occur with "Bombard FX" checked. It works best as a "very expensive super long range artillery unit," like Wyrmshadow said.

Cruise missile won't work unless there is a animation for the rocket coming down and striking the target as "Attack," and another one of the rocket exploding as "Death." Perhaps these could be borrowed from other units though.

 

[Wyrmshadow]

I thought that was only the case when it's an air unit. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but if a land unit has the cruise missile tag, then it dies after 1 use, like a tac nuke.

 

[tom2050]

Yea, cruise is a one-time shot.

You actually don't need an Attack animation for a cruise missile. If there isn't one, the game just doesn't play anything. Pretty sure, because cruise missiles in CoMM3 don't have attack flc's (empty in the INI).

Death applies to cruise missile hitting a target, and it applies to a cruise missile from being destroyed by an enemy unit IIRC... This would cause the problem right there.

Unless Victory animation can be used for cruise missile hitting the target. Then it would work.

 

[zo-zo]

If I use it as artillery:

There are 4 hit.flc's in the trajectory folder: hit.flc, hit2.flc, hit3.flc and hit5,flic.

I can't seem to find how they are assigned.

Is it by bombard strength in the editor. Is it by era. There doesn't seem to be anything in the pediaicons for it. There is an ini file for each, is it hardcoded for the assignment of the ini file.

 

[MeteorPunch]

Is it by bombard strength in the editor. Is it by era. There doesn't seem to be anything in the pediaicons for it. There is an ini file for each, is it hardcoded for the assignment of the ini file.

Seems to be random. A hit that knocks of 2 or more HP's will often play different animations for each hit.

 

[zo-zo]

Seems to be random. A hit that knocks of 2 or more HP's will often play different animations for each hit.

That makes some sense, I forgot about the double and triple hits. The explosions are different sizes when you play the flc's.

Problem is there will be more than one explosion for the SCUD hit, I guess they could be collateral damage explosions.

So the only way to guarantee a bigger explosion is to change all the flc's to larger explosions.

That will mess up the other artillery hits as the explosions will be too big.

Do you remember if the larger explosion is the first one and then progressively smaller explosions, or is it completely random.

 

[zo-zo]

I think I might use this for the hit.flc for the SCUD.

I borrowed the tail piece of Wyrmshadow's SCUD (hope he doesn't mind) and used a piece of the SDI laser animation and I cut and pasted them into this.

It seems to run fast here.

 

[W.i.n.t.e.r]

looking nice (gifs often run too fast on browsers)