Suggestion: speed controlling

[Das Bruce]

it would look weird when the mechs slide over ground without moving.

Hence why they pause between each step.

[TradeMark]

it would look weird when the mechs slide over ground without moving.

That is impossible? How anything can slide if it cant move?
Explain more, i didnt understand.

If you ment the unit is moving without animating, then you are wrong, we are not going to stop animating. If the unit will move slower, it will just animate as fast as normally.

[alik83]

Ok, I agree with Smoth partly in the point that it would at least be a LOT easier to create groupAI (or selectedUnitsAI with CTRL/ALT-Move) that, when given a move or patrol command, would create waypoints and make units wait for others on those waypoints, and it would kinda solve the problem.
On each waypoint units in front should just wait for units in back to get just close enough(within a radius that depends on group size) and then continue to next waypoint (which would eliminate the unnesessary moving around which occurs when the group stops). In the end destination they could arrange in formation (like with ALT key). Or you could code them to try to keep formation on each waypoint too. If the frequency of waypoints would be right it should be quite efficient.
I might try to get into programming this soon, if someone else would like to try/has ideas/code, that'be great too;) cause it would only require some code in selectedUnits.cpp, SelectedUnitsAI.cpp or writing a separate groupAI.

P.S. And I'm requesting an option to make shortcut keys for groupAIs!

[Masse]

it would look weird when the mechs slide over ground without moving.

That is impossible? How anything can slide if it cant move?
Explain more, i didnt understand.

If you ment the unit is moving without animating, then you are wrong, we are not going to stop animating. If the unit will move slower, it will just animate as fast as normally.

iff the unit is forced to move really slow it does moonwalk ^^ AND THAT SUCKS

[Pxtl]

Nobody will use it if it is mod sided, FFS!!

Spring never goes better if every new feature is mod sided!!

No no no, this is totally backwards. Spring never gets better if modders have a billion locked in features that they are forced to use. Everything short of the way the engine renders maps, the way it renders models and the way units determine that they shouldn't just be falling through the ground should be modifiable mod side.

It's BAD BAD BAD development practice to lock content and features. This is the kind of thing that should be mod side AI controlled. Just because it's good enough that virtually every mod would use it doesn't mean that every mod should be forced to use it.

There are justifyable reasons why I might want one or all of my units not to have that kind of control over thier speed.

QFT. If all features are bundled into every mod, then all mods are the same. There would be no "starcraft-style mod" and no "homeworld-style mod" - all mods would be "AA with different units"... which is kinda what it is currently. It's really hard to change the core gameplay when everything has the same build/assist through nanolathes, fire-while-moving, no-shooting-through-units, metal-and-energy resources gameplay.

All of Spring's mods are currently really just TA mods. If every feature is added to the core UI, that will never change. Plus, by dumping everything into the main UI, it means it's impossible to make a simple n00b oriented mod that has less than the current 50-bazillion controls.

[alik83]

Noticed in the SVN that SJ just made maxspeed control setting possible! This is great news;) , just have 2 questions:
1) Will the setAcceleration or setMaxAcceleration be also available because if maxSpeed would change and acceleration would stay same:
a)Fast units with slow maxspeed and FAST acceleration would look weird.
b)The biggest purpose for setMaxSpeed- making group of units move together (maybe in formation) would be ruined because when units will encounter any obstacles and slow down, faster units will accelerate more and get ahead.(espec important for air units)

2) Will the unit's walk animation slow down proportionally?(Just for better look)

[smoth]

1) Will the setAcceleration or setMaxAcceleration be also available because if maxSpeed would change and acceleration would stay same:

I am not sure on the acelleration but I never notice it that markedly..

a)Fast units with slow maxspeed and FAST acceleration would look weird.

If someone doesn't cover it in the script....

b)The biggest purpose for setMaxSpeed- making group of units move together (maybe in formation) would be ruined because when units will encounter any obstacles and slow down, faster units will accelerate more and get ahead.(espec important for air units)

umm, no... I am pretty sure you misunderstand... this does not do the gey formation thing people wanted it is so we scripting people can change speed in our scripts.

2) Will the unit's walk animation slow down proportionally?(Just for better look)

That is all on the person scripting the unit.

Code: Select all

Adds new cob get/set constant MAX_SPEED (75)

COB.. which means VIA SCRIPT!

[dogthinker]

BTW, referring back to original post. You can acheive this by building one slow unit (doesn't have to be a strong unit, just a slow one) then getting some other units to guard it. Then it looks like you have a group of slow units. Of course slow /= strong, but I guess not everybody realises that.

[smoth]

interesting... I'll have to try that!