shield improvements

[1v0ry_k1ng]

wishlist:

shields dont overlap when two are touching, they link

some work around so shields only slightly larger than hitsphere still function (and fast projectiles cant sneak through)

[Hoi]

some work around so shields only slightly larger than hitsphere still function (and fast projectiles cant sneak through)

That's not as easy as you think.

[CarRepairer]

wishlist:

shields dont overlap when two are touching, they link

Hey that's a cool idea. Lua maybe? My comp is dead so I can't try it.

[lurker]

some work around so shields only slightly larger than hitsphere still function (and fast projectiles cant sneak through)

That's not as easy as you think.

It's pretty straightforward. Make particle updates take shields into account in addition to units and features, and remove the collision code in the shield Update().

[Pxtl]

For the "shield merging", "metaballs" is the term you're looking for if you want spheroid meshes that meld together when touching.

The collision algorithm would be trickier, because you wouldn't want shields to stop projectiles that hit the "internal" shields that were now invisible by the metaball collision.

[CarRepairer]

I was thinking something less complicated. Take CA's Aegis for example. A small shield with the range to protect a handful of units.

Let's say you build two of them within range of eachother. Remove their shields and make a magic inivisible shield unit in between them with double the range. For extra points, make them magically link with a cool beam. This double-diameter shield would of course have the two Aegises a bit close to the edges but would still be cool. Scale as necessary for 3, 4, and however many Aegises you place within the range of the super shield.

[Argh]

Or... just do shields entirely in Lua, in terms of gameplay effects. The visuals too, if you want to do bubbles that merge- you could do that with clipping planes, I think, although setting that up would be "fun".

[jK]

CAR, don't even get the idea to implement shields via lua! particle handling in lua is SLOW AS HELL, don't do it!

[lurker]

CAR

inivisible shield unit

It's not really particle handling being slow that's the issue, it's the fact that you would have to track particles yourself because there are no GetParticlesInX, right?

[smoth]

metaball collision.

I loled, now resume the hatred!

[MidKnight]

For extra points, make them magically link with a cool beam.

Use zwzsg's KP ONS mode structure connector beam script

[CarRepairer]

CAR

inivisible shield unit

Thank you lurker.

jK, I wasn't very clear with my wording. Shut off their shields and put an invisible unit in between them. That unit makes the bigger shield.

[Pxtl]

I loled, now resume the hatred!

Metaballs touching is metagay.

[MidKnight]

I wish that shields would have actual physics/anims, so one could set it to, for example, bend backwards when a projectile hits it.

I guess this'll go on my wishlist, right next to mesh deformation, skeletal animation, and soft map edges

[Argh]

Who said anything about particle tracking? I sure didn't.

Just get UnitDamaged to deal with the gameplay effects of the shields. Treat the exterior shield as strictly a visual element. Not that horrible.

[smoth]

I loled, now resume the hatred!

Metaballs touching is metagay.

lol, actually I originally laughed because I read meatball collision.....

[MidKnight]

I loled, now resume the hatred!

Metaballs touching is metagay.

lol, actually I originally laughed because I read meatball collision.....

SAME!

retrospective edit? idk how the quoting would be changed tho...

[CarRepairer]

Metalmap:

[jK]

Metalmap:

that's no metaball

[Argh]

Looks like... female parts to me. Makes me tempted to do a quick reskin of that map as a joke- "Udder Metallica" or something