New FBI Unit Tags Requested (Strafable)

[CaptainMaim]

I'd like to request a special tag for ground units:
Possibly even a secondary tag that's similar but less advanced.

Something like:

IsStrafable = 1

And

CanUseReverse = 1

And Optional:

ReverseSpeed = xxx

-What IsStrafable does when applied to a unit is:

1) Freeze turret independant turret rotation and bind it to the chasis rotation.
2) Treat unit as gunship. (Left/Right strafe and Down makes unit go in reverse. When in FPS mode.)
3) Use a variation of the gunship attacking script so that strafable units will attack targets by dancing in either an arc or a circle around their targets. (Either spesifiy either in FBI or hard code just one single attack style or something. Whichever's easier.) I would think that either a staggered circular attacking or staggered ranked arcs that slide with eachother might seem like the best formational manuvers for this.

-CanUseReverse would do nothing more or less than enable the down key in FPS mode to reverse the walk animation and drive backwards.

As far as RTS goes, this feature can be applied to give a unit the ability to quickly retreat from a battle. (Instead of having to stop and wait for the legs or treads to pull a 180, the unit will come to a stop and immediately begin walking/drivng backwards if it's new move order happens to be greater than 90 degrees from it's present orientation.)

-I also suppose that if that were done, a "ReverseSpeed=" tag might also be in order, so that reverse wouldn't be as fast as forward walking and so the unit might simply prefer a particular direction (presumably forwards) over the other direction (presumably backwards.) That way the units wouldn't be driving or walking around with randomly oriented chasis's. In this case after a short reversing period units would back up (like a car would) and begin driving forwards again.)

[Nemo]

you can already let units strafe, by making them gunships.

However, there are some issues with changing the gunship flying height, so anything that strafes is forced to fly at gunship height, making a strafing hovertank impossible. (or just very difficult)

[CaptainMaim]

Yeah I know that the gunship tag exists... But I'd just like to be able to use it on other stuff that doesn't fly, that's all.

That and I still was hoping to be able to pop my tanks or whatever, into reverse if I needed/wanted to.

(Though largely I'm just thinking about FPS mode. I also don't expect to see this idea in, cause the people who code don't seem to care/like or want to bother with that particular feature.)

[Min3mat]

yeah the Sys added it as a gimmick ( a very fun gimmick i might add :D)

[CaptainMaim]

I also know that as well, and hence my skeptisism towards implementation.. However I don't see why that might completely hinder anyone else from making some modifications to that source code? I mean, unless SY wouldn't accept any changes to their source code in that direction. Either way, I think it's at least worth a shot to ask....

[GrOuNd_ZeRo]

Anyone who has played C&C generals know that units go into reverse sometimes instead of trying to turn around in an awkward corner, this looks really neat and most of all quite realistic, I highly support units being able to go into reverse, not only for FPS mode, strafing would be a neat feature on KBOTs and such but not needed right now.

Reverse might require some units to have a move in reverse animation, this could be done by spring asuming that the animation is played in reverse, I.E. wheels will move backwards instead of forwards, same for legs.

[Warlord Zsinj]

Wouldn't it significantly increase the pathfinding usage of units for them to consider reversing?

[FireCrack]

i wouldnt think so, becaues the units are still suing the same paths, just playing their walk animation backwards and facing in the oppositte direction...

[CaptainMaim]

Sounds good to me...

Also it occures to me that air craft can't replace ground units when it comes to these unit controls. Because aircraft aren't bound by any topographical features, reguardless of their flying altitude. So making a map to play FPS games on is almost completely worthless for them as they treat basically all maps with virtually the same degree of impassibility.

So, no gunship aircraft can't pretend to be strafing K-bots. Or reversing hover tanks or whatever. It's not going to work, cause they'll still act like aircraft instead of tanks or kbots or whatever.

Hmm.. Reverse would be nice on boats too.. I mean, boats and subs can go into reverse too.