More flying building expiramentation Options

[Team Black]

We know that we can't use actual aircraft, since they don't follow deploy logic- but there are a few ways to make aircraft out of vehicles:

1st idea: adjust the hover locomotor. Reading through Jah's heli research, I thought I'd give my own shot at it (I wasn't expecting to succeed where he had failed - rather, just to know for myself what does and doesn't work)

By adjusting the HoverHeight for the hover loco, you can make a convincing looking aircraft, with the ability to deploy. There are many minuses (which are described in Jah's thread), but they can all be overcome with some tweaking. However, there is a key issue that remains: cliff passability.
By making the terrain

CODE

; cliffs
[Rock]
Foot=0%
Track=0%
Wheel=0%
Float=0%
Hover=100%
Amphibious=0%
Buildable=no

it does not enable the unit to descend or ascend cliffs, only to move on them in the same level.
 livin_on_the_edge.PNG ( 96.67K ) Number of downloads: 4

This also causes some compliance issues with hover units- it's difficult to get them to go places, especially if a cliff is involved in the process.

VERDICT: using the hover logic is phayl.

2nd idea: make the vehicle fly. this is done by giving it an aircraft's locomotor, SpeedType=winged, and MovementZone=fly.
This method allows for aircraft to support every logic that vehicles support: deploying, passengers, hva animation, shp, turrets, etc.
The cons:
It is invincible during flight - unless it runs into a firestorm wall (not even hunter-seekers can get em)
It can't reveal shroud while in flight - but this might not be a big problem, if we make them MoveToShroud=no.
it can be picked up by carryalls - but I wouldn't really see that as a gameplay-threatening issue
 invincible_balloon.PNG ( 40.93K ) Number of downloads: 3

The invincibility thing might be balanced if we make em go really really slow, but even then, ehhhhhhh
If we were to make mobile buildings though, this would be the best way to do it (unless the exe hackers feel like getting planes able to deploy/undeploy. . .)

MY VERDICT: flying buildings in TS would be great, but it isn't going to happen. Even if it did work, it would already throw the game's balance to heck.

So what now? I'd hate to say it, but I'm leaning towards ditching the mobile buildings altogether, but I'm going to need some feedback before I decide anything...

[Lightstorm]

idea 1: when a mobile building is in flight is rises off the map and deploys a small "Guidance aircraft" that would use ordinary flight logic to transit. then when it reaches its destination it does (something) and the base returns, that way its vunerable and can transit normally. problem is idk what you would do to "summon" the building back. lots of porblems to overcome so for now this is phayl

idea 2: invisible carryalls. simple: since the base must deploy/undeploy to function when its undeployed we have a vehicle that looks flight-ready, then we take a carryall and swap the current vxl for a small cool looking gadget that attaches to the top of the ship (explained away as a guidance system) and that would somehow have the same health as the unit its carrying, it then takes the unit to its location. you player could get say 3 of them at start or use the logic that makes a tib miner with the refinery so that you get one when you build a building. WIN!

[Lin Kuei Ominae]

idea 1. i don't see a way how this should work.
idea 2. this would be only possible with map triggers. If you want the human player to control the Scrin, he/she can't use this feature, or only with some annoying complications.

imo we should use the flying vehicles, even if they are invincible. The explanation could be that Scrin ships have strong shields while they fly, and are only vulnerable while deployed or on ground. And due to the fact, that all flying vehicles (Buildings) are unarmed, it's not that much imbalanced.
This way they are quite the same as subterranean units. They can't be stopped too, without emp.

And the armed Scrin ships can then use the (high flying) Hover logic. The flying height should be low enough to explain why they can't cross cliffs.

list of Flying vehicles:
4-5 Scrin Base Buildings/Ships
1-2 deploy-to-fire Attack ships
1 Scrin troop transport (couterpart to the sub-apc)

list of hover units:
-scrin heavy cruiser
-scrin harvester? (with a cool energy-stream animation that beams tiberium up into the harvester; refinery designed so it looks like the harvester would let the tiberium fall into the refinery while flying over it)

list of normal aircrafts
-scrin fighter
-scrin bomber

This post has been edited by Lin Kuei Ominae: Jun 28 2007, 10:37 AM