#0003 -- BuildingTypes and related bugs Options

[SeekSomethingNew]

HyperPatch Development Discussion #0003

Topic Theme: Adding possible new logic's to BuildingTypes, fixing existing bug and moving some global values to BuildingTypes.

This topic is for everything related to BuildingTypes, what new things would you like to see? What bugs would you like to be fixed? And what global values (eg. SpotlightAngle= for example) moved to BuildingTypes to have a wider arrange of visual effects and logic's

-Hyper

This post has been edited by CCHyper: Aug 3 2009, 12:12 AM

[Bittah Commander]

One thing that'd surely be useful is if building would accept all flags units do, aside from movement related flags (like speed, locomotor, speedtype, etc.).
That way you could for example have buildings which deploy into another one and then back into itself; this could be a productive and defensive mode for example.
Other than that I can only think of a couple Art.ini flags; StartFiringFrame FiringSyncFrame1 and FiringSyncFrame2 (and also have the firing frames work when firing a SW... Although that should happen already if the EMP SW logic is used). The "Stand" anim could be useful as well (as an idle anim), although it doesn't even work for units...

[Lin Kuei Ominae]

Why don't you use the activeanims instead of a stand anim for buildings?
The firing frames are imo also not very useful, since 8 facings for the animated turret would look bad for buildings. That's why there should be first a new standard developed for animations.
1. make 32 facings for SHP units without turret work. This way you would get the necessary code for 32 facings firinganims too.
2. make 32 facings animated SHP turrets work for buildings.

FiringSyncFrame for buildings could be also avoided by making a discharge anim which is played right after the chargeanim.
e.g.
[BuildingType.DischargeAnim]=
[BuildingType.DischargeAnimRate]= ;speed at which the anim plays (similar to TurretChargeAnimRate)

The building2building deploy is indeed a good thing. Then the TibDawn Bunker SAM would be finally possible again. (or the FMV raising Laser turret) An automatic deploy and undeploy would be also useful for this.
e.g.
[BUNKERSAM]
BuildingType.DeploysInto=DEPSAM
DeployToFire=yes
[DEPSAM]
Primary=RedEye2
BuildingType.UndeploysInto=BUNKERSAM
BuildingType.UndeployInactivityDelay=90 ;after 90 frames without any activity like shooting aircraft, the SAM automatically undeploys

Some very important keys which need to be moved to BuildingType.
ReloadRate= ;so Helipads can have a different reloadrate (though maybe it would be even better to move this to aircrafttype, so a hightech banshee needs longer for reload than simple orcas)
BuildupTime= ;to give big buildings a slower Buildup anim than small ones
BuildSpeed= ;to make hightech buildings build slower and base defenses a bit faster independant from the costs
GateUp=
GateDown= ;for different gate sounds on different gates
TeslaCharge=
TeslaZap= ;for different charge and firing sounds on different basedefenses with charge logic

Reload= ;this key doesn't exist in game.exe but still stands in rules.ini from Ra1 and should be made working again, so can set the automatic reload time for the unit/building
On buildings you can use already Ammo, but they reload instantly when the ammo is depleted (units one the other hand reload only on a repairbay or when they play an idleanim like infantry). So this key would be not only useful for buildings but for units too.

BuildingType.FreeInfantry= ;so we can give a free infantry
BuildingType.FreeUnitNumber= ;so you can give more than just one vehicle
BuildingType.FreeInfantryNumber= ;so you can give more than just one infantry

The ConstructionYard= key is the only one that allows to undeploy a building and sell the building. All other deploy keys make selling of the building impossible. Unfortunately is the ConstructionYard key bound to MCVDeploy in the multiplay menu and it has to be active to allow undeploying.
A deployer key which works like ConstructionYard but without the connection to MCVDeploy would be very useful.
e.g.
BuildingType.Undeployable=yes
a key to specify the direction of the deploying unit would be also good (this is normaly bound to the deployerkeys like ConstructionYard or TickTank)
BuildingType.UnitDeployDirection=[Byte 0-7] ;0 facing north, rotating clockwise

ExitCoord= doesn't work for barracks. should be fixed to make it work on vehicle factories and other factories too.
i would suggest a 2-dimensional value defining the cell where the unit spawns.

I think i don't have to tell you again about the NukeSilo and Superweapon stuff as you were working on that one already, right?

The art.ini powered activeanims are all only working when you are low on power, but keep running when you manually shut down the building.

Custom Foundations in art.ini would be great.

\EDIT
Garrison of buildings would be a nice addition too. If possible in the RA2 way which also changes the image and allows "passengers" to shoot out of the building.

This post has been edited by Lin Kuei Ominae: Jul 31 2009, 10:09 PM

[Machine]

Well I'll reiterate what I've always wanted to have for upgrades, which IMO are one of the coolest features of TS, but they're quite limited.

For upgrades, it could be useful to have several new tags.

"UpgradesInto=[BuildingType]" (this would go into the upgrade itself), when a building gets upgraded by this upgrade, it is replaced by the building specified by the tag (being built on top of it).
This would allow to have units unlocked as prerrequisites by upgrades, and also buildup animations for upgrades.

"SellsInto=[BuildingType]" (this tag would be found in the building), when this structure is sold, it is replaced by the specified building in the tag.
This could be used to un-upgrade structures, if used in conjunction to the previous tag.

Example:
[GAROCK]
Name=RPG Upgrade
PowersUpBuilding=GACTWR
UpgradesInto=GARTWR
Cost=600

[GARTWR]
Name=RPG Tower
Primary=RPGTower
SellsInto=GACTWR ; when sold it spawns a normal component tower
Cost=800 ; 600 (from the upgrade) + 200 (from the component tower)
Soylent=300 ; half the cost of the upgrade, the money refunded when you sell the building

As you see this way you can give GDI, a more versatile defense mechanism. Also adding a tag like "Soylent=NUMBER" in YR could be useful to separate the money refunded (which should be only equal to half of the upgrade's cost), and the cost for veterancy issues.
Though the deploy tag suggested by LKO could be used for the same purpose already (returning the component tower to it's basal state).
Finally this would enable you to have several component tower clones, and not be limited in the number of upgrades (which could be used for several other stuff, like adding armor to buildings, or making them non-capturable), and have all the buildings tag applicable to "upgrades".

Also it could be useful to make the "PowersUpBuilding=[BuildingType]" tag accept more than one building, so you can upgrade several different buildings with just one upgrade, like blubb intended to do with his garrison mechanic in Tiberian Sun ². But his would cause conflicts with my proposed upgrade mechanic, so maybe the "UpgradesInto=[BuildingType]" tag could be also placed on buildings.