Buff problem - Damaging too early!!

from Sins Forums

The idea is to make an ability where a weapon is fired at a planet, the projectile moves very slowly and when it hits the planet it destroys all enemy forces in the gravity well.

 

I've managed to get it working but it's damaging the enemy too early. As soon as the weapon is fired all the enemy explode. Which makes the slow moving projectile and the huge explosion effect irrelevant.

 

I think it's something to do with one of the BUFF.entity files which controls the damage levels being set off too early.

 

How do I activate the second buff file that controls the damage after the projectile has hit the planet?

 

the ability file looks like this:

TXT
entityType "Ability"
buffInstantActionType "ApplyBuffToTargetWithTravel"
instantActionTriggerType "AlwaysPerform"
buffType "BuffNova"
targetFilter
	numOwnerships 1
	ownership "Enemy"
	numObjects 1
	object "Planet"
	numSpaces 1
	space "Normal"
	numConstraints 0
range
	Level:0 40000.000000
	Level:1 40000.000000
	Level:2 40000.000000
travelSpeed 500.000000
hasWeaponEffects TRUE
weaponEffectOriginType "Targetter"
weaponEffectAttachInfo
	attachType "Ability"
	abilityIndex 0
weaponEffectImpactOffsetType "RandomMesh"
canWeaponEffectHitHull TRUE
canWeaponEffectHitShields TRUE
weaponEffectsDef
	weaponType "Projectile"
		burstCount 1
		burstDelay 0.000000
		muzzleEffectName "Ability_OrbitalCannonPhaseMuzzle"
		muzzleSoundMinRespawnTime 0.100000
		muzzleSounds
			soundCount 1
			sound "WEAPON_PHASEORBITALCANNON_MUZZLE"
		hitEffectName "Ability_OrbitalCannonPhaseSurfaceImpact"
		hitHullEffectSounds
			soundCount 0
		hitShieldsEffectSounds
			soundCount 0
		projectileTravelEffectName "CapitalAbility_GravityWarheadTravel"
needsToFaceTarget FALSE
canCollideWithTarget TRUE
moveThruTarget FALSE
isUltimateAbility FALSE
maxNumLevels 3
levelSourceType "Intrinsic"
minExperienceLevelRequired
	Level:0 0.000000
	Level:1 2.000000
	Level:2 4.000000
aiUseTime "OnlyInCombat"
aiUseTargetCondition "Any"
isAutoCastAvailable TRUE
isAutoCastOnByDefault TRUE
pickRandomPlanetToExploreForAutoCastTarget FALSE
ignoreNonCombatShipsForAutoCastTarget TRUE
onlyAutoCastWhenDamageTakenExceedsPerc 0.000000
useCostType "AntiMatter"
antiMatterCost
	Level:0 600.000000
	Level:1 550.000000
	Level:2 500.000000
cooldownTime
	Level:0 600.000000
	Level:1 500.000000
	Level:2 400.000000
orderAcknowledgementType "ONATTACKORDERISSUED"
researchPrerequisites
	NumResearchPrerequisites 0
nameStringID "IDS_ABILITY_NOVA_NAME"
descStringID "IDS_ABILITY_NOVA_DESCRIPTION"
hudIcon "HUDICON_ABILITY_PHASEORBITALCANNON"
smallHudIcon "HUDICON_ABILITY_PHASEORBITALCANNON"
infoCardIcon ""
 
The first BUFF which is BUFFNOVA looks like this:
TXT
entityType "Buff"
onReapplyDuplicateType "PrioritizeNewBuffs"
buffStackingLimitType "ForAllPlayers"
stackingLimit 1
allowFirstSpawnerToStack TRUE
buffExclusivityForAIType "NotExclusive"
isInterruptable FALSE
isChannelling FALSE
numInstantActions 1
instantAction
	buffInstantActionType "ApplyBuffToTargetsInRadiusWithTravel"
	instantActionTriggerType "OnBuffFinish"
	buffType "BuffNova1"
	targetFilter
		numOwnerships 1
		ownership "Enemy"
		numObjects 5
		object "CapitalShip"
		object "Frigate"
		object "PlanetModule"
		object "StarBase"
		object "Planet"
		numSpaces 1
		space "Normal"
		numConstraints 0
	range
		Level:0 30000.000000
		Level:1 30000.000000
		Level:2 30000.000000
	maxTargetCount
		Level:0 -1.000000
		Level:1 -1.000000
		Level:2 -1.000000
	effectInfo
		effectAttachInfo
			attachType "Center"
		smallEffectName "Buff_CannonShellPhaseImpactWave"
		largeEffectName "Buff_CannonShellPhaseImpactWave"
		soundID ""
	travelSpeed 400.000000
	effectStaggerDelay 0.000000
	hasWeaponEffects FALSE
numPeriodicActions 0
numOverTimeActions 0
numEntityModifiers 0
numEntityBoolModifiers 0
numFinishConditions 1
finishCondition
	finishConditionType "AllOnDelayInstantActionsDone"
 
And the final one which controls the damage is BUFFNOVA1 :
 
TXT
entityType "Buff"
onReapplyDuplicateType "PrioritizeNewBuffs"
buffStackingLimitType "ForAllPlayers"
stackingLimit -1
buffExclusivityForAIType "NotExclusive"
isInterruptable FALSE
isChannelling FALSE
numInstantActions 2
instantAction
	buffInstantActionType "DoDamage"
	instantActionTriggerType "OnBuffFinish"
	damage
		Level:0 30000.000000
		Level:1 35000.000000
		Level:2 40000.000000
	damageAffectType "AFFECTS_SHIELDS_AND_HULL"
	damageType "PHYSICAL"
	isDamageShared FALSE
instantAction
	buffInstantActionType "DoDamageToPlanet"
	instantActionTriggerType "OnBuffFinish"
	damage
		Level:0 10000.000000
		Level:1 20000.000000
		Level:2 40000.000000
	populationKilled
		Level:0 100.000000
		Level:1 200.000000
		Level:2 400.000000
numPeriodicActions 0
numOverTimeActions 0
numEntityModifiers 0
numEntityBoolModifiers 0
numFinishConditions 1
finishCondition
	finishConditionType "AllOnDelayInstantActionsDone"
 
 
 

 

 

modding
4,714 views 5 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top

Recommend studying the abilities of the superweapons. They may have the delay effect you wish to pull off. I think this ability may be a much larger (read more connected entity files) then you currently have.

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

Instead of having the weapon type be a projectile, set it up as a missile that is backloaded so that the damage doesn't apply until after the missile impacts and see if that works more to your likings.

Siege of Centauri
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

So that's what backloaded does...

 

Anyway, as Ryat suggested, look at the superweapons, particularly the Kostura. It damages and disables all orbital structures, and it could be modded to destroy them, along with ships. You could add a damage buff, like the Novalith, to finish it off.

Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Stant123, reply 2
Instead of having the weapon type be a projectile, set it up as a missile that is backloaded so that the damage doesn't apply until after the missile impacts and see if that works more to your likings.
End of Stant123's quote

This is by far the correct way to do things since you are in a situation where any missile projectile effects such as looping will be unnoticed. Anything else is going to be unwieldy at best.

Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top

Thanks for the replies guys. My modding abilities aren't that good and I tend to just modify existing files to suit my need. 

I've been trying to add:

DamageApplyType "BACKLOADED"

to my files but keeping getting minidumps. Do i add this to the ability or buff files and where abouts in the text??

 

EDIT 31/08/11

Sorry to bring this up again but I don't think that it's possible to set the damage to be backloaded for an ability. The backloaded option seems to only be in entity type files and I can't find a way to export it to the ability or buff type files. 

Can someone let me know if this is correct so I can stop wasting my life trying to get this to work! Cheers.