Ask Slug II

Well, Slug is again gone. Therefore, I will again answer questions. I'm pretty much of the same skill level, so I should be able to answer any questions he could.

------------------
What others can travel so far into so many universes yet remain so deeply rooted in their own?

I would like to ask you a question. I'm trying to create a weapon that sends a beam of light which splits upon impact to damage the surrounding (ennemy) ships, as well as a multiple-warhead missile which, also, splits into several concussion missiles when it expires. Can anyone help me?

Well, for the multiple-warhead missile, just use an expire action that creates 5 or 6 missiles. You'll probably also want to use a Distance Range of about 20 to make sure the missiles don't all appear in the same place. Oh yeah, Direction Relative.

With the Beam, try using a collide action. A good example is the flak cannon. Just use the same method. Actually, I can't remember, but I think the Flak cannon might use a beam in it of itself. Check first.

------------------
What others can travel so far into so many universes yet remain so deeply rooted in their own?
(url="http://"http://marathon.invasion.tripod.com")M:Inv(/url)

Thanks for the missile! It's working perfectly. But there's still a problem with the beam. I can't manage to do a create action which actually CREATES beams! It works if I tell it to create any non-beam object, but it doesn't accept beams (PS.: I'm using "static object to object" beams). Xhat could I do?

I've managed to do a pulse that creates beams, but I have no idea what your problem is... try having the beam create an invisible pulse with a create action
CREATE 6 BEAM OFF
DIE NONE

------------------
What others can travel so far into so many universes yet remain so deeply rooted in their own?
(url="http://"http://marathon.invasion.tripod.com")M:Inv(/url)

I think your problem is (if I understand you) that you're making a static object to object beam that, upon collision, creates more static object to object beams. First off, I'd like to say that it probably is making them in that case. Secondly, I'd like to point out that when a static object to object beam fires something, it shoots from the end of the beam (which is right on the middle of a hostile ship, in this case) to the middle of the nearest hostile ship (which is the same ship it's hitting, because it couldn't possibly be any closer to the ship it's hitting, in the case of an object to object beam). Basically, you need object to relative coordinate or static beams, I think. Of course, I might be completely wrong about what you're trying to say, but oh well, it's worth a shot.

------------------
"Why do we have to mow our lawns? What's wrong with the 'natural' look?!?"
Visit my site, if you're interested:
(url="http://"http://www.MSPlugDevelopment.n3.net")www.MSPlugDevelopment.n3.net(/url)
Email me at vertical_file@yahoo.com with a review and a rating (out of 100) for an Ares plug, and I'll put it on the reviews section.

I made it appear!
In fact I only had to make a 360° dirction range and the reflected beams worked ;). I didn't even have to use invisible objects! The main drawback is that the new beams are not guided, but, er, I think I'm going to let it like it is.
Now third enigma for you skilled Hera developper: how to make a Missile Interception Device which only crushes missiles? It would then use some kind of invisible weapon when it gets enabled.

Have the gun fire off an invisible pulse that is set only to engage missiles (using build/engage flags). Make a create action to CREATE a nonkinetic gray beam (gray makes it invisible) and then DIE NONE.
Object is created, targets missile and destroys it, then dies. Nothing is visible.

------------------
What others can travel so far into so many universes yet remain so deeply rooted in their own?
(url="http://"http://marathon.invasion.tripod.com")M:Inv(/url)

How do you make something invisible on creation(I can do this), but appears later-on in the game(I can't do this)?

------------------
(url="http://"http://www.sutherland-studios.com.au/family/evo_software.html")R & R software(/url)
(url="http://"mailto:randr@sutherland-studios.com.au")mailto:randr@sutherland-studios.com.au(/url)randr@sutherland-studios.com.au

Well, if you need an object to simply not appear, all that you'll need to do is give it the "Invisible Sprite." Also, if it's ShapeFromDirection, direction range of 360.

If you mean something else by invisible, then tell me precisely what you mean.

------------------
What others can travel so far into so many universes yet remain so deeply rooted in their own?
(url="http://"http://marathon.invasion.tripod.com")M:Inv(/url) and the (url="http://"http://pub61.ezboard.com/bmarathoninvasion")M:Inv Webboards(/url)

Quote

Originally posted by Pallas Athene:
**Well, if you need an object to simply not appear, all that you'll need to do is give it the "Invisible Sprite." Also, if it's ShapeFromDirection, direction range of 360.

If you mean something else by invisible, then tell me precisely what you mean.
**

He might mean hidden.
There's an action to unhide intial objects, which can be activated by conditions.

------------------
Formerly-Rampant Human-Coded AI

Quote

Originally posted by Fleet Admiral Darkk:
He might mean hidden.

Yep.

Quote

**
There's an action to unhide intial objects, which can be activated by conditions.
**

Ah, I will try that. Thanks. 🙂

------------------
(url="http://"http://www.sutherland-studios.com.au/family/evo_software.html")R & R software(/url)
(url="http://"mailto:randr@sutherland-studios.com.au")mailto:randr@sutherland-studios.com.au(/url)randr@sutherland-studios.com.au

What is error -192 and how to I get over it?

Quote

Originally posted by Salanthra:
What is error -192 and how to I get over it?

-192 appears when you try to run PowerPC native code on a 68k computer. The only fix is to buy a new computer.

------------------
GR Name: Patrick Cavanaugh

Here's a question: Specifically, what actions do I set up to make a shot temporarily knock out the electronics of the target, e.i. make it unable to shoot and/or maneuver (sp?) for a short period of time (say, one half to one second) and how much flexibility does Ares give me to disable features of a ship? E.g., could I have a shot knock out just one of the target's weapons for a short period of time and have subsequent shots disable other weapons? I'm trying to create an effect similar to what happens when capital ships in Star Wars get bombarded by ion cannons. (weapons are knocked out, control systems are fried...)

------------------
"Si hanc sententiam legere potes, tum es
et optime educatus et vitam non habens."

Well, you could have a shot remove a weapon by using one or more of:
alter pulse
alter beam
alter special
in the collide actions. These permenantly remove the weapon (if any) the ship that's hit has from the slot mentioned. Alter pulse and alter special usually don't have an effect on fighters, but might have a nasty effect on carriers. Also, different ships use these slots for different things, so the effect would be odd if you don't use all of them, but that would make the ship unable to fight at all...

Or you could just use alter offline, to temporarily make the ship uncontrolable.

------------------
Formerly-Rampant Human-Coded AI

According to the manual, the alter beam/pulse/special actions are not implemented. Oh well, I didn't particularly want to knock something permanently offline anyway, but making big slow capital ships unable to turn isn't going to do much...

Bummer, but thanks anyway.

------------------
"Si hanc sententiam legere potes, tum es
et optime educatus et vitam non habens."

You can disable them and force them to turn, with the alter turn action...

------------------
"Thou shalt not be a loser."
(url="http://"http://www.MSPlugDevelopment.n3.net")www.MSPlugDevelopment.n3.net(/url)
Reviews are appreciated.

Okay, I made a mission where you have to destroy all enemy ships. When I put the actions as IF player number 1 has no ships left declare player 0 winner. When I play the mission in Ares, the game ends as a loss for me. Why? :frown:

------------------
Do I talk too much?
DoItalktoofast?
Do I ask too many questions?
I wonder...

Hmm... you're sure you've set all of the players correctly? I found out accidentally that if you set Player 1 as human and Player 0 as Computer and use isPlayerShip on a Player 1 ship, you can be Player 1.

Otherwise, just make sure that the condition isn't active duiring the first second of gameplay, and that all actions are correct.

------------------
What others can travel so far into so many universes yet remain so deeply rooted in their own?
(url="http://"http://marathon.invasion.tripod.com")M:Inv(/url) and the (url="http://"http://pub61.ezboard.com/bmarathoninvasion")M:Inv Webboards(/url)