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Excellent :). I've just tried it out in practice. Not too bad... there's a slight delay between it decloaking and changing to align_Alien, and later when it cloaks, there's a slight delay between it disappearing and changing to align_Neutral... but that's all just a matter of timing, and I'll be working on it fer sure :).

There's no point doing that with the test version, but later, when you do the actual skipper, you should increase cloaked time to 6 seconds.
 
I've got the WC3 skipper mesh and switched the alien capmiss with it, but unfortunately i lost all the history folder with my saved games and cant test it, if you would be kind enough to send me yours history files, i could see if the skipper mesh works...;)


[Edited by KillerWave on 11-21-2000 at 21:59]
 
The delay is fairly small, and I've been working (with some success) on making it even smaller. Changing the texture change time wouldn't help, since that's not the problem. They _are_ in sync, it's just that the alignment changes start slightly later because the ship's mainprog has to process a few other commands first.

I just sent you the history folder, by the way. It might not arrive for another half-hour though, since there seems to be some trouble with internet speed out here...
 
Yes, i see it, but even if the delay is small, soon or later, it will come out of sync and change alignment in the wrong time....if you stay looking at it for a little whilem it will happen :(
The delays are always the same? If so, we could correct it with the animated textures (make a blur or darker texture to show at the moment of the alignment changes as it was cloacking), and prevent the changes to happen at the wrong time...
 
I checked it again and appears the delay isnt in sync, i mean its nothing like 1 second before and 0.5 after right? If that was the case, i could fix that with textures, but appears thats not the case, and if its because the other sections of the mission it performs first, it would be a major problem since it would be different from mission to mission...:(
Have you thought about talking with Thomas about it? He is writing the mission builder, so maybe he could have some idea or write some routine to make it work...Maybe some priority system of some sort that would perforn te alignment change before anything else...
 
KW, leave it :). You can't fix it, for the very simple reason that even the minutest change to the mission will alter the length of the delay. This delay will have to be attended to separately in every single mission which uses the Skipper. Altering the texture parameters could fix it in this particular instance, but not in every instance.

I don't think Thomas will be able to help with this, because the problem doesn't lie in the alignment change as such - it's the stuff which happens before the alignment change. Thing is, even if there was something that could be done to prioritise that stuff, there would still be a delay - just that it would be a different length. So... better to stick with the devil I know :).
 
:( If it doesnt work, i still think there is some cutscene potential...I edit a skipper to "cloack", and it uses the partially textured drone i sent you, so it doesnt dissapear all at once;)
But for the partial cloack, just say that the ship can only be detected at close range, and make it appear very close to your fighter in the mission, preferably in your back, when it can do more damage before you can react...
 
Oh, it'll work. It's just that timing's going to have to be adjusted manually in every mission - the alignment timing, that is :).

And yes, I suppose that partial cloak thingy could be used like that ;).
 
Here is a different idea: Why don't you just SF_DeactivateObject the capship missile when it cloaks. When you want it to reappear (uncloak), use SF_SetWorldPosition to move it a bit, in the direction of the target, and SF_ActivateObject it again. While it's cloaked it will not be visible on the radar.

For example: The target is located at 0,0,1000 the missile starts at 0,0,0:

SF_SetObjectFlag(OF_alignment, ALIGN_Alien);
SF_BindToActionSphere(0);
SF_ActivateSelf(0);

AI_FaceObject(Target);
AI_SetThrottle(100);

//stay uncloaked for 5 seconds
AI_WaitSeconds(5);

//cloak for 5 seconds
SF_DeactivateSelf;
AI_WaitSeconds(5);
//it will obviously not move while disabled, so we
//move it manually:
SF_SetWorldPosition(0,0,500);

//uncloak...
SF_ActivateSelf(0);
AI_FaceObject(Target);
AI_SetThrottle(100);

//repeat the above
 
I just had an even better idea: Don't deactivate it, just bind it to another actionsphere, it will be invisble but still move, so you don't have to use SF_SetWorldPosition.
 
That certainly would make the cloak system work properly, but it would also mean that the ship/missile would be unhittable while cloaked. Which is a bit of a problem, since half the fun of skipper missiles was blowing them up while they're cloaked.
Still, it would make skippers more challenging... ;)

Hmm... the mat file which does the texture-animating is an iff like any other... I don't suppose you could generate some sort of global variable in it, which could then be used by the mission program? That would certainly solve the timing problems, at least.
 
Originally posted by Quarto
Hmm... the mat file which does the texture-animating is an iff like any other... I don't suppose you could generate some sort of global variable in it, which could then be used by the mission program? That would certainly solve the timing problems, at least.
Click to expand...

No, it's just a picture. No code involved. If you need to synchronize it you could try with SYS_Clock instead of AI_WaitSeconds, but I don't think that this would work properly.

[Edited by thomasbr on 11-23-2000 at 04:47]
 
SYS_Clock returns the game time (the one that is displayed on the HUD). It should be more accurate than using AI_WaitSeconds, because errors wouldn't accumulate.
 
I knew he would have some ideas...;)
I dont suppose there is a way to make the engine changes the mat file being used right? It would stop the time problems, but im sure thats impossible...
Originally posted by Quarto
That certainly would make the cloak system work properly, but it would also mean that the ship/missile would be unhittable while cloaked. Which is a bit of a problem, since half the fun of skipper missiles was blowing them up while they're cloaked.
Still, it would make skippers more challenging... ;)
Click to expand...

If it could fix the sync problem, even if you cant hit it while cloacked, it would be still great, plus you wouldnt be able to see it on the radar, what would make it even more challenging

[Edited by KillerWave on 11-23-2000 at 11:17]
 
Originally posted by KillerWave
If it could fix the sync problem, even if you cant hit it while cloacked, it would be still great, plus you wouldnt be able to see it on the radar, what would make it even more challenging
Click to expand...

Yeah, but it doesn't actually fix the sync problem. This would be a replacement for the alignment change - but you still have to sync the disappearing act with the uh... disappearing act :). But heck, hopefully that SYS_Timer thing will fix the sync... I'll try later.
 
Uh, cant you just make something dissapear from a mission?
I think its possible, since i saw bug ships run away and disapear...
So if the sync problem cant be fixed, you could remove it from the game then some moments later put it again (if isnt destroyed) in the place it should be...wouldnt even need animated textures, but it would be like cheating...
 
You certainly can (in fact, jumping out is a form of disappearing, though it's of a more permanent kind than the actionsphere change Thomas has suggested). Yes, that would work fine for skippers, but it would indeed be cheating :).
 
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