Battering enemies with a particle ram

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TheLoneWolf
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A recent post by RPC gave me a very interesting idea.

What if we make a weapon or misc device (or a charge using device) that creates an arc or concentration of particles on the ship's front to be used as a shield or for a ramming attack respectively?
RPC
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Location: Hmm... I'm confused. Anybody have a starmap to the Core?

try this

Code: Select all

		<ItemType UNID="&itRammer;"
			name=				"RAMMER "	
			level=				"7"
			modifiers=			"MajorItem; SolarReactor;"
			description=		"Technically the primary shield, the GN particle field is a key component to the Mayfly's success."
			>
		<Image imageID="&rsItems1;" imageX="192" imageY="0" imageWidth="96" imageHeight="96"/>
		
		<Weapon
				type=			"missile"

				damage=				"kinetic:25; WMD:1"
				hitPoints=			"25"
				fireRate=			"3"
				missileSpeed=		"40"
				interaction=		"100"
				lifetime=			"10"
				powerUse=			"150"

				particleCount=		"1d11+44"
				particleSpreadAngle="15"
				sound=				"&snRecoillessCannon;"
				>
				
			<Configuration aimTolerance="5">
				<Shot posAngle="180" posRadius="20" angle="0-90"/>   
				<Shot posAngle="180" posRadius="20" angle="360-270"/>
				<Shot posAngle="180" posRadius="20" angle="0-90"/>   
				<Shot posAngle="180" posRadius="20" angle="360-270"/>
				<Shot posAngle="180" posRadius="20" angle="0-90"/>   
				<Shot posAngle="180" posRadius="20" angle="360-270"/>
			 </Configuration>

			<Effect>
				<Image imageID="&rsMissiles;" imageX="0" imageY="32" imageWidth="16" imageHeight="16" imageFrameCount="12" imageTicksPerFrame="3"/>
			</Effect>
		</Weapon>
	</ItemType>
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TheLoneWolf
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Ty RPC! Will try!

Isn't there any way to stabilize the particles at the front of the ship as a solid blob?
RPC
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Location: Hmm... I'm confused. Anybody have a starmap to the Core?

Not sure what you mean by solid blob. Give an example or something close to it that's found in vanilla?
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TheLoneWolf
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What I mean is:

A concentration of particles (as a ball or equivalent) at the frontmost part of the ship, that behaves as the APA in terms of nature of particles, but doesn't fly away. It does damage on terms of how much of it has hit the target, and any remaining particles disperse after attacking.
PM
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I did a few of these before they were retired (because they evolved into the Star Castle Arcade mod). I would need to dig into my archives for them, and it will take time before I can post an example.

I used regular missile objects, and the objects relied heavily on events to behave.

I have launchers (devices that use launcher slot in DrakeTech) that spawn a force field for a second like in various classic arcade game that protect the player and can be used to smash enemy ships. They do not do exactly what you describe.
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RPC
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Location: Hmm... I'm confused. Anybody have a starmap to the Core?

try this

Code: Select all

	<ItemType UNID="&itRammer;"
			name=				"RAMMER "	
			level=				"7"
			modifiers=			"MajorItem; SolarReactor;"
			description=		"Technically the primary shield, the GN particle field is a key component to the Mayfly's success."
			>
		<Image imageID="&rsItems1;" imageX="192" imageY="0" imageWidth="96" imageHeight="96"/>
		
		<Weapon
				type=			"missile"

				damage=				"kinetic:25; WMD:1"
				hitPoints=			"25"
				fireRate=			"3"
				missileSpeed=		"0"
				interaction=		"100"
				lifetime=			"10"
				powerUse=			"150"

				particleCount=		"1d11+44"
				particleSpreadAngle="15"
				>
			<Configuration aimTolerance="5">
				<Shot posAngle="0" posRadius="40" angle="0"/>   
			 </Configuration>
			<Effect>
				<ParticleSystem
						style=				"jet"
						fixedPos=			"true"
						emitRate=			"2-4"
						tangentSpeed=		"-8-8"
						particleLifetime=	"10"
						XformTime=			"30"
						>
					<ParticleEffect>
						<Orb
								instance=			"owner"
						
								style=				"smooth"
								animate=			"fade"
								radius=				"40"
								lifetime=			"10"
								intensity=			"20"
						
								blendMode=			"screen"
								primaryColor=		"#feff00"
								secondaryColor=		"#ff7f00"
								/>
					</ParticleEffect>
				</ParticleSystem>
			</Effect>
		</Weapon>
	</ItemType>
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TheLoneWolf
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@PM
I'll really appreciate if you let me take a look at your code!

@RPC
How does that work? I'm going to try that!
PM
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I do not have any useful code now. (It was a prototype of the Star Castle energy rings, which used missiles instead of ship objects.) More accurately, I am updating and debugging old code. It will take some time before it will be ready.
Download and Play in 1.9 beta 1...
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Star Castle Arcade: Play a classic arcade game adventure, with or without more features (like powerups)!
Playership Drones: Buy or restore exotic ships to command!

Other playable mods from 1.8 and 1.7, waiting to be updated...
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TheLoneWolf
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Np! Anytime mate!
PM
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After more experimentation, ramming enemies is really hazardous to your health. Since 1.7a, ships explode for damage, and whenever my ship rams and kills a ship with the barrier, my ship usually takes significant damage due to being so close to the explosion.

Aside from that, the barrier can be unbalancing, at least in weapon form that can refresh it every few seconds. It can absorb some attacks very well.

My code is almost done. It forms a green glowing barrier in front of your ship, and it shrinks as it takes hits. I like how it turned out, and if ramming enemies with a barrier did not hurt you so much, I probably would have added it to one of my mods. I will have something to upload or post soon.
Download and Play in 1.9 beta 1...
Drake Technologies (Alpha): More hardware for combat in parts 1 and 2!
Star Castle Arcade: Play a classic arcade game adventure, with or without more features (like powerups)!
Playership Drones: Buy or restore exotic ships to command!

Other playable mods from 1.8 and 1.7, waiting to be updated...
Godmode v3 (WIP): Dev/cheat tool compatible with D&O parts 1 or 2.
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TheLoneWolf
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You do that! And I'll add a counter :D
PM
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I finished the barrier item as a weapon (launcher). It has a fire rate of once every eight seconds. Currently, I adapting it to a shield item. I will likely either add the shield item to DrakeTech or as a standalone mod. Will probably post weapon version on the forum, either here or a tutorial topic.
Download and Play in 1.9 beta 1...
Drake Technologies (Alpha): More hardware for combat in parts 1 and 2!
Star Castle Arcade: Play a classic arcade game adventure, with or without more features (like powerups)!
Playership Drones: Buy or restore exotic ships to command!

Other playable mods from 1.8 and 1.7, waiting to be updated...
Godmode v3 (WIP): Dev/cheat tool compatible with D&O parts 1 or 2.
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TheLoneWolf
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PM wrote:I finished the barrier item as a weapon (launcher). It has a fire rate of once every eight seconds. Currently, I adapting it to a shield item. I will likely either add the shield item to DrakeTech or as a standalone mod. Will probably post weapon version on the forum, either here or a tutorial topic.
xD

All I want is to see it!
PM
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I am still working on this, experimenting with things. I now have a mostly functional shield generator that, instead of generating a typical shield, generates a barrier arc in front of the ship that will absorb many shots and can be used to ram ships.

I will probably scrap the weapon version since it was unbalanced, and will finish the shield version. I will probably include it in the next update of DrakeTech, but since that will take some time, I may upload a demo mod of the barrier shield when it is ready in the meantime.
Download and Play in 1.9 beta 1...
Drake Technologies (Alpha): More hardware for combat in parts 1 and 2!
Star Castle Arcade: Play a classic arcade game adventure, with or without more features (like powerups)!
Playership Drones: Buy or restore exotic ships to command!

Other playable mods from 1.8 and 1.7, waiting to be updated...
Godmode v3 (WIP): Dev/cheat tool compatible with D&O parts 1 or 2.
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