questions about weapon modding ideas

[arichallan]

I'm new here, but I was wondering if anyone here knew if you could make a weapon that could teleport your enemies a certain distance away. I tried editing/copying some of the .xml from the Transpace Jumpdrive and the Cyberdeck weapons, and trying to find a way to make it work, but to no avail.

Another idea I had was to make a 'tractor' or 'repulsor' beam. In theory, it would either pull ships toward you (impossible in the current game, as far as I know) or push them away without damaging them. The closest thing I was able to make was a modified Iocrym Repeller. I did find that setting damage to zero nullified any effects that the weapon was supposed to have, passing right through ships and only producing the 'effect' of an impact on stations. Any ideas? Is either possible in the current game?

[Yugi]

Both of these ideas have been suggested and tried and tested before, and so far no-one has managed to create a working version.
They could possibly be done by writing very fancy custom-made pieces of coding.

For now, I suppose we'll have to wait for George (George Moromisato, the maker+developer of the game) to make them.

George, how about going through the list of all the really old suggested stuff and adding them now?

[Blitz]

The closest I could come to the repulsor beam was by giving it a kinetic damage of 0-1 (1d2-1), high refire rate and a high level. I also made it fire 3 projectiles in the same direction. The kinetic damage type and low damage made it impossible for me to do any damage to any decent shield or armor. The high level made sure I couldn't find the weapon early on. I tried to put the transpace jumpdrive in the weapon, but I don't understand how the code works and haven't gotten further than having the repulsor beam act both as a weapon and jumpdrive.
Does anyone know what I could read to get a hang of the code?

[evilbob]

Ok, I think I have a solution, but I'm not sure it will work as a weapon.

Code: Select all

		      <Invoke installedOnly="true">

            (block (newPos)
               (setq newPos (sysVectorPolarOffset (objGetTarget gSource) (shpGetDirection (objGetTarget gSource)) (random 1 1000)))
               (objJumpTo (objGetTarget gSource) newPos)
               )
            
      </Invoke>

I'm not sure if this will work, as the (objGetTarget gSender) code was removed from the comms system, and not as an item. I'll test it to see it I would work.

EDIT: replaced with a working version. This one, when the device is invoked, will warp the player's target (targeting ROM required) a random distance from 1 to 1000 lightseconds in the direction the target is facing.

Also, docked friendlies that have been warped won't realise the've been moves, so will stay still where they've been moved to.

[Blitz]

And docked friendlies don't realise the station they have been docked to has been moved either. Fun fun fun
Could you change the code so that they are teleported on the basis of the direction you are facing in? Like you are running away and you could teleport an enemy in the opposite direction.

EDIT - Figured out how to teleport ships in the direction you are facing. Now how do I teleport them in the opposite direction?

And it sure is fun to 'race' against the Sisters of Domina......

[evilbob]

Ok, I'll work on it...

Code: Select all

            <Invoke installedOnly="true">

            (block (newPos)
               (setq newPos (sysVectorPolarOffset (objGetTarget gSource) (shpGetDirection gSource) (random 1 1000)))
               (objJumpTo (objGetTarget gSource) newPos)
               )
           
      </Invoke>

[arichallan]

All you need is the opposite of a positive number. Hence forward is '+', although you don't write that, so reverse is '-'. I tested this, and it does work. So, the (random 1 1000) becomes (random -1000 -1).

Thanks for the help. I've gained at least a working understanding of how the xml works, for this particular situation at least.

[Blitz]

All you need is the opposite of a positive number. Hence forward is '+', although you don't write that, so reverse is '-'. I tested this, and it does work. So, the (random 1 1000) becomes (random -1000 -1).

Thanks for the help. I've gained at least a working understanding of how the xml works, for this particular situation at least.

Oh..... so that's how it works. I better go back to 3rd grade and learn my maths again.....

So, is it possible to have it work only on ships? Or maybe you could make it a very rare expendable item which permanently moves a station or ship in the direction of your choice....