Adding a useless buff?

[weaaddar]

Hey all, does anyone know how I can create and add a useless buff to a unit? This buff wouldn't do anything, but I'd like it so that I can report data to a player in some way that is part of the command card. I.e. for an equipment system, perhaps it would show a buff of the sword and shield you own and the stats they have.

Thanks

 

[s3rius]

You cannot just add a buff to a unit, unfortunately.

Your best bet is to make a custom aura, reduce it's area of effect to 0 and remove all it's effects. That way you'll have a useless buff on just this one unit.

 

[Accname]

1). create a dummy at the units position

2). add a custom ability without effect (like acidbomb with all data set to 0) and your custom buff to the dummy

3). order the dummy to cast the custom ability onto your unit

4). if you set the duration for your dummy ability to 0.00 it will stay forever until you remove it using a trigger action "unit - remove specific buff from unit"

5). note that there is a max limit of buffs which are shown on a unit. if your hero got more then 8 buffs at once they wont show up anymore.

 

[weaaddar]

Okay, I like the the aura approach as it seems cleaniest, but what aura doesn't take up a slot, and if I create multiple auras of this base aura can a unit have more then one? With object merger it is a problem to create auras to do this. And I can create a simple library to add a buff.

The other method probably also works, but the same question applies if I add the buff, can I add multiple buffs based off of it?

 

[s3rius]

Regarding the auras: You can add as many auras as you want as long as the buffs are different. So two auras with the same buff are a no no.

About taking up a slot:
You can do the following -
1. Make a custom spellbook
2. Add the aura to this spellbook
3. Add the spellbook to the unit which is supposed to have the buff
4. Disable the spellbook via triggers (I think it's Player - Disable ability)

That way the spellbook will magically vanish, but auras (and all other passive effects, btw) will still stay on that unit.

About Accname's approach..
You can use that, but I think many single-target spells mess up if you cast them on the same target twice. Even if they have different buffs they will cancel each other out. That's especially nasty because that would mean that you couldn't use these abilities anymore, as they would remove your dummy buffs.
In my opinion auras (with spellbook) are the best approach if you want multiple buffs. And you don't have to go through the hassle with dummy units..

 

[Accname]

tornado slow aura does not show up a button. even more easier.

 

[s3rius]

Yea, I didn't think of tornado's slow aura. That's probably the best to use.
There's 1 problems with that though. If you want your buffs to show special effects then you'll have to use something else. Tornado buffs seem to never show special effects.