Attack skills

[Korolen]

I want to have a unit be able to normally attack a foe, and when the player uses a certain ability, the next attack does certain extra stuff.

There is the obvious answer, of just using a skill (i.e. death coil for extra damage). However, I want it to a) not have to target something, but automatically target what the dude is currently attacking and b) not interrupt his current orders, but just pimp out the next attack.

I thought about making an ability that just sticks on a buff or something (or a handle var, but a buff might be nice as the player can see it), and when the unit next attacks, the buff is removed and special effects are distributed.

I'm wondering if there is an easier way to do this, that doesn't involve lots of triggering (and I'm not completely sure its possible to use an ability and not make the unit cancel orders, no matter if I what options I set in channel).

Thanks in advance,
--Korolen

 

[elmstfreddie]

Make a dummy unit that casts it on the unit he's attacking maybe?
Not quite sure if that's what you want though...

 

[Korolen]

Make a dummy unit that casts it on the unit he's attacking maybe?
Not quite sure if that's what you want though...

Well, getting the effects is not the problem. I just want to somehow trigger a function when they next attack after using an ability, besides some heavy coding.

 

[elmstfreddie]

Oh, well you could have two triggers. One that says a unit casts the ability, then turn on the other trigger and set a unit variable to the caster. Then the other ability says a unit gets attacked, and a condition of the attacking unit is the variable that got set in the other one, then do w/e and then turn off the trigger

If that confused you I'll post an example

 

[Korolen]

Well, I can get it working just fine, only I don't know how to make an ability not cancel the unit's current order.

Also, I was just wondering if there was an easier way.

 

[elmstfreddie]

Easier way: no

For your problem you need a dummy to cast then, or use the trigger that makes a unit damage a target.

 

[Korolen]

I can do the effects just fine with some scripting. The only problem is making the player be able to communicate to the trigger (if you see what I mean). If I make an ability that does nothing that the player casts, it cancels the unit's current order, which I don't want.

 

[elmstfreddie]

Yes I understand that, that's why you need a casting dummy. I think you don't quite understand the concept of the dummy (or I'm getting my lingo screwed up). Dummies aren't only used for special effects, they are also used to cast spells for another hero. You just have an invisible locust unit, that has the ability that does the extra damage. The only problem with that though, is the hero won't get credit for killing, the dummy will. Other than that, (which can be fixed anyways) using a dummy to cast an ability on the attack is the best thing to do.

 

[Korolen]

Yes I understand that, that's why you need a casting dummy. I think you don't quite understand the concept of the dummy (or I'm getting my lingo screwed up). Dummies aren't only used for special effects, they are also used to cast spells for another hero. You just have an invisible locust unit, that has the ability that does the extra damage. The only problem with that though, is the hero won't get credit for killing, the dummy will. Other than that, (which can be fixed anyways) using a dummy to cast an ability on the attack is the best thing to do.

I know what a dummy unit is, but I don't see how it can enable the player to communicate. Are you saying that the unit doesn't deal damage, but the dummy unit, and the dummy won't get his orders disrupted?

I'm just trying to make it so a unit can cast an ability and triggers make the game ignore the fact, so the unit keeps on his merry way.

 

[elmstfreddie]

Oh... Try using wind walk, I'm pretty sure wind walk doesn't cancel out your unit's orders. Then of course you just say duration 0, or maybe 0.01, because 0 sometimes makes it last forever.

 

[Korolen]

Oh... Try using wind walk, I'm pretty sure wind walk doesn't cancel out your unit's orders. Then of course you just say duration 0, or maybe 0.01, because 0 sometimes makes it last forever.

Ah, good point. I hadn't thought of that. Any other abilities that act like that? I am going to have more then one of these abilities on a unit at a time. I can think of Roar, Taunt, Divine Shield, and probably some other on/off abilities like Mana Shield. I can set the AoE on Roar and Taunt to minimum, and time on Divine Shield down, so those should work. +rep

 

[IKilledKEnny]

Didn't read the comments (in 5 min I need to go out, sorry) so hero is a typo trigger, I didn' copy it.

E: Unit is Attacked.
C: Attacking unit has The Buff.
A: Make attacking unit damage attacked unit dealing damage.
Remove The Buff from the attacking unit.

 

[Korolen]

After a bit, I thought of an easier and more elegant way to accomplish almost what I want: Searing Arrows, Cold Arrows, Frost Arrows, and Orb of Oblivion can all be used, by just turning their bonuses to nothing and triggering them. (In fact, some of these are prefect: Searing Arrows=Power Attack, Frost Arrows=Cripple, Orb of Oblivion=Smash)

Unfortunately, I am limited to four abilities (three if Frost Arrows is the same as Cold Arrows), as they may all occur on a single unit. I suppose if I could find a fifth one, I could make multiple abilities that map to the same trigger but use different base abilities, that are dynamically added so no unit has two of the same order IDs... but that would be a pain and it requires a fifth ability.

EDIT: Found Poison Arrows, to make a fifth one. Technically, this could enable as many abilities as I want ^_^
EDIT2: Found Black Arrow.

 

[Faust]

Immolation would do it aswell.