Dummy ability failing to deliver its damage

[Onnings]

Right, I have a Meteor Rain ability, which, when used, shoots 3 / 5 / 7 meteors at random enemies within an area of 500. The Hero ability is based off channel. The dummy ability is based off Inferno.

Now, the problem I'm having is that the trigger is working all fine and the projectiles are picking the correct number of random targets from the nearby enemies, but the meteor doesn't deal any damage at all.

I am considering simply triggering in some area damage from the point of the Inferno impact, but if I've simply overlooked something in my triggers or the ability editor, I would love any explanation on why this is happening.

Here's the first trigger, which fires the other ones.

Spoiler

MoltenRain
    Events
        Unit - A unit Starts the effect of an ability
    Conditions
        (Ability being cast) Equal to Molten Rain 
    Actions
        Set Casting = (Casting unit)
        Set Dummyloc = (Position of Casting)
        Set MoltenRainInt = 0
        Unit Group - Pick every unit in (Units within 500.00 of Dummyloc matching (((Owner of (Matching unit)) is an enemy of (Owner of Casting)) Equal to True)) and do (Unit Group - Add (Picked unit) to MoltenRainGroup)
        Trigger - Turn on MoltenRainLevel[(Level of Molten Rain  for Casting)]

There's three variants of this trigger, each with a varying integer condition and time frame - casting 3, 5 and 7 meteors over 5 seconds.

Spoiler

MoltenRain1True
    Events
        Time - Every 1.66 seconds of game time
    Conditions
    Actions
        If (All Conditions are True) then do (Then Actions) else do (Else Actions)
            If - Conditions
                MoltenRainInt Less than 3
            Then - Actions
                Unit - Create 1 Dummy for (Owner of Casting) at Dummyloc facing Default building facing degrees
                Set dummy = (Last created unit)
                Unit - Add Molten Rain dummy to dummy
                Unit - Order dummy to Undead Dreadlord - Inferno (Position of (Random unit from MoltenRainGroup))
                Unit - Add a 1.00 second Generic expiration timer to dummy
                Set MoltenRainInt = (MoltenRainInt + 1)
            Else - Actions
                Set Casting = No unit
                Custom script:   call RemoveLocation (udg_Dummyloc)
                Unit Group - Remove all units from MoltenRainGroup
                Trigger - Turn off (This trigger)

And this is the level-based trigger array.

Spoiler

TriggerArrayInit
    Events
        Map initialization
    Conditions
    Actions
        Set MoltenRainLevel[1] = MoltenRain1True <gen>
        Set MoltenRainLevel[2] = MoltenRain2True <gen>
        Set MoltenRainLevel[3] = MoltenRain3True <gen>

Anyhow, just to repeat - the triggers work perfectly - there's nothing wrong with them. The only problem is the fact that the Inferno missiles deal no damage, and does not stun any units.

The Molten Rain dummy-ability has Ground, Structure, Debris, Enemy, Neutral as targets allowed. The damage is currently set to 150. No mana cost, no cooldown.

 

[Slapshot136]

what is the aoe of the spell?

 

[Onnings]

The area of effect on the dummy cast is the default of 250. Cast range is 750.

 

[Slapshot136]

so do you get to see that the spell is cast?

 

[Onnings]

Yes, the spell effect plays perfectly the ammount of times I planned it when I made the trigger, and since the spell effect is bound to the ability and not triggered, I'm sure the dummy fires its ability as it's supposed to do.

It just doesn't cause damage.

 

[darkRae]

The problem may lie in the ability itself.
The ability is cast - but it doesn't deal damage - so the problem is the ability itself

 

[Sil3nt]

I think you should maybe put a screenshot or something of the dummy spell.

Also
Unit Group - Remove all units from MoltenRainGroup
I dont think this will clean the leak. Youll need to set it to a variable and use 'call DestroyGroup (udg_MoltenRainGroup). (btw I didnt read every trigger so yeh ..)

 

[Onnings]

Right, here's a screenie of the actual dummy ability.

Spoiler

>>The problem may lie in the ability itself
Yes, that's what I'm assuming. It is acting as if the dummy doesn't recognize the enemy units as enemies or neutral, and as thus doesn't cause damage to them. My trigger creates the dummy for 'Caster' though, so it should recognize the same enemies as the triggering player has.

I tried adding a trigger which changes all unit in the group to enemies of 'dummy' before the dummy picks targets and fires the ability, but that didn't help any.

I also tried adding 'Friends' to targets, but still it didn't damage anything.

>>I dont think this will clean the leak
Thanks for pointing that out, I'm not too steady on leaks.

 

[Onnings]

I hate bumping myself, but I'm pretty annoyed with this. Anybody have any ideas why the dummy ability won't damage it's target?

 

[Slapshot136]

if you give the ability to a unit that you control and use it, does it work? and does the target turn green when you aim the spell?

 

[Flare]

try increasing ur expiration timer to 2 seconds (ive had problems with dummy inferno not doing damage, because the dummy units were removed before impact)

and bumps are allowed once every 24 hours, not after an hour...

 

[darkRae]

Then perhaps you should have the Summoned Timer higher than Impact Delay, since probably the unit is removed before it impacts.

Yes, I was just repeating what Flare said, but I'm clarifying that the expiration timer Flare mentioned is the one in the ability, not in the trigger.

 

[Flare]

im talking bout the expiration timer in the trigger (so u clarified WRONG! *evil laugh*)

 

[Sooda]

Change that 0.01 duration to default. Look what happens. I assume delay overrides time when actual damage should be done.

 

[darkRae]

O_O
But, but, if the effect did show up, yet it didn't deal damage, so the problem could be in the Object Editor, right?

If it were about the Expiration Timer in the trigger, the spell wouldn't be cast at all.

Conclusion : Try both or one of them, one by one to see which one is correct^^

 

[Onnings]

>>try increasing ur expiration timer to 2 seconds (ive had problems with dummy inferno not doing damage, because the dummy units were removed before impact)

I already thought of this, and tried with a 5 second expiration timer. No change.

>>and bumps are allowed once every 24 hours, not after an hour...
Re-read the timestamps. I bumped over 24 hours after the last post.

Appreciate the suggestions, I'll try them out once I have the time.

>>Change that 0.01 duration to default. Look what happens. I assume delay overrides time when actual damage should be done.
That might be the solution. I'll give it a shot once I have the time.

 

[Flare]

sometimes, if a unit is removed before a spells damage is dealt (shockwave and inferno would be best examples i guess since ive had this issue with both xD), the damage isnt dealt at all

 

[darkRae]

^That would be Cluster Rockets, a spell that requires full-channeling.

 

[Onnings]

>> Change that 0.01 duration to default. Look what happens. I assume delay overrides time when actual damage should be done.

This was the actual fix - I changed the lifetime for the ability-spawned dummy to 2 seconds, and it now delivers the damage as planned. Thanks alot!

Adding rep to all you lovely people helping me out.

Case closed.