Skill Events

[Razalgrim]

Can someone please explain the differences between:

[Starts the effect of an ability] and [Begins casting an ability] as well as [Finishes casting an ability] and [Begins channeling an ability]?

I've already looked up some guides for triggering. Sadly, none of the helped me out much.

The skill I'm trying to trigger is based off Defend, by the way. I want it to trigger when Defend is activated and stop when Defend is deactivated.

Thanks, and + rep.

 

[Dest]

Can someone please explain the differences between:

[Starts the effect of an ability] and [Begins casting an ability] as well as [Finishes casting an ability] and [Begins channeling an ability]?

I've already looked up some guides for triggering. Sadly, none of the helped me out much.

The skill I'm trying to trigger is based off Defend, by the way. I want it to trigger when Defend is activated and stop when Defend is deactivated.

Thanks, and + rep.

Starts the effect of an ability means that ability has effect and doesn't have casting time. Begins the casting of an ability means like flame strike, which take a casting time. I might be wrong, so see next posters what they said. Also, what do you want to do with your Defend ability? Try "Start the effect of an ability".

 

[Razalgrim]

Thanks for the quick reply. About the skill, it's supposed to lock the unit in place and give him an over-the shoulder camera angle. It's for a shooter map, so... yeah.

 

[trb92]

>[Begins casting an ability]
The cast button has been clicked. The ability has been aimed, if it has a target. Mana has not yet been deducted and the cooldown has not yet started.

>[Starts the effect of an ability]
The ability has been cast. The buff has been applied, if there is one. Unit has lost mana and the cooldown has begun.

>[Finishes casting an ability]
The spell is over. Whatever was supposed to happen upon casting has now happened.

>[Begins channeling an ability]
The units has begun using a spell that requires them to keep casting during the entire duration of the spell. Death and Decay is a good example of a spell like this.

>Defend
I don't think defend fires any of these events. Instead, use the event "Unit - A Unit is issued an order with no target", and the condition " Order is equal to "defend" ". The same event can be used to detect when defend ends, and the order to check for is "undefend", if my memory is working.

 

[Razalgrim]

Wow. Didn't think of that.

Anyway, thanks. I think I'll keep the data for future reference. + rep:thup:

 

[jwallstone]

That's not entirely correct. The way that trb92 has described it is mostly correct, but the Begins channeling event ALWAYS fires, regardless of whether the spell is a "channeling" spell. In fact, there is a specific sequence to every spell:

1. Begins channeling an ability: This fires first, before any cast animation is begun. Then, if a Casting Time is specified for the spell, the unit first has to finish that before any of the other events fire.
2. Begins casting an ability: The unit begins casting the spell. Mana is not yet deducted, no cooldown, no effect yet. Each unit has a field in the Object Editor called Art - Animation - Cast Point. The unit now has to undergo an animation for that duration of time before the next event fires.
3. Starts the effect of an ability: This is when the spell has "happened". Now, the unit has an animation for the duration specified by Art - Animation - Cast Backswing, before the Finishes casting event fires. If the unit is issued another order or stunned/interrupted within the intervening time, that event never fires. Instead, the "Stops casting an ability" event fires. Otherwise, if the unit is not interrupted, then we proceed to:
4. Finishes casting an ability - the final event after all animations are done.

As trb92 pointed out, there are certain abilities that are instant and do not set off this sequence of events. Defend and Berserk are examples of these. These are the abilities that can be used without interrupting a unit's current order. For example, if a unit is currently moving toward a location or a target, you can activate these abilities without the unit stopping.