Spawning limited number of units over time (like locust swarm)

[Sajberhippie]

So, in my map I want players in control of a certain unit (Farm) to have that unit spawn other units (Villagers) periodically. However, I want it to work like Locust Swarm; It spawn them periodically until they reach a certain number, then they stop spawning them, and if one dies a new one is spawned. Basically, I want a limited number of people living in each farm.

First I tried using a Locust Swarm-clone with changed unit types.
I've tried adding the ability, having the Farm cast it, and remove the ability. The units spawned, but if they died no new ones were created.
I tried adding the ability to a dummy, but that brought on a whole new level of problems related to changes in ownership and problematic triggers. I'll post those triggers a bit down in the post, because if those issues could be solved that would be it.

I've also thought about using a periodic trigger, but that has one major problem: I don't know JASS, and I can't figure out a way to limit the amount of units spawned (I simply can't have a variable for each farm, there's too many and they are buildable). However, a triggered system might be a good solution if anyone knows one.

The locust-swarm-on-dummy-unit had one major issue, and that was that if effed up badly when the farm changed owner (a frequent happening in this map). Sometimes all villagers died (don't know if the dummy too died), or they remained but wouldn't spawn any more, or they remained in the old players control. The triggers involved are these:

• If (All Conditions are True) then do (Then Actions) else do (Else Actions)
  • If - Conditions
    • (Unit-type of (Triggering unit)) Equal to Peasant's Home
  • Then - Actions
    • Set TempPoint = (Position of (Triggering unit))
    • Unit - Create 1 Villager Summoner for (Owner of (Triggering unit)) at TempPoint facing Default building facing degrees
    • Unit - Order (Last created unit) to Undead Crypt Lord - Locust Swarm
    • Custom script: call RemoveLocation(udg_TempPoint)

• Building Destroyed
  • Events
    • Unit - A unit Dies
  • Conditions
  • Actions
    • Set TempPoint = (Position of (Triggering unit))
    • If (All Conditions are True) then do (Then Actions) else do (Else Actions)
      • If - Conditions
        • ((Triggering unit) is in FoundationHouses) Equal to True
      • Then - Actions
        • Unit - Create 1 Foundation (Farm) for (Owner of (Triggering unit)) at TempPoint facing Default building facing degrees
        • Unit Group - Add (Last created unit) to FoundationHouses
        • Set TempGroup = (Units of type Villager Summoner)
        • Unit Group - Add all units of (Units of type Body Summoner) to TempGroup
        • Unit Group - Pick every unit in TempGroup and do (Actions)
          • Loop - Actions
            • Set TempPoint2 = (Position of (Picked unit))
            • If (All Conditions are True) then do (Then Actions) else do (Else Actions)
              • If - Conditions
                • (Distance between TempPoint and TempPoint2) Less than or equal to 100.00
              • Then - Actions
                • Unit - Remove (Picked unit) from the game
              • Else - Actions
            • Custom script: call RemoveLocation (udg_TempPoint2)
        • Custom script: call DestroyGroup (udg_TempGroup)
      • Else - Actions

• Building Changes Owner
  • Events
    • Unit - A unit Changes owner
  • Conditions
  • Actions
    • If (All Conditions are True) then do (Then Actions) else do (Else Actions)
      • If - Conditions
        • Or - Any (Conditions) are true
          • Conditions
            • (Unit-type of (Triggering unit)) Equal to Peasant's Home
            • (Unit-type of (Triggering unit)) Equal to Breeding Pit
      • Then - Actions
        • Set TempPoint = (Position of (Triggering unit))
        • Set TempGroup2 = (Units of type Villager Summoner)
        • Unit Group - Add all units of (Units of type Body Summoner) to TempGroup2
        • Unit Group - Pick every unit in TempGroup2 and do (Actions)
          • Loop - Actions
            • Set TempPoint = (Position of (Triggering unit))
            • If (All Conditions are True) then do (Then Actions) else do (Else Actions)
              • If - Conditions
                • (Distance between TempPoint and TempPoint2) Less than or equal to 100.00
              • Then - Actions
                • Set TempUnitType = (Unit-type of (Picked unit))
                • Unit - Change ownership of (Picked unit) to (Owner of (Triggering unit)) and Change color
                • Unit - Replace (Picked unit) with a TempUnitType using The old unit's relative life and mana
                • Unit - Order (Last replaced unit) to Undead Crypt Lord - Locust Swarm
              • Else - Actions
        • Custom script: call DestroyGroup (udg_TempGroup2)
        • Custom script: call RemoveLocation (udg_TempPoint)
      • Else - Actions

 

[Sajberhippie]

Bump

 

[Sajberhippie]

Please someone, help?

 

[Sajberhippie]

Bump me once, shame on that gorilla over there.

 

[Danis[h]]

This is done in the blizzard map warchasers? I remember the small houses there spawning units until reaching some cap, and then it stops until a unit is killed

 

[Sajberhippie]

This is done in the blizzard map warchasers? I remember the small houses there spawning units until reaching some cap, and then it stops until a unit is killed

Cool, I'll check if it isn't protected and what ability/trigger is used!

 

[Sajberhippie]

Okay, now i THINK I know how to do it. I'm gonna use 4 arrays; Spawners (Unit for all spawning buildings), Spawns (Unit Group for all units spawned by the building), MaxUnits (Integer for maximum number of spawns since it differs per race) and SpawnType (Unit Type for unit type of spawned unit since it differs per race). I'll also have an integer variable called IntSpawners that is the number of spawner buildings.

However, I'd like to have it dynamic so that when a building is created it is automatically assigned to the Spawners array with a new number, and that I can use that number for the different arrays. I don't know how to do that though.
Is it something like

• Set Spawner
  • Event
    • A unit enters (playable map area)
  • Condition
    • Unit-Type is equal to (Peasant's Home)
  • Action
    • Integer A - For each 1 to (IntSpawners + 1)
      • If
        • Spawners[Integer A] is equal to (no unit)
      • Then
        • Set Spawners[Integer A] to (triggering unit)
        • Set MaxUnits[Integer A] to (5)
        • Set SpawnType[Integer A] to (Villager)
        • Set IntSpawners (IntSpawners + 1)
        • Skip Remaining Actions
      • Else

for setting the Spawner, and how would I go about using those arrays later? I'm pretty bad at arrays.

 

[Danis[h]]

Okay, now i THINK I know how to do it. I'm gonna use 4 arrays; Spawners (Unit for all spawning buildings), Spawns (Unit Group for all units spawned by the building), MaxUnits (Integer for maximum number of spawns since it differs per race) and SpawnType (Unit Type for unit type of spawned unit since it differs per race). I'll also have an integer variable called IntSpawners that is the number of spawner buildings.

However, I'd like to have it dynamic so that when a building is created it is automatically assigned to the Spawners array with a new number, and that I can use that number for the different arrays. I don't know how to do that though.
Is it something like

• Set Spawner
  • Event
    • A unit enters (playable map area)
  • Condition
    • Unit-Type is equal to (Peasant's Home)
  • Action
    • Integer A - For each 1 to (IntSpawners + 1)
      • If
        • Spawners[Integer A] is equal to (no unit)
      • Then
        • Set Spawners[Integer A] to (triggering unit)
        • Set MaxUnits[Integer A] to (5)
        • Set SpawnType[Integer A] to (Villager)
        • Set IntSpawners (IntSpawners + 1)
        • Skip Remaining Actions
      • Else

for setting the Spawner, and how would I go about using those arrays later? I'm pretty bad at arrays.

I would use A unit finishes construction event.

 

[Sajberhippie]

I would use A unit finishes construction event.

Well, actually, the event should be a unit finishes upgrading, but yeah, it shouldn't be enters playable map area.