Custom Missile Systems and Performance

[Spellbound]

I have a conundrum that I need help with: I need a missile system for an altered melee type map that replaces all ranged attack with missiles. Now, I have my eye on 3 of them, but I can't figure out which one would suit me best.

I need a system that can:
- Modify missiles in midflight (changing damage, destroying the missile, changing targets, changing/adding/removing art fx)
- Use missiles as a spell template (eg, dealing line AoE damage like the Colossus in sc2)
- Apply effects on landing/hitting target
- handle a lot of missiles (performance-friendly)

The systems I'm eyeing are:
- Custom Projectiles by Berb
- Missile by BPower
- Missile by Anachron

The most important thing here is performance, because I'm expecting to have a lot of units at a time on the map.

 

[Nestharus]

Missile systems can't support lots of missiles without introducing serious FPS problems. The more features, the less missiles. You want a lot of features, meaning that you won't be able to run many missiles.

 

[Spellbound]

Well I can forgo the spell templating and applying effects since those won't be used on every unit (applying effects doesn't have to be part of the missile), but the modifying missiles would be great to have.

Berb's system can apparently sustain up to ~300 missile at a time, which sounds like a solid number to have in a melee map.

 

[Nestharus]

Keep in mind that 300 is on a specific computer with nothing else running in the map. Furthermore, assume each ranged unit will have 3-5 projectiles up at a time with 50 units per player and 12 players. That comes out to up to 3000 projectiles.

 

[Spellbound]

Well I am kinda counting on the fact that Berb's performance threshold for his system was made 5 years ago, which would mean current computers should be able to handle more (though not 3000). I do realise wc3 has some engine limitations, so that could be an obstacle.

 

[Wietlol]

Missile systems can't support lots of missiles without introducing serious FPS problems. The more features, the less missiles. You want a lot of features, meaning that you won't be able to run many missiles.

I think that your system that uses an actual WC3 missile would be able to do this.
However I am not sure if he wants to have collision detection with anything else than the target (generic collision detection).

Berb's system can apparently sustain up to ~300 missile at a time, which sounds like a solid number to have in a melee map.

Solid?
I suppose 600-700 is enough to have as limit but 300 can easily be done by 12 players.

My system can handle 1100 without collision detection.
However the uploaded version is outdated.
I am implementing a collision detection type that allows you to simply detect the distance between the missile and target instead of collision with any object in range.
I also have to implement to not detect items or destructables (and use it as an option that can be turned on and off per missile individually).

Keep in mind that 300 is on a specific computer with nothing else running in the map. Furthermore, assume each ranged unit will have 3-5 projectiles up at a time with 50 units per player and 12 players. That comes out to up to 3000 projectiles.

How are you ALWAYS able to create a worst case scenario?
However, my calculation is even higher... so I dont know who has a worse scenario
(12 players * 200 units * 0.5 (50%) ranged units * 3 missiles in flight = 3600)

 

[Spellbound]

I've actually never played a game that had more than 6 players. Do people really play 12 player maps? (I guess a 6v6 would be fun)

As far as collision goes, one way I wanted to modify the missiles was having walls (made up of dummy units) that could block them. The way I planned on doing this was to use the DynamicEvents system you made Wietlol, and catch the missile when it comes close to the wall if it's height was low enough. Otherwise I don't really have any plans for bouncing off destructibles or things like that.

 

[Zwiebelchen]

Use BPower's Missile system. It's well done, powerful and not too stacked with features nobody needs. Also, all it's dependencies are optional (though some are recommended to be used if you care for performance), which is always a good thing.