Baradé's Black Arrow System 1.1

MyPad · Apr 19, 2022

I think this system will greatly benefit from using structs to register/organize the custom black arrow ability IDs, ranging from compact and defined behavior to clarity in the code. Since the system already takes advantage of vJASS features (declaration of global variables), I suggest enclosing the system in a library and privatizing the members.

Barade · Apr 19, 2022

Yes, maybe I will change it to vJass because of the globals. I am not sure how to handle stacking. Right now it uses the first matching item or first matching ability of the damaging unit. Is it the same way with the Black Arrow ability in Warcraft?
Maybe I have to add some tests. I don't think multiple abilities or items will stack?

MyPad · Apr 22, 2022

Based on the testmap attached here, the applied buff (on target) from the Black Arrow ability will stack with custom buffs. However, only the most recent Black Arrow ability (or derivatives) that managed to apply the buff will be used to spawn the summoned unit/s.

Going further into the way the damage instance is dealt from the black arrows, it appears that the damage from the unit's attack is applied before the buff. This leads to the observation that when you have distinct Black Arrow abilities, the summoned unit will be based on the most recent Black Arrow ability applied (a bit of circular reasoning, I suppose?).

For instance, say that we have 2 Black Arrow Abilities. A target was hit with Black Arrow A and survived. Then, when the target would be hit by Black Arrow B, the following scenarios may play out:

Target Lives
Target Dies

In #1, the most recent Black Arrow ability to be referenced when creating the summoned units would become Black Arrow B.
In #2, since the unit died before the buff was applied, it will summon units based on the data from Black Arrow A.

A similar scenario will play out if we swap Black Arrow A with Black Arrow B.

Barade · Apr 22, 2022

But what is the order of the Black Arrow abilities in which they are applied? Is the orb applied before the unit/hero ability? Does the order depend on if the item has been acquired after skilling the hero ability?

Wrda · Aug 15, 2022

// Usage:
// - Copy the custom buff ability and custom buff into your map.
// - Copy this code into your map script.
// - Adapt the raw code ID of the constant to the one in your map.
// - Call the function InitItemUnstackSystem during the map initialization.
// - Optional: Use the API functions to register custom abilities and items.
// - Optional: Register all auto casters.

1 - There's no custom buff, only a custom ability, that acts as a buff, called "Black Arrow Buff". Specifying the name would be better.
4 - InitItemUnstackSystem doesn't exit. InitBlackArrowSystem. I don't understand why you don't implement this on map initialization yourself, with library. This is just an unnecessary step for users to take into account while they should do the least steps possible. It shouldn't be a big deal since you're already using vjass.
5 - I can tell that BlackArrowAddAbility and BlackArrowAddAutoCaster are available to the user, but I don't know if that's all of API, or if there's more, nor should users have to look through the code to know the API or if it is really part of it. So putting them at the top with comments would save a lot of time, with a very simple description of each of them.

JASS:
You have to register your custom abilities and custom orbs using the JASS functions from the system:
JASS:

JASS:

call BlackArrowAddAbility('A001', 1, 'ndr1', 3, 80.0, 0.0, 2.0, 'BNdm') call BlackArrowAddAbility('A001', 2, 'ndr2', 3, 80.0, 0.0, 2.0, 'BNdm') call BlackArrowAddAbility('A001', 3, 'ndr3', 3, 80.0, 0.0, 2.0, 'BNdm') call BlackArrowAddAbility('A002', 3, 'ndr3', 3, 80.0, 0.0, 2.0, 'BNdm') call BlackArrowAddItemTypeId('I000', BlackArrowAddAbility('A004', 1, 'ndr1', 3, 80.0, 0.0, 2.0, 'BNdm')) call InitBlackArrowSystem()

The standard abilities and orb will be detected by default.

I have these issues because a friend asked me if this system could solve his problems and how to use it correctly, and the documentation wasn't clear.

Barade · Aug 15, 2022

Hi, I will update this system in the future and change it to vJass with an initializer and some API descriptions.

Barade · Sep 24, 2022

Updated with 1.1. The system still cannot detect preplaced auto casters since even with vJass hooks, the issued order is detected too late.
No more custom initializer, example with a callback trigger, API descriptions, refactoring.

Wrda · Nov 5, 2022

TriggerConditionOrder and TriggerActionOrder are doing the same checks, it's redundant.

JASS:

private function TriggerConditionOrder takes nothing returns boolean
    return GetIssuedOrderId() == OrderId(ORDER_ON) or GetIssuedOrderId() == OrderId(ORDER_OFF)
endfunction

private function TriggerActionOrder takes nothing returns nothing
    if (GetIssuedOrderId() == OrderId(ORDER_ON)) then
        if (not BlackArrowIsAutoCaster(GetTriggerUnit())) then
            call BlackArrowAddAutoCaster(GetTriggerUnit())
        //call BJDebugMsg("Adding unit " + GetUnitName(caster) + " to casters.")
        endif
    else
        if (BlackArrowIsAutoCaster(GetTriggerUnit())) then
            call BlackArrowRemoveAutoCaster(GetTriggerUnit())
            //call BJDebugMsg("Removing unit " + GetUnitName(GetTriggerUnit()) + " from casters.")
        endif
    endif
endfunction

You can easily combine to one

JASS:

private function TriggerConditionOrder takes nothing returns boolean
    if (GetIssuedOrderId() == OrderId(ORDER_ON)) then
        if (not BlackArrowIsAutoCaster(GetTriggerUnit())) then
            call BlackArrowAddAutoCaster(GetTriggerUnit())
        //call BJDebugMsg("Adding unit " + GetUnitName(caster) + " to casters.")
        endif
    else
        if (BlackArrowIsAutoCaster(GetTriggerUnit())) then
            call BlackArrowRemoveAutoCaster(GetTriggerUnit())
            //call BJDebugMsg("Removing unit " + GetUnitName(GetTriggerUnit()) + " from casters.")
        endif
    endif
    return false
endfunction

Not required, but you could add "exitwhen true" after "set result = i" to exit the loop instead of checking "result > 0" each time you loop. And it could become faster if you used the hashtable to store the item types id.

JASS:

private function GetMatchingBlackArrowItemTypeIndex takes integer itemTypeId returns integer
    local integer result = 0
    local integer i = 1
    loop
        exitwhen (i >= BlackArrowItemTypeCounter or result > 0)
        if (BlackArrowItemTypeId[i] == itemTypeId) then
            set result = i
        endif
        set i = i + 1
    endloop

    return result
endfunction

Since TriggerConditionDamage function has potential for the user to modify it within his needs and the fact that you mentioned in known issues it would be easy to adapt the system for such things, you should mention this function specifically (and maybe some others, which have the same potential), and make it stand out in some way. E.g., making more space between this function and others, and a comment stating it is configurable.

The local group summonedUnits leaks a reference leak. Described in here: Memory Leaks

JASS:

private function SummonEffect takes integer abilityIndex, unit source, unit target returns group
    local location tmpLocation = GetUnitLoc(target)
    // Does not leak since it uses bj_lastCreatedGroup:
    local group summonedUnits = CreateNUnitsAtLoc(BlackArrowAbiliySummonedUnitsCount[abilityIndex],  BlackArrowAbiliySummonedUnitTypeId[abilityIndex], GetOwningPlayer(source), tmpLocation, GetUnitFacing(target))
    local integer i = 0
    loop
        exitwhen (i == BlzGroupGetSize(summonedUnits))
        call SetUnitAnimation(BlzGroupUnitAt(summonedUnits, i), "Birth")
        call UnitApplyTimedLife(BlzGroupUnitAt(summonedUnits, i), BlackArrowAbiliyBuffId[abilityIndex], BlackArrowAbiliySummonedUnitDuration[abilityIndex])
        set i = i + 1
    endloop

    call ExecuteCallbackTriggers(source, target, summonedUnits, BlackArrowAbiliyId[abilityIndex])

    return summonedUnits
endfunction

private function Effect takes unit target returns group
     local timer whichTimer = LoadTimerHandle(BlackArrowHashTable, GetHandleId(target), 0)
     local unit source = LoadUnitHandle(BlackArrowHashTable, GetHandleId(target), 1)
     local integer abilityIndex = LoadInteger(BlackArrowHashTable, GetHandleId(target), 2)
     local group summonedUnits = SummonEffect(abilityIndex, source, target)

     //call BJDebugMsg("Black Arrow effect on target " + GetUnitName(target) + " with ability level " + I2S(BlackArrowAbiliyLevel[abilityIndex]) + " summoning units of type " + GetObjectName(BlackArrowAbiliySummonedUnitTypeId[abilityIndex]))

    if (whichTimer != null) then
        call FlushChildHashtable(BlackArrowHashTable, GetHandleId(whichTimer))
        call PauseTimer(whichTimer)
        call DestroyTimer(whichTimer)
        set whichTimer = null
    endif

    call FlushChildHashtable(BlackArrowHashTable, GetHandleId(target))
    call UnitRemoveAbility(target, BUFF_ABILITY_ID)
    call GroupRemoveUnit(BlackArrowTargets, target)

    // remove the decaying corpse
    call RemoveUnit(target)
    set target = null

    set source = null

    return summonedUnits
endfunction

Can be easily solved by having another global variable to return the corresponding group before nulling the local one.

Besides these relatively minor things, I have noticed some things:
Killing Ogre Lords (with any registered form of black arrow) will remove the dying unit instantly, whereas a unit with level lesser or equal to 5 will have its dying animation first, and then removed a bit after. I think you should replicate this behavior, doesn't have to be fully accurate. Otherwise it would be kind of weird.
Dark Ranger fails to give the "black arrow buff" to Doom Guard and spawn units upon death while Improved Fel Ravager or Fel Ravager does give, even if these last 2 unit types have auto cast disabled. Is it because they're melee and the buff and ability effect is applied, even though Doom Guard is Skin Resistant?

Bigger problem: Turning off auto cast after sending a black arrow projectile won't trigger the ability's effect on unit's level 6 or above; With auto cast off, manually targeting won't trigger the ability's effect on unit's level 6 or above.
I don't think it's actually possible to fix these two issues in all cases unless you triggered the whole ability, with custom projectile system.

Summing up, it's a nice system to remove the Warcraft 3 limitations. Besides these two problems, the other ones should be easier to fix, I'm only hesitant to approve because of them.

Barade · Dec 18, 2022

Interesting finds. The memory leak does not happen since it uses bj_lastCreatedGroup but do you mean a null reference? I can simply return bj_lastCreatedGroup then.

About Resistant Skin: If it blocks Black Arrow, I can check for Resistant Skin. Is it only against ranged units or all all Black Arrow default abilities?!

How long is the corpse still there? The time of the death animation? I need to know to implement.

What do you mean by "With auto cast off, manually targeting won't trigger the ability's effect on unit's level 6 or above." Should it trigger it even with auto cast off because it is melee?!?!

I still have to understand everything properly before updating it.

Wrda · Dec 19, 2022

Barade said:
Interesting finds. The memory leak does not happen since it uses bj_lastCreatedGroup but do you mean a null reference? I can simply return bj_lastCreatedGroup then.

I mean, the object leak doesn't happen, but the reference counter does. Yes, bj_lastCreatedGroup will do, the local group isn't necessary anyway.

Barade said:
About Resistant Skin: If it blocks Black Arrow, I can check for Resistant Skin. Is it only against ranged units or all all Black Arrow default abilities?!

Resistant Skin is only blocking ranged units with black arrow, regardless whether it's default or custom ones.

Barade said:
How long is the corpse still there? The time of the death animation? I need to know to implement.

Yes, the Art - Death Time field.

Barade said:
What do you mean by "With auto cast off, manually targeting won't trigger the ability's effect on unit's level 6 or above." Should it trigger it even with auto cast off because it is melee?!?!

It seems it "casts" the black arrow ability without taking into account the autocast state because it's melee. I even tested with a footman, which has the black arrow ability (neutral hostile), 0 mana. It kills the Doom Guard and spawns the skeleton. Game logic? No sense...

Baradé's Black Arrow System 1.1

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