Hero selection: how-to view skills before picking ?

[Ricola3D]

Hello,

I am editing a Hero Defense map where, at the beginning, players can pick 1 or 2 heroes (with double click) among a circle of heroes (see the picture at the bottom of this post). The pickable heroes are level 1 heroes owned by an allied computer player.

I want players to be able to see the skills of each hero before picking. What is the easiest way ?

I thougth about:
1 - Make the computer player share unit controls (= players can see inventory & icons)
2 - Pause the units (= players cannot move, attack, ... with them)
3 - For each hero, set it level 30 (max level), and learn all of its skills.

However, I cannot find a easy way to perform step 3. Can we access the skill list of a hero in a trigger ? Can we automatically spend all skill points to max all the skills ?

 

[Wrda]

The first is the easiest, the wisest and the simplest.
The second makes no sense, you can't see abilities with that.
The third only a maniac would do it
Another option could be to change the owner of the selected unit.

 

[Ricola3D]

The first is the easiest, the wisest and the simplest.
The second makes no sense, you can't see abilities with that.
The third only a maniac would do it
Another option could be to change the owner of the selected unit.

Sorry I explained it wrong. Actually it is one solution done in 3 steps, not 3 different solutions ^^
The dummy units owned by the computed player are currently level 1, with not a single spell learnt. So if I share control, you will see 1 unspent skill point, and the list of spells you can learn. It will miss the bonus spell at max level (when the "+" button disapears I use the free slot to add a bonus spell).

 

[Wrda]

You can Remove the attack or move ability ('Aatk' or 'Amov') for the extra slot, and then you can add that bonus spell to each dummy hero

 

[deepstrasz]

Well, if you also want to have players test the abilities on dummy units, you should make a repick system. Basically, you choose a temporary hero test the abilities and then you have to confirm the choice either by walking on a circle/region or by clicking a dummy ability or creating two dialog buttons on ESC, one saying Choose Hero, another Cancel or even a third with Repick.

 

[Pyrogasm]

Instead of pausing the units you could stun them for max duration with a dummy stormbolt. This would keep the command card unlike pausing them. It's possible ordering the units to do the stun order (happens when units are stunned) would work, too, but I'm not certain of that.

If the units are preplaced in the OE then you can set their ability levels to max. Placing them with triggers will require you to know all abilities each unit has if you want to set their levels. If all abilities have the same hotkeys you could maybe get away with selecting the unit and repeatedly forcing the level up hotkeys but I wouldn't recommend that.

 

[Tasyen]

You can give the heroes a select unit (shop ability that select the buyinging unit) then the abilities and items of the heroes are displayed and useable but not the Basic commands like attack or movement.

The new native PauseUnitEx might come in handy it "stuns" the unit, but unlike PauseUnit the command Card is not hidden.

In case you don't know this when having preplaced Units, when having an unit selected: inside the ability Panel one can select the first ability, changes the value to max after that one can swap focus to the next ability Level field by Pressing "tab" write in your number and tab again. This tabbing is probably much faster then selecting the fields with the mouse.