Locust with manadrain

[Aarpia]

Hi, been trying to create a version of locus that drains mana and is deactivatable rather than costing an initial amount of mana and lasting a set duration. I know I have to do it with a dummy spell (I chose immolation) and then triggering locust swarm, but I'm having trouble triggering locust swarm. Using the GUI. Thanks.

 

[Rui]

Welcome to the Hive Workshop, Aarpia. If you want to introduce yourself to the Community, you may do so here. If not, you should at least read the important Site Rules, to make sure you won't run in trouble.

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I don't know if what you're seeking can be done with GUI.
Anyway, spell-creation threads go on the Spells and Systems forum.
~Thread Moved

 

[PurplePoot]

You could always just use Locust Swarm (a dummy ability) to create the locusts, move the dummy around on top of your hero, and then kill it when necessary.

As for the life drain, the dummy could start at 1/500000 life, then you could add the correct life to the hero whenever it gains life.

 

[Aarpia]

Would that scale with levels though? (level 3 locust cast with hero initiating level 3 locusts on dummy)

 

[PurplePoot]

You could make there be 3 levels on the dummy ability?

 

[Aarpia]

I've tried using a dummy now and I still can't get it to work. My trigger looks something like this:

event:
a unit casts an ability

conditions:
ability being cast = locust variant

Actions:
create dummy belonging to triggering player unit at point of casting
order last created unit to follow triggering unit
order last created unit to cast undead crypt lord - locust swarm

 

[PurplePoot]

What part's not working?

You need to, of course, make a trigger to kill the dummy when the unit dies/deactivates the ability, if that's what you're having trouble with.

 

[Aarpia]

No, it's not that, the ability just doesn't trigger at all. I've made plenty of locust variant spells before so I know that's not the problem. No locusts are released, no damage is done, just the manadrain.

 

[PurplePoot]

Hmm, you could try instead detecting the order being issued.

Add a debug message, anyways, to see if the trigger's even running.

 

[Aarpia]

Right, I've got the ability to trigger now. But now my dummy won't follow my casting unit. Also, how do I make the dummy cast the correct level of ability? Do I need to create a separate trigger+dummy for each level?

Events:
Unit - A unit Begins casting an ability
Conditions:
(Unit-type of (Triggering unit)) Equal to Battlemage
(Ability being cast) Equal to Heat Seeking (Caster)
Actions:
Unit - Create 1 Dummy for (Owner of (Triggering unit)) at (Position of (Triggering unit)) facing Default building facing degrees
Wait 0.01 seconds
Unit - Order (Last created unit) to Follow (Triggering unit)
Wait 0.01 seconds
Unit - Order (Last created unit) to Undead Crypt Lord - Locust Swarm

 

[PurplePoot]

The waits are unneeded.

As for the correct level of the ability, (I called your dummy ability Heat Seeking (Locust Swarm))

• Unit - Set Level of Heat Seeking (Locust Swarm) for (Last Created Unit) to (Level of Heat Seeking (Caster) for (Triggering Unit))

 

[Aarpia]

Aha! Bingo. Thanks very much! Any idea how to make the dummy follow my casting unit?
Also, my other idea was to have it as a passive ability, but I have even less of an idea of how to do that!

 

[PurplePoot]

Passive ability; when learned, do this shiz.

Following; Well, following should work fine, just change the Gameplay Constants - Follow Range to 0 instead of 500 or whatever it is.

 

[Aarpia]

The dummy doesn't even move, that's the problem. It's got max speed, 0 collision, no shadow, no model, but it won't move.

 

[PurplePoot]

You're sure? Because if the unit is within 500 of the unit it's ordered to follow, it'll wait.

Otherwise, what I originally intended was that you make a periodic movement trigger, but this way would work better [if you can get it to work at all].

 

[Aarpia]

Yeah, I really don't know why it's happening. Might be something to do with the way locust works?

 

[PurplePoot]

Locusted units can move normally, I've never had problems with it.

 

[Aarpia]

Still can't get it to work. It's really starting to bug me now. My dummy unit just WILL NOT move.

 

[PurplePoot]

You could always try the backup approach and update the speed with a periodic timer.

Otherwise,

-Try changing movement type to "None" or "Fly"
-Try changing the Gameplay Constants Follow Range to 0 if you haven't already.

 

[Aarpia]

Right, I've finally got my dummy unit to spawn, move, AND follow the caster without being detected. I've updated it to be a passive ability now, so the trigger reads as follows:

Events:
Unit - A unit learns a skill

Conditions:
(Learned Hero Skill) Equal to Heat Seeking (caster aura)

Actions:
Unit - Create 1 Dummy for (Owner of (Learning Hero)) at (Position of (Learning Hero)) facing (Random point in (Playable map area))
Unit - Set level of Heat Seeking (dummy) for (Last created unit) to (Level of Heat Seeking (caster aura) for (Triggering unit))
Unit - Order (Matching unit) to Undead Crypt Lord - Locust Swarm
Unit - Order (Last created unit) to Follow (Learning Hero)



now I have a new problem - the dummy won't cast the ability due to the order. I gave the dummy a model and made it selectable to see if it was following and spawning, and found that the ability works, it just won't fire off when ordered to by the trigger. I also tried to remove the dummy from the game using the "matching unit" condition and action, but no luck.

 

[AmadiTheGreat]

Unit - Order (Last created unit) to Undead Crypt Lord - Locust Swarm

 

[PurplePoot]

Try changing the order to something else? (In the trigger and on the spell)

 

[Aarpia]

aha! I have now fixed it! The cause was a very dubious need for a wait. Because casting initiates a tiny delay, the order to follow and the order to cast kind of overlapped. So, it would only do one or the other. The working trigger now looks like this:

Events:
Unit - A unit Learns a skill

Conditions:
(Learned Hero Skill) Equal to Heat Seeking (caster aura)

Actions:
Unit Group - Pick every unit in (Units of type Dummy) and do (Unit - Remove (Picked unit) from the game)
Unit - Create 1 Dummy for (Owner of (Learning Hero)) at (Position of (Learning Hero)) facing (Random point in (Playable map area))
Unit - Set level of Heat Seeking (dummy) for (Last created unit) to (Level of Heat Seeking (caster aura) for (Triggering unit))
Unit - Order (Last created unit) to Undead Crypt Lord - Locust Swarm
Wait 1.00 seconds
Unit - Order (Last created unit) to Follow (Learning Hero)