Simple summoned unit multi-level ability

[darwin]

I am making a hero that summons a turret (based on Flaming Betty).

I want to make the summon ability have 3 levels that the hero can level up. What I need to know, is how to make the level of that summon ability increase the damage of the summoned turret?

Options I thought of:

1. Make 3 Flaming Betty units, and give each a different weapon that does more damage.
2. Make 1 Flaming Betty unit, and give it three weapons (each doing more damage than the last) and then somehow upgrade those weapons.

Also, I assume I need 3 (Swann - Place Turret) Effects, one for each level of the ability. But do I also need 3 (Timed Life) effects, and 3 Kill (Generic Kill Command) effects?


p.s. Am I the only one whose editor crashes when I use CNTRL- F and then search for text that isn't there? Every time I misspell something my map locks up.


EDIT:

Well I'm about 2 hours into it. When the hero levels the summon ability it will create the appropriate turret (I set them to have different hit points so I could tell). The problem is that they all do 7 damage! I thought I made it so that the unit that level 1 summons does 7, but the unit that level 2 summons should do 14, and so on.

I'm finding the editor enragingly difficult to understand, but finally located the unit's damage in an Effect. So I made 3 of those effects, one doing 7 damage, one 14, one 21. But I can't seem to get them to connect to the units. I've basically made 3 of every effect, actor, and unit and tried to assign them. I'm stuck on "DutchTurretAttack (unnamed)" which is an actor I've made 3 copies of, but I can't get them to appear with the appropriate units. For example, for DutchTurretAttack 3, I've changed its effects to version 3 of both effects, but the level three unit still doesn't show it.

I'm going to go blow my brains out now. When the hospital pieces them back together I'll come back and see if anyone knows what to do here.

 

[Dr Super Good]

2 Simple options spring to mind.
1. Trigger/script enhance the actual damage effect of the turret so that the damage it deals is calculated from the ability level of the summon hero. Leveling up the ability will immediatly imrpove all turrets that are out.
2. When the hero spawns the turret unit, you use triggers to multiply the damage output. As it only has 1 damage capability it will not cause any collisions. This is more efficient than method 1 (as it runs only on every summon not every damage the turret deals) but the turret will not improve until resummoned when leveling the ability up. You will eithor need to change the weapon via script or else you will need to give a buff behaviour to enahce damage (via script). You could ultimatly even make the turret have a form of veterancy that imrpoves damage and set its level (via script) to that of the cast ability.

Both these methods use the same turret unit for all levels.

 

[darwin]

2 Simple options spring to mind.
1. Trigger/script enhance the actual damage effect of the turret so that the damage it deals is calculated from the ability level of the summon hero. Leveling up the ability will immediatly imrpove all turrets that are out.
2. When the hero spawns the turret unit, you use triggers to multiply the damage output. As it only has 1 damage capability it will not cause any collisions. This is more efficient than method 1 (as it runs only on every summon not every damage the turret deals) but the turret will not improve until resummoned when leveling the ability up. You will eithor need to change the weapon via script or else you will need to give a buff behaviour to enahce damage (via script). You could ultimatly even make the turret have a form of veterancy that imrpoves damage and set its level (via script) to that of the cast ability.

I'm not sure I understand. I was told (by you I think) that triggers are generally less efficient and more laggy than using the data editor. I managed to get the ability to summon three different units, but I can't get them to do different damage. I get lost in the maze of effects referencing effects referencing actors and so on.

 

[Dr Super Good]

Effects can not reference actors. Actors however can reference effects.
The weapon references an effect. Generally this effect will eithor deal damage or start an effect chain with the end result of some damage. Inorder to change the damage of the weapon you will need to parallel all effects on the chain, as far as I know, so the final effect that deals damage does different damage. This is why I think it might be unefficient.

 

[darwin]

Effects can not reference actors. Actors however can reference effects.
The weapon references an effect. Generally this effect will eithor deal damage or start an effect chain with the end result of some damage. Inorder to change the damage of the weapon you will need to parallel all effects on the chain, as far as I know, so the final effect that deals damage does different damage. This is why I think it might be unefficient.

You are a genius, thank you. I do believe that was my problem; I wasn't using different weapons and I couldn't figure out how to link the damage effect to the actor... but it was linked by the weapon I think.

I have a lot to learn about this editor, so thanks again for your patience.