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[Alpha Release] Ability Management Framework

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X3N0-Life-Form:

--- Quote from: Erebus Alpha on December 01, 2016, 11:36:59 pm ---SEXP's are restricted to only the host, but if my understanding is correct, this ability manager wouldn't have that limitation? Meaning that it's even multiplayer-compatible?

--- End quote ---
I have no idea how FSO handles scripting in multiplayer, so I don't know.


--- Quote ---One of the biggest features of my upcoming campaign is that all the player-flyable Shivan fighters can do tactical subspace jumps. Can your ability manager handle teleportation? Getting reusable & combat-useful player subspace jumps with SEXP's was a bit of a challenge.
--- End quote ---
The framework can handle any type of ability that requires a single target, so as long as you write all the warping subroutines it shouldn't be an issue.

It's actually an ability I had in mind for Shivan fighter but never got around to write, so I'd be happy to help you out on that :D.

Erebus Alpha:
The SEXP jump system I have set up at the moment distinguishes between an attack-jump and a retreat-jump, based on whether or not you are facing a target. Unfortunately, because of the way FRED handles things, I have to make a list of combat-warp-attackable targets for every mission, usually capships.

An attack jump teleports you in the direction you are facing, to the distance to target, minus 2000 meters. It's great for rapidly closing the distance & making things dead, and also great for escort missions when you need to get back to your escort targets.

The retreat jump just teleports you 7500 meters in the direction you are facing, if you try and jump when the attack jump criteria are not met.

Currently the subspace jumps are hooked to a timer. After executing one, a ship can't use any of its other abilities until it's recharged. Depending on how flexible this new ability system is, I wonder if it's possible to set up an ability energy bar, and have stuff begin malfunctioning severely if it falls below zero.

In the campaign I'm designing, the Shivans are masters of quantum ****ery. If they need to extract 40 units of energy from a bucket that only has 30, they will find a way to artificially induce it by screwing with the fabric of space-time. Energy reserves 'going negative' for short periods of time are not that unusual.

X3N0-Life-Form:
@Erebus Alpha:
Sounds interesting, you've basically two sets of possible actions when the ability is triggered. Do you have a prototype mission/mod I could look at & see if I can reproduce the ability using the manager framework ?



In other news, I've given some more thoughts on "over time effects", ie. buffs, damage/heal-over-time & other things. (Now I need to decide whether I should try to implement the buff system before or after I rewrite the parsing script...)

Current TODO list :
- rewrite parsing script
- implement buff system
--> write armor/AI buff, DoT & HoT abilities
- add proper AOE support
- clean up modpack
- think about adding some generic sfx/vfx support
- expand targetting options
--> don't be limited to ships
--> don't be limited to ship types
--> think about more complex target selection algorithms

EDIT - derped that message instead of posting a new one

Erebus Alpha:
Indeed, I'll make a copy of my prototype mission, clean up the events so that there are no unnecessary half-finished things floating around in it, package up the mod in a .vp file, and post it on the net.

Only the Manticore has completed HUD elements at the moment, because I have been busy making exponentially prettier beam, weapon, and explosion porn.

X3N0-Life-Form:
Not dead yet ! I managed to find a bit of time this week-end to implement the "buff" system. It's pretty neat, although I haven't had time to test it in depth yet. I'd like to try mimicking some of the abilities I've come across in other mods, such as BP's One Future & The Blade Itself.

I'd like to implement a basic buff status HUD display, akin to what I did with abilities.

I've also looked into adding "casting" sound effects, to give it more flavor. "Impact" SFX + VFX in general are being shelved for now.


However, there's a bunch of refactoring I want to do before going further. Buffs & abilities share a number of similarities, so I want to switch to a proper OOP approach, plus reorganizing my scripts. And I still need to rewrite the old parsing script.


Current TODO list :
- refactor Buffs & Abilities into Objects
- reorganize scripting library
- rewrite parsing script
- implement buff system
- test buff system
--> write armor/AI buff, DoT & HoT abilities
- streamline ability library functions & remove redundancies
- extract constants into table parameters
- add proper AOE support
- clean up modpack
- add some generic sfx/vfx support
- expand targeting options
--> don't be limited to ships
--> don't be limited to ship types
--> think about more complex target selection algorithms

Priority levels: high, medium, low, very low, done, cute

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