Help making Cascade Missle OXP

Woof · Post by **Woof** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 1:16 am

I have this idea to make a missle that blows up like a Q-Bomb. i would like to make one that is ECM hardened and that's not (how fun! javascript:emoticon(':)'))

Could anyone help me?

Cmdr Wyvern · Post by **Cmdr Wyvern** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 1:46 am

I can take my nuke torpedo and turn it into a q-bomb torp very easy.
But why would I want to? Such a weapon would be so uber as to take most of the fun out of the game.

Besides, the regular q-bomb and energy bomb is more than enough.

If you havn't learned to afterburn into the middle of a large battle group while dodging lasers, drop a q-bomb, and burn out while the baddies erupt into pretty blue oblivion in your wake... Then you need to go back to the flight school on Lave.

Charlie · Post by **Charlie** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 5:07 pm

Under the steady hand of Dr H.Z. Benulobiweed.inc is developing just such a weapon ( among others

)

As Cmdr Wyvern says if it worked properly it may well unbalance the game.

Having said that Dr H.Z. hasn't got a strong grip on his own AI, so what's the chance of him getting a missile to work reliably?

Also the way Q-mines are supposed to work I would suggest any .oxp to make such a missile should have lots of funny-business built in!

Best of luck if you have a go.

Tip:
Look in: D:\Games\Oolite\oolite.app\Contents\Resources for ideas.
equipment.plist

Captain Hesperus · Post by **Captain Hesperus** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 10:51 pm

Charlie wrote:
Having said that Dr H.Z. hasn't got a strong grip on his own AI, so what's the chance of him getting a missile to work reliably?

What about a 50/50 chance that the primer doesn't detonate on impact. Missile hits target, gets ionised by shields, enemy ship gets a tank full of refined Quirium suddenly....

Captain Hesperus
"Hey! I expected some bang for my Credits."

Arexack_Heretic · Post by **Arexack_Heretic** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 12:45 am

How about it hyperspaces out 50% on close proximity to target?
That way you do get a nice visual effect.

then do STATUS_EXITING_HYPERSPACE = "setStateTo: EXPLODE", so that even if the target ship gets sucked in the missile is dud.

Come to think of it: a hyperspace-override missile is kindoffa nice idea.

hmmm...
Now for a name.... Cosmic hoover? hyperion missile?
I like 'the Warlock' as in offensive use of witchjump vortex.

Dr. Nil · Post by **Dr. Nil** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 1:09 am

Arexack_Heretic wrote:
How about it hyperspaces out 50% on close proximity to target?
That way you do get a nice visual effect.

then do STATUS_EXITING_HYPERSPACE = "setStateTo: EXPLODE", so that even if the target ship gets sucked in the missile is dud.

Come to think of it: a hyperspace-override missile is kindoffa nice idea.
hmmm...
Now for a name.... Cosmic hoover? hyperion missile?
I like 'the Warlock' as in offensive use of witchjump vortex.

I look forward to a lot of new weapons.

Some illegal shipyards selling banned weapons and equipment would also be nice. Perhaps only commanders with a tainted legal status are taken into the back and offered these things (ie. availability on shipyard screen depends on station type and legal status instead of tech level).

Cmdr Wyvern · Post by **Cmdr Wyvern** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 1:40 am

Considering who makes it (Dr H.Z. @ Benulobiweed, inc), this missile should be really cheap - half the price of a standard missile, as it's made from surplus parts of dubious quality.

Thusly, when fired, it has a random chance of...
- harmlessly self destructing. (dud)
- hitting the target, but not detonating. (dud)
- hitting, detonating like a conventional warhead.
- hitting, detonating like a q-bomb.
- making the target's jump drive malfunction, resulting in an instant misjump into Thargoid space.
- the guidance system malfunctions, and the missile goes after a random ship, even the player's. Then does any of the above.

When ECM'd...
- Missile self destructs.
- Missile does any of the random stuff above.

Call it the Russian Roulette Missile. (You're really taking your chances with this missile!)

Arexack_Heretic · Post by **Arexack_Heretic** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 1:59 am

Have you played with MY surplus missile? (It will be on my Webspace if not on OOsat2)

It was not called 'crazy Ivan' by some for nothing!

It is less powerfull than smart missiles, but faster and because it was pilotted by a trumble resistant to ECM.
Unfortunately, sometimes the trumble is fried by the microwave burst and the missile goes haywire!

It's really a treat to see a destroyer unload a magazine of these onto a Thargoid Invader.
They whizz everywhere!

ps NPC witchjumps are random to any planet within 7LY regardless of fuel onboard (used only for injectors) but NEVER into witchspace itself.

Charlie · Post by **Charlie** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 1:32 am

Oooo lots of lovely ideas...

Apart from stupidly powerful + dangerously unreliable missiles like the above - another hopefully imminent release will be the Lancet x3

Launches 3 v.v.v. fast missiles @ the target which are ECM immune!!

But, they have v low yeild & though ECM immune every time an ECM is fired they individually lock on to a different random target, poss inc the player - ho, ho.

Release date may be some way off as I really doing too many things @ once. May well include some other weapons stolen from Thargoids & Orb.

Up for release:
New Firefly variant - if you havn't already found it.
New Swat Condor - don't get introuble with the police ( I mean it! )
Orb.oxp as released doesn't work - fixed version out in a mo' ( more updates for this in the pipeline )
Ordinance.oxp on the way...
Blackhole.oxp - not given up on it yet ( too cool to leave )

Oops advertising in someone else's thread - well this is B.inc!

Arexack_Heretic · Post by **Arexack_Heretic** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 1:47 am

What code are you using to accuire the next target?

I thought about this some for my a cheap hardhead, but decided to make them go haywire instead.

The trouble I found was:
1) Next target: I cant recall if it was possible to scanForShipWithRole: any.
2) I assumed a ship was only notified of 'INCOMING MISSILE' at launch of said missile. (In any case the PLAYER, AI's may get updated regularly to remind them to ECM)

---
New barely usefull weapon: the Pelter Cannon.

Fires miniature 'missiles' at the target each pellet does relatively little damage if it happend to hit home, but each round triggers the ECM of said ship to fire (or to fill the PLAYER screen with 'INCOMING MISSILE' messages)
This distracts the quarry AND drains the energybanks.
pellets selfdestruct at 5000m travelled.
Drawbacks:
-Ship needs huge bank of missiles, so NPC only.
-Missiles still need to be locked individually: requires auto-targetter/arming software to be effective.

Charlie · Post by **Charlie** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 2:33 am

Hi,
this is the current ( untested ) AI for the Lancet:

{
"ATTACK_SHIP" = {
"DESIRED_RANGE_ACHIEVED" = ("setStateTo: DETONATE");
ENTER = ("setDesiredRangeTo: 3.0", performIntercept);
EXIT = ();
"TARGET_DESTROYED" = ("setStateTo: NEXT");
"TARGET_LOST" = ("setStateTo: NEXT");
"ECM" = ("setStateTo: NEXT");
"GONE_BEYOND_RANGE" = ("setStateTo: NEXT");
UPDATE = ("setDesiredRangeTo: 9000.0", checkDistanceTravelled, "setDesiredRangeTo: 3.0", "pauseAI: 1.0");
};
DETONATE = {
ENTER = ("setDesiredRangeTo: 6.0", dealEnergyDamageWithinDesiredRange, becomeExplosion);
EXIT = ();
UPDATE = ();
};
NEXT = {
ENTER = (scanForHostiles);
EXIT = ();
UPDATE = ();
};
GLOBAL = {
ENTER = ("setSpeedFactorTo: 1.4", "setStateTo: ATTACK_SHIP");
EXIT = ();
UPDATE = ();
};
}

Assuming it works as intended my missile should lock on to another target regardless of what happens unless it hits...

Arexack_Heretic · Post by **Arexack_Heretic** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 11:41 am

I wonder if it will attack othe missiles too.

I'm not 100% sure whether the missile-object inherits the hostiles of the launcher. If not, then indeed it would also attack the player.

LittleBear · Post by **LittleBear** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 1:40 pm

Fell Free to pinch the Splinter Missile AI from Assassins.

ECM causes the splinters to lock onto another target (another missile, player or random ship). They also start with a random target. ECMing them is worring therefore. 6 are spawned at once, maybe there not comming for you at all, but hitting ECM re-rolls the dice!

Arexack_Heretic · Post by **Arexack_Heretic** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 2:28 pm

If there were a way to target the ECM-user, I could pilfer that mechanism for the trumble rocket.

**ZAPP!**
"screee!"
*NEW TARGET LOCKED*

Woof · Post by **Woof** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 1:09 am

it feels good that a n00b like me could start up a well spring of ideas like this javascript:emoticon(':D')... any one can try to make it but i like the random stuff idea....javascript:emoticon(':twisted:')