Question to SLIC writers

[Dale]

I've been thinking about how to teleport units around the map. The question comes up because event TELEPORT can cause some weird results, and just disbanding a unit and creating a new one at the new location won't take across any veteran status. So I've had this idea and wondered if it would work in SLIC. Maybe Locutus can shed some light?

Here's the basics of the code anyways:

location_t tmploc;
unit_t tmpunit;

tmpunit = (unit you want to 'teleport');
// Define desired unit to 'teleport'.
//
// Routine to find desired location to 'teleport' to.
// In withdraw mod I use a 50 loop RandomNeighbor loop
// to find a desired spot.
// Define desired spot as tmploc
//
tmpunit.location = tmploc;
// Define location of unit to desired location.
//
// End with whatever the command is to refresh the screen.

By my thoughts, this should work because all you are doing is redefining the units location property to what you want and then refreshing the screen so the unit icon pops up in it's new location. Can anyone see any problems with this theory?

------------------
Author of Diplomod. The mod to fix diplomacy.

Rommell to a sub-commander outside Tobruk: "Those Australians are in there somewhere. But where? Let's advance and wait till they shoot, then shoot back."
<font size=1 face=Arial color=444444>[This message has been edited by Dale (edited February 07, 2001).]</font>

[Jerk]

I haven't done any testing but I doubt it works like that. Using unit.location extracts the location but probably doesn't set the location. I could be wrong though. You can actually kill the unit and then create it at a different location. Just use IsVeteran() to see if the unit is a veteran, create the unit, then ToggleVeteran() to set it to the right status. You can do similar with hit points as well using unit.hp and DamageUnit().

[heardie]

Heres a function from the Alexander scenario. I presume you know how to use, include it, etc.

// Teleports units from a given location to a given location
void_f TeleportUnits (location_t tmpLoc, location_t tmpDest, int_t tmpPlayer)
{
int_t		unitTypes[12];
int_t		tmpNum;
int_t		playerNum;
int_t 		i;
location_t	tmpLoc2;
location_t	tmpDest2;
unit_t		tmpUnit;

	playerNum = tmpPlayer;
	tmpLoc2 = tmpLoc;
	tmpDest2 = tmpDest;
	tmpNum = GetUnitsAtLocation(tmpDest2);
	if (tmpNum > 0) {
		for (i = 0; i < tmpNum; i = i + 1) {
			GetUnitFromCell(tmpLoc2, i, tmpUnit);
			if (tmpUnit.owner != playerNum) {
				Event:KillUnit(tmpUnit, 0, playerNum);		// Kill units in the destination square not belonging to teleporting units
			}
		}
	}
	tmpNum = GetUnitsAtLocation(tmpLoc2);
	if (tmpNum > 0) {
		for (i = 0; i < tmpNum; i = i + 1) {
			GetUnitFromCell(tmpLoc2, i, tmpUnit);
			unitTypes[i] = tmpUnit.type;
		}
		for (i = 0; i < tmpNum; i = i + 1) {
			if (unitTypes[i] != 0) {
				CreateUnit(playerNum, unitTypes[i], tmpDest2, 0);	// 'Teleport' new unit
			}
		}
		for (i = 0; i < tmpNum; i = i + 1) {
			GetUnitFromCell(tmpLoc2, i, tmpUnit);
			Event:KillUnit(tmpUnit, 0, playerNum);				// Kill old unit
		}
	}
}

[Locutus]

Here's another piece of code from the Alexander scenario (though this wasn't in the original game, something like this will be added to the improved version). It gives you an example of how to store veteran and health status. Combine this with the code above and you'll have a perfect replacement for the Teleport function.

int_f SwapCityW (city_t swCity, int_t swPlayer, int_t killUnits) {
int_t  	i;
int_t  	tmpPlayer;
int_t  	tmpNum;
int_t  	numUnits;
int_t  	noSwap;
int_t 	tmpUnitTypesW[12];	// -> changed from tmpUnitTypes  (CR 2001-01-16)
int_t 	tmpHp[12];
int_t 	tmpHealth[12];
int_t 	tmpDamage;
unit_t 	tmpUnit;
city_t 	tmpCity;
location_t 	tmpLoc;

    tmpCity = swCity;
    if (CityIsValid(tmpCity)) {
        tmpPlayer = swPlayer;
        numUnits = GetUnitsAtLocation(tmpCity.location);
        tmpLoc = tmpCity.location;
        for (i = 0; i < numUnits; i = i + 1) {   // Check for special units
            GetUnitFromCell(tmpLoc, i, tmpUnit);
            tmpNum = tmpUnit.type;
            if (tmpNum >= 72 && tmpNum <= 88) {
                noSwap = 1;
            }
        }
        if (noSwap == 0) {
            if (killUnits == 1) {
                	for (i = 0; i < numUnits; i = i + 1) {
                    	GetUnitFromCell(tmpLoc, i, tmpUnit);
                    	Event: KillUnit(tmpUnit, 0, tmpUnit.owner);
                }
            } elseif (killUnits == 0) {
			for (i = 0; i < numUnits; i = i + 1) {	// -> added (CR 2001-01-16)
//                while (GetUnitsAtLocation(tmpLoc) > 0) {
                    	GetUnitFromCell(tmpLoc, 0, tmpUnit);
                    	tmpUnitTypesW[i] = tmpUnit.type;		// -> changed from tmpUnitTypes  (CR 2001-01-16)
                    	tmpHealth[i] = tmpUnit.hp;
                    	if (IsVeteran(tmpUnit)) {
                        	tmpHp[i] = 1;		// -> changed from tmpUnitHp  (CR 2001-01-16)
                    	} else {
                      		tmpHp[i] = 0;		// -> changed from tmpUnitHp  (CR 2001-01-16)
                    	}
                    	Event: KillUnit(tmpUnit, 0, tmpUnit.owner);
//                    i = i + 1;
                	}
            }
            Event:GiveCity(tmpCity, tmpPlayer);
            for (i = 0; i < numUnits; i = i + 1) {
                	CreateUnit(tmpPlayer, tmpUnitTypesW[i], tmpLoc, 0);	// -> changed from tmpUnitTypes  (CR 2001-01-16)
                	if (tmpHp[i] == 1) {
                    	ToggleVeteran(tmpUnit, 1);
                	}
                	tmpDamage = UnitDB(tmpUnitTypesW[i]).MaxHP - tmpHealth[i];	// -> changed from tmpUnitTypes  (CR 2001-01-16)
                	DamageUnit(tmpUnit, tmpDamage);
            }
        } else {
            return -1;    // Can't swap due to Special unit
        }
    } else {
        return -2;    // Can't swap due to invalid city
    }
}

[This message has been edited by Locutus (edited February 08, 2001).]

[Dale]

Thanks guys! You're champs! I'll look through it all this weekend.

Now I know why I bow to the SLIC wisdom of others, cuz I'm crap!

------------------
Author of Diplomod. The mod to fix diplomacy.

Rommell to a sub-commander outside Tobruk: "Those Australians are in there somewhere. But where? Let's advance and wait till they shoot, then shoot back."

[Alpha Wolf]

Dear SLIC Lords,
Can transport be triggered before the AI gives away a city in order to salvage the garrison?

GiveCity 'savearmy' pre {
transport garrison logic
}

????????

Sincerely,
Prince of the Barbarians

------------------
History is written by the victor.

[Locutus]

AW,
This already happens automaticly. Right before a city is given away, all units in that city are teleported to nearby cities.

[Colonel Kraken]

In my experience in giving cities away to AI players (just to try it out), units in the city were destroyed. (I had wanted to see if the units would revert to control of the new player). The units definitely were NOT teleported back to my nearest city, but perhaps it works differently if the AI gives YOU a city.

[Alpha Wolf]

I've seen them die many times. But you can also hear them die. i once bought an AIs second to last city then a few turns later attacked the already surrounded capital. I heard/saw eight units die after I bought the city and the capitol only had a couple of units in it when I attacked, and there was no way those units could have escaped the capitol.

------------------
History is written by the victor.

[XMon]

I've given cities to other civs (I just can't resist Sheherazade!) and my units were teleported to my nearest city. If your's died then perhaps (just a guess) your cities were full of defenders or you were out of support shields. Dunno.