[C4:AC] Unit Workshop

[GeoModder]

Guess I was shortsighted at the time.

[Machismo]

I was pondering the possibility of allowing a unit's graphic to change based on certain promotions. For example, a mind worm wins in combat and levels up, hence getting an automatic promotion of some type. Their graphic would be replaced with the one for Demon Boil or what-not.

[MMC]

The changing of native life would probably be the easiest to implement at this stage, and would probably be one of the few times that making a seperate model for each stage would actually be viable.

[Tigga]

It may be possible to create sub-entities using the SDK by using the same method as is used to make formations, as it is possible to change the graphics of sub-entities within entities (although I'm not sure how well it works, I've managed to get it to work at a very basic level, but ran out of time to test it).

This way you could, say, change the turret of a tank while leaving the chasis alone. You could set up all the parts so that they are positioned correctly relative to the model, and then simply place them all at identical locations using CIV4FormationInfos.xml.

The only really problematic bit that I cann see at the moment is the bodge to get dynamic sub-entities. I'm planning on continuing work on it when I get back from uni (in 7 weeks time), but if any of you wants a crack at it I can tell you how I managed to get as far as I have.

EDIT: I should mention that this will only work if you only have one vehicle in your formation, otherwise weird things will probably happen.

There may be ways to make this work for more than one unit entity by going a completely different method... but I'd have to have some tinker time.

[Padmewan]

I hope you do get graphics connected to promotions working, but as a short-term hack, at least for mindworms, it would not be a terrible thing if even in Python the promotion to a new stage simply killed the old unit and instantiated a new one (which is how upgrades work in Vanilla). An even cheaper hack would be that if you have a mindworm model, simply rescale it with each lifestage increase rather than create a new one -- not as satisfying, but saves a LOT of modeling time until you have some extra to invest. (That's essentially what we are doing in Roanoke, combined with unit model counts -- at the first level of power there is only one XS alien, then two, then three, then one S alien.... then one M alien... you can keep going for quite some time on this.)

[PJayTycy]

I just thought about this:

In the info about civ4:warlords, they say you'll be able to attack a Great General to any unit you want. Has anybody noticed if the unit in question changes appearance in any way when doing so? If so, this might show us the way to do the same for graphically assembling units from parts.

[mdbill]

Not that there's a lot of competition for tasks right now, but I figured I'd mention I've started work on the Unit Workshop so we don't get duplicate effort. Here are some major decisions I've made so far in the design:

UnitInfos will hold definitions for certain base models. These are needed so the AI can function.

For the Infantry chassis:
1-1-1 (scout for explore and early city defense)
upgrades to:
1-X-1 (Sentinel units for defense and escort)
X-1-1 (Infantry for attack/ seige)
X-Y-1 (Infantry for attack)

Only those 4 models are needed for military using this chassis type. When the AI chooses to build an infantry-chassis unit, it will automatically build using the highest value of X it has available. And always use the highest value Reactor available.

Special Abilities are also selected when one of these models is added to the build queue.

The Human player will be able to construct any model they desire and save these models just like SMAX unit workshop.

Are you all following my shorthand?
Am I making sense? There will be 4 speeder models, probably just 1 foil and 1 cruiser (X-Y-4) and (X-Y-6). Maybe X-1-6? or X-1-4?

This is all just military, as I said. We'll need probe, colony, etc. too.

[mdbill]

Originally posted by PJayTycy
I just thought about this:

In the info about civ4:warlords, they say you'll be able to attack a Great General to any unit you want. Has anybody noticed if the unit in question changes appearance in any way when doing so? If so, this might show us the way to do the same for graphically assembling units from parts.

This is probably just a UnitMeshGroup. Like the way a settler appears with a wife and children. Probably won't work for assembling units, but I haven't explored the power of MeshGroups, so who knows.