The war on Terror!

Madin · Plasma Trooper **Joined**: 05 Apr 2009

I have finally tried to get this unit working in C&C3 (Black_Drakon did this model a long time ago), and it is causing a lot of issues, due to the fact that there is no innate code for standard Terror Drone operation in C&C3.

I will definitely have some version of the Terror Drone in the next release, the question is how familiar the capabilities will be.

Issues:
1. The attach code is terrible, the drone will often attach to a vehicle, but not fire its weapon.
2. It is possible to retain usage of a drone that has successfully destroyed a vehicle, but enabling this ability means that repairing a vehicle will not destroy a drone, but will merely detach it, which is insanely irritating.
3. If the above is disabled (drone retention), the drone will self destruct after successfully destroying a vehicle, it is not possible to retain it after use (however repairing an infected vehicle will kill the drone).
4. Inherent C&C3 melee range targeting issues, which means that multiple drones targeting multiple vehicles is a confused buggy mess!

For (1) it is possible that a Lua code solution can be used, although that is merely theoretical. For (2) drone retention also means that using your vehicles to attack an infected vehicle will not destroy the drone, so the drone retention code is just too frustrating for an enemy player to be used.
(3) I have thought about adding base code to vehicles, that will cause them to drop a drone if they are killed via a drones infection weapon. The issue with this is that it will not be the exact same drone that destroyed the vehicle (so for example it will not retain Ctrl+# groupings). Also even if you fire at an infected vehicle, provided the drone does the killing blow, a drone will spawn from the destroyed vehicle.
(4) Can be minimised via extensive code refinement.

At a bare minimum, the drones will show up via a 'Terror Drone Surprise' upgrade. For those how have never played RA3, this upgrade adds a chance for a friendly Terror Drone to spawn from your vehicle when it is destroyed. The more expensive your vehicle, the higher the chance of a drone spawning. This would only apply to tanks (so nothing for the Half Track, Miner, or V3).
If issues related to mass usage are smoothed out, then as well as the above upgrade, the drones would be available from the war factory as well.

Post your thoughts on how you think the drone should be implemented (or if it should) based on the above information, or don't, and leave it to me!

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Lin Kuei Ominae · Seth **Joined**: 16 Aug 2006 **Location**: Germany

i have no clue about the modding capabilities, but i would have tried something like
-drone switches into low hover mode and hovers directly above the target unit
-drone damages target via constantly fired weapon
-when target is destroyed, drone simply lands again

each service depot has a very short range weapon which can target only terror drones and kills them when the repairing unit enters the depot with the terror drone hovering directly above it.

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Madin · Plasma Trooper **Joined**: 05 Apr 2009

Lin Kuei Ominae wrote:

I have no clue about the modding capabilities, but i would have tried something like
-drone switches into low hover mode and hovers directly above the target unit
-drone damages target via constantly fired weapon
-when target is destroyed, drone simply lands again

I have basically been trying this, but as said, the weapon occasionally will not fire, despite the code suggesting that it should be impossible not to fire (it has a weapon that it can only use in 'attached' mode, the other weapons cannot be used in 'attached' mode).

Lin Kuei Ominae wrote:

Each service depot has a very short range weapon which can target only terror drones and kills them when the repairing unit enters the depot with the terror drone hovering directly above it.

Service depot style repairing does not work in C&C3. A repair drone having a weapon that only targets drones is an idea that is worth a go.

Thanks for your comments and suggestions!

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D.Va-N · Civilian **Joined**: 06 Nov 2018

Maybe the 3rd option will do the best?
Just lower the price of a Terror Drone to compensate for it being a single use unit, also at least players will be able to remove the drone from the infected vehicle by repairing which is native to original RA2 and 3.
Of course its up to you, but personally I vote for a 3rd option

Madin · Plasma Trooper **Joined**: 05 Apr 2009

D.Va-N wrote:

Maybe the 3rd option will do the best?
Just lower the price of a Terror Drone to compensate for it being a single use unit, also at least players will be able to remove the drone from the infected vehicle by repairing which is native to original RA2 and 3.
Of course its up to you, but personally I vote for a 3rd option

I think that I am in definite agreement with you!
It is the best way forward.

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