Tank Upgrades

Beowulf · Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 4:12 pm Post subject: Tank Upgrades

This came to me in a dream last night... And yes, I mean it really did.

Firstly, I am not talking about a way to make tanks veteran with a structure. I'm talking literally upgrading a tank to have a new image or new weapons... new anything actually.

The idea is to make the tank deploy into a dummy structure that spits out a free unit. However, the unit will cost money to upgrade so you will need a few Derrick tags in place to make that work. When all is said and done, the dummy structure destroys itself with two dummy animations. The first image will need about 50 blank frames so you can deduct money with a slower Rate=, then fire the next with a Next= statement to destroy the building.

That's the idea and it seems like it would work. Since I got the idea last night, I haven't been able to test it.

This won't work with Transports or anything that has to deploy for some other function. Not sure about jumpjets either but I don't see it working so well with those.

Good, bad or ugly?

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Ackron · Commander **Joined**: 19 May 2004

Ugly, but good ugly Smile

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Sir Modsalot · Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 9:14 pm Post subject: Re: Tank Upgrades

I don't suppose there's a similar way to upgrade EVERY unit you have of the same name that already exists or hasn't been built yet? I mean, good idea, and it seems like it would work, but it would only apply to one unit at a time.

Fenring wrote:

This came to me in a dream last night... And yes, I mean it really did.

I dreamed that Clazzy showed up at my house last night. I woke up goin' "WTF? WTF!? WTF!?!" I need to lay off the forums a little...

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[quote="DCoder"]There is no sanity left in this thread.[/quote]

Beowulf · Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 11:41 pm Post subject:

Quote:

I don't suppose there's a similar way to upgrade EVERY unit you have of the same name that already exists or hasn't been built yet? I mean, good idea, and it seems like it would work, but it would only apply to one unit at a time.

It's not like it's the best method but it's a method nonetheless. Build some tanks, mass deploy and you have some new versions of the previous unit. Aside from that, there's not really any way to apply an 'upgrade' any other way.

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Rattuskid · Sergeant **Joined**: 01 Sep 2003 **Location**: Jersey,new

I brought this idea to Tratos' attention long ago. He thought it had too many issues:

- Too much micro to deploy each unit.

- Money can never be lower than 0, so you'd just spam as many as possible, then when you're broke deploy them all.

- The AI couldn't use them, at all.

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Beowulf · Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 1:09 am Post subject:

Quote:

- Too much micro to deploy each unit.

Selecting all and hitting "D" is hardly micro issues.

Quote:

- Money can never be lower than 0, so you'd just spam as many as possible, then when you're broke deploy them all.

Bullshit. I'm using Derrick logic, not costs. Mental Omega has negative running costs so this will work.

Quote:

- The AI couldn't use them, at all.

Sure it could. It would be like an MCV but I won't have the AI doing it much, if at all.

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Allied General · Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 2:48 pm Post subject:

what he means is that when you have loads of them deployed they will still produce free units regardless of the running cost

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Rattuskid · Sergeant **Joined**: 01 Sep 2003 **Location**: Jersey,new

All the mods with running costs never drop the player into 'debt'. Play AR2 and you'll see what I mean...

The money amount will never fall below zero, so if you had a $600 tank with a $300 upgrade, and all I had as a player was ~$1800, I could buy three tanks and deploy them. The credits would just drop to zero, and I would have avoided paying the $900 to upgrade them. Since you aren't actually 'buying' any unit with the upgrade, the money will only be removed if you have it. Regardless of whether you can afford it though, you could still deploy the tank.

The AI issues revolve more around the fact the AI has issues deploying stuff.

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Beowulf · Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 5:08 pm Post subject:

Hmmm, yeah... Never thought about that. No way around this one but it's not the worst thing ever. We don't have to tell nonmodders about it. :p

Don't make the upgrades too strong would be the only way to keep it balanced so even with 0 money, a player isn't getting superpowerful vehicles.

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Allied General · Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 9:08 pm Post subject:

this idea really only works for like an unit which deploys to gain new functions.

e.g. an heavy tank unit, deploys, explodes into an faster scout like unit before deploying again to detonate onbard explosives.

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Beowulf · Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 10:39 pm Post subject:

I had planned to use it on the Allied Grizzly Tank. Deploy it and you get double barrels, a little more armor and a bit more weapon power. Nothing major or groundbreaking. I may, I may not. I'll see how it goes.

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