Larger VTOL rearm pads

[Per]

For version 2.2.1 I added the ability to lay down stripes of rearm pads without any required distance to other buildings. As long as no VTOL was rearming on it, your droids could pass over them to avoid congestion problems. It was nice.

But it does not work quite well. Now we get problems with rearm pads disappearing under terrain and glitches with terrain height. It is not really possible to fix this in any decent way. Ordinary buildings, those that do not stretch to the ground like defenses and walls, need a 1 tile buffer to other buildings to be able to flatten the terrain without causing ripples of terrain distortion in your base. We cannot stretch the rearm pads to the ground because we want droids to be able to pass over them, and then they would clip the pads. This may sound a bit difficult to comprehend, and I may not be good at explaining it, but just take my word for it. The current way does not work. The rearm pad change in 2.2.1 has to go.

Instead, I'd like to introduce larger rearm pads. Basically, just 2x2 or even 3x3 size rearm pads that the player can build that work just like ordinary, old style rearm pads except they can take 4 or 9 VTOLs at once. Maybe they can be more advanced/better - that is not important right now. So anyone up to drawing a PIE for these? Pretty please with sugar on top?

[Zarel]

Hmm. What if VTOL rearm pads just stretched to the ground, instead?

I mean, they can only be built on reasonably flat terrain, anyway.

[whippersnapper]

.

This bocaged terrain below was more "hump-backed" before I placed the re-arming pads. They seem to flatten it out fine without disappearing. Can you suggest some maps where I can see the problems you mention in action ? Thanks... I'm curious.



Regards, whip
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[Per]

Zarel: I think you mean lay the rearm pad on the terrain without altering the terrain heights. This is possible, but would mean that some rearm pads would be rearming VTOLs at a large tilt, which will look rather strange. Screenshots of this: http://imagebin.ca/view/MKlrRp.html and http://imagebin.ca/view/MQa4RuFB.html

[Per]

whip: You can see some screenshots in original bug ticket: http://developer.wz2100.net/ticket/702

Also try to lay some rearm pads in eg the rush2 base entrance, as shown in my screenshot in post above, but in strips of 3+. The problem only appears with strips longer than 2 pads, or with combinations of other structures that make them longer than 2 continuous tiles.

[whippersnapper]

whip: You can see some screenshots in original bug ticket: http://developer.wz2100.net/ticket/702

Also try to lay some rearm pads in eg the rush2 base entrance, as shown in my screenshot in post above, but in strips of 3+. The problem only appears with strips longer than 2 pads, or with combinations of other structures that make them longer than 2 continuous tiles.

Oh, I see. Ok I'll try that. Thanks Per.

Regards, whip
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[Avestron]

I think that making a pad impassible is a good thing - it would require players to place the VTOLS towards the fringes of a base.

However if you are considering a space then I would suggest a single structure which may be upgraded (during which time VTOLs wait outside and are not rearmed:

First Stage - single, dual, quad, hexa (assuming 3x3 space)
Second stage - two layer rearming pad (imagine a circle above a circle with six support struts and a hole in the center).

A fully fledged VTOL rearmament center would rearm 12 aircraft in a 3 x 3 space. (and a similar concept could lead to 6 aircraft rearmed in a 2 x 2 space.

I'm still toying with blender - basic shapes - so sorry cannot explain better.

And whipper snapper - try startup 2 player map - particularly the more indulated terrain areas. I find that placing VTOL rearm pads can open up previously inaccessible adjacent terrain spots for further vtol spots. - and the result, more than a matter of non-existence ofthe pads, is one of the pads not showing (mouseover still shows health bars and vtols still charge).

[XANAX]

I think that making a pad impassible is a good thing - it would require players to place the VTOLS towards the fringes of a base.

However if you are considering a space then I would suggest a single structure which may be upgraded (during which time VTOLs wait outside and are not rearmed:

First Stage - single, dual, quad, hexa (assuming 3x3 space)
Second stage - two layer rearming pad (imagine a circle above a circle with six support struts and a hole in the center).

A fully fledged VTOL rearmament center would rearm 12 aircraft in a 3 x 3 space. (and a similar concept could lead to 6 aircraft rearmed in a 2 x 2 space.

I'm still toying with blender - basic shapes - so sorry cannot explain better.

And whipper snapper - try startup 2 player map - particularly the more indulated terrain areas. I find that placing VTOL rearm pads can open up previously inaccessible adjacent terrain spots for further vtol spots. - and the result, more than a matter of non-existence ofthe pads, is one of the pads not showing (mouseover still shows health bars and vtols still charge).

something like this?

[Avestron]

Actually more like the following.

[XANAX]

that looks better




p.s. maybe in future it could be added the the airport idea