Structures by design

[aubergine]

Not sure about a wall - that would look like you're about to design a wall :p I think it needs to be something that looks more like one of the turret defence bodies, but less like a hardpoint (what it currently looks like in the screenies above). It needs to be sort of an "average" of all the turret defence bodies hence me thinking of a square slab with a short rectangle protruding from the middle of it.

[Reg312]

This is looking really brilliant! I prefer the smaller one.

EDIT: Actually, for the green hologram, would it be better as a square slab with a short protruding rectangle in the middle? That way it would look sort of like the average of all the different body designs.

agreed, if Mangust or someone from modelers can change model, i think its a bit more work that just set textures
but i hope current one fits requirements for first time
i hope structure design branch will be added to WZ project to allow all contributors to improve it

[zany]

how is cost calculated for weapons? what about weapon limitations? will this be in 3.1?

cost of designed structure = price of structure body + price of weapon
limitations was not implemented in my patch yet, but its my current task (working on it)

2cybersphinx:
i can create ticket (bug) "structures cannot be designed" and fix it

anyway, work is not ready yet

can you upgrade something that is already built?

[Reg312]

can you upgrade something that is already built?

no, warzone does not support any upgrades, except modules to base buildings (factory, research ,power generator)
if you mean, does research upgrades applicable to already built structures - yes
if you have built hardpoint and next you got upgrades - yes, your hardpoint will get more hp and armor with each hardcrete upgrade (like "Impoved hardcrete Mk2")

[Jorzi]

Unfortunately I forgot about this awesome thread. Anyway, I see you already got help from mangust, but if you need something, I'm also available

[Emdek]

Any ideas how to put that in actual game?
I guess that it won't be available for current campaigns (but could be made available for new ones, if they will be added later...).
But how it will be fitted for MP (or maybe this will be available only for mods)?
I see few possibilities:

• simply allow that from start;
• add option to enable it for individual game (probably best, for "backwards compatibility");
• add special research item that would unlock it.

[Reg312]

structure design can be enabled/disabled
to make structure design disabled modder should remove default structure design from list of templates
by default its disabled in campaign (base/stats/templates.txt does not contain default strcture template)
i think i can add checking if default structure template is aviable or something like that to make possible switch off structure design in runtime and addig option will become easier (if someone want it)

i think first release of structure design can be added as mod
structure design can change game "balance" by unexpected ways

Unfortunately I forgot about this awesome thread. Anyway, I see you already got help from mangust, but if you need something, I'm also available

i dream about new structure models (bodies)
as you know, "machinegun bunker" contains invisible weapon, which means: weapon inside structure and it make strcture more defended
so i dream about strcture model with connectors in it, turrent placed inside strcture but player can see it

another thing i want - is structures with two weapons

current tasks for artists:
1) icon for structure body
2) icon with cyborg (design of cyborgs also planned)
3) icon for cyborg body
4) below:

EDIT: Actually, for the green hologram, would it be better as a square slab with a short protruding rectangle in the middle? That way it would look sort of like the average of all the different body designs.

i stopped work on structure design for some days (also i stuck with some place in code)
i'll continue it soon, anyway 3.2 version is not on horizont yet

[Emdek]

Sure, for start it should be tested as mod only, but as this is engine modification then I think that it (mod to enable it) should be shipped but disabled by default.

[Jorzi]

Did some quick pixel art.

[Emdek]

Nice one.
So only empty green blueprint model is missing now?

[aubergine]

@Jorzi those icons are really effective - great work!

[Reg312]

Did some quick pixel art.

thank you very much
i dont know, but may be better if later we include artwork as separate commits with author names

[Jorzi]

Well, since the button is directly modified from the original texpage, you can consider it gpl, which means there's no requirement to credit me for it

[Reg312]

few words about balance
1) Goal: designed structures should have the same parameters as current structures
*price of structure should depend on price of weapon and price of structure body
2) Stats of defenses messed up in warzone and it's impossible find one formula which can provide values similar to current stats of defensive structures
3) Weapon build points issue
- built time of each weapon is value for factores (5 factories with 10-30 build point per factory)
- build time of structure is value for trucks (15 trucks with 8 build points per truck)
=> i need some coefficient for convertng weapon build points
bpStruct = bpBody + bpWeapon*coefficient
bpStruct - build points of structure
bpWeapon - build points of weapon

Example:
*heavy cannon:build points = 800
*heavy cannon hardpoint:build points = 400 (structures.txt)
*hardpoint body:build points = 125 (same as wall)
=> bpStruct = 125 + 800*X = 400
=> X = 0.34

Example:
*heavy machinegun:build points = 250
*heavy machinegun hardpoint:build points = 400 (structures.txt)
*hardpoint body:build points = 125 (same as wall)
=> bpStruct = 125 + 250*X = 400
=> X = 1.1

i think better set build points coefficient with some "feel" value: 0.45
build points of heavy cannon hardpoint 400 => 485
build points of heavy machinegun hardpoint 400 => 237
build points of lancer hardpoint 400 => 350

4) HP issue
all hardpoints in WZ have the same value of HP (hit points)
so, if we follow this logic, HP of structure = HP of body
i think better if weapon will have small influence on HP structure
hpStruct = hpBody + hpWeapons*coefficient
coefficient = 0.1

5) Price issue
price of strcture = price of body + price of weapons
example:
*hardpoint body:price = 25 (same as price of wall)
*heavy machinegun turret:price = 50
result: 75

Price of heavy cannon hardpoint 250 => 275
Price of heavy machinegun hardpoint 100 => 75
Price of lancer hardpoint 175 => 175

[zany]

are you saying each weapon can take a different length of time to build or do they all get built at the same time?