[SOLVED] [Maps] Block monster only to a certain height
Posted: Sat Nov 16, 2013 3:57 pm
I find the block monster flag inconvenient since it blocks monsters all the way to the ceiling, because there are numerous occasions where you don't want that to happen. Before I begin I want to note that blocking the players as well in not an option.
One example is because you put lots of structures on the ground and you don't want to make monster progression harder by having them stuck in between these structures. Normally you'd create some lines with block monster flag and it'll all go smooth... except for the flying monsters you decided to spawn above ground, where the only obstacles are those lines with the block monster flag. You want them to move freely, with a few shortcuts, since they can skip all those obstacles, but no.
In fact, that is not an example. That is exactly the problem I'm facing right now. All I need is a bit more control of the flag height-wise. I tried things like making invisible 3D floors that you can pass through, but the line in the dummy sector has a block monster flag. I tried flagging a line inside the map with 'block monster' and 'check switch height' at the same time (I'm using the UDMF format), while giving it a middle texture. None of these work.
I can make an ACS script that will check the height of the monsters when they pass through the line that's supposed to "block", and have them thrusted back if their height is less than the height of the structures on the ground. But that would look silly. Imagine fighting in a map where monsters are just bouncing around. And that simply won't work if there's another monster behind that monster.
Doom was not originally meant to have levels with architecture I described or architecture with 3D floors. There was no need to have line blocking with a height limit. I appreciate the fact that this engine is being upgraded with new possibilities such as 3D floors, but it'd make sense if these upgrades were balanced. So while introducing map progression height-wise, you may want to provide the necessary features to make such progression go smoothly without forcing the map designer to use some kind of trickery. Seriously, imagine having to use line blocking in a map that is designed with 3D floors over 3D floors, that are over more 3D floors and so on. It just isn't possible. You'd either have to think wisely of the map layout to make use of that line blocking on every height, or you'd have to think of some silly ACS hack.
That goes as long as I'm not missing any crucial features that actually make height-limited line blocking go smoothly :x
One example is because you put lots of structures on the ground and you don't want to make monster progression harder by having them stuck in between these structures. Normally you'd create some lines with block monster flag and it'll all go smooth... except for the flying monsters you decided to spawn above ground, where the only obstacles are those lines with the block monster flag. You want them to move freely, with a few shortcuts, since they can skip all those obstacles, but no.
In fact, that is not an example. That is exactly the problem I'm facing right now. All I need is a bit more control of the flag height-wise. I tried things like making invisible 3D floors that you can pass through, but the line in the dummy sector has a block monster flag. I tried flagging a line inside the map with 'block monster' and 'check switch height' at the same time (I'm using the UDMF format), while giving it a middle texture. None of these work.
I can make an ACS script that will check the height of the monsters when they pass through the line that's supposed to "block", and have them thrusted back if their height is less than the height of the structures on the ground. But that would look silly. Imagine fighting in a map where monsters are just bouncing around. And that simply won't work if there's another monster behind that monster.
Doom was not originally meant to have levels with architecture I described or architecture with 3D floors. There was no need to have line blocking with a height limit. I appreciate the fact that this engine is being upgraded with new possibilities such as 3D floors, but it'd make sense if these upgrades were balanced. So while introducing map progression height-wise, you may want to provide the necessary features to make such progression go smoothly without forcing the map designer to use some kind of trickery. Seriously, imagine having to use line blocking in a map that is designed with 3D floors over 3D floors, that are over more 3D floors and so on. It just isn't possible. You'd either have to think wisely of the map layout to make use of that line blocking on every height, or you'd have to think of some silly ACS hack.
That goes as long as I'm not missing any crucial features that actually make height-limited line blocking go smoothly :x
