Ambushes and invisiblity

[The-Architect]

Hi there, I'm new  .
A couple of things to ask.
I'll try and make it a bit easier to understand what I'm on about.

1. How can I get my VC units to hold fire until my U.S. units hit a trigger, thus commencing an ambush?

2. How can I make my machinegun nests invisible to the enemy until they open fire? I've tried hiding them behind bushes but they always seem to be spotted even if I (myself not the character I'm using), can't see them at all.

[macguba]

Welcome to the forum!

1.    Ambushes are tricky.    This has come up before, spend a bit of time with the forum search function and you should find some helpful stuff.     For the not firing part, you need to get hold of a copy of the Command Reference - the online version in the Editors Depot is particularly helpful because it has extra examples and comments - and learn about the command setCombatMode.

In the init fields of the units you would give them the hold fire combatmode (I can't remember the colour.)    Then you would have a trigger, something like this:-   (syntax not guaranteed)

Activation:   West present
On Activation:      "_x setCombatMode {purple}" forEach units grpAmbush


2.   Dunno.    The best workaround I can think of off the top of my head is to get hold of Kegetys Editor Addon from the Editors Depot and add lots of bushes in appropriate places to make them harder to spot.    

Another possibility is to make the loons spotting the nests of lower skill (move the slider to the left) which may mean they are less likely to spot the nests.

Somebody will probably come along and suggest you setPos them into place at the last minute.    This is slightly cheating and is technically more advanced, but it may be what you want.  

[deaddog]

Yeah, what he said  ;D

Moving the enemy in position at the last minute is probably better.  Your units will probably spot them before they get close enough to spring the ambush.

Also, if you are using the sebnam2 pack then you can place extra bushes without needing the editor addon.  You should get that anyway  (You can place bushes by using side=empty, class=Sebnam Pack - Misc when placing units.) Having extra bushes will allow you to setpos enemy units in place without the player seeing it happen. You can then have the enemy units move slightly forward, out from behind the bush, so they can see to fire.  Use unitname setunitpos "down" to make them crawl.

The best thing to do is read all the tutorials you can and make sure you get the command reference.  It's all available in the editors depot.

BTW, bushes, trees, and smoke do NOT mask units from detection.  A guy hiding in a bush may be a little harder to detect but not by much.  And units will fire at each other through bushes and smoke.

[DrStrangelove]

Manned vehicles & MGs are spotted more easily by the AI than unmanned vehicles. Maybe it's worth trying this:

- make an empty MG nest
- let a vc hide behind it (this setCombatMode "BLUE")
- let the US trigger targe the vc commanding him to man the MG

That way the MG would be (hopefully) engaged from the moment it is entered by the vc. By that time the vc should also start to return fire.

[Kilo11]

Couldn't you uue the "Knowsabout" command.  Isn't ethere an opposit of that?

-=kilo=-

[Knut Erik]

Perhaps you can make the MG captive

Mg setCaptive True..

This way, no one will fire at it. Remember to make it enemy again when the ambush starts

Mg setCaptive False