[Question] Effects of a (Custom) BulletPuff Actor?

[RV-007]

Hello, I want to make a projectile that matches the bullet actor b/c I want to add in effects for my custom bullet. Problem is, I don't know the stats of a bullet actor so I need some help.

I was satisfied w/ BulletPuffs, but there is limited effect on affected targets. The best success was a poisonous bullet (nothing else). Everything else works only on walls, floors, and ceilings (not on [bleeding?] targets).

If I can make my own bullet actor, I will finally complete my flare pistol (potentially more dangerous than a flamethrower). The bullets from the flare pistol will spawn a flame actor upon death. This is like a burning bullet. I could imagine it now, pistol/chaingun spawning flames out of nowhere! It probably gets worse/cooler if bullet monsters can start throwing out bullets w/ special effects (e.g. blurs, numb, armor pierce, ammo eater, etc)!

Some of the statements I used are:
http://zdoom.org/wiki/Classes:BulletPuff
http://zdoom.org/wiki/A_FireCustomMissile
http://zdoom.org/wiki/A_FireBullets

EDIT (15/08/2012):
So it seems that projectiles cannot emulate all the properties of a bullet. My attempt for bullets to cause different effects (e.g. spawning flames) point to the workings of the BulletPuff actor.

[Hellser]

FastProjectile.

You can do, an example;

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ACTOR BulletProjectile : FastProjectile
{
    Radius 2
    Height 2
    decal "BulletHole"
    PROJECTILE
      +BLOODSPLATTER
      +DONTSPLASH
   States:
   {
   Spawn:
      TNT1 A 1
      Loop
   Death: //Walls and Floors
      TNT1 A 1 A_SpawnItem("BulletPuff")
      stop
   XDeath: //Bleedable Objects
      TNT1 A 1
      stop
   Crash: // Non-bleedable Objects
      TNT1 A 1 A_SpawnItem("BulletPuff")
      stop
   }
}

If you noticed, I didn't specify speed or damage, that's where you inherit:

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ACTOR ShotgunBullet : BulletProjectile
{
   Damage (5*random(1,3)) // Specifies the damage
   Decal "AuroraBulletMark" // Change the bullet hole if you wish
   Speed 200 // and the speed
}


Now, to fire a gun:

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...
TNT1 A 0 A_TakeInventory("Shell",1)
TNT1 AAAAAAA 0 A_FireCustomMissile("ShotgunBullet", frandom(-2.3,2.3),0,0,0,0,frandom(-2.3,2.3))
...

That would go, an example, here:

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...
  Fire:
    SHTG A 3
    TNT1 A 0 A_TakeInventory("Shell",1)
    TNT1 AAAAAAA 0 A_FireCustomMissile("ShotgunBullet", frandom(-2.3,2.3),0,0,0,0,frandom(-2.3,2.3))
    SHTG A 0 A_PlaySound ("weapons/shotgf", CHAN_WEAPON)
    SHTG A 7 A_GunFlash
    SHTG BC 5
    SHTG D 4
    SHTG CB 5
    SHTG A 3
    SHTG A 7 A_ReFire
    Goto Ready

[RV-007]

Thanks.

So that's what the Crash state is used for.

What's frandom?

[Hellser]

So that's what the Crash state is used for.

What's frandom?

Float Random. Meaning instead of say, random(1,3): 1, 2 and 3.. it'll be 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4... etc. up to 3.

[RV-007]

Sounds like more coordinates to use.

[RV-007]

Bit off-topic:

I finally made a flare pistol w/ combustible bullets! Unfortunately for me, I can't make sticky combustible bullets so that's sad. I wanted to use A_VileTarget, but the projectile then hates me. I think I will be able to make sticky bullet flames later on.

Here is the code of my progress; some of the code is actually makeshift stuff, but it works wonderfully as a non-sticky combustible bullet (also a real dead shot [kills cyberdemons easily]).

Spoiler: The Flare Pistol Code

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/*
Flare Pistol
Some weapon I made up.
See the bullets explode!
n/a

http://zdoom.org/wiki/Classes:Pistol
http://zdoom.org/wiki/A_FirePistol
http://zdoom.org/wiki/A_FireCustomMissile
http://zdoom.org/wiki/A_FireBullets
http://zdoom.org/wiki/A_PlaySound
*/
ACTOR Flare_Pistol : DoomWeapon
{
   Weapon.SelectionOrder 1900
   Weapon.AmmoUse 1
   Weapon.AmmoGive 20
   Weapon.AmmoType "Clip"
   Weapon.SlotNumber 2
   +WEAPON.WIMPY_WEAPON
   Inventory.Pickupmessage "Flare pistol equipped! Use over distances recommended."
   Obituary "has been burnt by %k's flares."

   States
   {
      Ready:
         PISG A 1 A_WeaponReady
         Loop
      Deselect:
         PISG A 1 A_Lower
         Loop
      Select:
         //PISG A 1 A_Raise
         PISG A 0 A_Print("Flare Pistol Equipped!")
         Goto Selection_Confirmed //Loop
      Selection_Confirmed:
         PISG A 1 A_Raise
         Loop
      Fire:
         PISG A 4
         PISG B 0 A_FireCustomMissile ("Flare_Bullet",frandom(-2.8,2.8),1,0,0,0,frandom(0,0)) //A_FireBullets (5.6,0,1,5,"Flame0",FBF_USEAMMO) //A_FirePistol
         PISG B 0 A_PlaySound ("weapons/pistol", CHAN_WEAPON)
         PISG B 6 A_GunFlash
         PISG C 4
         PISG B 5 A_ReFire
         Goto Ready
      Flash:
              PISF A 7 Bright A_Light1
              Goto LightDone
              PISF A 7 Bright A_Light0
         Goto LightDone
        }
}

Spoiler: The Flare Bullet Code

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/*
BulletProjectile
Something Hellser created.
http://forum.zdoom.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=33717&p=637542#p637542

Used as actor representing generic bullet actor.

http://zdoom.org/wiki/Classes:FastProjectile
http://zdoom.org/wiki/A_ChangeFlag
http://zdoom.org/wiki/A_Recoil
http://zdoom.org/wiki/A_VileTarget
http://zdoom.org/wiki/A_CustomMissile
http://zdoom.org/wiki/A_SpawnItemEx
*/
ACTOR Flare_Bullet : FastProjectile
{
   Damage (5*random(1,3)) // Specifies the damage
   Speed 200 // and the speed
     Radius 2
       Height 2
       Decal "BulletChip"
       Projectile
   +BLOODSPLATTER
   +DONTSPLASH
   +NODAMAGETHRUST

   States
      {
         Spawn:
         TNT1 A 1
         Loop
      Death: //Walls and Floors A_CustomMissile ("Flame0",0,1,0,CMF_AIMDIRECTION,0)
         TNT1 A 1 A_ChangeFlag ("RIPPER",1)
         TNT1 A 1 A_Recoil (-1)
         TNT1 A 1 A_CustomMissile ("Flame0",0,0,0,CMF_AIMDIRECTION,0) //A_SpawnItemEx ("Flame0",1,0,0,0,0,0,0,SXF_NOCHECKPOSITION,256)
         Stop
      XDeath: //Bleedable Objects
         TNT1 A 1 A_ChangeFlag ("RIPPER",1)
         TNT1 A 1 A_Recoil (-1)
         TNT1 A 1 A_CustomMissile ("Flame0",0,0,0,CMF_AIMDIRECTION,0) //A_SpawnItemEx ("Flame0",1,0,0,0,0,0,0,SXF_NOCHECKPOSITION,256)
         Stop
      Crash: // Non-bleedable Objects
         TNT1 A 1 A_ChangeFlag ("RIPPER",1)
         TNT1 A 1 A_Recoil (-1)
         TNT1 A 1 A_CustomMissile ("Flame0",0,0,0,CMF_AIMDIRECTION,0) //A_SpawnItemEx ("Flame0",1,0,0,0,0,0,0,SXF_NOCHECKPOSITION,256)
         Stop
   }
}

Spoiler: The Flame Code

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/*
Flame
Flames for the flaming weapons.
It's a ripper projectile so it's good for a bunch of nooks and crannies.
n/a

http://zdoom.org/wiki/Classes:ArchvileFire
http://zdoom.org/wiki/A_Jump
http://zdoom.org/wiki/A_NoBlocking
http://zdoom.org/wiki/A_SeekerMissile
http://zdoom.org/wiki/A_Explode
http://zdoom.org/wiki/A_SpawnItemEx
*/
ACTOR Flame0
{
   Game Doom
   SpawnID 98
   Radius 2
   Height 2
   Speed 0 //15
   Damage 2
   RenderStyle "Add"
   Alpha 1
   +NOBLOCKMAP
   //+NOBLOCKMONST
   +NOGRAVITY
   //+SEEKERMISSILE // Added In
   //+ROCKETTRAIL // Added In
   +RIPPER
   //+MTHRUSPECIES
   +NODAMAGETHRUST
   Projectile
 
   States
   {
      Spawn:
         FIRE A 2 bright A_Jump (256,"Death") //A_NoBlocking
         //FOOM A 2 bright A_SeekerMissile (0, 0, SMF_LOOK|SMF_PRECISE, 256, 0) // Whole Line Added In
         FIRE A 2 bright A_StartFire
         FIRE BAB 2 bright A_Fire
         FIRE C 2 bright A_FireCrackle
         FIRE BCBCDCDCDEDED 2 bright A_Explode (1,1,1,1,1,0,0)
         FIRE BCBCDCDCDEDED 2 bright A_Fire
         FIRE E 2 bright A_FireCrackle
         FIRE FEFEFGHGHGH 2 bright A_Fire
         Goto Death //Stop
      Death:
         FIRE H 2 bright A_SpawnItemEx ("Flame1",1,0,0,0,0,0,0,SXF_NOCHECKPOSITION,0)
         Stop
   }
}

[RV-007]

How do I make projectiles move past decorations like bullets?
The bulletchip decal is alive for some reason.
When do I use the frandom(x/y,z) for which statement? It looks like it works only for x/y/z angles of missiles/projectiles (use frandom(x/y,z) for one projectile!) than bullets (e.g. A_FireBullet [don't know about monster's bullet attack]). I should be more careful on which statement is meant for what flag.

[Xtyfe]

You should be able to have the projectile "stick" with A_Warp I think

Also, you would need to redefine decorations so that projectiles would not hit them for what you want

[RV-007]

A_Warp seems difficult, but thanks for pointing the way.

Alas, projectiles are just projectiles, doing the projectile way.

[RV-007]

Will A_VileTarget (wait, it crashed on me) A_RadiusGive w/ radius of 64 be accurate enough for bullet projectiles to send effects to targets? A_RadiusGive could be that perfect ProjectilePuff I have been looking for. Time to update from A_SpawnItemEx, lol.

Is rail the better projectile equivalent of bullets? Rail is like a bullet and it even have pufftype!

[Enjay]

The railgun effect in ZDoom classifies neither as a hitscan nor as a projectile attack. It consists in a line that hits instantaneously and pierces through actors, obstacle and enemies alike, until it hits a wall, surrounded by a particle helix. However, autoaim does not work on player rail attacks, so free look is required.

Railgun

[RV-007]

I just found out too, lol. It's also on BulletPuff.

...
Actors inheriting from this class:
automatically move up 1 mappixel per tic (because of the vspeed property)
may be replaced by particles when spawned if the ALLOWPARTICLES flag is set (and the player has the appropriate option enabled in their configuration settings)
define the damage type of a hitscan attack if spawned using A_BulletAttack, A_CustomBulletAttack, A_FireBullets or A_CustomPunch
...

I also found that there are plenty of states for the BulletPuff actor.
Crash Spawn Melee
What is the difference between spawn and melee states for bulletpuff actors?
How about using both?

[Xtyfe]

The Melee state is followed through from the spawn state when used by a players melee weapon.

If you look at the table provided on that page you will see how it all works

[RV-007]

What if the melee state is used by a non-melee weapon? Will it work the same way as the BulletPuff's death state?

Also, I think that there should be explicit description for A_CustomBulletAttack. It is not for weapon classes. Same applies to other attack statements.

[Xtyfe]

What if the melee state is used by a non-melee weapon? Will it work the same way as the BulletPuff's death state?

It wont be used as far as i know.

Also, I think that there should be explicit description for A_CustomBulletAttack. It is not for weapon classes. Same applies to other attack statements.

The fact that its in the monster attack category on the wiki is not enough?