A_RailAttack Puffs...?

[Xaser]

Is it just me, or does the A_RailAttack "puff" parameter not want to work?

I have this code:

Code: Select all

TNT1 A 0 A_RailAttack(150, 0, 0, "FF 88 FF", "FF 00 00", 1, 0, "PlasmaPuff")

which works fine, except there's no puff at all. What gives? As far as I can tell I'm doing it right, and other pufftypes don't work either so it's not a problem with the "PlasmaPuff" actor.

I'm using a late SVN [1171 to be exact] so is something broken? I don't want to bug report this just yet, but I might need to.

[XutaWoo]

Is it not doing anything or simply not appearing? Puffs created with rails aren't visible, IIRC.

[Enjay]

XutaWoo is (almost) correct. Most of the time, a rail puff will not actually appear. It's primary purpose is to allocate a damage type to the rail. IIRC the only time it appears is if it hits something solid that it can't pass through - such as a decativated monster.

[Xaser]

Wait, so the puff isn't supposed to appear at all? Eh, that kinda defeats the purpose, in my eyes.

Though you're right about the damagetypes. I changed the puff to the one from my disintegration weapon, and it melted baddies easily. The puff appears on deactivated monsters all right, but seeing how it's supposed to deal explosive damage, this lack of wall puffs is quite a cripple.

We really need a "showpuffs" flag or something. What's wrong with wanting a big impact 'splat' when a rail hits the wall? The railgun scorches are nice (IIRC they're yours, right Enjay?) but I always found it bothersome that the beam just 'disappears' when it hits a wall. A little strange, really, and with the explosion damage and all this puff is supposed to be functional as well.

Hmm. Now this is one implementation of a feature that just makes no sense at all, to me. Thanks for your help though. Guess it's off to the feature suggestions forum... ;P

[Gez]

We really need a "showpuffs" flag or something.

+ALWAYSPUFF +PUFFONACTORS?

[Xaser]

Thanks, but neither seem to do anything in this case.

[Gez]

That may be a bug, then. AlwaysPuff should always puff...

[Enjay]

Used on puff objects only. Makes the puff appear even when nothing was hit.

Can that be right? When nothing is hit? So when does the puff appear? In mid air?

I thought it was used to force puffs to appear on bleeding actors. Mind you, I've only used it once so I'm not that familiar with it. I don't know if it is meant to affect the rail puff or not. Graf was quite clear when he introduced the rail puff that it only appeared on impenetrable actors.

[Xaser]

+PUFFONACTORS is the one used to force puffs on bleeding actors... so what does +ALWAYSPUFF do, then? Hmm... this is perplexing. I can't, off the top of my head, think of any other application besides the rail, though that could easily not be it as well. All I can say is the limits of my knowledge have been reached for now.