Custom MageWand trail

[Gez]

Using the MissileType property since there's really no way to use a codepointer parameter here. Inherit from MageWandMissile, define a MissileType, and don't forget that the trail needs to be short lived because it's spawned in place and doesn't move.

[Amuscaria]

Any wiki explaining how to do this?

[Gez]

[wiki]FastProjectile[/wiki]

[CaptainToenail]

Excellentae

[Blzut3]

Is A_MWandAttack even used anymore?

[Graf Zahl]

Actually, no. Thanks for reminding me. That source file can be deleted.

[Amuscaria]

I'm a bit confused about the fast projectile's trail using Missiletype. It states that a actor specified is spawned every 1 tic as the missile moves. Wouldn't that have the same results as just using A_SpawnItemEx ever 1 tic, resulting in a discontinuous trail?

[Gez]

It results in precisely the same type of trail as the MageWandMissile. Which, you've probably noticed, is indeed discontinuous. It's not exactly possible to create a continuous trail using finite, discrete actors.

[Captain Ventris]

It's not exactly possible to create a continuous trail using finite, discrete actors.

And it would totally blow your mind (and computer) to do so.

[Enjay]

One effect thsat can work quite well is in the Daleks mod (Captain Toenail?). The missile spawns some cutstom actors at fixed distances behind it. It works very well when the missile is fired horizontally but the steeper the gradient of firing, the more it looks like a series if dashes.

Horizontal (p= Dalek, q= target )

Code: Select all

p_____________________________________________q

Angled

Code: Select all

                                       ____q
                                ____
                         ____
                ____
        ____
p____

[Amuscaria]

I think i should rephrase the question. What i meant was, say the projectile had the sped of 256, using A_SpawnItemEx every tic would great 1 trail actor every 256 units, making it look VERY spread out, as opposed to the Mage wand missile that has spawns the trails certain distances away from the next requardless of the speed. I was just wondering if there is a difference.

[Gez]

The description is a bit inaccurate. The effect is called several times per tic, actually. The MWM has a speed of 184, and you can see there's much less than 184 map units between each sparkle.

[Enjay]

And if you employed the "Dalek method" by having the smoke trail actor spawn items at fixed positions relative to it, it might be possible to fill in some of the gaps even further.

[Amuscaria]

Well i don't actually need a fully continuous method. I've alrady tried the "Dalek" method before with the old Hellfire wand (that shot out the two super-fast rippers) and all it did was cause horrendous lag and the eventual crash. For some reason, i never bothered to just make it shoot a recolored Mage-wand shot thinking that only 1 projectile can have the trail (I remember reading that somwhere a long time ago)). Anyway, as long as it looks as tightly packed as the mage wand missile, it's perfectly fine.

[Xaser]

I think someone -- Captain Toenail again, perhaps -- has a working implementation of a beam weapon that uses a similar "Dalek" method (that's catchy) that actually spawns the trails correctly, taking into account the player's pitch. Unless it was my imagination, but I sure hope not... at any rate, the MageWand trail itself helps immensely to achieve such an effect, I say.

Theoretically, if the FastProjectile moves at slower speeds -- 50, perhaps -- will the trail be even denser?

Also, q has been exterminated.