Small projectile-based monster mod

[ZZYZX]

Actually I made this as a proof-of-concept wad like most stuff that I do (hmmm gotta eventually make a list somewhere for all of it), but it turned out to be pretty good so I'm posting it as an actual mod.
Just saying that the original idea was from Lance who told me that he was going to do something similar and it interested me
Basically what it does is adding simple player movement prediction for classic Doom monsters (Imp, Baron/Hellknight, Revenant, Mancubus, Cacodemon, Arachnotron, Cyberdemon).

There are minor visual modifications to the monsters as well as changing speed of monster projectiles to constant 15 for these that have normal speed of 10 and fastmonsters speed of 20.

Demo of pretty tough cyberdemon:


Download: http://www.mediafire.com/download/v8317 ... rtmons.wad

Works with ZDoom 2.7.1 and associated GZDoom, also works with Zandronum 3.0. ACS sources included.
Everyone can abuse the code for whatever reasons they want. Enabling prediction for your monster is generally as simple as copypasting existing A_CustomMissile code.

[mumblemumble]

....Don't you fucking DARE give vae permission to use this!!! IM WARNING YOU!!! Hideous destructor is hard enough!!!

That said, might be perfect for 1 or 2 of demonsteeles monsters.

[DavidN]

Nice Can't open it from where I am to check the code - does it do it by factoring in the player's movement speed to its CustomMissile angle?

[ZZYZX]

Basically it takes player's current location and assumes that the player will move in same direction for N tics (N=projectile speed/distance), and then fires at these coordinates, by using angle offset (and absolute pitch) in A_CustomMissile.

edit: Updated the archive, it had a bit broken temporary TID mechanism. Wouldn't work if multiple monsters had same TID.
It now remembers old TID, then makes a temporary one to return after SetActivatorToTarget, then resets back to old TID.

[mumblemumble]

Hmm....would it be at all possible to take the angle offset used, and multiply the spread by THAT, so an enemy can swing to hit, but also becomes grossly innacurate the further they aim ahead if the player moved more suddenly? If that could be done as well, that would actually be pretty sweet.

[ZZYZX]

Modified the code so that it will try to detect recent player movement changes (angle wise, like running in circles) and adjust appropriately.
Not sure of the effect of this on DoomImps (which were actually the reason for this, since doomimp projectile almost never hits), but Cyb definitely became harder, now has some competitive RL skills

[Turret49]

Would it be alright to use this in our own projects? Who should be credited? Also I swear I've seen a thread where someone made some code for an intercepting cyberdemon before, but I can't find it.

[Matt]

For what it's worth, mumbles, virtually every HD monster's attack is either so ridiculously fast or so deliberately chaotic, and the player so slow, that this would probably get lost in the noise. Also, the HD cyberdemon already has what could be considered a very, very primitive DECORATE-only take on this. :V

Haven't looked at the code very closely, but would it be possible to let them do this with any target, not just players?

[ZZYZX]

Haven't looked at the code very closely, but would it be possible to let them do this with any target, not just players?

They are doing this with any target, it's just that players have additional checks.

Would it be alright to use this in our own projects? Who should be credited? Also I swear I've seen a thread where someone made some code for an intercepting cyberdemon before, but I can't find it.

--->

I made this

Everyone can abuse the code for whatever reasons they want.

[Henix_Aurorus]

Hmm. This is a thing that makes projectile-wielding monsters much trickier opponents... and I've been working on a mod with more tactical elements.

...hehehe. Don't mind me, I might abuse this just a little.

[Slax]

This makes projectile opponents !!FUN!!