[MOD] The self-driving car

[Zharkov]

The self-driving car is coming to piratez!

With this mod, you can:

• research and build a self-driving car for your outfit
• upgrade your self-driving car with a powerful plasma charger

Your self-driving car is quite fast, but only lightly armored and armed.

Graphics pirated from drages.

Use 1.3 for testing with J11.

(Also stand alone psiamp for 0.99I2a - imbalances the game, not continued)

[Ethereal_Medic]

Sounds promissing.
Wonder about the tankiness so the early game threats aren't completely put on ice with one single armored car and maschinegun volleys.

[Zharkov]

Okay, I still have troubles with the armor type:

Code: [Select]

armors:
  - type: SELF_CAR_ARMOR
    spriteInv: MAN_75
    spriteSheet: XTR_4.PCK
    corpseBattle:
      - CAR_CORPSE_1
      - CAR_CORPSE_2
      - CAR_CORPSE_3
      - CAR_CORPSE_4
    corpseGeo: STR_CAR_CORPSE
    visibilityAtDark: 9
    frontArmor: 65
    sideArmor: 60
    rearArmor: 55
    underArmor: 35
    drawingRoutine: 2
    size: 2
    allowInv: false
    fearImmune: false

    damageModifier:
      - 0.0
      - 1.0
      - 0.4
      - 0.75
      - 1.0
      - 1.0
      - 0.0
      - 0.75
      - 0.5
      - 0.0
      - 0.0
      - 1.0
      - 1.0
      - 1.0
      - 1.0
      - 0.0
    loftempsSet: [92, 89, 90, 91]
This code works perfectly well, when used for the AI armored car, but crashes the game when used for the player's HWP. I am open for suggestions why?!

That is was the sprites look like.

[Zharkov]

Sounds promissing.
Wonder about the tankiness so the early game threats aren't completely put on ice with one single armored car and maschinegun volleys.

Well, testing and balancing is needed always. As it is, the Self-Driving Car is not tanky - unlike the Armored Car used by the Bandits.

[Zharkov]

done

[SomeGuy]

Heh, I like that description, funny and fits the theme IMO.

[wolfreal]

Great!

[JustTheDude/CABSHEP]

But what role could that car fulfill? With that much AP it seems to be advanced guard dog with machinegun and without ability to bite. Mayby it could be a good early tank. Melee ability is absent becouse of game mechanic, gameplay or lore? 

[Ethereal_Medic]

Installing "bite" doesn't make your foes a roadkill. I see possiblities as long as the tech is available during the bounty-hunting area.

[Zharkov]

Heh, I like that description, funny and fits the theme IMO.

Great!

Thanks!

But what role could that car fulfill? With that much AP it seems to be advanced guard dog with machinegun and without ability to bite. Mayby it could be a good early tank. Melee ability is absent becouse of game mechanic, gameplay or lore?

I had a heavy scout in mind. Parrots and Dogs are great scouts and I use them in missions because they don't take much space. The Self-Driving car has some advantages though, it does not depend on the Burrow, it is tireless (pun), faster and better armed. I use it for hideout defense.

Melee would be possible thanks to Extended+.

Installing "bite" doesn't make your foes a roadkill. I see possiblities as long as the tech is available during the bounty-hunting area.

ATM the needed tech preqs are Slave AI and the Armored Car, which you get when reseraching a wrecked car or a captured car.

[Serpentium]

I really like this. Tank drones, dogs and parrots are good and all, but noting beats the classiness of a self-driving car. Can't wait to see it in game!

[Zharkov]

The Machinegun is useless against armored foes. The Gals will notice. Maybe there should be an upgrade. I am thinking about reticulan tech: Replacing the combustion engine with a Reticulan Fusion Reactor and mounting a Ret Plasma Charger would turn the Self-Driving Car into a heavy hitter with a glass jaw.

[greattuna]

Not sure if I would use the machinegun car, taking four slots for something that could easily be dispatched by a few shotgun blasts to the side is not very appealing. But the reticulan charger variant would be nice to use against armored targets.

As an alternative, gals could strap a few panzerfausts\RPGs to a car and use it as an improvised anti-armor vehicle.

[wolfreal]

It could be interesting if you can use the vehicle for cargo too... Maybe unbalancing, thinking about it, but can be an interesting use in big maps. Gals run with less, and then take what is needed from the vehicle (The vehicle throw things at the floor, that can be a way to simulate the cargo).

Another thing is the front light, it can illuminate your way.

[SteamXCOM]

I gather the sprite sheet from * XTR_4.png could not be used ?

I got the segment error as well when I tried to use it for an HWP, however I did manage to get it ingame when I had the wrong dimensions
ie
    width: 256
    height: 1480
    ==does not crash  but displays oddly because wrong dimensions for sprite.
    ----
    The correct dimensions
        width: 256
    height: 160
    ===>CRASH