SUGGESTION/REQUEST: New weapon Sentry Cannon

[Aliens62]

Hello all,

Just joined this forum and looking forward to downloading the mod. Just had a look through the weapons available and thought a nice addition might be a movement activated sentry canon, ala the weapon in the film 'Aliens-Directors cut'
Would not differentiate between soldiers and aliens though so remember where you put it!!

I don't have the expertise to create it, but thought one of the gurus who know a lot more about programming than me might fancy having a go at it!!

Apologies if A) this is not the right place for this post and/or B) it already exists.

cheers
Aliens

[Solarius Scorch]

Hello Aliens, welcome to the forums.

Yes, it's possible, but there's a number of issues with it. Most of all, if it's stationary, then you won't be able to move it, so it would always stay in the Skyranger or (in base defence) in the tank closet. You would have to be able to put it in your backpack, take it out when you want to place it and then somehow turn it into a unit. I guess it could be done if the turret started as "unconscious", and you could just drop it on the ground and "heal" it, but mechanical units are immune to stun and besides it would be rather mood breaking.

But I guess it wouldn't require much work to add code that works similar to stun/heal stun mechanics, just for special mechanical units. We could also give it AI so it shoots by itself.

[Aliens62]

Hi Solarius,

Thanks for the reply, and I see your point in relation to implementing such a weapon. As you say, if the process in placing/activating the weapon breaks the reality too much, then its not worth it.
Never mind, back to the drawing board.

cheers
Aliens

[Dioxine]

Hmm, a 1x1 immobile Sentry gun could be a fun unit, even if it stayed in Skyranger - if it had heavy armor and a good 'clearing' weapon. You pay for this with limited mobility of troops. Also if you take 2 you're stuck

[bulletdesigner]

i made a tarantula  sentry , to replace rocket tank, but like it was said only has to have 3 TU (so it won´t move, launch with 2), a open drop pod to begin with,  and a small number of  guide missile  so i won´t unbalance.

[Dioxine]

+1. Excellence, just as expected 

[mrxian]

Won't it take more than 3 tu to spin to hit something behind it?

[Firestorm]

Won't it take more than 3 tu to spin to hit something behind it?

By "guided" missiles, I assume he means launched using waypoints, in which case it means they can be fired in any direction and navigated on-target.

But more importantly, I just wanted to say that those are some awesome graphics!

[Dioxine]

Won't it take more than 3 tu to spin to hit something behind it?

The spin-or-fire problem makes the weapon interesting in the first place; it's supposed to be an assault fire support, not a tank.

[mrxian]

The spin-or-fire problem makes the weapon interesting in the first place; it's supposed to be an assault fire support, not a tank.

Very true.

I guess you could limit the units energy if you wanted otherwise and get similar effects.

[Marden]

My idea of a useful placement for a sentry gun would be on top of the skyranger/leviathan. This would solve the problem of aliens reaction fire stun bomb/termo shock bomb inside the ship ending the mission right away and making you want to toss your pc across the room.

With a sentrygun the zone around the skyranger/leviathan would cleared of hostiles before the deployment.

What do you think of this guys.

[niculinux]

I really like it, but hardly see ingame  on the other hand, a nice idea may be to have a missile tank, developed after some research, taht may shoot flying objects. I can't remember if vanille tanks may shoot flying enemy units, but the attached you see may 

[Solarius Scorch]

My idea of a useful placement for a sentry gun would be on top of the skyranger/leviathan.

Yeah, or maybe rather under the Skyranger's beak - it would be more realistic.

This would solve the problem of aliens reaction fire stun bomb/termo shock bomb inside the ship ending the mission right away and making you want to toss your pc across the room.

Then don't pickle your soldiers in the Skyranger. Honestly, this ship is a death trap, a terrible design from the tactical point of view. A sensible lander has many exits in many directions.