[WEAPON] Acid Weaponry - Acid Capsule Gun 0.8 - needs playtesting

[the_third_curry]

Here's my first mod attempt to actually produce a result. This mod adds an acid cannon with two types of ammo. The first type of ammo fires an acid attack at the same strength as a celatid spit. The second acid is extremely strong and can be used to dissolve the outer walls of UFOs. The weapon has a ton of power, but is limited by its high weight, small clip size, and lack of auto-fire.

As of now, the weapon is more or less complete. The only things it doesn't have as of 0.8 are 1) HANDOBS and 2) a FLOOROB for the gun. The weapon is fully functioning though. It requires Celatid corpse research to use in a campaign. It's maximum range is 20.

Does anyone have any advice/suggestions/input?

[yrizoud]

This sounds very cool, and fits very well with the rest of the game.
If you want to keep this weapon from being used as a long-distance high-power but precise (no blast) weapon, you can set a limited range (maxRange). Soldiers see 20 tiles in daylight, so for example a maxRange of 20 makes it only possible to shoot when you see your target (and it can retaliate).

What size of weapon and ammo do you need ? I can try some concepts.

[the_third_curry]

What size of weapon and ammo do you need ?

The acid cannon and its ammo are the same size as the auto cannon and heavy cannon: height 3 and width 2 for the gun, height 1 and width 2 for the ammo.

I'll definitely consider the maxRange as well.

EDIT: ...and the FLOOROBs are messed up again, I thought I had fixed that

[yrizoud]

My first tests were more like flamethrower, here's a more high-tech biologic rifle.

[the_third_curry]

The design looks pretty good yrizoud, but the gun won't display properly. When I look at the GIF, it looks fine, but when I try to edit the picture to rotate it 90 degrees, the gun part disappears leaving only the can.

[yrizoud]

Sorry about that, it was a multi-layer GIF. I uploaded a flattened (and rotated) version.

[ivandogovich]

the 3x2 Weapon is tricky.    The graphic should be designed with the gun Vertical so that it can fit in the hand or backpack.  (and I posted after this was fixed. )

One thing I did discover is that 3-wide objects aren't possible.

And overall, and interesting concept, but probably OP.  Maybe it should only be available after Celatid Autopsy?  (Edit: then I check the spoiler after I post, and see that this is the intention. )

Cheers, Ivan

Edit:  snippet for research code:

Spoiler:

research:
  - name: STR_ACID_CANNON
    cost: 250
    points: 30
    dependencies:
    - STR_CELATID_AUTOPSY
    listOrder: 602
    getOneFree:
    - STR_BASIC_ACID_CAPSULE_PACK
# create another research for the advance acid with another depency like below
  - name: STR_CELATID_AUTOPSY
    unlocks:
      - STR_ACID_CANNON

[Gifty]

Damn, I keep planning to do these things and then people beat me to the punch.

+1 on the Celatid dependency, that was what I was thinking as well.

[the_third_curry]

Yeah, I was planning to make it Celatid dependent, just wanted to make sure I did it right (thanks Ivandogovich for demonstrating.) It's definitely OP at the beginning, but it should be pretty balanced by the time Mutons hit. I'll have a much more complete 2nd version up in a few hours.

[the_third_curry]

Yrizoud, can you (or anyone else who knows how to work with sprites) give me the acid can on a 32x48 pixel canvas along with a slight variation (like just the acid can with an additional stripe or something) also on a 32x48 pixel canvas. I have no experience or software whatsoever dealing with sprites and any of my attempts to edit them mess something up.

Edit: Very close to being done (just need sprites) when I encountered a problem. When I research the Acid Capsule Gun (changed it from acid cannon) the game crashes. Researching the acid capsule gun should automatically unlock the basic acid capsule and cause the advanced acid capsule research to become available (I decided to make it its own short research project.) Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong (code is listed in spoilers below)?

Spoiler:

items: 
  - type: STR_ACID_CAPSULE_GUN
    requires: STR_ACID_CAPSULE_GUN
    size: 0.3
    costSell: 5000
    weight: 17
    bigSprite: 300
    floorSprite: 7
    handSprite: 25
    bulletSprite: 6
    fireSound: 67
    compatibleAmmo:
      - STR_BASIC_ACID_CAPSULE_PACK
      - STR_ADVANCED_ACID_CAPSULE_PACK
    accuracySnap: 75
    accuracyAimed: 105
    tuSnap: 50
    tuAimed: 70
    battleType: 1
    twoHanded: true
    invWidth: 2
    invHeight: 3
    recoveryPoints: 0
    armor: 80
    attraction: 1
    maxRange: 20
    listOrder: 5910
  - type: STR_BASIC_ACID_CAPSULE_PACK
    requires: STR_BASIC_ACID_CAPSULE_PACK
    size: 0.2
    costSell: 500
    weight: 7
    bigSprite: 301
    floorSprite: 8
    hitSound: 19
    hitAnimation: 46
    power: 140
    damageType: 8
    clipSize: 11
    battleType: 2
    invWidth: 2
    recoveryPoints: 0
    attraction: 1
    listOrder: 5911
  - type: STR_ADVANCED_ACID_CAPSULE_PACK
    requires: STR_ADVANCED_ACID_CAPSULE_PACK
    size: 0.2
    costSell: 700
    weight: 10
    bigSprite: 302
    floorSprite: 9
    hitSound: 19
    hitAnimation: 46
    power: 400
    damageType: 8
    clipSize: 4
    battleType: 2
    invWidth: 2
    recoveryPoints: 0
    attraction: 1
    listOrder: 5912
ufopaedia:
  - id: STR_ACID_CAPSULE_GUN
    type_id: 4
    section: STR_WEAPONS_AND_EQUIPMENT
    text: STR_ACID_CAPSULE_GUN_UFOPEDIA
  - id: STR_BASIC_ACID_CAPSULE_PACK
    type_id: 4
    section: STR_WEAPONS_AND_EQUIPMENT
    text: STR_BASIC_ACID_CAPSULE_UFOPEDIA
  - id: STR_ADVANCED_ACID_CAPSULE_PACK
    type_id: 4
    section: STR_WEAPONS_AND_EQUIPMENT
    text: STR_ADVANCED_ACID_CAPSULE_UFOPEDIA
research:
  - name: STR_ACID_CAPSULE_GUN
    cost: 250
    points: 30
    dependencies:
    - STR_CELATID_AUTOPSY
    listOrder: 602
    getOneFree:
    - STR_BASIC_ACID_CAPSULE_PACK
  - name: STR_ADVANCED_ACID_CAPSULE_PACK
    cost: 50
    points: 15
    dependencies:
    - STR_ACID_CAPSULE_GUN
    listOrder: 603
manufacture:
  - name: STR_ACID_CAPSULE_GUN
    category: STR_WEAPON
    requires:
      - STR_ACID_CAPSULE_GUN
    space: 4
    time: 1200
    cost: 140000
    requiredItems:
      STR_ALIEN_ALLOYS: 10
  - name: STR_BASIC_ACID_CAPSULE_PACK
    category: STR_AMMUNITION
    requires:
      - STR_BASIC_ACID_CAPSULE_PACK
    space: 4
    time: 100
    cost: 2000
  - name: STR_ADVANCED_ACID_CAPSULE_PACK
    category: STR_AMMUNITION
    requires:
      - STR_ADVANCED_ACID_CAPSULE_PACK
    space: 4
    time: 1150
    cost: 3500
    requiredItems:
      STR_ALIEN_ALLOYS: 2
extraSprites:
  - type: BIGOBS.PCK
    files:
      300: Resources/AcidWeaponry/Acid_Capsule_Gun_BIGOB.gif
      301: Resources/AcidWeaponry/Basic_Acid_BIGOB.gif
      302: Resources/AcidWeaponry/Advanced_Acid_BIGOB.gif
extraSounds:
  - type: BATTLE.CAT
    files:
      67: Resources/AcidWeaponry/Sound/AcidFire.wav
extraStrings:
  - type: en-US
    strings:
      STR_ACID_CAPSULE_GUN: Acid Capsule Gun
      STR_ACID_CAPSULE_GUN_UFOPEDIA: "The acid capsule gun is an effective but cumbersome weapon that functions by launching powerful, corrosive acids from individual capsules.  Its design is based upon Celatid research."
      STR_BASIC_ACID_CAPSULE_PACK: Basic Acid Capsule Pack
      STR_BASIC_ACID_CAPSULE_UFOPEDIA: "The Basic Acid Capsule Pack contains 7 capsules of acid, each with the approximate power of a Celatid acid spit."
      STR_ADVANCED_ACID_CAPSULE_PACK: Advanced Acid Capsule Pack
      STR_ADVANCED_ACID_CAPSULE_UFOPEDIA: "The Advanced Acid Capsule Pack contains 4 thickly-armored alien alloy capsules of highly concentrated acid.  The acid in each capsule is powerful enough to dissolve nearly anything it touches, organic or otherwise."
  - type: en-GB
    strings:
      STR_ACID_CAPSULE_GUN: Acid Capsule Gun
      STR_ACID_CAPSULE_GUN_UFOPEDIA: "The acid capsule gun is an effective but cumbersome weapon that functions by launching powerful, corrosive acids from individual capsules.  Its design is based upon Celatid research."
      STR_BASIC_ACID_CAPSULE_PACK: Basic Acid Capsule Pack
      STR_BASIC_ACID_CAPSULE_UFOPEDIA: "The Basic Acid Capsule Pack contains 7 capsules of acid, each with the approximate power of a Celatid acid spit."
      STR_ADVANCED_ACID_CAPSULE_PACK: Advanced Acid Capsule Pack
      STR_ADVANCED_ACID_CAPSULE_UFOPEDIA: "The Advanced Acid Capsule Pack contains 4 thickly-armored capsules of highly concentrated acid.  The acid in each capsule is powerful enough to dissolve nearly anything it touches, organic or otherwise."

[yrizoud]

32x48 sounds like floor objects, I've usually seen them fit in 32x40.

[the_third_curry]

32x48 sounds like floor objects, I've usually seen them fit in 32x40.

Nice work, just got to sort this research problem out and the mod will be ready for Beta.

[ivandogovich]

Edit: Very close to being done (just need sprites) when I encountered a problem. When I research the Acid Capsule Gun (changed it from acid cannon) the game crashes. Researching the acid capsule gun should automatically unlock the basic acid capsule and cause the advanced acid capsule research to become available (I decided to make it its own short research project.) Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong (code is listed in spoilers below)?

I think its crashing because the basic acid isn't defined as a research item.  Not quite sure how to structure this....


Edit:
Maybe the best way is to add the basic capsule as an item to research, but make its time zero.
Unfortunately GetOneFree is not a guaranteed breakthrough.

Looking at Alien Missions that you can only get through interrogations, they have a very short entry.
  - name: STR_ALIEN_RETALIATION
    points: 50
    needItem: true

so maybe:
  - name: STR_ADVANCED_ACID_CAPSULE_PACK
    cost: 0
    points: 0
    dependencies:
    - STR_ACID_CAPSULE_GUN
    listOrder: 602


And adjust the list order for the advanced capsule.

[the_third_curry]

I think its crashing because the basic acid isn't defined as a research item.  Not quite sure how to structure this....


Edit:
Maybe the best way is to add the basic capsule as an item to research, but make its time zero.
Unfortunately GetOneFree is not a guaranteed breakthrough.

Looking at Alien Missions that you can only get through interrogations, they have a very short entry.
  - name: STR_ALIEN_RETALIATION
    points: 50
    needItem: true

so maybe:
  - name: STR_ADVANCED_ACID_CAPSULE_PACK
    cost: 0
    points: 0
    dependencies:
    - STR_ACID_CAPSULE_GUN
    listOrder: 602


And adjust the list order for the advanced capsule.

Perfect, I've got it up and running now!

It bugged me a bit that the UFOpedia entry and manufacture announcement for the basic ammo didn't display, so I decided to make basic ammo into a very short research topic. I should have the update up soon.

[the_third_curry]

Yrizoud, one last request: can you give me a FLOOROB and HANDOBS for the gun? Just the FLOOROB is okay, if you don't want to mess with the HANDOBS then don't worry about them.