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The Robomancer 0.1.0

A cursed PDA! It brings robots back from the dead!

Box Of Paper's "Minor Contest #6: TFConnect 3: The 2024 Dream Machine Pseudocontest" entry.

Cateogries: Building, Equipment, Pickup*, Enemy*
* Very low importance as they aren't the main focus, but the necromancer does attack players and this equipment is equipped by picking it up (see demo, also the pickup is my favorite part of this project so I didn't want to downplay it too much).

Spoiler: Demo and Showcase

Robo-Necromancer: Summons skeletons
Robo-Medic: A portable dispenser
Respawner: Respawns the player
Robo-Scholar: Spell giver

Once you put the downloaded custom folder in the tf folder you can join any map and write in console:

Code:

script_execute the_fourth_alternative/main.nut; ent_fire !player runscriptcode "::setPdaUpgradeModuleOf(self, ::pdaUpgradeModuleTFA)"

Or, if you want the hittable skull like in the demo:

Code:

script_execute the_fourth_alternative/main.nut
ent_create prop_dynamic model "models/props_halloween/merasmus_skull_island.mdl" targetname pickup modelscale 0.5 angles "0 90 0" solid 2
ent_fire pickup runscriptcode "equip <- function() {ScreenFade(activator, 255, 255, 255, 255, 0.3, 0, 1); ::setPdaUpgradeModuleOf(activator, ::pdaUpgradeModuleTFA)}"
ent_fire pickup addoutput "OnTakeDamage !self,RunScriptCode,equip(),0,-1"

Now your engineer buildings will change to The Robomancer's ones.

Important notes:

• This pseudocontest was pretty clear that you had to "innovate". Rest assured that this VScript has nothing to do with my Robot Destruction Alternative. In RD_alt the robots are actually RD robots, but here they are spooky zombies (invisible skeletons, you can hear them giggle).
• The VScript was pretty rushed but it does work (well enough to have a decent demo). Expect some errors in console.

What isn't show in the demo:

• The HPs: the robots actually die and their HP is shown in the buildings HUD.
• Skeleton Life rework: no more darned hardcoded small skeletons.
• Bot support: tf_bots wont hurt your zombies (nothing impressive here, the hidden skeleton has a matching teamNum, but this is worth a note)
• Modular pickup/blueprint system: each building slot can be swapped with another building blueprint, the different blueprint is (currently) applied on placement (I'd like to change this to "on selection"). Also it is pretty easy to create a new building, you just need to define a table with callbacks such as onCreation, onActivated, onPlaced...

Spoiler: Ramblings

Pulled an all-nighter for this one, had no cable internet the whole time (I used mobile data on a strict budget), and the whole thing was made in probably just over a day and a half because I had other plans for the weekend.
But I'm glad I managed to make something I like, but the VScript is horrid outside of the module/pickup system, I'm probably remaking this when I get the chance... For a "demo" this works well enough.
Originally this was supposed to be only one building that would spawn a robot that would create a new nest by itself. In hindsight I realize how much I was getting ahead of myself... But in the meantime I came up with the "blueprint module/pickup" system to select what building to build while playing.
The teleporter exit was the best choice to spawn the robot since it made sense for something to come out of it, but that left the teleporter entrance unused so I decided to turn it into an eureka-effct like teleporter to spawn. At this point I realized what time it was and immediately scrapped the nest-thingy and decided to swallow my pride and simply make a dispenser that follows you, I wasn't going to publish something after the contest ended once again.
Only one thing was left (I said hopefully) and that was the destruction of the robot: I already used sentries in RD_alt to make the hitbox, so I didn't want to use that strategy, so instead I just used the invisible skeleton that was already there to move the robot.
And here I was done, but at like 22:00 on a sunday I thought the lil robot was lonely so I gave him friends and half by night rest.
Done that, it was video time: I downloaded OBS, and I somehow managed to make a decent demo and showcase with only in-game effects (the white screen fade in the demo) and the pause recording option.
Some screenshots later and some paint.net here and there and voilà! It is now 4:30 in the morning.
Didn't know how to make the item description so I just used the wiki's html, then screenshot it.
Quickly put everything together in the upload thread and finally rushed to sleep.
Fun facts (and banes):

• The teleporter spins with "PlaybackRate", but only if active (doable by setting m_iState = 1)
• The robots that spawn spellbooks are a reference to my old "rd_Robomancy" map (what a name)
• The darn small skeletons are a pain, but with the OnTakeDamage hook you can easily avoid spawning them by giving your skeleton another hp pool and then `Kill()`ing it with VScript.