PL, CTF, and general cart questions

neogeo0823

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Jan 13, 2010
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After a few nights of theorycrafting on a server with my friends, I've decided to try and make a payload map. Work on the basics of the map is coming along pretty smoothly, but I have a few questions regarding some of the more interesting bits that my friends and I came up with.

The first one is if there's any way to add various effects to a cart. Normally, carts are relatively static things that either roll forward or back at various speeds and heal people. Is it at all possible to add other effects to a cart? For example, could a Buff Banner-like effect be added? What about something where if the cart gets shot by an enemy, it slows down a little? Secondly, is there any way to sort of "detach" the cart from the track and still have it work? In this map, the model that will be used for the cart will look relatively small and light. I'm wondering if there's any way to have it be effected by knockback from rockets, airblasts, and sentries.

My next question is about CTF. I've heard of people making CTF-PL hybrid maps before, and I think it's an interesting idea. What I was thinking of doing was having the cart be pushed to the first point, then have Blu capture the intel and bring it back to the cart, then move to the second point, and repeat. I was wondering if anyone could give me any information or advice about how to combine the two gametypes?
 

Bockagon

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Jul 15, 2009
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could a Buff Banner-like effect be added?
no, the only crit-inducing items are the candy pumpkins from koth_harvest_event and those are hard coded to only work on that map.
What about something where if the cart gets shot by an enemy, it slows down a little?
pretty sure this is possible but I don't remember how to do it off the top of my head
is there any way to sort of "detach" the cart from the track and still have it work
I don't think so, I can't think of any way to do it at least.

As for hybrid ctf/pl, the main problem would be the HUD. There is no way to combine the PL and CTF huds. Your best option would be the tf_logic_hybrid_ctf_cp HUD, it would show the flag locations and which points the carts has captured but it wouldn't show the cart's progress.
 
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Freyja

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Jul 31, 2009
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The cart slowing down should be easy to do. Make a func_button the size of the cart and have its outputs to go onDamaged > cart reduce speed etc. (I havn't really worked with a cart, but you get the idea).
The other two ideas unfortunately, wouldn't be possible.
 

neogeo0823

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Jan 13, 2010
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Maybe not necessarily a crit effect like the buff banner, but at least some kind on AOE thing besides healing. crits would be cool, but most likely way overpowered. I'm not sure what other effects are available though.

Is there any other way to simulate a cart in game without actually using a cart? Balloon Races comes to mind, but then again that's probably a giant modded cart, isn't it?
 

Freyja

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Jul 31, 2009
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The cart is just a model parented to an invisible func_tracktrain. The tracktrain is what does all the moving and everything.
You can make any model and parent it to the tracktrain and it will function just the same.
 

neogeo0823

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Jan 13, 2010
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Sorry, I should've clarified. I was wondering if there's any way to simulate a cart using something other than func_tracktrain that would allow easier modifications. I don't want it to function exactly like a normal cart anyway, so I'd probably have to end up doing something differently to get it to do what I want anyway.

Basically, I want a cart that will move without anyone having to be next to it. If an enemy player shoots it, it will slow down. If it experiences forces that would knockback a normal player, it should be either slowed or pushed away a bit. Instead of healing, it should give some other kind of effect. That last two parts are entirely optional though, and would only serve to make the cart more interesting.
 
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Undies

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Dec 24, 2009
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Sorry, I should've clarified. I was wondering if there's any way to simulate a cart using something other than func_tracktrain that would allow easier modifications. I don't want it to function exactly like a normal cart anyway, so I'd probably have to end up doing something differently to get it to do what I want anyway.

Basically, I want a cart that will move without anyone having to be next to it. If an enemy player shoots it, it will slow down. If it experiences forces that would knockback a normal player, it should be either slowed or pushed away a bit. Instead of healing, it should give some other kind of effect. That last two parts are entirely optional though, and would only serve to make the cart more interesting.

Have a trigger_multiple and a model you want parented to a func_train/path_track system. Then, surround given model by an invisible func_breakable (with vast amounts of health so it never breaks and/or a logic_timer that gives it X health more every 5seconds)NOTE: making the breakable ignore damage under any Z value will result in the output not being fired. Use the setup explained here from the trigger_multiple and count the number of players in the trigger (to make it go faster) and set an output for the breakable to slow the train if it takes damage...

To my knowledge there is nothing other than a player or projectile that is affected my compression blasts of a pyro or any way to make a train suffer from a knockback from a large explosion ... save maybe the train gaining brief negative speed (and going backwards) if say the breakable took >300 damage in one hit? working that out may be a mess though ... and not worth the trouble.

As for adding health-regen/ammo-regen/mini-crits/etc to the custom cart, I am at a loss, never done a payload ... but I'm sure it'd be easy to find ... or just add a dispenser to the cart
 

neogeo0823

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Jan 13, 2010
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Have a trigger_multiple and a model you want parented to a func_train/path_track system. Then, surround given model by an invisible func_breakable (with vast amounts of health so it never breaks and/or a logic_timer that gives it X health more every 5seconds)NOTE: making the breakable ignore damage under any Z value will result in the output not being fired. Use the setup explained here from the trigger_multiple and count the number of players in the trigger (to make it go faster) and set an output for the breakable to slow the train if it takes damage...

To my knowledge there is nothing other than a player or projectile that is affected my compression blasts of a pyro or any way to make a train suffer from a knockback from a large explosion ... save maybe the train gaining brief negative speed (and going backwards) if say the breakable took >300 damage in one hit? working that out may be a mess though ... and not worth the trouble.

As for adding health-regen/ammo-regen/mini-crits/etc to the custom cart, I am at a loss, never done a payload ... but I'm sure it'd be easy to find ... or just add a dispenser to the cart

Wow, that's quite a bit of info there. I'll definately try that and see how it works.

I forgot one thing I'd like to have the cart do. If an enemy player gets too close, I'd like to have the cart either kill them or throw them away from the cart. I know that PL_Frontier has a cart that will kill anyone it hits, so it's possible. I'm assuming I could just have trigger blocks on each side of the cart that, upon having an enemy player step into them, damage that player? Is there a property for knockback/throwing that can be modified for that sort of thing?
 

lana

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Sep 28, 2009
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FYI, func_breakables with 0 strength are invulnerable but still fire their damage outputs.
 

Undies

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Dec 24, 2009
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FYI, func_breakables with 0 strength are invulnerable but still fire their damage outputs.
orly? nice
I forgot one thing I'd like to have the cart do. If an enemy player gets too close, I'd like to have the cart either kill them or throw them away from the cart. I know that PL_Frontier has a cart that will kill anyone it hits, so it's possible. I'm assuming I could just have trigger blocks on each side of the cart that, upon having an enemy player step into them, damage that player? Is there a property for knockback/throwing that can be modified for that sort of thing?

trigger_push (to push them away, though with the cart turning making the trigger dynamic to the model is something that may cause issues) with a filter_activator_tfteam to specify the team, and a trigger_hurt (with high enough damage to kill) both parented to the train :p
about the trigger_push, as the cart turns the push may continue to push in the original direction and not change direction with the cart, not certain about that though.
 

neogeo0823

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Jan 13, 2010
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trigger_push (to push them away, though with the cart turning making the trigger dynamic to the model is something that may cause issues) with a filter_activator_tfteam to specify the team, and a trigger_hurt (with high enough damage to kill) both parented to the train :p
about the trigger_push, as the cart turns the push may continue to push in the original direction and not change direction with the cart, not certain about that though.

The push thing wouldn't be a huge problem, as I'd want it to happen no matter where the enemy is around the cart.