Payload Lifts

Nathan Quake

L1: Registered
May 8, 2010
33
9
How would I add a lift to my payload route? I know that you can use the track points to navigate how it moves, but I need to speed to be regulated and it needs to be automated, AND in sync with the lift.

How do they do it in the official maps at the end? Will this method work at the beginning of my map?

It looks like a potentially good map, so I will go and play around with the tools, but I would appreciate the help.

Discuss?
 

sniprpenguin

L6: Sharp Member
Mar 14, 2008
266
258
Only one official map does lifts, if I remember correctly (Hightower).

I'll have to doublecheck the vmf (You should as well), the payload still continues as normal upwards, but the cart keeps it's original orientation. (An option in the path_track properties) Now, the part I don't remember correctly is how the lift works.

There's two ways that I remember it working, but I know only one works:

1) It's an additional tracktrain that moves forward when the cart moves forward, and moves back when the cart rolls back.

2) It's a dynamic entity that gets parented to the cart when the cart reaches the path_track at the bottom, so then it can move up and down with the cart without the need for double the path_tracks.

I have a feeling it's neither, but the whole question of syncing it up and what not is not hard to do if you double-check everything.

Now then, I have 2 questions for you:

1) Is this for a Payload RACE map or just a Payload map? I.E. Pipeline or Badwater? Because if it's like Badwater or Goldrush, you're gonna have to deal with the auto-rollback that occurs with the cart. Using the above methods will work in Payload Race, but only the first will work nicely in a single cart map because constantly parenting and unparenting objects is gonna crash something at some point.

2) About your question of how it'll work in the beginning of a map... Not sure if it's a smart idea, unless designed very well. Any sort of uphill section with rollback is designed as a chokepoint, and a lift straight up or any sort of up should be considered as such. So, you're basically starting your map off with a chokepoint. Unless it's meant to be super-difficult for a team (ala Gorge), something's not gonna work.



All the above assumes you know what I'm talking about and that I read your question correctly. And if you're just starting with the tools... may God help you in your quest, cause you're gonna need his help. Or Boojum. Either one works.
 

Draco18s

L9: Fashionable Member
Sep 19, 2009
622
136
You could make the bottom of the lift a checkpoint so that the cart can't "roll back" off of it.
 

re1wind

aa
Aug 12, 2009
644
588
you don't need a second path route, you can have multiple trains on the same track without any problems. i'm guessing that hightower just parents the plate to the cart as its not going to roll backwards.

on pass -> set parent etc.

for normal payload, though, draco's idea sounds sensible. Another thing i'd suggest is to not use a completely vertical lift, but something at an angle, say 45-> 60° ala cargo lifts as seen in half-life, and alien swarm. the entire starting point starts on the platform and standing on the platform pushes the cart/platform forward, with another checkpoint at the top to stop the whole thing rolling back down.

it still doesn't sound like something you'd want at the start of a round.
 

Nathan Quake

L1: Registered
May 8, 2010
33
9
Thanks people, I think I will forget about the lift and just build a regular map. It seems very complex and the gameplay would not work at the beginning of the map. :bored: