Wing buffet weirdness

[critto]

Folks, I am banging my head against the wall here.

 

I am trying to make a spell, cast by an enemy, that throws party members back and makes them unconscious.

 

The spell's ability is set up with the target set to caster, wing buffet opcode targets pre-target (direction: away from source), range is 8 and projectile is INAREANP.PRO. Saving throw is not allowed, spell is set to bypass resistance. The spell is cast on self inside the enemy's AI script.

 

For some reason it fails to work properly. The wing buffet effect never fires, the other effects (stun, display string, display portrait icon, all targeted at pre-target) work fine. What's curious, if a party member casts the same spell, the enemies are affected in a proper manner (all effects are applied correctly to all targets within range, Wing Buffet opcode included).

 

What am I missing?

 

Cheers,

critto

[subtledoctor]

My guess is, use a different projectile.

[critto]

Even though it works when a party member casts the spell?

[subtledoctor]

Yeah because INAREANP only affects non-party members... I think. (That's what the NP stands for... I think.) So when the enemy casts it on your party, it doesn't affect your party, because the projectile only affects 'non-party.'

 

I *think* that's how it works. I'm not certain. But, it's the first thing I would play around with, and changing it doesn't take very long.

[critto]

That's what I did. I was messing with various projectiles and targeting types for 3 hours, at least.

 

Non-party means do not affect allies. In case of an enemy that means, as I gathered, his allies. And, as I mentioned, all the other effects (stun, etc.) work perfectly on party members when an enemy casts the spell.

 

So far I discovered that it works in two cases:

1) when a party member casts the spell targeted at caster. The enemies are effected and pushed away from the caster.

2) when wing buffet opcode is applied at some creature (target is living actor). Smite, Dragon's Breath work in this manner and function both for the party and for the enemies.

 

Right now it seems that Wing Buffet from enemy works when it is targeted at a particular creature. The only idea I have in mind is a workaround: one spell cast on each party member to throw them off and one spell cast at the enemy itself for some appropriate visual animations. That's kinda ugly, but I have nothing else at the moment.

[subtledoctor]

Hmm. Play around with the targets. Maybe set the "ability" target to "caster" instead of "living actor" and the "effect" target to "preset target" instead of "self"?

 

Long shot, but could work...

[critto]

 

 

Hmm. Play around with the targets. Maybe set the "ability" target to "caster" instead of "living actor" and the "effect" target to "preset target" instead of "self"?

 

I tried those already, no luck. My workaround didn't work either, btw I couldn't find a single target projectile (starting with the obvious ones such as invisible travelling one) that successfully applies Wing Buffet opcode. The area projectile cast at living actor works great but any effect with target set to pre-target (other than Wing Buffet) would be applied to everyone inside the projectile area. So no luck with target-casting a wing buffet spell at each char separately.

 

I am very close to abandoning the idea altogether.

[CamDawg]

spin658, HELL_BUFFET, pretty much does exactly what you want. It's used in the SoA finale in hell to push everyone away from the Tear door prior to Irenicus' appearance.

[critto]

Yes, this looks like just what I need, thanks.