Fighter Behaviour

posted on July 14th, 2011, 12:01 pm

I hope this is the right forum for modding feature requests.

After a discussion in this thread, about creating fighters that simply guard their carrier without moving about, and attack enemies without moving about, Doca mentioned that the ReplacementAction=3 command had been removed.

It would be great for modding different styles of fighters if some method of changing the way they move could be added to FO allowing fighters to swoop around their carrier and target like they do now or alternatively behave like normal ships that have just been told to guard their carrier (but at close range if possible) and move away short distances to attack (without the cloverleaf swooping that happens now).

posted on July 14th, 2011, 12:13 pm

so basically you just don't want the cloverleaf movement of the fighters when they are idle and/or are attacking?

posted on July 14th, 2011, 12:41 pm

The problem I've found with cloverleaf is that when the carrier ship is moving, the fighters circle around the right hand side of the ship. Looks a bit weird.

To be honest I'd rather the fighters either disappear into the ship (as in my previous post) to look like it's "launch on demand", or just take up positions flanking/leading/following (randomly) the carrier.

Also, would it be possible to put in some kind of "carrier priority" code, so that fighters might leave their own carrier to support another, if that carrier's capacity is not filled? Like how some ships can support fighters but not build them. A fighter-builder unit would supply those ships with fighters before filling its own ranks (if those ships had this "carrier priority" code...? Just an idea.

posted on July 14th, 2011, 12:58 pm

so basically you just don't want the cloverleaf movement of the fighters when they are idle and/or are attacking?

Yes 

The problem I've found with cloverleaf is that when the carrier ship is moving, the fighters circle around the right hand side of the ship. Looks a bit weird.

To be honest I'd rather the fighters either disappear into the ship (as in my previous post) to look like it's "launch on demand", or just take up positions flanking/leading/following (randomly) the carrier.

Also, would it be possible to put in some kind of "carrier priority" code, so that fighters might leave their own carrier to support another, if that carrier's capacity is not filled? Like how some ships can support fighters but not build them. A fighter-builder unit would supply those ships with fighters before filling its own ranks (if those ships had this "carrier priority" code...? Just an idea.

That's a good idea, perhaps the order ships are listed in supplyclasses could form some sort of priority.

posted on July 14th, 2011, 4:33 pm

I would love if you were able to change the way that fighters moved by a line in the odf.  Basically, be able to select if they will stop moving when not in battle, hit and run, circle, clover, etc.  then, on my fighters at least, I could add all of those into different replaceweapons and choose a tactic for each group of fighters and change it in the middle of a battle.

The ability to have fighters huddle under(inside) the carrier until enemies are around would be awesome too.  Really awesome.


Another thing, while I am at it, I would like, though I don't think is possible, would be the drifting maneuvers ships can do in space.  basically, a simulation of inertia, where ships can slide around corners, strafe a ship by flying parallel to it, etc.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AotLewnjTE&feature=player_detailpage#t=126s[/youtube]

see 2:06