Random Contacts

[Nanaki]

Lately I have been experimenting with number randomization and using them in createflight scripts. The results are encouraging.

The only thing left is to figure out how to properly spawn and delete escorts. Spawning them and giving them orders is easy enough. The hard part is getting them to recognize that the parent ship is despawned (after passing through a jumpgate) and despawning along with it.

Unfortunately, with the way I plan things out, if the parent capital ship is destroyed (and not despawned), the escort ships will permanently stick around in the sector. There is no way to avoid this, as the only alternative is even worse: Ships despawning the instant the mothership dies.

[Goblin Wizard]

Originally Posted by Nanaki

The hard part is getting them to recognize that the parent ship is despawned (after passing through a jumpgate) and despawning along with it.

You probably tried "died" and "f_died" triggers so what about despawning them simple by trigger when they are near the gate (while before escorted object jump). just an idea.

Originally Posted by Nanaki

Unfortunately, with the way I plan things out, if the parent capital ship is destroyed (and not despawned), the escort ships will permanently stick around in the sector. There is no way to avoid this, as the only alternative is even worse: Ships despawning the instant the mothership dies.

What you really want them to do when the escorted ship is destroyed?

[Nanaki]

You probably tried "died" and "f_died" triggers so what about despawning them simple by trigger when they are near the gate (while before escorted object jump). just an idea.

My current thinking is taking it along the lines of, when the mothership jumps, it will return a 'True' condition to the triggers of the escorts, causing them to jump as well.

I have not written the script yet, though. I spent most of yesterday doing additional experiments with specials.script.

What you really want them to do when the escorted ship is destroyed?

If the mothership dies, the escort Fighters will stick around until after the battle is finished (no more enemies on the scanner), than jump out.

[Goblin Wizard]

Originally Posted by Nanaki

If the mothership dies, the escort Fighters will stick around until after the battle is finished (no more enemies on the scanner), than jump out.

Yes, that's tricky. SetAllDied function needs all flights to be called by name but you don't know which flight the escort will meet. Now the only idea is time trigger like about 5 mins after escorted ship died all remaining escort goes out. It should be more than enough to end the battle. Not really a solution but still better than instant despawn or infinite hanging in space.

[Nanaki]

Infinite hanging in space is probably not all that bad, it already occurs with trader fleets/Convoy fleets that lose their mothership, usually the remaining escorts are destroyed by other random contacts.

[gabriel_braun]

True, and unless you can't manage to kill escorts within 5 mins then it means that you're running away!

Either way, once the host ship is killed either the escorts win or they have to rabbit... 5 mins is more than enough to see if a conflict is going your way, however I wonder at a random variable being introduced that might call for convoy-specific faction re-enforcements.... somewhat like ternie's call for precursors but occurs on a random 1-10 chance of the convoy host despawning/destroyed?

[gabriel_braun]

Any further progress nanaki?