Noob question about dark beam

Started by TheUnknownCreeper, August 13, 2013, 08:18:06 PM

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Nephthys

#15
So, I created the Dark Beam & get a thin blue line. A comment on a YT vid said you had "select it & toggle it to an active state." I have selected it & so now what? "Q" deactivates it. Why isn't it already active?

I should add that when the blue line 1st appeared, there was still one block of terrain between it & creeper. When the terrain was gone, it stayed a thin blue line. There is no "activate" when I select it, only "deactivate". Help please!

asmussen

Q toggles the active/inactive state of a unit, but what you are looking to do in this case is toggle the armed/unarmed state of the unit, which can be done by using the A hotkey. There are 3 separate states that can be toggled, and any of them can be done with either the buttons in the lower left when the unit is selected, or with the hotkeys. Q for active/inactive, A for armed/unarmed, and C for connected/disconnected.
Shawn Asmussen

Nephthys

TYVM to yet another poster kind enough to help! That did the trick. So I guess everyone else figured this out on their own? Man, I feel brain dead! 


Zaggy

The 3 states (Active vs Inactive, Armed vs Unarmed, Connected vs Disconnected) do different things depending on whether the unit is being built, or has completed being built.

For a unit that's being built:

- It won't demand build packets if it's Inactive.
- The Armed / Unarmed state is ignored.
- I'm not sure about the Connected / Disconnected state, but I think it works just like the Active / Inactive state.

For a built unit that needs ammo packets:

- It won't demand ammo packets if it's Inactive.
- The Armed / Unarmed state is ignored.
- It won't demand ammo packets if it's Disconnected.

For a unit that has ammo packets, will it fire?

- It won't fire if it's Inactive.
- It won't fire if it's Unarmed.
- The Connected / Disconnected state is ignored.


Unlike other units, the Dark Beam starts 'Unarmed' (meaning it won't fire automatically when it has ammo packets).

Marley

Quote from: Cavemaniac on September 01, 2013, 07:50:56 PM
Also, knowing that the dark beam will not hurt the liberation ship will affect the way you play some maps - like my map Uh-oh.

http://knucklecracker.com/creeperworld2/viewmaps.php?embedded=false&gameVer=&mapid=1061

Yow, I'd never played that one.  Excellent way to learn how the dark beam works.  Also a good lesson on beacons.

Cavemaniac

Quote from: Marley on September 23, 2013, 01:17:13 AM
Quote from: Cavemaniac on September 01, 2013, 07:50:56 PM
Also, knowing that the dark beam will not hurt the liberation ship will affect the way you play some maps - like my map Uh-oh.

http://knucklecracker.com/creeperworld2/viewmaps.php?embedded=false&gameVer=&mapid=1061

Yow, I'd never played that one.  Excellent way to learn how the dark beam works.  Also a good lesson on beacons.

And, ahem, would you believe that I made that map without realizing that the ship could fly through the beam?

My times improved dramatically after mpete pointed that out!
Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.

Marley

Quote from: Cavemaniac on September 23, 2013, 02:10:31 AM
And, ahem, would you believe that I made that map without realizing that the ship could fly through the beam?

Aha, so what you're saying is that you deliberately made a map that was a serious pain in the gluteus maximus, and then later you discovered it wasn't quite so frustrating.   ;)

Cavemaniac

Quote from: Marley on September 23, 2013, 03:01:17 AM
Quote from: Cavemaniac on September 23, 2013, 02:10:31 AM
And, ahem, would you believe that I made that map without realizing that the ship could fly through the beam?

Aha, so what you're saying is that you deliberately made a map that was a serious pain in the gluteus maximus, and then later you discovered it wasn't quite so frustrating.   ;)

Actually, yes!

Although to put it in a way that doesn't make me sound like such a plonker, players discovered a way to play my map in a way that I didn't expect - and in this case it didn't ruin the map, but it certainly sped up the end-game.

I love unexpected consequences!
Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.