Custom Map #10482: Just a silly trick I found. By: Martin Gronsdal

oldnewby · April 17, 2023, 02:39:02 PM

Quote from: Weasee on April 16, 2023, 07:27:54 PM
Quote from: oldnewby on April 16, 2023, 04:48:23 PMHopefully expert CW3 map designers will advise us if the blast radius/area remains constant vs. increases with the size of the blast...

The radius of the blast doesn't increase with the number of bursts... but the radius does increase with the Forge's "Fire Range" upgrades. I haven't experimented enough to see if the strength of the singularity increases with the "Fire Rate" upgrades or not...

I have been on some maps, with an upgraded forge, and the massive radius of the singularity was actually a hindrance not a benefit!

Thank you again Weasee...
Confirmed the effect of increasing Fire Rates...
Test 3 => Fire rate level 5/5 => Two bars of the 4 corners zeroed faster at time 20.9 sec. And the SW collector survived at 25.8 sec. BUT... My Aether supply and Singularity timers ran out just as the X100 Totem engaged...
Result => Failure!! But a failure that proved that adding the maximum 5/5 Fire Rate does increase the cumulative draw and speed of Creeper pull back...
Test 4 => Tried fire rate level 3/5 => Again 2 bars of zero creeper in the 4 corners at a slightly longer time 23.6 seconds...
Result Success!! Investing Aether in fire rate increases makes the Singularity creeper draw back more effective...

PS:- Game time of 1:02.6 was a new personal best... Cumulative game play errors may explain much of the 13 second difference between the Weasee gold ring challenge...

Much appreciated Thank you!!!

oldnewby · April 17, 2023, 03:30:17 PM

Quote from: Martin Gronsdal on April 17, 2023, 02:25:17 AMMy question is not who made the two of you (Weasee and oldnewby), but why!

Hehe and many thanks for playing!

Why question The Universe? - Kismet? - Karma? - Fate? - Ahhhhh the list goes on...
But To be included in any list with Weasee... What Joy!!!!! What an unearned honor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BUT - Just so my sleepless hours in the middle of last night are not wasted... And while Marten Gronsdal's bag of tricks appears bottomless... I must share a story from my recent wanders through the DMD wilderness... Where I ran into something new to me...

Spoiler

See DMD Map #12242 "eazy 4u" by Willy Monka
While looking for low hanging fruit I was tempted and grasped Monka's "eazy 4u" MONKEY TRAP...

If Willy Monka's sense of humor had been evil... his monkey trap had all the elements that could have been given fangs and taken hours, even days, to solve... but having a merciful and kind heart... Monka did not abuse the fates and damage his Karma...

[close]

Do not spoil the surprise Marten... Because... Shocked does not capture my emotions when I...

Spoiler

Clicked on the "Y" key AND... THEN...

[close]

I have no idea how Willy Monka achieved what he did in DMD... Ideas????

PS:- Marten - Please advise if it is ethical for me to bring Willy Monka's map froward to Colonial Space as a unique example of map design???

Martin Gronsdal · April 17, 2023, 03:44:33 PM

Hi, I'm on hols an unable to find that map, but it can't be unethical. More maps = more fun!

oldnewby · April 17, 2023, 08:31:37 PM

Quote from: Martin Gronsdal on April 17, 2023, 03:44:33 PMHi, I'm on hols an unable to find that map, but it can't be unethical. More maps = more fun!

After 20+ years since I retired - I guess every day is now a holiday...
Anyway a screenshot of the DMD map follows... with all the file details...
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2963875444

My old CW3 DMD played historical file no longer shows the complete map info... but this starting page is where I re-found the map name.... the name that worked just fine for me...
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2963876408
Likewise...
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2963876408

Let me know what you think of the TRICK... If it passes muster... will make a version for Colonial Space that honors the author
Enjoy...

Martin Gronsdal · April 18, 2023, 02:36:14 AM

What does the Y key do again?

I'm not sure if i follow you on the trick idea here

oldnewby · April 18, 2023, 03:34:40 PM

Quote from: Martin Gronsdal on April 18, 2023, 02:36:14 AMWhat does the Y key do again?

I'm not sure if i follow you on the trick idea here

Sorry... The "Y" key ?????... Just opens the command ship control panel at the bottom of my PC screen... Like the "E", "R", and "T" shortcut keys... Being lucky enough to be getting old... My eye sight is getting so it is hard to see and sometimes my mouse shakes too much to easily click on the tiny print on the Left Hand Side of the bottom panel...

The Trick Idea ??? - I guess I got carried away on the "Simple Little Trick" theme... But I think you enjoy finding and using them in lots of your maps and thought a potential new one might be of interest...

Anyway:-> For anyone who might be interested in experiencing my SHOCK and DISBELIEF... Just open DMD and in Online Maps type in Willy Monka and click the adjacent "Filter" button.... which will bring up map #12242... Hit "Launch Mission" and start to play that map by picking up a few of the many Artifacts of Orion low-hanging-fruit as if you are going for a quick and easy win like I was planning...
Then key "Y" and open the Command ship controls and click on any one of the AofOs and you will see the unexpected LITTLE TRICK that SHOCKED me speechless... Yep I placed my hand into Willy"s MONKEY TRAP...

While I understand what Willy did... How he managed to do it in a DMD map is beyond my understanding...
Ideas????

PS:- [As an aside - - - I sweated blood last year trying multiple ways to win Colonial Space Map #1... Until I finally stopped beating my head against the wall and thought about the times the honorable players were getting... and then looked carefully at the map... then took a leap of faith and finally - for the first time - figured out how to use Artifacts of Orion...]
And similarly... Your awesome maps are slowly forcing/helping me learn how to use - and not use - the Singularity feature...

Martin Gronsdal · April 18, 2023, 04:04:47 PM

What did Mr. Wonka do? What's the trick there?

Weasee · April 18, 2023, 08:48:56 PM

Quote from: Martin Gronsdal on April 18, 2023, 04:04:47 PMWhat did Mr. Wonka do? What's the trick there?

I think what oldnewby is referring to is the multitude of overlapping air exclusion zones - these are shown when selecting any AoO in the Orbital tab. You can also select the Guppy tool to show the zones.

There's so many, it obscures the map!

Martin Gronsdal · April 19, 2023, 02:51:42 AM

Ahh, thx

Martin Gronsdal · April 19, 2023, 11:10:30 AM

Well, I beat your time, Sir Oldnewby!

(On Willy Monkas map)

oldnewby · April 19, 2023, 03:52:19 PM

Quote from: Martin Gronsdal on April 19, 2023, 11:10:30 AMWell, I beat your time, Sir Oldnewby!

(On Willy Monkas map)

Great...!!! Delighted to add a bit of fun to our lives...!!!!
Willy tricked me fair and square... so it seemed only fair to continue on without restarting...

I have often seen an Anti-AoO exclusion zone placed to protect the Inhibitor... What I thought was a unique (new-to-me) LITTLE TRICK... was Willy somehow adding AoO exclusion zones to all of his vanilla Air Exclusion Towers...

I checked the DMD Edit Page --- And while there is an Anti-AoO Exclusion option for the Inhibitor... the Air Exclusion Towers option does not include an Anti-AoO Range setting...
What he did impressed me... How he did it baffles me...
Ideas???
UNLESS - Is it possible that all vanilla Air Exclusion Towers include the Anti-AoO feature... ???????????????????

My Bad...
Where are the emojis when I need one...

So when in doubt... Test Test Test...
DMD "Lessons Learned" test bed maps #12319 and #12320 prove that any Inhibitor with Anti-AoO activated adds that power to all vanilla Air Exclusion Towers...
AND... Deleting the Inhibitor Anti-AoO power... also removes that power from all Air Exclusion Towers... Even though clicking on/activating an AoO in the Command Ship control screen still makes the Air Exclusion zones appear even though they no longer have the power to stop the AoO from dropping...
Thanks for bearing with my folly...

Weasee · April 19, 2023, 08:34:30 PM

Quote from: oldnewby on April 19, 2023, 03:52:19 PMI have often seen an Anti-AoO exclusion zone placed to protect the Inhibitor... What I thought was a unique (new-to-me) LITTLE TRICK... was Willy somehow adding AoO exclusion zones to all of his vanilla Air Exclusion Towers...

Are you sure? On DMD#12319 I can launch any AoO through the air exclusion zones with no problem. They don't work around the inhbitor of course.

Martin Gronsdal · April 19, 2023, 10:14:29 PM

You can make the Inhibitor have a zone of its own. That forbids AoO to land there, but not air units (I think)

oldnewby · April 20, 2023, 06:35:51 PM

Quote from: Weasee on April 19, 2023, 08:34:30 PM
Quote from: oldnewby on April 19, 2023, 03:52:19 PMI have often seen an Anti-AoO exclusion zone placed to protect the Inhibitor... What I thought was a unique (new-to-me) LITTLE TRICK... was Willy somehow adding AoO exclusion zones to all of his vanilla Air Exclusion Towers...

Are you sure? On DMD#12319 I can launch any AoO through the air exclusion zones with no problem. They don't work around the inhbitor of course.

Egad...!!!! What was I thinking Sherlock...!!!! My shock seeing all those Area Denial clouds appear the instant I tapped a Command Ship AoO activation key... paralyzed my "Little Grey Cells"... into believing my action caused what was plainly there in front of my eyes... My logical facilities froze... became locked into a fantasy world where - can you believe it? - a mystical, inimical, creeper was flowing out of the unknown, threatening our world... I shudder to think what delusions I might have suffered without your intervention Sherlock...!!!!

I revisited all my tests... You and Martin are 100% right...
Willy Monka's trick fooled me... And... I continued to trick myself again and again...
Thank you again... A reminder why all research - no matter how trivial - benefits from peer review...