Aura animations

[Darth Fool]

Ok, so this would require work from both the artists and the code developers, but it would enhance the graphical effects, and I think the user experience. The basic idea is that units that have an aura efffect would have an extra(optional) line in their .cfg file:

image_aura=cool_pic.png.

Besides the obvious cool graphic benefit, it would have the gameplay advantage of having a visual association between an in-game effect and the unit causing the effect. Thoughts?

[turin]

this is already done for mage of light, right? and it makes the game go real slow, right? and its a bad idea, right?

really, i think this would be cool, but 1) it requires graphic work and 2) it slows down the game a lot, so it might not be done in the near future. it should get done eventually though, IMHO.

[Sangel]

No, the aura of light around the Mage of Light just causes the hexes around him to be lit as if they were shifted one step towards the day cycle. And yes, currently that does slow things down - I believe Dave is working on a fix for that.

I also think that we're waiting on the "graphics which extend into other hexes" coding before we do actual png halo work.

[Dave]

It'll hopefully happen at some point, although implementing it isn't so easy. Especially in cases where auras overlap each other (yes I know you can choose to draw one first, but there are all sorts of issues when we're trying to minimize the amount of hex redrawing that goes on).

It shouldn't slow the game down near as much as the Mage of Light has done if it's done right.

David

[Darth Fool]

Actually, what I had in mind was not a multi-hex image for the aura, but just a new unit animation. So, for example, when a leader helps a unit do more damage, it raises its sword in the air, indicating that it is doing something other than just "leading" by sitting on its rear. This is a very straightforward change to the code. I actually implemented it last night in short order[1] as a proof of concept and it looked pretty good, despite the fact that I didn't have any custom leadership image and reused the defensive image. It would be straight-forward to do something similar for healing/curing, and even other aura effects when they get added. I now can see why illuminating neighboring hexes is difficult, so that would probably have to wait. In light of what I have learned staring at the code I am going to modify my proposal somewhat to be for two different new images in WML:

image_lead
image_heal

I have most of the work done for image_lead in place, so if their was interest (particularly from Dave and the unit artists) I think I could produce a patch in not too long. I might do it any-way as a way of familiarizing myself with the code before making more drastic patches (like the dopple-ganger).

[1] which is a good sign that the code is well written and flexible.

[Dave]

Darth Fool: Ahhh I see what you mean now, and yes I think it's a great idea!

I look forward to seeing your patch.

David

[turin]

that sounds good- so different images for leadership and heal/cure, (and i think we should drop the illuminates thing and add an image like these). i might try to make a 'leadership' from for the general and lieutenant.

[Darth Fool]

I have submitted a patch to do this. the new image_healing and image_leading tags in the unit config should work with this patch. A couple of comments:

1) I added floating numbers into the healing sequence.
2)Currently any healer that would heal a unit that is healing displays the healing image, even if it didn't contribute to the healing (ie the unit has regeneration and heals on its own)
3)the changes to the code for the healing were done in the actions.cpp file since that is where the units currently groan/make a happy-healing tinkle. In future, this should probably be moved to unit_display under its own function. i may due this in a future patch, especially if:
4) a possible future upgrade to the healing would be to actually enable healing animation analagous to the attack animation definitions. Since nothing else is going on visually, there would be no conflicts. The code could mostly be stolen from the attack animation sequences, so the biggest issue would be do the artists/unit designers want it?

I tested the patch to make sure it worked under a variety of situations, but it was by no means an extensive test, so I'll be interested to hear if you find any funny behavior. I will report the first funny-businnes: My test did not use any new graphics, so I used the troll images for the Mage of lights healing image. Seeing a mage of light turn into a troll to heal someone is a little disturbing...

[Dave]

Okay I've committed this patch. I made some ways to the way it was done, but committed lots of it straight.

I also fixed it so I believe that a healer should only be displayed doing the heal animation if the unit was healed by them. (It might not quite work out if you have a shyde and 3 shaman near a unit but the shyde is mostly occupied doing other healing because situations like that are complicated, but most of the time it should work).

David

[Guest]

quick question- do they do the healing image for each of the units around them, or do they just do it once if they heal at all? they don't move from their hex, do they, like units do when attacking?

[Dave]

quick question- do they do the healing image for each of the units around them, or do they just do it once if they heal at all? they don't move from their hex, do they, like units do when attacking?

They do it once for each unit around them. They do it while that unit is healing, so it doesn't take up any more time than it did previously. They don't move from their hex.

David