So I combined my failed lightning thing with my spirograph

[Ayrix]

The lightning (shot with attached gun) developed into a thing that can draw a line of bullets that vary type regularly, and is simple to direct via bullet patterns.
 
Touhou achieved!


VoWG like potential nightmare pattern emerging quickly (that FPS was before I put the performance enhancing modifiers on all the bullets)

[Ayrix]

I'll put some of the code here. Also made blaze cannons more fun.

the pretty colours/ patterns that draw, then break up is from making a SHOT fire the pattern at the bottom of bullet_vars
That shot is simple. 

Code: [Select]

<entity name="Lightning" category="Shot" image_folder="Simpler" image_name="ReverseBonePink"  immune_to_all_damage="true">
    <system type="Lightning" offset="0,0"/> That Lightning system is just a gun that fires the pattern at the correct rate (every 0.75 seconds).

The Fun is with messing with this

Code: [Select]

<bullet_pattern name="spirog">
<bullet

moves_with_firing_entity="true"
offset_is_relative_to_parent_bullet_instead_of_firing_entity="true"
spawns_offset_from_firing_entity="200,0"
shot_type="BulletPointedGreen"
angle="0"
is_invisible_and_does_not_collide_with_ships="true"
immune_to_interception_and_aoe="true">

<spawn>
<bullet_pattern>

<bullet

moves_with_firing_entity="true"
offset_is_relative_to_parent_bullet_instead_of_firing_entity="true"
spawns_offset_from_firing_entity="150,0"
shot_type="Lightning"
angle="0"
is_invisible_and_does_not_collide_with_ships="true"
immune_to_interception_and_aoe="true">

<loop iterations="-1" suppress_loop_bug="true">


<change
relative="true"
angle="7"/>
<wait time="0.1"/>
</loop>



</bullet>

</bullet_pattern>

</spawn>
<loop iterations="-1" suppress_loop_bug="true">
<change
relative="true"
angle="11"/>
<wait time="0.03"/>
</loop>
</bullet>
</bullet_pattern>


Mess with the times, angles and off sets  (making sure at least one changes at the rate the real shots get drawn  (every .05 seconds).

[ptarth]

Thanks for putting the code up. I'm guessing you saw the other thread where I'm trying to keep an index up for things. Feel free to add your own content to it, I just like to keep things organized so that other people don't have to go through the same pain and suffering that thir predecessors did.

I saw your images and thought they were cool, but didn't ever remember to actually say something useful or contribute. Your post reminded me I should do that.

[Ayrix]

Yeah an index for useful stuff is definitely needed. We don't want everyone to have to deal with already solved problems.
There is a lot of reading of XML documentation needed to work out how to do relatively common things.

e.g. I think the assumption about not needing to ever make our own shot types needs to go, due to the nightmares of attaching systems to them, also a couple of things like cardinal_mover_random_turn_interval.