Unit Option When Damaged Change Into Different Unit (Weakened Battleships)

redrum

@general_zod That is an excellent question, that I actually don't know the answer to. I believe that it should since it actually does simulate battles. It would be interesting to make a very small test to prove or disprove it though.

alkexr

Now that I think of it...

<attachment name="unitAttachment" attachTo="hydraHead" javaClass="games.strategy.triplea.attachments.UnitAttachment" type="unitType">
  <option name="movement" value="0"/>
  <option name="attack" value="3"/>
  <option name="defense" value="3"/>
  <option name="whenHitPointsDamagedChangesInto" value="2:false:hydraHead"/>
</attachment>

Hepps

@alkexr

Frostion

I can’t get this code work. Is it only for isSea? (I hope not )
I am trying to get my XML to work after the implementation of new units.
I would like this Dragon unit to turn into a corpse when its HPs are gone. Should this not be possible also?

My code looks like this:

        <attachment name="unitAttachment" attachTo="Red-Dragon" javaClass="games.strategy.triplea.attachments.UnitAttachment" type="unitType">
            <option name="movement" value="3"/>
            <option name="attack" value="8"/>
            <option name="defense" value="6"/>
            <option name="isAir" value="true"/>
            <option name="hitPoints" value="3"/>
            <option name="repairsUnits" value="1:Red-Dragon"/>
            <option name="whenHitPointsDamagedChangesInto" value="3:false:Red-Dragon-Corpse" count="1"/>
                <option name="offensiveAttackAA" value="1"/>
                <option name="attackAA" value="1"/>
                <option name="offensiveAttackAAmaxDieSides" value="10"/>
                <option name="attackAAmaxDieSides" value="10"/>
                <option name="maxAAattacks" value="8"/>
                <option name="maxRoundsAA" value="1"/>
                <option name="isAAforCombatOnly" value="true"/>
                <option name="typeAA" value="Fire"/>
                <option name="mayOverStackAA" value="true"/>
                <option name="targetsAA" value="FAKE-INF"/>
        </attachment>
        <attachment name="unitAttachment" attachTo="Red-Dragon-Corpse" javaClass="games.strategy.triplea.attachments.UnitAttachment" type="unitType">
            <option name="isInfrastructure" value="true"/>
            <option name="createsResourcesList" value="25:Gold"/>
        </attachment>

Error looks like this:

feb. 24, 2019 8:46:37 PM games.strategy.engine.framework.ui.DefaultGameChooserEntry fullyParseGameData
SEVERE: Could not parse:file:/C:/Users/David-Corsair/triplea/downloadedMaps/world_of_war_heroes/games/world_of_war_heroes.xml
games.strategy.engine.data.GameParseException: map name: 'file:/C:/Users/David-Corsair/triplea/downloadedMaps/world_of_war_heroes/games/world_of_war_heroes.xml', game name: 'World of War Heroes', Unexpected Exception while setting values for attachmentUnitAttachment attached to:UnitType{name=Red-Dragon} with name:unitAttachment
	at games.strategy.engine.data.GameParser.newGameParseException(GameParser.java:121)
	at games.strategy.engine.data.GameParser.setValues(GameParser.java:1274)
	at games.strategy.engine.data.GameParser.parseAttachments(GameParser.java:1224)
	at games.strategy.engine.data.GameParser.parseMapDetails(GameParser.java:211)
	at games.strategy.engine.data.GameParser.parse(GameParser.java:110)
	at games.strategy.engine.data.GameParser.parse(GameParser.java:104)
	at games.strategy.engine.data.GameParser.parse(GameParser.java:91)
	at games.strategy.engine.framework.ui.DefaultGameChooserEntry.fullyParseGameData(DefaultGameChooserEntry.java:53)
	at games.strategy.engine.framework.startup.ui.panels.main.game.selector.GameSelectorPanel.lambda$selectGameFile$6(GameSelectorPanel.java:284)
	at games.strategy.engine.framework.ui.background.BackgroundTaskRunner.lambda$runInBackground$0(BackgroundTaskRunner.java:51)
	at games.strategy.engine.framework.ui.background.BackgroundTaskRunner$1.doInBackground(BackgroundTaskRunner.java:129)
	at javax.swing.SwingWorker$1.call(Unknown Source)
	at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(Unknown Source)
	at javax.swing.SwingWorker.run(Unknown Source)
	at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(Unknown Source)
	at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(Unknown Source)
	at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)
Caused by: games.strategy.engine.data.MutableProperty$InvalidValueException: failed to set string property value to '1:3:false:Red-Dragon-Corpse'
	at games.strategy.engine.data.MutableProperty.setStringValue(MutableProperty.java:64)
	at games.strategy.engine.data.MutableProperty.setValue(MutableProperty.java:88)
	at games.strategy.engine.data.GameParser.setValues(GameParser.java:1270)
	... 15 more
Caused by: games.strategy.engine.data.GameParseException: setWhenHitPointsDamagedChangesInto must have damage:translateAttributes:unitType    for: UnitAttachment attached to:UnitType{name=Red-Dragon} with name:unitAttachment
	at games.strategy.triplea.attachments.UnitAttachment.setWhenHitPointsDamagedChangesInto(UnitAttachment.java:419)
	at games.strategy.engine.data.MutableProperty.setStringValue(MutableProperty.java:60)
	... 17 more

Hepps

Just look at TWW 3..0

It all works perfectly. Should work of any type of unit. The one thing that is tricky is the names of the unit images you need in the unit folder.

But if you look at that then you should be good to go.

redrum

@Frostion said in Unit Option When Damaged Change Into Different Unit (Weakened Battleships):

setWhenHitPointsDamagedChangesInto

You have 1 too many parameters. If you remove the count="1" then it should work. So should be like this:

<option name="whenHitPointsDamagedChangesInto" value="3:false:Red-Dragon-Corpse"/>

Frostion

Ahh ... yes. With the new pictures and the changing of...
<option name="whenHitPointsDamagedChangesInto" value="3:false:Red-Dragon-Corpse" count="1"/>
to
<option name="whenHitPointsDamagedChangesInto" value="3:false:Red-Dragon-Corpse"/>
... it seems to work.
Thanks to you guys!

alkexr

Can units still be changed into other units when they are already dead? Didn't work for me last time I was experimenting. It would be tremendously useful if it was possible.

Frostion

@alkexr I cannot give you answer yet, as I have only just gotten my XML to work and have not really tested the Dragon out. If it works as I hope, the dragon has X HP and when they are killed it turns into a corpse. I cross my fingers. If not, I think I will make a request about a whenKilledTurnsInto feature

Cernel

@alkexr I tried it too, but it doesn't work. It would be really cool if it does. @Frostion There is no need to add any other property, just the unit should not be killed if it can turn into another one at the current damage (that would be set equal to the total hitpoints).

Also I believe it would be clearer if the option would talk in terms of remaining hitpoints, rather than current damage.

Cernel

@Hepps I definitely prefer the current way to the alternative approach. The alternative approach is seriously limited in both influencing only 3 stats (the 3 main ones) and not allowing you to freely change the visual of the unit. Main case is that you may want to lower or remove the AA ability from a damaged unit.

The other cool thing that the current approach allows is having a unit able to absorb damage each combat round, by turning the damaged unit into the undamaged version of itself (for example, you can say that this unit absorbs/prevents 1 damage per round, healing at the end of each combat round).

Hepps

@Cernel A simple work around to these issues is to give the unit +1 more hit point and have the last HP turn into a infrastructure unit that has neither combat values nor movement. Thus enabling you to create a corpse unit that could... under the right conditions be turned into a subsequently different unit upon capture by a specfic required unit.

I have not tested this... but I have to assume it would work. Getting hung up on how many remaining HP a unit has is kind of the real hurdle to making this work.

redrum

@alkexr @Frostion As Cernel stated, it doesn't work if the unit is dies (out of hit points) as dying overrides the check to damaged changes into. This could probably be changed and shouldn't be too difficult though I probably won't have time this week.

@Cernel I consider doing remaining hit points rather than damaged but most existing properties check damage so decided to go with that for consistency.

@Hepps That can work though I believe you'd need a player enforced rule to ban taking the final hit point during casualty selection.

Hepps

@redrum Again while I haven't tested it.... the final hit point should be a moot point since once the unit hits the infrastructure level it should not be selectable as a casualty.

redrum

@Hepps Right but I think you can select multiple hit points in the same battle round casualty selection. So say I have a 2 HP unit that changes into infra at 1 damage, I could take 2 casualty hits in the same round and kill it rather than letting it change into the infra unit.

Hepps

@redrum Ah yes.

redrum

PR to allow it to work for units with 0 HP left: https://github.com/triplea-game/triplea/pull/4720

Frostion

That sounds great! How exactly will this work? When units run out of HP, do they leave the battle and change afterwards (the winner getting ownership) or do they change during battle (where original owner can hold on to the changing unit and maybe use it during battle)?

I can imagine both behaviours being nice and useful, but changing after battle would probably be more simple.

Looking forward to testing this when I have the time

Cernel

@redrum That is really a solid addition, I believe, as a number of times I wished it would be possible mostly to leave some left overs, as infrastructures, to be retained or captured by the side owning the territory in which the battle took place. I was thinking to actually open a feature request about it once I had a finished thing on which to actually apply it forthright. It makes me also think to an old game, called "Total Annihilation", in which when you killed the enemy units a quantity of the iron it was used in their production would remain on the field, to be added to your stock of it (tho this would not work very well here, as I suppose all the attacking turned units would be able to retreat, that would not make sense (same story if you would use this for upgrading units to veteran status out of enemy casualties)).

I see no issues if applied to defensive units only, and a possible application would be, for example, having "castle" units

that can be "killed" by "trebuchets" units,

but actually turning into damaged or downgraded versions of themselves.

(since a trebuchet should not be able to completely disintegrate a castle out of existence)

Will this immediately work for "air battles" too, right (and whatever case the unit would be preemptively removed, as well, like AA, subs and v2 naval bombardment)? For example, the trebuchets damaging castles would be good to have as an air battle before the regular battle. Would, then, the castles be turned for the regular battle, acting as per the abilities of the damaged/downgraded type, especially if they are supposed to make AA attacks?

Another question would be how about the retreat for these units? Will the new unit, that is made out of a damaged/killed attacking unit, retain the acquired possibilities and limits (for example, unable to retreat if originated out of an unloaded unit)?

Since the AA can kill a unit regardless of its hitpoints, will this work for such a case all the same as a unit reaching max damage by regular means (this needs to be documented)?

I also wonder regarding the case of AA flyover attacks? Would it be possible to leave another unit where the one was shot down (during a movement phase)?

Frostion

@Cernel and @redrum does
the whenHitPointsDamagedChangesInto work with both infrastructure damage points as well as normal unit HP (land/sea/air)?

Would be cool if it does. (And yes, I have not read this intire thread if it the answer should be here somewhere)

Edit: And is strategic bombing / damaging of infrastructure hit points still restricted to be done by air units?