• InitialState:

  Don’t change it. PlayerControl is the state that’s used for the ControlRotatingMover.

This cannon includes multiple parameters. It can be used as a full automatic cannon, for example.

• ...Sound:

  Set up the sounds to be used.

• DeactivateDistance:

  Radius the cannon ‘works in’.

• Drop:

  Setup correction for the spawned projectile.

• Health:

  ... I think that’s pretty clear.

• SampleTime:

  How long does it take to check all conditions again (SetTimer...).

• TrackingRate:

  The ‘rotating speed’ of the cannon. How fast can it turn towards its target

• ActivateIfDamagedMessage:

  Same as ActivateMessage... but this message will only be send if the cannon was damaged.

• ActivateMessage:

  This message will be send to all players within the double radius of the deactivate distance if activated (cannon.DeactivateDistance). It will be send at all events to the player that has activated it.

• AutoActivateMessage:

  Same as ActivateMessage... but this message will only be send in the auto mode.

• bActivateIfDamaged:

  If the cannon was damaged (by shot or hit) the damage instigator will be targeted. If the cannon wasn’t activated before (by an event<-trigger) it will be activated after damaging.

• bAutomatic:

  The cannon acts in auto mode. Read section 1. for a detailed explanation of that mode.

• bDeactivateOutOfSight:

  The cannon deactivates itself if the actual target is out of sight.

• bDontPlayActivateAnim:

  If activated the cannon don’t plays its activate animation (dropping some inches down). This only works if you specify a ‘starting animation’ under Display.AnimSequence = ‘Angle0’ for example. So you don’t have the ‘effect’ of a floating cannon cause you specify where it is ‘hanging’. But one little thing to remember. Cause the cannons location and thereby its ‘point of view’ lies some inches higher than the seen position in the editor its possible that the cannon ‘cannot see a thing’. So you have to change the ‘ceiling’ or ‘upper base’ to be ‘non solid’ at all. Look at the SpecialCannon hanging in the outside part of DMDeathZone for a better understanding.

• bDontTrackInstigatorsIfIgnore:

  If bIgnoreInstigator or bIgnoreDamageInstigator is set, the actor that activated the cannon will not be targeted. Otherwise this would cause the cannon to ignore a valid target if the instigator is the momentarily target.

• bIgnoreDamageInstigator:

  The actor that has activated the cannon by damaging it is ignored if targeted. Of course that’s only useful if the cannon acts in auto mode. Thereby it’s possible to use this cannon as a tactical variant in multiplayer levels cause without this switch you can only differ targets through classes and not single players.

• bIgnoreDamageInstigatorTeam / bIgnoreInstigatorTeam:

  The (damage) instigators team will be ignored in team matches.

• bIgnoreInstigator:

  Same as bIgnoreDamageInstigator... but just by activating the cannon by an event<-trigger.

• bInitiallyActive:

  The cannon is initially active and doesn’t need to be activated by an event<-trigger. This is also only useful if the cannon is in auto mode. Notice that therefore no instigator is possible. So all valid targets will be shot automatically. This switch is build in to give you the possibility to include ‘real’ automatic cannons in your levels that can protect places against specified actors without needing to activate it.

• DamagedByTargetType:

  Here you can select specific types of targets that can activate the cannon directly by damaging it (bActivateIfDamaged). Just valid targets will be shot. Possible selections:

  • TT_Player - all players are valid targets

  • TT_Pawn - all pawns (players and enemies) are valid targets

  • TT_Class - all actors of the specified DamagedByTypeClass are valid targets

  • TT_Any - all actors are valid targets

  Only if the damage instigator is of this class he will be selected as actual target.

• DamagedByTypeClass:

  Here you can specify the target class if TT_Class is selected under DamagedByTargetType.

• DeActivateMessage:

  This message will be send to all players within the double radius of the deactivate distance if the cannon is deactivated (cannon.DeactivateDistance).

• DeactivateTargetHealth:

  If the health of the actual target drops under this value the cannon deactivates by itself. In auto mode the next target is automatically searched.

• FireRate:

  How fast the cannon can shoot (reloading time).

• InitiallyIgnoreTeam:

  If bInitiallyActive is set you can specify a team (Red,Blue...) that will be ignored in team matches.

• MaxAutoTargets:

  Maximum amount of targets that the cannon will fight in auto mode. If this value is negative (-1) the cannon searches new valid targets until itself has been destroyed.

• ProjectileClass:

  Here you can specify the projectile class if Proj_Class is selected under ProjectileType.

• ProjectileType:

  Here you can select a specific type of projectile that will be used by the cannon. Thereby it’s possible to use every single projectile from the unreal engine. How about the Peacemaker Rockets or even some simple Arrows. Don’t forget to specify a projectile specific firing sound!

  • Proj_Default - the standard projectile (KrallBolt) will be used

  • Proj_Class - the under ProjectileClass specified projectile will be used

• ReactivateHealth:

  If here and under ReactivateTime a value greater zero is set, the cannon cannot be destroyed. The value entered here will be the new health value after the cannon is reactivated.

• ReactivateMode:

  If 0 = the cannon reactivates directly after the specified ReactivateTime.

  If 1 = the cannon can be reactivated after the ReactivateTime and switches into a ‘sleep mode’.

  Look at the outside cannon in DMDeathZone for a better understanding. After ‘destroying’ it, it switches into a sleep mode and can be reactivated by damaging it again.

  Just for info: it’s a – ok, I name it a – ‘tactical automatic cannon’ that activates if shot / damaged, ignores its instigator and ‘fire at will’ J so... look out if someone has activated it J but just shoot at it again and YOU are its instigator... so, do you need some further explainations???

• ReactivateTime:

  If here and under ReactivateTime a value greater zero is set, the cannon cannot be destroyed. The cannon reactivates itself after this time has expired.

• TargetType:

  Here you can select specific types of targets that can be targeted by the cannon. Just valid targets will be shot. Possible selections:

  • TT_Player - all players are valid targets

  • TT_Pawn - all pawns (players and enemies) are valid targets

  • TT_Class - all actors of the specified TargetTypeClass are valid targets

  • TT_Any - all actors are valid targets

  Only if the actual target is of this class it will be shot.

• TargetTypeClass:

  Here you can specify the target class if TT_Class is selected under TargetType.

• DeactivateTag:

  If this Tag is performed by any actor the cannon deactivates (ex. A trigger calls the event specified).

• EventIfDestroyed:

  Send this Event to all actors within the level after the cannon was destroyed. That’ll be useful to trigger doors or other movers after the cannon was destroyed.

All entered values will be set in the used projectiles. It only works with projectiles that do not ignore these settings.

1. Auto mode

   If bAutomatic is set to true the cannon stays in auto mode. The cannon will act like follows:

   If the cannon is activated in any kind of way (event<-trigger or damaging) it turns into auto mode. After activation the actual target will be fought like in normal mode until one of the cancel conditions (bDeactivateOutOfSight, DeactivateDistance, DeactivateHealth or the target is not of the specified TargetType aso.) comes true. Than the cannon searches another valid target within the DeactivateDistance radius. The selected target (actor) is always checked if it’s within the actual fighting range of the cannon and if it’s in the line of sight even if bDeactivateOutOfSight is not set. That’s included so that no actor is selected that’s not within vicinity cause else it’ll be possible to select a target that’s - in the moment - not ‘shootable’ and other nearby actors will never become valid. So the cannon reacts on every valid target after entering the DeactivateDistance radius.

   The cannon only is deactivated if the amount of selected targets reaches the value specified in MaxAutoTargets, or it has been destroyed. If MaxAutoTargets is set to a negative value the cannon stays into auto mode until it has been destroyed.

   Thereby you get a full automatic cannon like in Sin, Half Life or other known ego shooter games!

2. Common notes:

   Targets will be selected by using the TargetType settings. In addition just shootable targets are valid (collision.bProjTarget = True). Cause you cannot shoot something that’ll not be hurt by projectiles. Ok, you can but its pretty useless!