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Forums > Home› The Foundry for Star Trek Online› The Foundry for Star Trek Online - Discussion & Feedback

Question : is it possible to create lone enemy NPCs?

ashstorm1ashstorm1 Member Posts: 679 Arc User
in The Foundry for Star Trek Online - Discussion & Feedback
Title says it all : i've been trying to look for a way to create lone NPCs, such as for instance in the case of a boss fight.

Is it possible at all?

So far i only ever came across NPCs groups, so if there is a way to do so, i missed it...

Any idea, anyone?

Comments

  • spiritbornspiritborn Member Posts: 4,367 Arc User
    ashstorm1 wrote: »
    Title says it all : i've been trying to look for a way to create lone NPCs, such as for instance in the case of a boss fight.

    Is it possible at all?

    So far i only ever came across NPCs groups, so if there is a way to do so, i missed it...

    Any idea, anyone?
    as far I know it's not possible to create a lone hostile Ground NPC, as only lone ground NPCs avaible are contacts who don't fight at all and are always "friendly".

    in space it's possible as cruisers and battleships spawn as solo mobs normally (aka only ship from the ground spawns unless there's more then 1 player doing the mission).

  • duncanidaho11duncanidaho11 Member Posts: 7,980 Arc User
    Basically, no. Your option here is to give your boss henchmen/minions, if necessary rewriting the setup to your big confrontation scene to allow that. If you're using a custom NPC as your boss, be sure (ex. through trial/error) that you're assigning it to the highest ranked member of the group (ie. not an ensign level minion.)
    Bipedal mammal and senior Foundry author.
    Notable missions: Apex [AEI], Gemini [SSF], Trident [AEI], Evolution's Smile [SSF], Transcendence
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  • ashstorm1ashstorm1 Member Posts: 679 Arc User
    spiritborn wrote: »
    ashstorm1 wrote: »
    Title says it all : i've been trying to look for a way to create lone NPCs, such as for instance in the case of a boss fight.

    Is it possible at all?

    So far i only ever came across NPCs groups, so if there is a way to do so, i missed it...

    Any idea, anyone?
    as far I know it's not possible to create a lone hostile Ground NPC, as only lone ground NPCs avaible are contacts who don't fight at all and are always "friendly".

    in space it's possible as cruisers and battleships spawn as solo mobs normally (aka only ship from the ground spawns unless there's more then 1 player doing the mission).

    Yeah, i noticed this could be done in space, but not on ground. Which is a shame if you ask me, but heh...
    duncanidaho11 wrote: »
    Basically, no. Your option here is to give your boss henchmen/minions, if necessary rewriting the setup to your big confrontation scene to allow that. If you're using a custom NPC as your boss, be sure (ex. through trial/error) that you're assigning it to the highest ranked member of the group (ie. not an ensign level minion.)

    Guess that's what i'll do then. Thanks both for the info.
  • spiritbornspiritborn Member Posts: 4,367 Arc User
    something I like to do is take a friendly NPC group of the same type (for example "captain 01") put it where you want the final boss to be then check which one (thru testing the map) is the highest level mob, note that then switch it to group I wanted so now I know where the highest level mob is as the basic formation remains the same regardless or faction or behaviour.

    You can also try doing it without using a friendly NPC group but that's harder as the formation breaks when they aggro.

    Also you can intentionally make it the one of weaker mobs to imply that the "boss" was paper tiger who could talk big but when the chips were down wasn't really as formidable as he claimed. in fact I did something like that on mission I'm working, when you confront the person who you thought was the (one of the) major antagonist(s), instead of pulling a gun and fighting goes essentially "not the face!" and cowers while his allies and minions do all the fighting.
  • theyredeadjimtheyredeadjim Member Posts: 243 Arc User
    Hi Ashstorm1,

    It is possible to create single Boss NPCs on custom, Sky Castle maps.

    You can find a discussion of this at https://www.arcgames.com/en/forums/startrekonline/#/discussion/1182824/problem-with-npc-groups-in-published-mission .

    Hope this helps!
  • ashstorm1ashstorm1 Member Posts: 679 Arc User
    theyredeadjim wrote: »
    Hi Ashstorm1,

    It is possible to create single Boss NPCs on custom, Sky Castle maps.

    You can find a discussion of this at https://www.arcgames.com/en/forums/startrekonline/#/discussion/1182824/problem-with-npc-groups-in-published-mission .

    Hope this helps!

    Hmm, the Sky Castle trick is interesting. Thanks for the info, this will help ! :)
  • gawainviiigawainviii Member Posts: 328 Arc User
    Two things I've done before...

    If your lone-gunman isn't an objective, and defeating him is optional, then you can place the rest of the mob BELOW the map's ground level. They'll fall to the bottom of the playable area and get stuck, but won't die. Up side: it's 100% effective. You won't accidentally get a second man. Down side: the spawn can't be an objective, because the other 3-6 spawns are still alive--just off map, you'll never be able to get to them to kill them.

    If your lone gunman is an objective, you can place the rest of the mob at max altitude... they'll spawn, fall to the ground, and die... leaving just the one man. Once he's defeated, the objective is complete. This trick does run the risk of one of the "dead" mobs accidentally surviving the fall, and you might not have a solo fight after all... but if it's an objective, all the spawns have to die to complete, so this is the better method, IMO.
    newstosiggy.png
  • spiritbornspiritborn Member Posts: 4,367 Arc User
    If you ask me it's generally less of a headache to not make a solo ground NPC a "kill" objective, either making killing that NPC optional or rewrite the mission so that said NPC will have minions protecting him. Those would limit your story the least.

    I wish cryptic would make "hero" NPC groups (essentially a single captain level mob scaled to be a challenge alone) for the foundry so that we wouldn't have to play around with tricks to get a single NPC fights on the ground.

    That's probably why most of my main antagonists tend to be cowardly, it explains why they're never alone.
  • thay8472thay8472 Member Posts: 6,162 Arc User
    gawainviii wrote: »
    Two things I've done before...

    If your lone-gunman isn't an objective, and defeating him is optional, then you can place the rest of the mob BELOW the map's ground level. They'll fall to the bottom of the playable area and get stuck, but won't die. Up side: it's 100% effective. You won't accidentally get a second man. Down side: the spawn can't be an objective, because the other 3-6 spawns are still alive--just off map, you'll never be able to get to them to kill them.

    If your lone gunman is an objective, you can place the rest of the mob at max altitude... they'll spawn, fall to the ground, and die... leaving just the one man. Once he's defeated, the objective is complete. This trick does run the risk of one of the "dead" mobs accidentally surviving the fall, and you might not have a solo fight after all... but if it's an objective, all the spawns have to die to complete, so this is the better method, IMO.

    That ^^
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  • angrytargangrytarg Member Posts: 11,005 Arc User
    gawainviii wrote: »
    Two things I've done before...

    If your lone-gunman isn't an objective, and defeating him is optional, then you can place the rest of the mob BELOW the map's ground level. They'll fall to the bottom of the playable area and get stuck, but won't die. Up side: it's 100% effective. You won't accidentally get a second man. Down side: the spawn can't be an objective, because the other 3-6 spawns are still alive--just off map, you'll never be able to get to them to kill them.

    If your lone gunman is an objective, you can place the rest of the mob at max altitude... they'll spawn, fall to the ground, and die... leaving just the one man. Once he's defeated, the objective is complete. This trick does run the risk of one of the "dead" mobs accidentally surviving the fall, and you might not have a solo fight after all... but if it's an objective, all the spawns have to die to complete, so this is the better method, IMO.

    Can't you spawn a friendly group of mobs next to the "below ground" mobs so they get killed and thus make the objective completable?​​
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  • thay8472thay8472 Member Posts: 6,162 Arc User
    angrytarg wrote: »
    gawainviii wrote: »
    Two things I've done before...

    If your lone-gunman isn't an objective, and defeating him is optional, then you can place the rest of the mob BELOW the map's ground level. They'll fall to the bottom of the playable area and get stuck, but won't die. Up side: it's 100% effective. You won't accidentally get a second man. Down side: the spawn can't be an objective, because the other 3-6 spawns are still alive--just off map, you'll never be able to get to them to kill them.

    If your lone gunman is an objective, you can place the rest of the mob at max altitude... they'll spawn, fall to the ground, and die... leaving just the one man. Once he's defeated, the objective is complete. This trick does run the risk of one of the "dead" mobs accidentally surviving the fall, and you might not have a solo fight after all... but if it's an objective, all the spawns have to die to complete, so this is the better method, IMO.

    Can't you spawn a friendly group of mobs next to the "below ground" mobs so they get killed and thus make the objective completable?​​

    Yes - however in some cases they'll 'force leap' out of their boundaries and end up in the fight.
    zx2t8tuj4i10.png
    Thank you for the Typhoon!
  • duncanidaho11duncanidaho11 Member Posts: 7,980 Arc User
    thay8472 wrote: »

    Yes - however in some cases they'll 'force leap' out of their boundaries and end up in the fight.

    Using EV suit kill volumes is alternative but it poses some complication to how you build the map. Ie. you have to have enough room that you can have an EV suit kill volume below your map, without affecting the player.
    Bipedal mammal and senior Foundry author.
    Notable missions: Apex [AEI], Gemini [SSF], Trident [AEI], Evolution's Smile [SSF], Transcendence
    Looking for something new to play? I've started building Foundry missions again in visual novel form!
  • odyssey47odyssey47 Member Posts: 524 Arc User
    If part of an objective place the other npcs somewhere else on the map and kill them with the EV volume or a friendly mob.
  • captpfdenniscaptpfdennis Member Posts: 156 Arc User
    Yes. I have done it in several missions, a few different ways. The thing to keep in mind is the distance between mobs. Keep the kill radii of mobs from overlapping, and remember that they are 10m spheres. It is also important not to keep them so far from the main action that they don't spawn. The same rules apply when using mobs as timers. You can place the 3 subordinates of a captain mob on a level at least 21M below the level of the boss fight, and seal them inside an invisible box along with a friendly captain mob to finish them off quickly, or use a space volume like Ody mentioned.

    Pathing can sometimes allow them to escape the box, but that usually happens if the radii overlap. I have had success using this method for years, both for boss fights and for multiple timers on the same map.
    25971704528_706d57fcf0_n.jpg
  • sandukutupusandukutupu Member Posts: 179 Arc User
    gawainviii wrote: »
    Two things I've done before...

    If your lone-gunman isn't an objective, and defeating him is optional, then you can place the rest of the mob BELOW the map's ground level. They'll fall to the bottom of the playable area and get stuck, but won't die. Up side: it's 100% effective. You won't accidentally get a second man. Down side: the spawn can't be an objective, because the other 3-6 spawns are still alive--just off map, you'll never be able to get to them to kill them.

    If your lone gunman is an objective, you can place the rest of the mob at max altitude... they'll spawn, fall to the ground, and die... leaving just the one man. Once he's defeated, the objective is complete. This trick does run the risk of one of the "dead" mobs accidentally surviving the fall, and you might not have a solo fight after all... but if it's an objective, all the spawns have to die to complete, so this is the better method, IMO.

    Don't place them below the map. Place them inside a cell with enough "friendly" units to kill them. By the time you reach the "Boss" his minions will be dead.
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