I was reading along that float DTs threat and I was wondering if there was any way to have a trigger that makes a number of dark swarms over an area?

I know that you can't use triggers to CREATE swarms, but I created the swarms (via player 12) on an unused area of the map, and when a certain condition happens I use the move unit trigger to try and move the swarms to their new locations. The problem I'm having, which I can't seem to figure out, is every time I start the game to test it out the dark swarms are immediately "unplacable." Any ideas? Will this even work? Also, once I get this working, do I just make the "Dark Swarm" unit properties "invincible" if I want it to last for the rest of the map?

There isn't an AI script for this is there? I wouldn't mind using a script and having a def. cast the swarms, but I couldn't seem to find one...

Thanks!

Dark Swarms cannot be stacked WHATSOEVER when preplaced, also, Dark Swarms, unlike Disruption Webs, cannot be moved, neither can Nukes, you can trick computers into using it though, here's how:

Dark Swarm

This spell is cast by the Defiler and Unclean One (Hero Defiler). It costs 100 energy by default.
The targeted area will be covered with a dark swarm unit for a duration Any ground units under this dark swarm unit will be immune to ranged attacks.
Splash attacks and melee attacks can hit units in the dark swarm.

Computer Use
A computer player will cast Dark Swarm if its melee units are attacked by ranged units.
The defiler won't always use it, though. Additional units in combat will encourage it to use Dark Swarm.

Source: http://www.maplantis.org/index.php?wiki=89

I got it to work creating the def, a couple lings where I wanted the swarm and some ranged units hitting the lings, but the only problem is that I can't seem to get the swarm to last (obviously, it acts as the normal spell would). I did preserve the trigged to go off every 25 seconds, but for aesthetic reasons I don't think I can keep it in =/

Also, in the map editor (scm2) I can't seem to delete the swarms I created... is there a special trick to this?

My goal for this trigger is to prevent ranged units from attacking an area (including air units, so that rules out web). Is there a way to do this without using swarm that anyone can think of?

Thanks for the help too

Edit: Swarms and Webs cannot be created using triggers. Does this also concern the rest of the "Neutral" units, i.e., floor gun traps, critters, etc?

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Mar 18 2008, 3:31 pm by stankydonkey.

You can delete them... Are you sure you are using the correct section? You might have placed them as a sprite or something.

And no, it's kinda random, you just have to test things out, the general rule with creation is that only units that can be placed using normal StarEdit can be created via triggers.

Prevent units from attacking by either allying them to the defenders or order/teleport them out of the location.
Giving the attackers to P12 or making the defenders invincible works too.
Maybe healing the defenders or killing the attackers will do too.

These are all work arounds because web and swarm won't work the way you would like.
If tell us more about your map we might be able to give better alternatives.

It's an lotrish, where I'm wanting to create a trigger so what when a hero is brought to a certain area, that area is protected from ranged units (this player has strong melee). It's supposed to give the player incentive to keep the hero in that area, because if the hero leaves then the area is no longer protected by swarm. Sort of a give-and-take situation, where playing defensively has stronger benefits (as it probably should). I'm sure I can come up with something different on the storyboard, because it doesn't sound like I'll be able to get swarm to work =/

Just for my own curiosity's sake, why is it that creation triggers are limited to the StarEdit units?

Thanks again for the comments though, I really appreciate them

Edit: Oh and no, still haven't been able to delete them. I used the Units-->Neutral-->Zerg-->Dark Swarm, and no matter which toolbar I'm using I can't even seem to select the swarms. Not a huge issue though, they're sitting in a place that is unused

Try making a large box in the units layer around them. I suppose the box has to be way larger than the actual swarm to select it. I noticed that with some other units that were smaller, maybe it's the same here.

I think ordering the ranged units away of that location would be valid for the spell... Call it "fear" then.
As a variation you could cast a couple of webs around the hero and move only air units away for a nice visual effect.


Ask Blizzard...

Would it be possible to have the hero arrive close enough to the start that the swarms could be pre-placed at the location? That might solve the problem... you would of course have to speed your initial timeline up to keep balance and such. Pre-placed swarms do last forever and as long as their not stacked you should have no problems.

You cannot move swarms, so it's useless to preplace them as a spell.

Not if you pre-place them where you want them later and change the story as I suggested so that uber melee hero arrives at the start and the swarms there to protect him make sense. Thus eliminating any need to move them.