id Tech Forums

In Nightmare mode your health degenerates.  How can I implement this?

I noticed there was a "deplete_armor" but no function for health anywhere. 

Can any of you guys help me with this? I'm a total noob when it comes to this and it seems a bit complicated from the sources I've found. 

So I'm guessing I need Visual Studio, but I've read some versions don't work and I may have to buy a version to compile it.  I've also read that I'll need the Direct X SDK from June 2010. 

So yeah I'm really clueless.  If anyone could make an idiots guide I would be most grateful =)

I'm trying to modify the gibing system in Doom 3, so when a monster gibs, all the chunks stay...
I think I've isolated the relevant code in game\item.cpp

/*
============
idMoveableItem::Gib
============
*/
void idMoveableItem::Gib( const idVec3 &dir, const char *damageDefName ) {
// spawn smoke puff
const char *smokeName = spawnArgs.GetString( "smoke_gib" );
if ( *smokeName != '\0' ) {
const idDeclParticle *smoke = static_cast<const idDeclParticle *>( declManager->FindType( DECL_PARTICLE, smokeName ) );
gameLocal.smokeParticles->EmitSmoke( smoke, gameLocal.time, gameLocal.random.CRandomFloat(), renderEntity.origin, renderEntity.axis );
}
// remove the entity
PostEventMS( &EV_Remove, 0 );
}


I'm guessing the last line of that deals with them fading, with the number being the delay?

But then I found this code in game\actor.cpp
/*
============
idActor::Gib
============
*/
void idActor::Gib( const idVec3 &dir, const char *damageDefName ) {
// no gibbing in multiplayer - by self damage or by moving objects
if ( gameLocal.isMultiplayer ) {
return;
}
// only gib once
if ( gibbed ) {
return;
}
idAFEntity_Gibbable::Gib( dir, damageDefName );
if ( head.GetEntity() ) {
head.GetEntity()->Hide();
}
StopSound( SND_CHANNEL_VOICE, false );
}

And:
/*
=====================
idActor::SpawnGibs
=====================
*/
void idActor::SpawnGibs( const idVec3 &dir, const char *damageDefName ) {
idAFEntity_Gibbable::SpawnGibs( dir, damageDefName );
RemoveAttachments();
}
Also I noticed the "if ( ( health < -20 )" line in the damage section. 

So yeah, would I just have to alter the PostEventMS in idMoveableItem::Gib to stop gibs fading?
Also how could I implement an alternate gibbing with alternate weapons? So for instance; explosive weapons would leave big chunks of flesh, while a plasma weapon would leave fleshless skeletons.

It seems to me like there's no place where all the basic id Tech 4 modding information is at hand.  I think iddevnet.com is currently the most helpful website, and The Dark Mod forums seem the best place for modding tips (though they don't like to talk Doom d= ). 

Personally, aside from noob guides, I'd like some advice on making mods compatible with others, and how this works.  Like I've made a simple mod that makes Doom 3 more classic (weapons and monsters more like in original Doom, corpses and decals stay etc), I'd like to know how I could use this mod with other popular mods (Sikk mod mainly) without causing issues. 

Finally, I tried to make a Combat/Mega Armour.  In the powerups.def  there's the value "type" and it says  "MUST MATCH ONE OF THE DEFINES IN PLAYER.H".  I have no idea what this is hahahaha.

Thanks in advance for any help =)