Dummy Weapon for T1 transports

[Evan_]

Interested in hearing your thoughts on this. Currently t1 transports have no dummy weapon meaning you can't directly target the fire of any labs inside them. This can make them harder to use in comparison to bombers/gunships as you have to micro them over each enemy engineer as opposed to being able to just queue up targets. It can also make switching targets difficult if you have to prioritize certain units over another or switch between different targets (for example an ACU and the anti-air turret it's building). Because of this I'd suggest adding a dummy weapon to T1 transports, like what was added to the Aeon T2 transport. This would be a cool mechanic and give more options for air; mixed drops where you expand with some engies and then snipe your opponent's buildpower, or rushing early ghettos to snipe ACUs.

[Uveso]

We have done this 2016 for the Aeon Tech2 Transporter
https://github.com/FAForever/fa/pull/1474/files

As far as i remember we decided to not do this for Tech1 transporter.
(Don't ask me why, i am only the coder )

[keyser]

i am not sure if i took part in the decision to not give this ability to T1 transport (maybe to make jester a bit more useful in comparison ?). A little tip, you can now set target priorities on labs before loading into T1 transport. So for example, they can target AA first and then ACU, if you intend to snipe it, without shooting at random T1 tanks.

[Blackheart]

Great idea, t1 ghettos are never used anymore

[Tagada]

I like this idea aswell. It would possibly make ghettos a viable option, especially considering the upcoming jester nerf.

[Evildrew]

Was requested last year already. If Uveso or anyone has the skill and the will to add the dummy weapon to make it work I will gladly include it in my mod. Maybe 2 or 3 years later it will then be included in the regular game...
viewtopic.php?f=41&t=17150&p=171467&hilit=t1+transports#p171467

[Uveso]

Yes, i remember that i tried to add a dummy weapon to Tech1 transporters but it does not work.
(Transporter need at least one real weapon)

Making this possible for a mod also does not work with only creating a merge blueprint and modify the existing unit.
We also need to change the unit_Script file to add/include weapon scripts there.
(tricky, but possible)

[Evildrew]

Scripting is my weak point obviously, otherwise I would try to do it myself

[Evan_]

It's too bad that Air Crash does not count as a weapon.

If I were to make a test mod for this, would there be any easy 'crutch' solutions? eg adding a gun that takes 9999999 mass/energy to fire? As long as it lets me choose where my labs shoot at I'd be good for now.

[Ithilis_Quo]

Yes, i remember that i tried to add a dummy weapon to Tech1 transporters but it does not work.
(Transporter need at least one real weapon)
(tricky, but possible)

Actually I don't think this is necessary, the problem why it does not work while units do not have any real weapon is because you not have setup attack command = true (that is =false, if unit not have any weapon before), real weapon have nothing to do with it. (if I remember it correctly)

Was requested last year already. If Uveso or anyone has the skill and the will to add the dummy weapon to make it work I will gladly include it in my mod. Maybe 2 or 3 years later it will then be included in the regular game...
viewtopic.php?f=41&t=17150&p=171467&hilit=t1+transports#p171467

haha you are funny, did you know that whole dummy weapon concept is taken from equilibrium? From like 2015 ?