The many forms of a shapeshifter (theoretically...)

[punisher357]

Hi guys, I'm new here.
My question is: how do you practically simulate the powers of a shapeshifter character within the game ? For people like Mystique or Martian Manhunter, what could be the best way to use their ability to change form ? I thought to give Mystique an alternative form that uses Angel's appearance, so that she could fly (I remember she actually did it in a cross-over with Sabretooth...), but given the fact that she can only copy the physical form, and not the powers of others, I'm rather out of ideas. How did you manage it ?

[yell0w_lantern]

I guess it depends on whether you want your character to not be attacked. You can always make an alternative form without specific powers but your character template, which determines AI reaction to you, will remain the same. Theoretically, you should be able to fiddle around with the Disguise attribute and come up with something.

[Lunarman]

I posted a request in the mods section for an attribute that would fix this, but the post got not replies :(
http://freedomreborn.net/archive/index.php?topic=44616.0

[Outcast]

If this is about a new attribute, I think this would have more feedback if you asked about it in the Scripting forum. A lot of new attributes were added there. :)

http://freedomreborn.net/archive/index.php?board=3.0

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

If you post it in the mods forum, you're announcing that you'd like someone to maybe do it in a future version of FFX, if they pick it out of the dozens of other ideas.  (and it's close enough to mimic that it probably wouldn't be)

If you post it in the scripting forum, you're asking someone to help you code it up for your own personal use, which means someone is likely to throw something together real quick.

So yeah, put it there if it's something you want now for yourself.

[punisher357]

I guess it depends on whether you want your character to not be attacked. You can always make an alternative form without specific powers but your character template, which determines AI reaction to you, will remain the same. Theoretically, you should be able to fiddle around with the Disguise attribute and come up with something.

Yeah, that could be a good idea.
I also thought about shape shifting into some nasty creature, like a dinosaur, an ogre or something like that...
Problem is I don't think there is that kind of meshes...

[herodad1]

I'm not sure if this is what your talking about but as far as shapeshifting i put a skrull skin on tj's beastboy mesh to give it shapeshifting abilities.

[punisher357]

I'm not sure if this is what your talking about but as far as shapeshifting i put a skrull skin on tj's beastboy mesh to give it shapeshifting abilities.

Mmh, I see. The problem is that with specific shapeshifters, let's say J'onn J'onzz, I would have to shapeshift into Beastboy before using all the alternative forms; it wouldn't be very nice...

[TaskMasterX]

When I was testing the Free Spirit Attribute I remember possessing an enemy and the enemy's team would ignore their possessed teammate and only after the possessed target would attack his own team would they turn on him and attack him. So, maybe using Mimic with a permanent Power Null (so the shape-changer would not be able to use powers of the target they're copying that cost energy) and have the spawned copy be on the same team as the enemy, but instead of having the original form of the shape-changer get replaced by the newly spawned copy, have them cloaked and then trigger a possession power on the copy, to switch sides to the enemy team until they attack them. The only thing is the shape-changer's original team will attack him since he's switched teams. There might be a way to prevent this from happening, not sure. Is this how you're thinking it should work?

[punisher357]

When I was testing the Free Spirit Attribute I remember possessing an enemy and the enemy's team would ignore their possessed teammate and only after the possessed target would attack his own team would they turn on him and attack him. So, maybe using Mimic with a permanent Power Null (so the shape-changer would not be able to use powers of the target they're copying that cost energy) and have the spawned copy be on the same team as the enemy, but instead of having the original form of the shape-changer get replaced by the newly spawned copy, have them cloaked and then trigger a possession power on the copy, to switch sides to the enemy team until they attack them. The only thing is the shape-changer's original team will attack him since he's switched teams. There might be a way to prevent this from happening, not sure. Is this how you're thinking it should work?

That's crafty ! But how can you prevent FFX from replacing the shape shifter with the newly spawned copy ?

[TaskMasterX]

That's simple. In ffx.OnMimicA(), instead of using morph(), you'd use FFX_Spawn(). morph() is a function that copies several settings of the original form (like Health) then destroys the original copy and sets the Health of the new form relative to what the original had. FFX_Spawn() simply spawns a form at a new location on the map. I'd have to see if the Possession FX can also be removed while this is happening, so the new form isn't running around with skulls floating about it's head!
This should be fairly simple and quick to setup since most of the code (the Mimic code) is already done.

As for characters that can shapechange into anything, like BeastBoy, or say the Impossible Man, the best way simulate that would be a great mesh with great KFs that have the character shapechanging into different forms. You could also use FX, such as all the Green FX Projectile items to simulate a shape-change. Other than that, you'd basically need to increase the amount of slots you have for the Shapeshifter attribute for choosing new forms. Since I know there is at least a Beast Boy mesh that does the the first thing I mentioned, you could use that along with the "FX shape-shifting", and fill up the slots for Shape-shifter Attribute with other animal meshes that have a "green skin" and you'd end up with a large assortment things to shape-shift into.

As for characters like Mystique, she mostly shape-shifts into other characters, so the "Alternate-Mimic" idea might work for characters like her.

EDIT: Actually, there's another trick you could use. Since using a Projectile Power to simulate a shape-change leaves the original form on the map while the FX is rushing toward the target, you could use the Living Laser Attribute and customize it to use a custom Projectile Power with a "Green FX" so the original disappears and then reappears next to the target when the FX is complete. Actually Living Laser could be updated to use more than one Powers/Forms so you could choose, like in ShapeShifter, which forms to "Laser" into. This could also be useful for characters than can change into more than one form of energy to zap targets with.

[punisher357]

Hey, many thanks TaskMaster !