Kill monster, something happens

Since gunfire switches are activated by a hitscan shot crossing over it, I really would like to start using them in such a way that I can make doors open or floorks move after a monster is killed. For example, I could put a monster stationary in a tiny alcove or on a pillar, and place a small gun fire activated line underneath where it is standing, or angled in such a way where the player can't possibly shoot it without killing it first. The effect of course could be used to make it so that upon killing a chosen monster, an action could lead to creating a significantly more dangerous situation for the player.

However, Gunfire switches can be pretty dodgy in the sense that:

1. They don't seem to work with projectile based weapons afaik
2. Sometimes blockmap bugs allow you to shoot through monsters, triggering the switch before it is dead
3. If the player is ridiculous enough, he could use a pistol or chaingun and snipe the monster to death without wasting a single shot

So to accomodate that, I think It might be better to use weaker monsters such as chaingunners or imps rather than the heavier and more resilient ones to reduce the risk of triggering the switch before it is killed, and I might need to brainstorm ways to make the shotguns the primary weapons while reducing the effectiveness of chainguns, plasmaguns, and rocket launchers.

If you wanted to use gunfire switches in such a way that they are blocked by a monster, what are the best ways you would go about it? Are there little quirks in Doom that could make it easier for me to get the effect I want? I've heard that some obstacles block projectile attacks but I'm not sure this is true across all source ports.

For the record, the map in question is a standard vanilla map in a multi-map project, so suggestions like MAPINFO, DECORATE, using MAP07, commander keens, or dehacked patches are out of the question, unfortunately. I have to know strictly from a map editor stand point.

40oz said:

floorks

You gave me an idea for a map.

I have once invented a DEHACKED-free vanilla compatible trick that makes some arbitrary door(s) open after some arbitrary monster(s) die, involving a raising floor blocked against the ceiling by the monster's bodies, which can only finish its movement when the monsters die, releasing another monster in a dummy sector (joined with the raising floor's sector) who then opens the door and then teleports into yet another dummy sector (joined with the door sector) where it physically prevents the door from closing. I've used the trick in D2INO MAP19 in 3 different places, and described how to do the trick here.

So these monsters have to be fixed on certain spots? And do you use self-referencing sectors so that the player wouldn't notice how something is moving after they are killed?

How about a shootable switch on a wall behind the monster?

kuchitsu said:

So these monsters have to be fixed on certain spots? And do you use self-referencing sectors so that the player wouldn't notice how something is moving after they are killed?

1) Yes. But nothing prevents the "spots" to be large and wide, so that the monsters can get as much horizontal space to move around as you want.
2) Possibly. The floor can move as little as just 2 map units, which is barely noticeable. I've found out that if it's just 1 map unit, it won't work properly at least in some source ports.

Cool idea. I assume something similar was done in Map12 of 1994TU with the mancubi.

Apparently yes, although that one relies on a Boom effect.