Understanding A_KillMaster and Monster specific level triggers.

[Lazorinc]

I'm making a mod that involves enemies that spawn other enemies when they have certain damage types triggered, giving the illusion that they just evolved. Everything is fine up until now, where I have to work with the different level triggers that activate when all of a certain monster dies (i.e. Barons on E1M8 and  Mancubi and Arachnotrons on MAP07), and since it's a different monster actor that spawns, these triggers don't activate and break the levels. I've tried to use the KillMaster since those can kill an actor representing the Mancubus "off-screen", but despite me using SpawnItemEx like it needs, the Mancubus doesn't die. Am I missing any certain guidelines as to how it works?

[Bauul]

You're using modern GZDoom, right?

 

If so, you don't need to rely on the built in tag 666 triggers. You can write scripts that do the same things without the limitations of the vanilla engine.

[Lazorinc]

30 minutes ago, Bauul said:

You're using modern GZDoom, right?

 

If so, you don't need to rely on the built in tag 666 triggers. You can write scripts that do the same things without the limitations of the vanilla engine.

I was just using E1M8 from the original as an example, but for E1M8s that have more than 2 Barons like A Doom Odyssey, it would be easier to just work with the tag.

[scifista42]

The so-called "monster specific level triggers" aren't actually triggered by the act of the monster's deaths, but by explicitly calling A_BossDeath in the monster's death animations, as you can see in the monster's DECORATE codes. If you remove the original monsters from the map upon creating the evolved ones, the original ones completely cease to exist (without playing their death animations, therefore without calling A_BossDeath), and you can't kill something that doesn't exist (so calling A_KillMaster after removing them won't help you). The last paragraph on the A_BossDeath wiki page makes me think that your issue may not have a clean solution, but some workaround would probably be possible.

Edited October 24, 2017 by scifista42

[Graf Zahl]

Actually, A_BossDeath was somewhat of a cheap-out by id, but understandable considering the history of the game. To handle this transparently, a dying monster would have to start a thinker that counts down until the action may trigger. Of couse with an approach that never considered customization that would have been complete overkill.