Damage System Addition

I would like to see a function: llShoot(vector direction, float distance, integer damage).

I'll try to define it as clear as possible.

Purpose: Replace llRezObject in sl firearms.

Reason: To be effective, guns in sl must rez hundreds of not thousands of prims per minute. This might seem like overkill, but it's very very hard to hit anything in sl without a very high rate of fire. This is due to the physics engine limitations on speed and object tunnelling. The motion prediction and client-server communication model also introduces latency. This would be a non physical method of using the existing damage system. It's also currently necessary for object rez to be enabled in a combat area. This would eliminate that need.

How It Would Work:

1) Argument one is a direction vector which should be normalized and relative to the prim its' called from, or the avatar if it's called from an attachment.

2) The second argument is how far the "virtual bullet" travels. Useful for making this function work with things like swords and other close combat weapons.

3) The third argument is the amount of damage it would do, equivalent to how much damage a physical prim would do with llSetDamage set to the same damage amount.

4) The function would then have a script delay based on the damage it's set to do. IE calling it with 100 damage would cause it to delay for maybe 5 seconds vs no delay (or no delay but script speed) at 0 damage. Yes this can be worked around but then so can llRezObject.

5) The first object intersected on a line drawn along the direction vector from the calling prim gets dealt that much damage.

6) Effects can be done with particles or fewer prims (ie tracers).


I believe one of the weakest points of combat in sl, is that you either have to use prims, or try and intercommunicate using listens and sensors. Each of which has its drawbacks. Dissassociating the damage system from physics would improve the damage systems useability significantly.

Thought of something else. This function could be first cousin to a sensor!

Here's what I mean.

1) Instead of a script delay, simply prevent it from having an effect for the delay time, much the way a sensor can be called multiple times per quarter second, but will only detect anything once in that quarter second time.\

2) A second function llShootRepeat(vector direction, float distance, integer damage, float delay). Where delay is how fast it would repeat just like llSensorRepeat. This would allow setting the delay very low and having the function fire as rapidly as the damage settings allows.

3) This function could trigger the sensor event returning only the first thing intercepted. Not only would this be useful for combat but with damage set to 0, it would allow this function to be used as a sort of volume sensor allowing automated movement of objects. For instance a scripted pet would no longer have to bump into something and then randomly turn. It could instead see a wall coming and find a direction that's not blocked.

ya prims dont help the fact in guns it also leads to sim crashing one escaltion occurs.

like in jessie some one whips out a gun simple pistol he dose minor damage the defender pull out a shotgun and send him home

the attacer comes back with something that no game would dream of giving you and crashes the sim

this would help if they relased hack 2 and spent alot of time prefecting it afterwards

better guns is a must for pvp.

yep, this wouldn't really remove the sim crashers, but since these would work in no rez areas, you could at least prevent sim crashers from being used on your own land.