TANKS
See also:
Updated May 15, 2002 - 8:27 AM

The Func_Tank Entities

• Func_Tank - "bang" - machines guns, tanks & cannon
  • Entity List by HellBringer
  • Turrets Tutorial by Brian @ 69th Vlatitude
• Func_TankLaser - "zap" - beam weapons
  • Requires an Env_Laser
  • Entity List by HellBringer
• Func_TankMortar - "boom"
  • Entity List by HellBringer
• Func_TankRocket - "whoosh, boom" - rocket launcher
  • Entity List by HellBringer
• Func_TankControls - allows player to use tank, tanklaser, tankmortar
  • Entity List by HellBringer

Machines guns, tanks guns, etc. -- how they work --

Use several brushes for the visible portion of the gun, plus an origin brush to orient the gun, all made into one func_tank entity, with properties set for the kind of gun desired.

You may want additional non-entity brushes, e.g. machine gun tripod. Note that the legs of the tripod meet at the gun's pivot point, which is the center of the origin brush.

(This is crucial. Make sure you've got an origin brush in the right place, whenever an entity requires one.)

func_tankcontrols entity

The func_tank entities are composite entities -- you need an origin brush in addition to the visible brushes.

Also, if the player is going to control the thing you need a func_tankcontrols brush.

When the player is partly inside the invisible tankcontrols field, using the Use key activates the gun. (But apparently, the effect doesn't work if the player is entirely inside the func_tankcontrols field -- so make sure the field is in the right place, and not too big.)

Guns Manned by Enemies

A Func_Tank weapon without Func_TankControls automatically targets the player. You can use another entity's killtarget property to disable the Func_Tank.

Consider the rocket-launcher sequence in HL's "On the Rail"

• func_tankrocket
• grunt in "prisoner" mode standing next to it
• grunt's killtarget flag set to the same name as the func_tankrocket
• so when the grunt dies, he "kills" the func_tankrocket, i.e. the tankrocket shuts down.

See also Scripting page

Is it possible to have a train (or other moving object) with turrets?

Not possible -- an entity can only be one entity type -- so your object can be a func_train, or a func_tank, but not both.

It is possible to simulate the effect ...

• Make a func_train entity
• Make an invisible func_tank entity, positioned exactly where the func_train will stop
• Move the func_train into position, use env_render to make it invisible
• Use env_render to make the func_tank visible