Tutorial: Combine Dropship Last edited 16 years ago2008-03-02 13:51:12 UTC

We all remember that moment in Half-Life 2 where gunships fly in and drop a load of Combine soldiers in your path. Here's how to get that sequence working for your maps.

This is what we need:

• 1x npc_combinedropship
• 6x npc_combine_s
• 4x path_track
• 7x info_target
• 17x info_node (just makes the it easier for the combines running)

First off, start with placing your npc_combinedropship, at the dropships start location. In this case, name it dropship_1.

Place 6x npc_combine_s anywhere in the map and name them sequentially from dropship_1_soldier_1 up to dropship_1_soldier_6. Configure them as you want with weapons and grenades. Make sure you check Template NPC (in the Flag tab under properties).

Go to the dropship properties and enter the soldier names in Name of Template NPC 1 up to Name of Template NPC 6. This informs which combines that the dropship will drop. While you are inside the properties of the dropship, also select Crate Type and change it to Soldier Crate. (For my example map, I also changed the Crate Gun Range to 0, so he dosen't kill me when flying in).

Place out 4x path_track's, the first one close to the dropship's start location, and the second close to your desired drop location.
The other 2 locations define the path after the ship has dropped. So place the third close to the drop location, and the fourth at the location he will fly to.

Name the 1st path_track dropship_1_path_1. Make Next Stop Target dropship_1_path_2. Make the Path radius to around 100. Do the same for the other tracks. (Path radius makes the dropship flying look smoother. When it enters that radius, he will continue to the next track without stopping or trying to reach the precise location of the path_track.

Go to the dropship properties and change Target path_track to dropship_1_path_1. (This informs the dropship to fly to the selected path track after spawning).

Now place 7x info_target's. The first one should go at the desired drop location where the dropship will be when dropping off the soldiers. Make sure you place this on the ground. Name the dropship dropoff location dropship_1_landingarea_1. The other 6 are used to define where the soldiers will run after they jump out from the dropship. Name them sequentially from dropship_1_soldier_dropoffpoint_1 up to dropship_1_soldier_dropoffpoint_6.

Go back to the dropship properties and change Land target name to dropship_1_landingarea_1. (This informs where the dropship will land). Then change Name of dustoff point for NPC 1 up to Name of dustoff point for NPC 6. (This informs where every soldier will run after jumped off)

For a finisher, place some info_node's around the dropoff location, which will make the combine running smoother after dropped.

Now we only need some triggers.
Start with the dropship. Go to Output tab and enter:

OnFinishedDropoff
dropship_1
FlyToSpecificTrackViaPath
dropship_1_path_4

(This tells the dropship, after he has dropped the combines he will fly using paths to dropship_1_path_4)

Then go to the first path_track and make an output:

OnPass
dropship_1
FlyToSpecificTrackViaPath
dropship_1_path_2

(This tells the dropship to go to dropship_1_path_2 after it has passed the first path)

Then go to the second path_track and make another output:

OnPass
dropship_1
LandTakeCrate
6

(This tells the dropship that when it passes this path, it will drop the crate with a total of 6 Combine soldiers)

Then go to the last path_track and create the following output:

OnPass
dropship_1
Kill

(This tells the dropship to remove this entity from the game when passing dropship_1_path_4. There is no value for this parameter.)

Now it's done! Compile and take a look.