How do you setup a Stone Face?

[Holy_Diver]

Can a Stone Face work? Or am I missing something?

His attacks explode before they leave his mouth unless he is well off the wall. Maybe some walls fair better than others?

But I am more curious about the SOM_PRM setup. I tried any number of things and couldn't get him to stay flush with the wall. It's possible if he is exactly perpendicular to the wall his attacks won't go poof, but he wants to turn to follow his target.


PS: I am trying to get some more info on this before I go trying to remedy these bugs. I'm hesitant to "fix" anything around SOM_PRM because I don't have a 100% understanding of the settings. Not having spent any real time with it in a very long time (and relying on translated executable images for accuracy)

[HwitVlf]

It's the Fireball spell that has trouble. The Windblade spell should work OK. I think the collision shape for fireball is larger than other spells so it impacts the wall immediately if you place the face too close to a wall. ‎  Maybe they were trying to make it easier for the player's fireball spell to hit enemies - if you notice, the player's fireball spell impacts enemies even when it's noticeably off target just like the Stoneface's. I expect a fix would be in the sfx.dat file which is basically a combined PRF file for all the spell effects.

I'm assuming you have the "turn" setting to off, so he's probably turning because the "Face To" button is pushed. It lets enemies rotate to stay aimed at the player during the attack animation. ‎  ie increases the odds that a ranged attack will hit a moving player.

[Holy_Diver]

The wind attack doesn't make it out of the gate either. It might if he was perpendicular. I tried all of the settings, including "Face To". I thought it was possible to make a monster stay put. But I do recall in Diadem of Maunstraut the Stone Faces would turn on the walls. I don't remember them sitting off the walls though...

I wonder how the Stone Face section works in the KF remake now. But I'm not sure I am up to finding out.

If the wind attack does work that might explain why the bug was not caught in the remake. It might help if the faces are scaled up larger like they are in the PlayStation games.

What's weird is its funny that the the spells hit the walls at all. The hit detection shouldn't be bothering with triangles facing away from the projectile. Makes me wonder if the MHM files are something other than so-called polygon soup.

[HwitVlf]

We'll I tested and it appears I'm wrong about the wind spell working. I had used the Stoneface before and remember it working, but it was on custom walls- perhaps the SoM walls have collision offset a bit from the visible wall, or perhaps my custom did.

I have no problem making them NOT turn though. They are tagged as "flying non-move/turn" type in their PRF which means the only thing it could be is that the "face to" setting is turned on for one of the attacks.

Edit: The Stone Faces in the KF Remake are set 0.1 off the wall and are configured not to use the Fireball spell- only wind blade. They are also set as 1.5 above the ground so they don't even hit the player - just shoot over his

[Holy_Diver]

The faces are quite large in the PlayStation game. In KF2 too.

I did think after walking away that possibly "Face To" had to be set the same for all attacks. The only explanation I have for why I couldn't get it to not turn is the Wind Blade attack, not being ever setup, and having 0 priority was set to track the player. I will give it another shot if I don't forget.

EDITED: on the wall offsets. This is definitely a bug as far as I am concerned. But a course of action is hard to say not knowing (yet) what the hell is really in those MHM files. The only expedient fix would be to give the projectiles non-player explosion immunity over some initial short distance. Though I'd not be surprised if that came with complications.


PS: I didn't mention in the top post that the reason I was messing with Stone Face was to test out a ducking "extension" for purposes of getting underneath attacks. Of course for non-projectile attacks you can't really do that by ducking unless the opponent is on higher ground.

Which reminds me. If I do stumble across SOM's projectiles (which I probably will while working on damage business here in a bit) one white whale o' mine is to make the non-seeking projectiles aim for the player. Even getting out ahead of them or going for the feet now and then would be something to gloat about.