[L4D1 PLUGIN] Reducing a Smoker's death-cloud effect

Sunyata · **Author**

Hi Guys,

I have lots of smokers spawn on my extreme hardcore server, and as you can imagine, if players are in a confined space with many slain smokers, it leaves the player's view obscured (blinded) by very dark dense smoke clouds for a while. I know players can walk out of the cloud, but that can't always happen on my server, mostly because of the huge numbers of other Specials that spawn all-around players at any given moment.

Does anyone know how to disable or reduce the smoke effect after killing a smoker? I tried to find a CVAR in the game files [here] to see if I could somehow control this smoke function, but nothing seems to control it at all. And I've also searched these forums for such a plugin but found nothing. So I'm needing a new plugin to do this. I just need the smoke density to be reduced more quickly (perhaps on a timer) or just have the existing smoke appear more translucent somehow.

I'd really appreciate it if any coder here could create a plugin for this very 'smokey' issue of mine.

UPDATE: There is now a 'dirty fix' plugin for this request - see post 6

Sunyata · *Last edited by Sunyata; 08-29-2019 at 06:45.*

After some tests I found the actual particle effect that comes from the smoker (see spoilers below), and I've now discovered that the smoke cloud animation itself is a timed effect - it displays for about 15 seconds before it finally dissipates (I had to use a particles plugin to find the actual smoker FX), and now after my tests I don't think a timer would have evaporated the smoke cloud quickly anyway.

So the next best thing would be to disable it completely. I found a 'vpk' from L4D2 [link here] that can disable the smoke effect. I reckon if this can be done using a 'vpk' addon client-side, then it must be possible for this to work in Sourcemod server-side for L4D1 as well. In the server's 'particles' folder I found the file "particles_manifest.txt" with its "!particles/smoker_fx.pcf" - and I found the actual particles FX for the smoker at this [link here].

"particles_manifest.txt" below:

Spoiler

And within "!particles/smoker_fx.pcf" - I found two FX that should disable it. It's "smoker_smokecloud" and "smoker_smokecloud_cheap" - " also shown below:

Spoiler

I'm hoping that the above extra information I've provided will give some kind coder here some clues to help create a plugin to disable the smoker's cloud - instead of using a timer?

Sunyata
.

Sunyata

<Bumping this>

Some other idea crossed my mind today, if none of the above can be done in any way, is there perhaps some way the smoke cloud can be offset instead? away from the smoker body itself, along either its x,y,or z axis. So, for example, maybe offset the smoke-cloud by x-amount of units, so that it's either above or below (or even away) from the player's line of sight. I notice that the cloud effect is at its most dense at its centre, but loses its opaqueness gradually away from its centre to its perimeter.

HarryPotter · *Last edited by HarryPotter; 07-22-2020 at 09:13.*

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunyata

is there perhaps some way the smoke cloud can be offset instead? away from the smoker body itself, along either its x,y,or z axis

Description:
teleport Smoker to the sky when dead

-Convar-

Spoiler

Sunyata · *Last edited by Sunyata; 02-20-2021 at 06:01. Reason: updated author name*

Hi Harry Potter,

This plugin of yours works well! No more excessive smoke clouds for me and my friends. Thanks for taking the time to make this, it's much appreciated.

Just one other suggestion: Is it possible to have the Smoker ragdoll left behind on the ground after it's been killed/teleported? Mainly to keep the game mechanics working the same way as they do with the other Special-infected ragdolls when they get killed. If it's not possible to add the ragdoll, then I'll be content with what you've already done.

Sunyata

Sunyata

I've managed to tweak Harry Potter's plugin to meet my request in post #5.

I needed to have the Smoker ragdoll remain on the ground - so it remains part of the main game design. I also use a 'Loot drop' plugin where killed Special-infected need to drop stuff. However, with the old plugin, when the Smoker was teleported skywards, its ragdoll would also disappear, together with its loot drop.

What I've now done is adjust the plugin so that the Smoker is teleported partially into the ground, instead of skyward. What this now does is put the Smoker cloud slightly below ground level, enough to eliminate (and/or diminish) the majority of smoke clouds, but this also allows the ragdoll to still spawn on top of the ground, and this also allows the dropped loot to now appear on the ground too.

If others here wish to use this version of mine, I've attached the updated plugin.