Npc helicopter

Entity Description

Helicopter - click to enlarge.

A Combine helicopter, (also called a "Hunter-Chopper") armed with a machine gun and capable of dropping mines. The mines are buoyant, and their timer only activates when they collide with the environment. In Episode 2 their detonation timer is delayed when picked up by the Gravity gun. Upon touching an NPC they detonate instantly. They can be dropped one at a time, or when triggered the helicopter can rush a target dropping a massive amount of mines.

• This is a flying NPC that uses info_node_air, info_node_air_hint or path_tracks for AI navigation.

Related Entities:

• npc_heli_avoidbox
• npc_heli_avoidsphere
• npc_heli_nobomb
• helicopter_bomb

Placement Tip:Hunter-Choppers are used mainly in the Half-Life 2 series as chase vehicles, hence the name.

Note:Some keyvalues, spawnflags, effect flags, inputs, or outputs might not affect an NPC, based on the functionality and coding of the NPC.

Dedicated Console Variables

• sk_helicopter_health

<integer> Helicopter Spawn Health (Default: 5600)

• sk_helicopter_firingcone

<float> The angle in degrees of the cone in which the shots will be fired

• sk_helicopter_burstcount

<integer> How many shot bursts to fire after charging up. The bigger the number, the longer the firing is

• sk_helicopter_roundsperburst

<integer> How many shots to fire in a single burst

• sk_helicopter_grenadedamage

<float> The amount of damage the helicopter grenade deals.

• sk_helicopter_grenaderadius

<float> The damage radius of the helicopter grenade.

• sk_helicopter_grenadeforce

<float> The physics force that the helicopter grenade exerts.

• sk_npc_dmg_helicopter_to_plr

<float> Damage helicopter shots deal to the player

Used in ammotype "HelicopterGun"

• sk_npc_dmg_helicopter

<float> Damage helicopter shots deal to everything but the player

Used in ammotype "HelicopterGun"

• sk_helicopter_drone_speed

<float> How fast does the zapper drone move?

• g_helicopter_chargetime

<float> How much time we have to wait (on average) between the time we start hearing the charging sound + the chopper fires

• g_helicopter_bullrush_distance

<float>

• g_helicopter_bullrush_bomb_enemy_distance

<float>

• g_helicopter_bullrush_bomb_time

<float>

• g_helicopter_idletime

<float>

• g_helicopter_maxfiringdist

<float>

• g_helicopter_bullrush_bomb_speed

<float>

• g_helicopter_bullrush_shoot_height

<float>

• g_helicopter_bullrush_mega_bomb_health

<float>

Keyvalues

• BaseHelicopter:

Initial Speed (InitialSpeed) <string>

The speed that the entity should try to reach as soon as it spawns

Target path_track (target) <targetname>

The name of a path_track that this NPC will fly to after spawning.

• InitialSpeed

<float>

• GracePeriod

<float> Time in seconds the helicopter has to see the player before he starts shooting

• PatrolSpeed

<float> Speed at which the helicopter moves if he has no enemy.

Flags

Wait Till Seen : [1]

Gag (No IDLE sounds until angry) : [2]

Fall to ground (unchecked means *teleport* to ground) : [4]

Drop Healthkit : [8]

Efficient - Don't acquire enemies or avoid obstacles : [16]

No Rotorwash : [32]

Await Input : [64]

Wait For Script : [128]

Long Visibility/Shoot : [256]

Fade Corpse : [512]

Think outside PVS : [1024]

Template NPC (used by npc_maker, will not spawn) : [2048]

Do Alternate collision for this NPC (player avoidance) : [4096]

Don't drop weapons : [8192]

• 65536 : Loud rotor wash sound

• 131072 : Electrical drone

• 262144 : Helicopter lights

• 524288 : Ignore avoid spheres+boxes

• 1048576 : More aggressive attacks

Inputs

• {| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="background:rgba(0,0,0,0.05) ;float:no;margin-bottom:1em;margin-left:0;padding-right:0.5em;border:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.1); border-left:solid 1px #8bb9e0; padding-left:1em;"

|+ style="text-align:left; white-space:nowrap; font-weight:bold; color:#ddd; " | BaseHelicopter |

MoveTopSpeed

The helicopter will immediately move at top speed toward its current goal, or in its current orientation if it's on top of its goal.

MoveSpecifiedSpeed <floatRedirectInput/float>

The helicopter will immediately move at the specified speed (you provide this as parameter override in units per second) towards its current goal.

ChangePathCorner <targetnameRedirectInput/string>

Tell the helicopter to move to a path corner on a new path.

SelfDestruct

Self Destruct.

Activate

Activate. Use to wake up a helicopter that spawned with the 'Await Input' spawnflag on.

SetTrack <targetnameRedirectInput/string>

Set a track for the helicopter to adhere to. The helicopter will do nothing if it's on the same path, and will move to the closest point on the specified track if it's on a different path.

FlyToSpecificTrackViaPath <targetnameRedirectInput/string>

The helicopter will first fly to the closest point on the path if it's on a different path. Then it'll fly along the path to the specified track point.

FlyToPathTrack <targetnameRedirectInput/string>

The helicopter will fly to the given path_track.

StartPatrol

Start patrolling back and forth along the current track.

StopPatrol

Stop patrolling back and forth along the track. This will cause the helicopter to come to rest at the track which he's currently flying toward.

ChooseFarthestPathPoint

When tracking an enemy, choose the point on the path furthest from the enemy, but still in firing range.

ChooseNearestPathPoint

When tracking an enemy, choose the point on the path nearest from the enemy.

StartBreakableMovement

The helicopter is now allowed to disobey direct commands to go to particular points if it senses an enemy. It will move to the closest point (or farthest point, if ChooseFarthestPathPoint is used), on the path if it senses an enemy.

StopBreakableMovement

The helicopter can no longer disobey direct commands. It will continue to fly along it's patrol path or to it's specified target even if it senses an enemy.

EnableRotorSound

Starts the chopper's rotors making noise (normal behaviour)

DisableRotorSound

Stops the noise made by the rotors

EnableRotorWash

Makes the chopper exert a force on physics objects underneath its rotor, and produce a wind pattern on any water (normal behaviour)

DisableRotorWash

Turns off the forces and wind pattern

SetAngles  !FGD

InputStartLeading  !FGD

InputStopLeading  !FGD

GunOn

Allows the chopper to use its gun (normal behaviour)

GunOff

Prevents the chopper from using its gun

MissileOn

Starts the chopper firing rockets

Bug:Non-functional.  [todo tested in ?]

MissileOff

Stops the chopper firing rockets

Bug:Non-functional.  [todo tested in ?]

|}

• GunOn

• GunOff

• MissileOn

• MissileOff

• EnableRotorWash

• DisableRotorWash

• EnableRotorSound

• DisableRotorSound

• StartBombingVehicle

Starts the chopper leading enemy vehicles and dropping bombs on them.

• StartTrailingVehicle

Starts the chopper trailing enemy vehicles and shooting at them.

• StartDefaultBehavior

Starts the chopper in the mode where he always stops at nav points instead of stopping anywhere in between nav points.

• StartAlwaysLeadingVehicle

Starts the chopper *always* leading enemy vehicles (regardless of how they are moving w/respect to the path) and dropping bombs on them. This mode is different from StartBombingVehicle in that it never uses the machine gun.

• StartSprinkleBehavior

Starts the chopper dropping bombs randomly + shooting at the player.

• StartBullrushBehavior

Starts the chopper bullrushing the player.

• SetHealthFraction <float>

Sets the chopper health as a percentage of max health

• EnableDeadlyShooting

Starts the chopper being deadly to on-foot players

• DisableDeadlyShooting

Stops the chopper being deadly to on-foot players

• StartNormalShooting

The chopper will fire in short bursts. Good for on-foot experiences

• StartLongCycleShooting

The chopper fires in long bursts

• StartContinuousShooting

The chopper fires continuously.

• ResetIdleTime

Allows the helicopter to fire immediately if he's not in the middle of charging or firing

• SetAngles <angles>

Instantly snaps the orientation of the helicopter

• DropBomb

Immediately drops a bomb based on normal bomb dropping rules

• DropBombStraightDown

Immediately drops a bomb directly downwards

• DropBombAtTarget <target_destination>

Immediately drops a bomb directly at the target destination, but only if the player isn't right there

• DropBombAtTargetAlways <target_destination>

Immediately drops a bomb directly at the target destination, no matter whether it's fair or not.

• DropBombDelay <float>

Add a delay before the next bomb is dropped

• BecomeIndestructible

Makes the helicopter take no more damage

• DisablePathVisibilityTests

When the helicopter moves, he will not check for visibility from the path_track to the enemy to cull out path_tracks

• EnablePathVisibilityTests

When the helicopter moves, he will only move to path_tracks that have line-of-sight to the enemy

Outputs

• {| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="background:rgba(0,0,0,0.05) ;float:no;margin-bottom:1em;margin-left:0;padding-right:0.5em;border:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.1); border-left:solid 1px #8bb9e0; padding-left:1em;"

|+ style="text-align:left; white-space:nowrap; font-weight:bold; color:#ddd; " | BaseNPC Outputs |

OnDamaged

Fired when this NPC takes damage (!activator is the damage inflictor).

OnDamagedByPlayer

Fired when this NPC is hurt by a player (!activator is the attacker or vehicle driver [if friendly fire]).

OnDamagedByPlayerSquad

Fired when this NPC is hurt by a player OR by one of the player's squadmates (!activator is the attacker or vehicle driver [if friendly fire]).

OnDeath

Fired when this NPC is killed (!activator is the killer).

OnDenyCommanderUse

Fired when this NPC has refused to join the player's squad.

OnForcedInteractionAborted

Fired when the NPC aborts a forced interaction for some reason (target NPC died, couldn't be pathed to, etc.).

OnForcedInteractionStarted

Fired when the NPC starts a forced interaction.

OnForcedInteractionFinished

"NPCs in actbusies can no longer perform dynamic interactions."

Todo: What does this mean?

OnHalfHealth

Fired when this NPC reaches half of its maximum health.

OnHearCombat

Fired when this NPC hears combat sounds.

OnHearPlayer

Fired when this NPC hears the player.

OnHearWorld

Fired when this NPC hears a sound (other than combat or the player).

OnFoundEnemy <targetname*RedirectOutput/ehandle>

Fired when this NPC establishes line of sight to its enemy.

OnLostEnemy

Fired when this NPC loses its enemy. Usually due to the enemy being killed/removed, or because this NPC has selected a newer, more dangerous enemy.

OnLostEnemyLOS

Fired when this NPC loses line of sight to its enemy.

OnFoundPlayer <targetname*RedirectOutput/ehandle>

Fired when this NPC establishes line of sight to its enemy, and that enemy is a player.

OnLostPlayer

Fired when this NPC loses its enemy, and that enemy was a player. Usually due to the enemy being killed/removed, or because this NPC has selected a newer, more dangerous enemy.

OnLostPlayerLOS

Fired when this NPC loses line of sight to its enemy, and that enemy is a player.

OnSleep

Fired when this NPC enters a sleep state.

OnWake

Fired when this NPC comes out of a sleep state.

|}

• OnHealthChanged <integer>

Fires when the helicopter health changes. The integer is the percentage of health the chopper has from 0-100.