H
Hellekran
Guest
So, I'm building a map to learn Hammer, and I get to a point where I find myself populating a public bathroom with entities. So I place a row of toilets (The ones from the prison level). Fun ensues.
Attempt 1:
Map compiles and I execute it in CS. I run into the bathroom and see the toilets have fallen to the ground. Oops. (They're prop_physics).
Attempt 2:
I move the backs of the toilets a few inches into the wall, assuming that will anchor them there. I recompile, and run to the bathroom (in game), and see the toilets - on the ground again, but this time, all over the washroom, as if they moved. Weird.
Attempt 3: (This is the funny part)
I examine the properties of the prop_physics toilets, and notice there's a variable that initiates the prop motionless until it takes damage (I assume this means it'll stay put until someone shoots it enough to break it). So, I set these flags, and recompile. I run into my bathroom, and the toilets are finally where they're supposed to be, fastened to the wall. So, I'm eager to make sure they'll break properly when shot. I plant my feet firmly in front of one, take aim and fire. The moment the bullet hits, the toilet LAUNCHES itself off the wall and, like a cannonball, hurtles across the room, through my face, killing me instantly.
Whoa.
At this point, I had collapsed, laughing. I reload the map, and take potshots at them from an ANGLE, and sure enough, as soon as they take damage, they sail across the room with excessive force.
Anyway, after a bunch of cursing, and fiddling, I notice the toilets themselves are still embedded a few inches into the wall from the previous attempts. At this point, I get the notion that maybe Source is correcting the model intersection by instantaneously moving the toilet clear of the wall when its physics are activated (in this case, when it's shot), and translating that movement into inertia, thus sending the object into orbit. Sure enough, I set the toilets to intersect the wall by only 1/32 of an inch, and on the next Attempt, when I shot them, the moved away at only a slight speed before breaking (Which looked perfect).
So, the moral of the story, is that Source physics can be manipulated in unexpected ways. I'm sure some of you here are creative enough to use this interesting "feature" to build some interesting, and potentially lethal maps.
-Hellekran, master of the Killer Toilet
Attempt 1:
Map compiles and I execute it in CS. I run into the bathroom and see the toilets have fallen to the ground. Oops. (They're prop_physics).
Attempt 2:
I move the backs of the toilets a few inches into the wall, assuming that will anchor them there. I recompile, and run to the bathroom (in game), and see the toilets - on the ground again, but this time, all over the washroom, as if they moved. Weird.
Attempt 3: (This is the funny part)
I examine the properties of the prop_physics toilets, and notice there's a variable that initiates the prop motionless until it takes damage (I assume this means it'll stay put until someone shoots it enough to break it). So, I set these flags, and recompile. I run into my bathroom, and the toilets are finally where they're supposed to be, fastened to the wall. So, I'm eager to make sure they'll break properly when shot. I plant my feet firmly in front of one, take aim and fire. The moment the bullet hits, the toilet LAUNCHES itself off the wall and, like a cannonball, hurtles across the room, through my face, killing me instantly.
Whoa.
At this point, I had collapsed, laughing. I reload the map, and take potshots at them from an ANGLE, and sure enough, as soon as they take damage, they sail across the room with excessive force.
Anyway, after a bunch of cursing, and fiddling, I notice the toilets themselves are still embedded a few inches into the wall from the previous attempts. At this point, I get the notion that maybe Source is correcting the model intersection by instantaneously moving the toilet clear of the wall when its physics are activated (in this case, when it's shot), and translating that movement into inertia, thus sending the object into orbit. Sure enough, I set the toilets to intersect the wall by only 1/32 of an inch, and on the next Attempt, when I shot them, the moved away at only a slight speed before breaking (Which looked perfect).
So, the moral of the story, is that Source physics can be manipulated in unexpected ways. I'm sure some of you here are creative enough to use this interesting "feature" to build some interesting, and potentially lethal maps.
-Hellekran, master of the Killer Toilet
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