General process:

• You will need an ability file with buffInstantActionType "ApplyBuffToTarget"...I'd use AbilityShipCripple as an example or template...this will make it so that the ability will target a single enemy entity and apply a buff to that target...in that ability file, you can set the target filter (this will only be what you initially target with the ability, not what ships will be "sucked in") as well as the AM cost, cooldown, and other things...set the buffType to the buff referred to immediately below....
• You will need a buff file with a periodic action with buffInstantActionType "ApplyBuffToTargetsInRadius"....use BuffRepulsionFieldCaster as an example....that periodic action needs to apply a buff to all enemy ships within a certain range....use the target filter to affect only frigates...set the buffType (within the periodic action) to the buff referred to immediately below...
• You will need a buff file with an instant action that causes movement towards last spawner...use BuffRepulsionFieldTarget as an example...if you use that file, make sure the speed values are positive, as negative would push the ships away...

Basically, you just need an ability file that uses ApplyBuffToTarget and applies some tweaked version of repulsion to an enemy ship....

Has anyone done any experiment with getting phased out objects to move, or even shoot weapons? Or are they hard coded to pretty much just sit there?

Also still looking for anyone who can basically tell me how to get a white planet (like ice worlds in vanilla sins) to be white, instead of the mostly blue look it gets from the star light. Generous amounts of Karma are available while supplies last!

I realize that, but there are other reasons for wanting to use Phased Out besides leaving the object invincible.

The inverted repulse is working, but something is instantly resetting it. The periodic interval time again activates it, only to instantly be reset. Any ideas?

The issue is probably the "FirstSpawnerNoLongerHasBuff" finish condition....needs to refer to the proper buff (which I assume is not "BuffRepulsionFieldCaster")

Yeah got it to work regular now, except reversing the sign on repulse and making it positive isn't pulling the ships in, instead it's making them move like slugs, almost freezing them in place. I could do that with disable engines....I want to pull them in.

I just had a look inside the entity and remembered that it only delt with integers.

harpo

Ok--regarding ghost ships.  Look at the phantom ship ability for the Illum and I know for a fact that you can use Diplomatic Immunity--which gives you all the benefits and none of the liabilities of being phased out--and still fire.

My experience so far when trying to change the can't shoot bools and the like for phased out is they don't change and seem hard coded.

Combine the phantom ship with Diplomatic immunity and you sort of have it.

Your other option is to make a small mesh and the ship hull itself a a bigger particle effect--that changes when you call your immunity/cloak buff.

Just some thoughts--sorry for the lack of detail--haven't gotten around to it working it all yet myself.

Sorry guys, I guess I should have explained what I'm trying to do in more detail. I don't care about the cosmetics of being phased out either. I'm trying to get the AI to use an ability better. One of the things you can do to narrow a target filter is define if that target is in normal or phase space. If I were to make an entity phased out all the time, but could still operate as a normal ship, and made the ability only target objects in phase space, that would eliminate the vast majority of targets I don't want this ability to be used on.

The AI is not really modifiable. You have to change other things to sort of trick it into working how you want, but you can't do anything to change the fundamental way it operates. That said one modder reported making an AI only tech (I.e. placing it off the research screen) that reworks how mass transcendence to basically make AI capitals start at level 3 makes them build more. He does a total conversion though, so he didn't have to worry about screwing up this tech for the normal races.

Also there is no way to get what level of AI is in the game.

Magnetize was the first thing I tried, but in the target filter despite putting "frigate" in, it wouldn't attract them. I search the mod forum briefly and found another post that seemed to indicate magnetize was for SC only.

Removing "reset physics state" didn't help.

Currently everything is good except that the frigates don't move towards one another, they just get slowed down to a crawl, but are not "attracted" towards the selected frigate at all.

Link the files you are working with here...

Well, you will need to upload them somewhere...I personally use mediafire as there's no BS ads or "wait times" or whatever when people just want to download one file from you, but really you could use whatever you want, there may be better options out there....

Wherever you have your account, upload it there, copy the download link to your clipboard, and make a hyperlink in your post (the chainlink thingie makes a hyperlink of the selected text)...