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Mortarball

Based on game build 714014 | Last updated: 2026-03-06

Overview​

mortarball is a projectile prefab used to simulate high-trajectory stone projectiles (e.g., from a cannon or mortar). It combines physics-based flight with custom flight-time collision detection (OnUpdateProjectile) and impact logic (OnHit). During flight, it scans for and damages entities via combat and complexprojectile components. Upon landing, it spawns appropriate wreckage prefabs, triggers splash damage, knocks over workable objects, shatters kelp plants, releases fish loot, damages docks/walls, and spawns visual FX like waterspouts or splash animations.

Usage example​

-- Example: Creating and launching a mortarball
local mortar = SpawnPrefab("mortarball")
mortar.Transform:SetPosition(x, y, z)
mortar.components.complexprojectile:SetHorizontalSpeed(5)
mortar.components.complexprojectile:SetGravity(20)
mortar.components.complexprojectile:SetOnHit(function(inst, attacker, target)
    -- Custom on-hit behavior
end)

Dependencies & tags​

Components used: combat, complexprojectile, groundshadowhandler, health, inventoryitem, locomotor, workable, pickable, stackable, dockmanager, oceanfishable

Tags added: projectile, complexprojectile, NOCLICK
Tags checked/filtered against: boat, wall, wood, kelp, oceanfishable, _inventoryitem, wave, bullkelp_plant, boatbumper, crabking_ally, INLIMBO, notarget, noattack, flight, invisible, playerghost, debris, _combat, _health

Properties​

PropertyTypeDefault ValueDescription
damagenumberTUNING.MORTAR_DAMAGEBase damage applied on direct impact; used to set combat.defaultdamage.
redgemcountnumbernilOptional property that scales build variant and damage mod. Affects animation build (cannonball_rock_lvl2_build, cannonball_rock_lvl3_build).
isinventoryitembooleanfalse (inferred)Controls whether MakeInventoryPhysics or full physics setup is applied.

Main functions​

launch_away(inst, position, use_variant_angle)​

  • Description: launches an entity away from a given impact point using physics velocity, simulating splash ejection. Applies moisture if it's an inventory item and sets it as airborne.
  • Parameters:
    • inst (entity): The entity to launch (e.g., fish, kelp, inventory item).
    • position (Vector3-like object with Get()): The origin point of the splash (e.g., impact point).
    • use_variant_angle (boolean): If true, applies random angular variance (±ANGLE_VARIANCE/2) to direction.
  • Returns: Nothing.

OnHit(inst, attacker, target)​

  • Description: Called when the projectile hits the ground or a platform. Handles splash damage (combat:DoAreaAttack), boat damage/leak generation, spawning wreckage prefabs (mortarball_used_...), kelp/fish/ground item ejection, and dock damage.
  • Parameters:
    • inst (entity): The mortarball instance.
    • attacker (entity or nil): The originator of the shot (optional).
    • target (entity or nil): The platform or object directly hit (e.g., boat or dock).
  • Returns: Nothing.

OnUpdateProjectile(inst)​

  • Description: Called each frame during flight to detect and damage entities within a small radius (TUNING.CANNONBALL_RADIUS). Bypasses physics collision; instead uses TheSim:FindEntities to target _combat, _health, or blocker entities.
  • Parameters:
    • inst (entity): The mortarball instance.
  • Returns: Nothing.

common_fn(bank, build, anim, tag, isinventoryitem)​

  • Description: Shared prefab constructor for mortarball-style prefabs. Initializes AnimState, Physics, Transform, Network, ComplexProjectile, Combat, and optional GroundShadowHandler.
  • Parameters:
    • bank (string): Animation bank name.
    • build (string): Build name for visuals.
    • anim (string or table): Animation name(s) to play.
    • tag (string or nil): Optional tag to add (e.g., "NOCLICK").
    • isinventoryitem (boolean): Controls physics setup path.
  • Returns: inst (entity) — the fully initialized entity (client-only early return on non-mastersim).

setdamage(inst, damage)​

  • Description: Updates the damage and switches the visual build variant based on redgemcount.
  • Parameters:
    • inst (entity): The mortarball instance.
    • damage (number): New damage value.
  • Returns: Nothing.

Events & listeners​

  • Listens to:

    • healthdelta (via combat/health): Not directly listened to by this component, but it calls health:DoDelta.
    • No explicit inst:ListenForEvent registrations are present.

  • Pushes:

    • onareaattackother (via combat:DoAreaAttack) — with {target, weapon, stimuli}.
    • stacksizechange (if stackable is present, via stackable:SetStackSize).
    • healthdelta (on boat/dock via health:DoDelta).
    • on_landed / on_no_longer_landed (if inventoryitem is present, via inventoryitem:SetLanded).
    • spawnnewboatleak (on hit boat if redgemcount > 4).
    • onareaattackother, on_landed, stacksizechange — all indirectly triggered by impact logic.
    • onnoentitycollision — not used in current code.

  • No explicit event handlers are defined in this file.