Orders and control groups

Command many units at once, RTS style: select them, right-click to move in formation or attack, attack-move, stop and hold position, and save groups on the number keys. Units without orders attack enemies that come close.

See it running: the 23 · Selection and Orders demo scene.

Every field, its default and every member you can call: Orders and control groups reference.

Setup

On each unit you command, turn on Takes Orders in its unit definition. That attaches VtUnitOrders. Leave Use Hostile AI off on these units; they fight on their own while idle. Aggro Range decides how far an idle or attack-moving unit notices enemies.

On a commander object, an empty object in the scene rather than a unit, add:

Component	Role
`VtUnitSelection`	Picking units, see Selection. Set Viewer Faction to the side you command.
`VtSelectionIndicator`	Markers under selected units.
`VtOrderInput`	Command-click orders and the order keys. Screen Point To Ray replaces the main camera for its raycasts.
`VtControlGroups`	Groups on the number keys.

Do not put VtOrderInput on a hero that has VtTopDownClickInput; both would answer the command click. Let the camera roam with Enable Edge Scroll on the VtTopDownCamera, and give it an Initial Target such as an empty object at your base, which Space returns to.

Orders

Input	Order
Right-click the ground	Move in formation. Enemies on the way are ignored.
Right-click a hostile unit or a resource node	Attack it until it dies, then go idle.
A, then left-click the ground	Attack-move: walk there and fight every hostile unit met on the way.
A, then left-click a hostile unit or a resource node	Attack it. Right-click or Esc cancels the A.
S	Stop and go idle.
H	Hold position: stay, and attack only what is within attack range.

The keys are the Attack Move, Stop, Hold Position and Cancel actions; set the action fields on VtOrderInput to use others, see Input.

Only selected units of the commander’s side with VtUnitOrders take orders. Enemies and other units can be selected to look at them, but ignore orders.

A group moves in a grid centred on the clicked point and facing the way it travels, each unit taking a near free slot. Set Formation Spacing for the gap between slots. A single unit walks to the point itself.

An idle unit attacks the nearest hostile unit inside its Aggro Range, and goes idle again when its target dies. A move ends when the unit stops at its slot, or when no path starts within a second.

Control groups

Input	Result
Ctrl + 1 to 0	Save the selection as that group, replacing it.
Shift + 1 to 0	Add the selection to that group.
1 to 0	Select the living units of that group.
The same number twice quickly	Also move the camera to the group.

A unit can be in several groups. Dead units are skipped when a group is selected, and destroyed units leave it. The keys are the Control Group 1 to 10, Assign Modifier and Additive Modifier actions; set Group Actions and the modifier action fields to use others, see Input. Control groups use the number keys that VtAbilityHotkeys uses by default, so a commander has no hotkeys.

Runtime

var orders = unit.GetComponent<VtUnitOrders>();
orders.Issue(VtOrderKind.Move, point);
orders.Issue(VtOrderKind.AttackMove, point);
orders.Issue(VtOrderKind.Attack, point, enemy);
orders.Issue(VtOrderKind.HoldPosition, orders.transform.position);
orders.Issue(VtOrderKind.Stop, Vector3.zero);
orders.Kind;
orders.OnOrderChanged += kind => { };

var input = commander.GetComponent<VtOrderInput>();
input.OrderMove(point);
input.OrderAttack(enemy);
input.OnOrderIssued += (kind, count) => ShowFeedback(kind, count);

var groups = commander.GetComponent<VtControlGroups>();
groups.AssignSelection(0);
groups.Recall(0, Time.unscaledTimeAsDouble);
groups.Groups.Units(0);
groups.OnGroupRecalled += (group, cameraMoved) => { };

VtFormation.GridSlots and VtFormation.AssignNearest build the same formation for your own order code.

Multiplayer

On a predicting client, VtUnitOrders.Issue sends an Order command through the unit’s command relay, and the authority starts the order on its copy. Orders run on the authority only, and the resulting movement and attacks replicate as usual. Selection and control groups stay on each player’s machine. See Multiplayer.