How can you limit the number of shots per second?

Questions & Answers
1

I’ve looked through the Time and Mathf.Clamp docs, but I don’t understand how to set this up.

I am trying to limit the number of shots that can be fired per every 3 seconds to 3. If the amount of shots equals 3 within the same 3 seconds, a boolean variable will become true which will delay the next ‘set’ of shots using the yield waitForSeconds() function, then the boolean will switch back to false once again.

Any recommendations?

4

I’m no expert (I’m here trying to answer a similar question that I have) but it would seem to me that both these answers do not prevent in excess of 3 shots in 3 seconds, technically the 1st answer does but very badly, and the second answer doesn’t at all.

I think the first answer is saying after the 3rd shot there’s a 3 second reset timer, which means if I fire 2 rounds and then wait 5 seconds before firing a 3rd I still have to then wait 3 more seconds to fire another - doesn’t work for me.

The 2nd answer suggests that If I fire a shot, and then 2.9 seconds later fire another 2 (taking 0.1 seconds to double click), I can then fire a further 3 shot immediately. Meaning I fired 5 shots as quickly as I can click.

I guess the solution I’m looking for is that every shot adds to a counter and in the same frame set a timer that will deduct that shot from the counter 3 seconds later. Obviously it can’t yield and prevent the script from running for those 3 seconds else I’d only get to fire 1 shot in 3 seconds.

I am a complete noob, maybe I just shredded someones answer for no reason. The answer I was looking for is fop the release of enemies in a wave without having them on an exact time schedule or equal intervals.

EDIT…

After realising I extended the question in the answer box here’s at least a pseudo answer not sure if the “yield” will pause the whole script though, I seem to remember something about Ienumerator but not sure if you can do that in JS…

var counter: int = 0;
var shotsPerTimedInterval: int = 3;
var timedInterval: int = 3;
 
function Update(){
	if(Input.GetKey("FireKey") && counter < shotsPerTimedInterval){

	//Fire Shot Code

	DeductShot();
	}
}


function DeductShot(){
	yield WaitForSeconds(timedInterval);
	counter--;
}
5

Here is what I used in my game. The shootRate means how many shots I can fire per second. Eg So if it’s 1, one shot can be fired and then wait until one second has passed. If it’s 10, then I can fire as many as 10 shots until one second passes.

Here is the code:

//Shooting rate
if(shootTimer >= 0)
    	shootTimer -= Time.deltaTime * shootRate;
    
//Shoot
if(ammo > 0 && shootTimer <= 0)
{
    	if(Input.GetButtonDown("Shoot"))
    	{
    		shootTimer = 1;   //This is the trick right here, setting the timer to 1 (1 second)
    		Instantiate(Action.projectile, Action.shootPosition.position, Action.shootPosition.rotation);
    		ammo -= 1;
    	}
}
2

You need to set it up like this or similar:

var counter: int = 0;
var limit: boolean = false;

function Update(){
if(counter == 3){
limit = true;
Reset();
}

if(Input.GetKey("z")&& !limit){
FireShot();
counter++
	}

}

function Reset(){
yield WaitForSeconds(3);
counter = 0;
limit = false;
}
3

float resetTimer = Time.time + 3;
int shotsFired = 0;

void Update() {
   // reset shot count?
   if (Time.time > resetTimer) {
      shotsFired = 0;
      resetTimer = Time.time + 3;
    }

    // shooting?
    if ((playerWantsShot == true) && (shotsFired < 3)) {
       // fire shot
       shotsFired++;
    }

}