Read by Council A simple suggestion about Targeting

[Benevolent27]

I did a search for a thread like this, and couldn't find one. If there is one already, I apologize.

But here's my suggestion. Allow players to select a target from within their targeting circle and stay locked onto it when using lock-on missiles. I suggest this because I tried to PVP someone and they had a few cores close together and I kept losing my lock. I also tried hunting pirates and the same thing happened when the pirate ships were too close. It really ruined the PVP experience and I tend also want to pull my hair out whenever hunting pirates, lol.

So, perhaps to switch targets, someone can press the "F" key. Switching will not cause lock to be lost, unless the target moves outside of the targeting circle.

Thanks for your time.

 

[Dire Venom]

This would be quite useful.
+1

 

[Peekie30]

or target via navigator, select a target in the nav and fire

 

[psteiner]

Would be delightful

 

[Peekie30]

or target via navigator, select a target in the nav and fire

on 2nd thought, this would be OP, so some limitations using say, scanners, could be implemented, so you can build dedicated long range guided missile destroyers or so (think Zumwalt-class ships)

 

[Valiant70]

on 2nd thought, this would be OP, so some limitations using say, scanners, could be implemented, so you can build dedicated long range guided missile destroyers or so (think Zumwalt-class ships)

No, that wouldn't be OP. You still have to keep the reticle on target long enough to get a lock. Selecting a target is just a matter of telling the computer what you want to lock onto, so it doesn't matter all that much how you select a target.

 

[Peekie30]

No, that wouldn't be OP. You still have to keep the reticle on target long enough to get a lock. Selecting a target is just a matter of telling the computer what you want to lock onto, so it doesn't matter all that much how you select a target.

Still OP, because you can hit targets at a long distance in the exact same time as if you were close to them, so it's a question of "I can hit you but you can't hit me". If this were to be implemented, it would need some serious limitations

 

[Valiant70]

Still OP, because you can hit targets at a long distance in the exact same time as if you were close to them, so it's a question of "I can hit you but you can't hit me". If this were to be implemented, it would need some serious limitations

Nope.

You still have to keep the reticle on target long enough to get a lock.

 

[Peekie30]

Nope.

yea but if you do that from, say, 40km out, you don't have the risk of actually being hit back by the target

 

[Heillos]

yea but if you do that from, say, 40km out, you don't have the risk of actually being hit back by the target

That's, uh, that's exactly the same as missile+beam weapons right now. I really don't see what point you're making; they have the longest engagement range in the game (If I recall correctly), but PD turrets have plenty of time to stop them. It's already balanced, this would just be a quality-of-life improvement.

I support the idea of your selected target being prioritized for missile lock (if there are many targets in the reticle, including the one you've selected, you will lock onto that one).

 

[StormWing0]

This is one of the reasons I have the nav menu option that shows docked entities unchecked so these tactics don't work on me and so my screen isn't flooded with nav markers. That said I have the same issue when many ships are close together and I can't hold a lock worth anything. Somehow being able to hold the lock after a certain point would be nice or heck multi-targeting lockon. 1 lock for each group.

 

[Benevolent27]

or target via navigator, select a target in the nav and fire

I like this idea too, but I'll add that the person would still need to have the entity within the targeting circle to make it fair. Just selecting the ship and firing would be overpowered in my opinion. If this were implemented, it would give priority to ship that has been selected from the N menu but still allow a person to switch between entities within the targeting circle. And to add to the idea, it could also work in reverse, where it auto-selects the entity you are locked onto (as though you selected it from the N menu), so you can see the shields and other info (this would be configurable if a person doesn't want it on - maybe they can press SPACE to select the ship while locked on or have it set to automatic or just not be on at all).

When you said "it would be op," did you mean your idea to select a ship from the N menu and fire, or do you mean being able to change which entity you're locked onto and STAY locked onto it (so long as it is within the targeting circle)?

Oh and thanks for the reply.
[DOUBLEPOST=1447928909,1447928706][/DOUBLEPOST]

This is one of the reasons I have the nav menu option that shows docked entities unchecked so these tactics don't work on me and so my screen isn't flooded with nav markers. That said I have the same issue when many ships are close together and I can't hold a lock worth anything. Somehow being able to hold the lock after a certain point would be nice or heck multi-targeting lockon. 1 lock for each group.

Yeah, I learned that pretty quick, to turn off turrets and docked entities. But sometimes it's useful to be able to target individual turrets too, right?

 

[Peekie30]

I like this idea too, but I'll add that the person would still need to have the entity within the targeting circle to make it fair. Just selecting the ship and firing would be overpowered in my opinion. If this were implemented, it would give priority to ship that has been selected from the N menu but still allow a person to switch between entities within the targeting circle. And to add to the idea, it could also work in reverse, where it auto-selects the entity you are locked onto (as though you selected it from the N menu), so you can see the shields and other info (this would be configurable if a person doesn't want it on - maybe they can press SPACE to select the ship while locked on or have it set to automatic or just not be on at all).

When you said "it would be op," did you mean your idea to select a ship from the N menu and fire, or do you mean being able to change which entity you're locked onto and STAY locked onto it (so long as it is within the targeting circle)?

Oh and thanks for the reply.
[DOUBLEPOST=1447928909,1447928706][/DOUBLEPOST]

Yeah, I learned that pretty quick, to turn off turrets and docked entities. But sometimes it's useful to be able to target individual turrets too, right?

selecting a target in nav and fire and stay out of range of the target, I agree that the target should be in the targeting reticle anyways

 

[Benevolent27]

selecting a target in nav and fire and stay out of range of the target, I agree that the target should be in the targeting reticle anyways

Ok, thanks. Personally, I think lock-on missiles, as they are now, have pros and cons. Ships can use radar jamming or just attack back with lock-on missiles, but I would like to see see radar jamming a little easier to use for larger ships, to help force more use of other weapon types. I have noticed that large ships almost always rely entirely on lock-on missiles and turrets. Cannons, energy beams, damage beams, etc., could have more uses for larger ships.

 

[jayman38]

Maybe there can be a ship-based "lock-on", where if you target something in your reticle for about 3 seconds, it becomes a "locked" target. And then missile locks add onto that time. (I.E. Lock 1: Target Lock, Lock 2: Missile Lock)

I really like the idea of custom hotkeys. I would like a standard hot-key for switching between turning all Turret AI on and off, to make it easy to switch between "hot" and "safe".

 

[Darkkon]

We could also have the lock-on system be a permanent lock, so long as you have a camera or directional sensor in the direction that the lock is in order to maintain the lock. The computer needs to be able to see what its targeting so it makes logical sense. The only downside I see is requiring players to put cameras in all six directions, or make a few camera turrets that will track whatever is locked onto. maybe the number of cameras facing in any given direction (or the number of camera turrets you have) could decide how many locks you can maintain at a time?

Yes, I know there are a few issues with this idea, but hey, thats what discussion is for.

 

[Benevolent27]

We could also have the lock-on system be a permanent lock, so long as you have a camera or directional sensor in the direction that the lock is in order to maintain the lock. The computer needs to be able to see what its targeting so it makes logical sense. The only downside I see is requiring players to put cameras in all six directions, or make a few camera turrets that will track whatever is locked onto. maybe the number of cameras facing in any given direction (or the number of camera turrets you have) could decide how many locks you can maintain at a time?

Yes, I know there are a few issues with this idea, but hey, thats what discussion is for.

This is a little outside the scope of my idea, which is simply about being able to maintain and switch targets intelligently (rather than relying on the current system that changes targets willy nilly simply because they are nearby each other, causing a person to constantly lose lock).

But, I do like the concept of your idea! It reminds me of laser guided missiles. Perhaps AI could be given a new option in addition to "selected target" and "any," called "painted target." The AI would then only attack targets that a person "paints" with a laser. The laser would basically lock on targets like a lock-on missile, but instead of firing, it simply maintains a lock. All nearby AI turrets and entities would then attack the target. What do you think? In addition to this, I think AI should be given priorities, rather than all or nothing options. For example, perhaps someone wants to make a turret that attacks missiles before enemy ships, but "any" is willy nilly. Or maybe they want "selected target" as primary, but "any" as secondary. So if no target is selected, then they attack anything. Hmm.. Perhaps I will search out to see if this has been suggested already and make a new suggestion, if not.

 

[Darkkon]

i dont see why we would need a laser really though. just have a hotkey that locks on when the target is within the center ring.

 

[Benevolent27]

i dont see why we would need a laser really though. just have a hotkey that locks on when the target is within the center ring.

Well, I don't think maintaining a permanent lock is a good idea, because it would encourage people to be even lazier with how they fly their ship. Currently, a small ship can evade the lock-on missiles of a large ship and I think that's how it should be. A person should need to have the target within the targeting reticle.

My idea for painting a target is more about how to coordinate with separate ships that have AI on them. But with fleet controls coming soon, I'd like to see what is implemented. The laser idea will quite likely not be very useful.

 

[Darkkon]

well with the camera placement requirement, it would still need to be in a direction a camera is pointing. so laser or not, you still need to have the hardware for the lock on. but yeah, definitely cant wait for fleets