Read by Council AI Assisted Aim

[Lukwan]

Roleplay games are not better with or without aim-assist.

OK so RP was not really what I was trying to get at (but i like the spin-off discussion on RP :D). What I mean is that I find having auto-aim takes me out of the game. This is a matter of personal preference and has little to do my RP experience. I can tack on a RP back-story to any game since it is all in my head anyway.

As for the hate on target lead indication: this would only reduce the skill required if everyone flew in straight lines. Even noobs are able to maneuver in combat. Including it in the game for more casual and less skilled players is not going to break SM. Just make it a server-setting.

 

[kulbolen]

if cannons ai or lead is improved to make them able to hit longer range fast moving targets, beams first to be "fixed" to keep them even close to a viable weapon choice, as their broken damage mechanic is propped up by them being the only reliable medium range firing solution.

 

[DrTarDIS]

I can agree the UI should have a "lead assist" cross hair built into the nav markers. A visual representation of direction and speed, with an "aim here" extra cross hair based on your currently selected weapon would go a long way. I'm not sure if it needs to be automatic, or based on some new support system.

In current use...yeah "git Ghud." If you have a feel for your ship you can usually hit anything rather reliably. My best accuracy(not counting beams) is usually with CB 5:4 simply because I'm used to it's projectile speed and rangefinding, but C/C 1:1 is something everybody SHOULD be able to hit 80% or better with anywhere in it's effective range.

You can also "juke" incoming fire the same way, either though evasive patters (QWDZ 3 sec, AWEX 2 sec, etc) or actual "ghud skilz" in approach or evade. AI accuracy is really VERY bad even at maximum settings if you follow any complex geometry flight plans, it only seems to be decent in a simple-maneuver slug-fest.

 

[StormWing0]

I'm thinking a lead assist in this case should change where you shoot but simply make it easier to hit something. Say you have some better crossheirs for the shooter's end of things and you have a little tracking target with a line going from it to the ship's front bounding box face. The length of the line is for speed, the little target is a general idea where it is going to be if it maintains that speed. So instead of effectively turning our weapons into docked AI guns this just makes it a tad more human friendly when trying to shoot things and the thing in question is far enough away to make seeing it unlikely outside of things that glow on it.

 

[Crimson-Artist]

In terms of the current state of combat I would say that having a lead indicator would both be good and bad.

lead indicators in mouse aim flight sims actually make things a little too easy however other factors such as the AI's piloting skills and weapon lethality can balance this out. For games with only bore fire aiming a lead indicator is better cuz you can only aim in one direction.

I would say that currently a lead indicator would make things too easy however I do believe that it should be implemented in a way. Maybe tie it into the stealth overhaul. Have the lead indicator appear normally but have it distorted if the enemy ship is using a jammer.

 

[StormWing0]

Could make the Lead indicator a new type of block and maybe a sniper scope block could go with it.