Highly flawed targeting

Discussion in 'Skills and Combat' started by Keyman, Oct 13, 2018.

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  1. Keyman

    Keyman Avatar

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    I'm not looking to be trolled, but after having some friends check out SotA, and all of them leaving it, I think the topic of the targeting system needs to be aired. The main problem to me is that I'm tired of targeting something (the target's id is up with a red target icon) only to have my character spin and shoot a completely different target - even AFTER I had shot the true target successfully. My friends said their impression was that the programmers were having fun with players, especially since you target something and a rabbit (sometimes more distant than the actual target, gets the shot instead of the intended target). If that's true, then I find it very disturbing. Why would the developers get their jollies in this way? I hope that isn't the case, but very clearly, if I click on a target, shoot a fire arrow at it, it gets hit and immediately agroes on me, but then my next shot shoots in a completely different direction (IOW, not an "overshot", etc.) and shoots a different target then something is definitely not right. Now for background, I have been playing SotA for some time and have invested far more money than I ever should have into it, but I like the game over all and I like buying pixels in support of it, but what two of my friends (totally separate friends) said to me gave me a chill... they both separately told me I better get used to running through empty towns, because as long as something as important as targeting is that bad, no one will want to play.
     
  2. Black Tortoise

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    Yah there have been complaints about this exact problem for a while. I highly doubt the devs get their "jollies" over it ;). It is really annoying though. When Im on my caster, I constantly fry little rabbits in the middle of fighting skeletons and such.
     
  3. Keyman

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    Yeah, I'm doubting that's the case too, but that was the impression of my friends, and that and a few other smaller issues was enough for them to cancel and go back to their other games... so it's worth some attention in my opinion.
     
  4. Peabo

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    You will "spin" and attack the next closest target if your target it out of range of the ability/spell that you are using, would you rather it cast and not hit any target?
     
  5. Keyman

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    But that's not what I'm talking about. Say you are targeting an obsidian wolf, you target it, it's name and the red reticle is at the top corner of your screen, you shoot a fire arrow, the fire arrow strikes the target causing it to agro on you and begin to run towards you, you fire another fire arrow, but instead of shooting at the wolf, your character turns and shoots at a rabbit off in the distance. Why? Why is that happening? Or you target the wolf, you fire the fire arrow, it strikes the wolf, you fire another one, and your fire arrow shoots a completely different wolf that's not even near the original, thus bringing two obsidian wolves in your direction. See? It doesn't make sense.
     
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  6. Peabo

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    Sounds buggy, are you able to record it somehow and submit it as a bug? I don't notice myself doing this when I use archery.
     
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  7. Keyman

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    I have, and other players I know on SotA have told me that happens to them too.
     
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  8. Vladamir Begemot

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    Definitely a bug and not something the devs will want happening.

    I would /bug it first of all, and then see if you can isolate what's causing it, or provide some insight. That's how annoying things get fixed.

    Range certainly will cause this, but if he's coming at you and you didn't move then that should not be happening.
     
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  9. Chemical

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    I find this randomly does this with healing also I will click my bro health bar and the target icon will go on it and then I will start to spam healing and no heals go on him and then I realize it somehow is healing his pet.
     
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  10. Ataniiq

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    Are you using double-click or tab to properly target?

    This shouldn't be happening if you've got a target selected.

    Similar stuff happens to me if my target isn't locked.
     
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  11. Keyman

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    Maybe the Devs should consider simplifying targeting to simply clicking on the target. I use both methods, but the targets are definitely targeted, that is certain as they have the red target reticle next to their name.
     
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  12. Ataniiq

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    I played around with Stone Arrow in a siege with a target properly selected, and a disturbing amount of times my character spun and casted at another nearby Cabalist. I was in range and there were not LoS detriments. Definitely an issue now that I've payed attention.
     
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  13. Synergy Blaize

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    I would really love to have a defined option to "Target Nearest" & an easier way to "Target what I want to hit".
    I have to tab/cycle through all the targets, as I find my double-click is unreliable (Probably because I play from Australia.) & often I tab too quick & go past the one I wanted.
     
  14. Cora Cuz'avich

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    I suspect it's an issue with how the game decides whether a target can be hit or not. I don't know how or how often that calculation/check is made, but I think it occasionally gives a false result. I've noticed a few times now in a fight where the enemy is suddenly unhittabble for a moment. I would guess if other enemies were nearby, I would be auto attacking them.

    A related but worse instance is that if you are near killable NPCs, and something aggroes you and attacks you from behind or the side, you will automatically go into combat mode, and attack the closest available target. Which is probably the NPC you are talking to. The devs have said this is working as intended, and do not respond when you point out that this causes a virtue hit, and forces you to complete a quest in a way you may not have intended to, which renders the virtue system pointless.
     
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  15. Vladamir Begemot

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    Bugged it?
     
  16. Anpu

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    With Melee Sword and Spear I don’t seem to have any targeting problems?

    The Bow skill gets a bit wacky sometimes....
     
  17. Jackrabbit

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    Not a Bug

    Here's how it works.

    I have 'target next target' set to my mouse up wheel. If I am in a situation with multiple possible targets (even including rabbits) , and have not yet 'selected' a target, a target will still show up on the screen with a red reticle. HOWEVER, since I have not 'selected' my target, this target can change based upon factors such as the direction i'm facing, the range of the attack i'm currently trying to use, which target is closer, etc.

    Once I hit mouse wheel up, the targeting system will 'lock' onto whatever target was currently my soft target before I hit the mouse up wheel (target next target). If I hit it again, it will then jump to the next available target based upon whatever criteria Chris uses, and so on if I continue to cycle targets using the hotkey for 'target next target'

    So, my point is, you have a soft target and a hard target. If you aren't actively using 'next target' to cycle your reticle, you are never 'locked' on to any one target, unless that is the only available target option, and even then you aren't locked to that target, there just isn't anything else for it to jump to based upon your movements or whatever.

    Once you understand better how it works, it makes sense (at least to me) and actually is useful to me as an archer.

    For example:

    IF, I am not 'locked' onto any specific target, and I initiate a rapid fire shot, and lets say for example that the first or second arrow of that volley of arrows kills the target in front of me, AND THEN I quickly spin to face a different direction where another available target is, the remaining 4-6 or so arrows from that rapid fire shot will begin to hit the next target because it was picked up as my soft target.

    HOWEVER, If I AM 'locked' on to a specific target, and I initiate a rapid fire shot, and the first or second shot kills the target, and I quickly spin to face another target, the rapid fire shot will continue to execute to it's end of shots, but none of them will do any damage to the next target, basically making me unable to attack that next target until the rapid fire finishes it's run.

    No idea how that might play into magic user or dexxer roles, but if you want to stay locked on to a target of your choice, you need to be using target next target to do so.

    Hope that helped, if not, well . . . 4:20

    edited: not saying there aren't still kinks in the targeting system, just saying that once I figured this out, I rarely have targeting issues that aren't my own fault.
     
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  18. Keyman

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    Jackrabbit, the problem with what you're describing is that isn't the problem I, and others, are seeing. Like I used in my example above. I target (dble click) a wolf, then I shoot a fire arrow at it, the fire arrow STRIKES the wolf, causing the wolf to agro and run towards me - now the wolf IS THE CLOSEST AND MOST DANGEROUS target in my range - then I fire another fire arrow, but instead of shooting the rapidly approaching AGROING target, my toon SPINS AROUND and fires at a rabbit or wisp OFF IN THE DISTANCE... see the issue??? (My caps are meant as a highlight, not as yelling). See, it isn't a matter of soft or hard targeting. Even if I didn't target the wolf and just shot the fire arrow and it struck the wolf, who runs towards me intending to do me harm, it should now be the focus of the target system - not a far off NON LETHAL "target"... this is why my friends assume that the devs are just having some fun with this as opposed to some sort of bug.
     
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  19. Jackrabbit

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    for testing purposes, have you tried setting a keybind for target next target instead of double clicking on your target? I've never used dbl clicking, not sure if that actually sets your target as hard target. I don't experience the problem you describe.
     
  20. Jackrabbit

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    It IS/should be the focus of the target system, but only as a soft target. If you aren't facing it, it can easily change. I agree that, that part of it can be a little whacky, but I assure you, with all the problems that the devs have experienced, they are definitely not doing this to have some fun.

    I think if you experiment with the method that I described with a target next hot key, you might have better luck. I think a big part of the issue is that they want the direction you are facing and height above or below target and other stuff to have an effect which makes your 'soft' target target always a variable and changing proposition. When you learn the other option of the targeting method, it helps you understand better what is really going on. In my mind, it's similar to free attack/charged attack, or locked glyph/unlocked glyph. You have options. If your friends gave up because they didn't understand the 'initial option setting' wasn't the full depth of the system and also that just like the glyph system, a deeper dive offers more possibilities, then they just gave up too soon.

    This game is different and complicated in many ways, and there is not a lot of real solid up to date info and documentation. Once you get past all of that and explore the depth of the systems a little more, while not perfect, it actually is pretty cool and do-able, and offers a different slant than what you will find elsewhere. I've been a huge critic of the combat system (an other things :p ), but over the last year I've learned that there is quite a bit more to it than what it seems on the surface, there's a big difference at what you can do at character level 110 verses 80.

    I would be happy to meet you in game and help you work it out. Your friends as well.
     
    Last edited: Oct 14, 2018
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