Fix auto targeting please

[amerelium]

Stop ships from changing targets on their own, if a target has been set manually. This is much worse now than it used to be; in previous versions a target would stay more or less locked until sunk.
It is incredibly annoying, when guns are just about done aiming, range found, and are just about to start belting out their first proper salvo, and then suddenly the game switch target, and the whole process has to start anew, even if you switch back immediately.

Clarification: Auto targeting is fine, but if a target has been set manually, it should STAY targeted.

[admin]

7 hours ago, amerelium said:

Stop ships from changing targets on their own, if a target has been set manually. This is much worse now than it used to be; in previous versions a target would stay more or less locked until sunk.
It is incredibly annoying, when guns are just about done aiming, range found, and are just about to start belting out their first proper salvo, and then suddenly the game switch target, and the whole process has to start anew, even if you switch back immediately.

Clarification: Auto targeting is fine, but if a target has been set manually, it should STAY targeted.

this is a twisted path to renown forum Sir

 

[amerelium]

..ok, now I see - something strange happened there; I was in the Ultimate Admiral general discussion.

[amerelium]

Stop ships from changing targets on their own, if a target has been set manually. This is much worse now than it used to be; in previous versions a target would stay more or less locked until sunk.
It is incredibly annoying, when guns are just about done aiming, range found, and are just about to start belting out their first proper salvo, and then suddenly the game switch target, and the whole process has to start anew, even if you switch back immediately.

Clarification: Auto targeting in general is fine, and good but if a target has been set manually, that target should STAY targeted.

[Ink]

20 hours ago, amerelium said:

..ok, now I see - something strange happened there; I was in the Ultimate Admiral general discussion.

The topic has been moved

[Suribachi]

Disclaimer:  I know enough code to be dangerous, but lack knowledge of specific functions beyond basic If/Else statements and loops so if there is a more optimized way to do this, I will defer to experience.  That being said, onto the actual post:

The way I see it, the auto targeting should follow a priority list.  Kinda like something below.

Interrupt of following list:  Player issues new target or uses the targeting reset key bind.  If true, list immediately resets to top.

Next highest priority check:  Is the target designated by a player's command?  If true, skip all other checks until target is sunk or surrendered or is more than 20% out of range.

If target is not designated by player, system should move onto next steps:
Main Guns: ship should target greatest "weight" of targets first.  What I mean by this is that the guns will target other ships that fit the mission of the gun.  For example, a BB gun will prioritize another BB over that of a CL as it is otherwise considered a "wasted" shot.  However, by contrast, a CL should prioritize a DD over that of a BB or BC as it was designed to hunt DDs.

Secondary Guns:  ship should target a class "down" first depending on range.  Secondaries on a BB should target CL or DD ships over that of another BB that is further away, at least until the other BB closes the range.

Torpedoes:  ship should target closest threat.  On another note, development team should explore an option to immediately fire  torpedoes based on player commands, such as a button along the bottom of the screen.  The primary purpose of this would be to allow the player to use torpedoes as area denial weapons and not just direct attack weapons.  As an example, a BB can use this to disrupt a DD or TB charge to either buy time for secondaries to do more damage or to open the distance between the threats.  However, this should only be pursued if there is not too great a cost on development resources such as time.

At this point, target is destroyed, reset check to top of the list and repeat.

Some other rule ideas that can be mixed in: minimum 2 salvos before switching targets, targets that have "disappeared" due to line of sight issues like smoke or distance should remain targeted for either a set amount of time or until a higher priority target is found.

Edited August 3 by Suribachi

[MDHansen]

^^^^^so much this. All points nailing it