Game Play Focus: Making targetting more intuitive.

Hey all,

I wanted to start a discussion on the current targetting settings to see how you all feel about it.

Currently the default is Manual Aim where you have to hold the mouse cursor over your target in order to attack.

This has been the case since the NGE and previously SWG had an Auto Aim/Auto Attack system in place that most contemporary online games such as World of Warcraft, EverQuest, Lord of the Rings Online and others now use and that SWG also supports as an option.

Setting up Auto Aim and Auto Attack requires using the options menu to assign keys to those functions, often not something a new or returning player may be familiar with, often new or returning players do not even know that this option is available.

Questions 

Which targetting method do you use?

If you switched to Auto Aim/Auto Target why did you choose to do that and how did you find out that the option exists?

Selectable Keymaps

I took a look at the various pre-defined keymaps currently available, it might be an idea to see if we can get an Auto Aim/Auto Attack one implemented.

There is:

Star Wars Galaxies Classic (Default)
Star Wars Galaxies
Star Wars Galaxies Modern

Star Wars Galaxies Modern is the only standard keymap with a key bound to "Toggle Repeat Auto Attack", but you still have to press "Y" to toggle on "Toggle Auto Aim".

The problem is that Star Wars Galaxies Modern has no key bound to "Summon Radial Menu"as the "Tilde" key is bound to "Toggle Repeat Auto Attack", that makes the keymap pretty useless as it would be a serious hinderance to a new or returning player should they select it.

Manual Aim vs Auto Aim

There is a 3% critical chance increase for manual aim, the 5% chance to miss only applies if you use auto-aim with a ranged weapon.  The old 25% max crit chance for manual aim was removed in chapter 6 for this flat 3% Critical Hit chance bonus.

Targetting hints:

I rebound my TAB key to the following macro that always selects the closest enemy to me: 

/ui action untargetOnly;
/pause 0.1;
/ui action cycleTargetOutward

I then use a button on my programmable mouse that does /ui action cycleTargetOutward.

I also use the following macro to target and apply Camouflage Ally to groupmates, I have seven macros like this, one for each groupmate I have them bound to CTRL+1 to CTRL+7

/ui action targetGroup0;
/ui action setIntendedTarget;
/pause 0.1;
/ui action toolbarPane02;
/ui action toolbarSlot16;
/pause 0.6;
/ui action toolbarPane00;

It switches toolbar pane but you don't have to do that if you have bacta bomb or whatever you want to execute on your main toolbar.

Summary of Feedback:

• Having Manual Aim as the default targeting method instead of Auto Aim/Auto Fire can put a lot of players off the game who are unaware of the auto option as it can be hard to find.  This option should be explained in the Tutorial.
  
  
  
• Players would like to see similar targeting options for the ground game to the ones available in space, such as:
  
  Target Closest Enemy
  Target Closest Enemy Player
  Target Next Enemy Player
  Target Previous Enemy Player
  
  Target Closest Friend
  Target Closest Friend Player
  Target Next Friendly Player
  Target Previous Friendly Player
  
  Target Closest NPC
  Target Last Enemy That Shot Player
  
  
• An option to disable "Look-At" (Blue Brackets) targeting completely as this can cause problems with those that only want actions to be performed on their intended target.  Often actions will be performed on the target under the cursor which is set as the "Look-At" target rather than the action being performed on the Intended Target as desired by the player.
  
  
• When in Auto-Aim mode, Toggle Repeat Auto Attack should be toggled on when a primary or secondary attack is executed on your intended target.
  
  
  

Hey all,



I wanted to start a discussion on the current default targetting settings to see how you all feel about it.



Currently the default is Manual Aim where you have to hold the mouse cursor over your target in order to attack.



This has been the case since the NGE and previously SWG had an Auto Aim/Auto Attack system in place that most contemporary online games such as World of Warcraft, EverQuest, Lord of the Rings Online and others now use.



Which targetting method do you use?

I use auto Aim/Auto Target, Mostly because it's easier to handle isn't as bulky. In Tabula Rasa they use a system similar to manual aim in this game however it works there.



If you switched to Auto Aim/Auto Target why did you choose to do that and how did you find out that the option exists?

To me auto aim/auto target is a better feel for this game mostly because of how the abilities are set up, not to mention i think they tried to tie too much to the mouse with your basic attack, specials scrolling through specials zooming in and out, and anchoring the camera to it as well, you end up all kinds of turned around hardly able to target anything.

I looked very hard before i ever left the first room on the station.

I don't know anyone who uses manual aim, it makes you wonder how many people have tried out the game and left not realising you can auto aim..

It would be a good change to switch the default

I only have two hands, so I use autoaim/autoattack.

... it makes you wonder how many people have tried out the game and left not realising you can auto aim..

Yeah, that's the reason I wanted to focus on this, I see a lot of new players and returning vets put off the game because of manual aim as default.

I'm going to take a look at the various pre-defined keymaps currently available and see if we can get an Auto Aim/Auto Attack one implemented.

There is:

Star Wars Galaxies Classic (Default)
Star Wars Galaxies
Star Wars Galaxies Modern

Star Wars Galaxies Modern is the only standard keymap with a key bound to "Toggle Repeat Auto Attack", but you still have to press "Y" to toggle on "Toggle Auto Aim".

Err... but Star Wars Galaxies Modern has no key bound to "Summon Radial Menu"as the "Tilde" key is bound to "Toggle Repeat Auto Attack", that makes the keymap pretty useless.

-Sorez- wrote:

... it makes you wonder how many people have tried out the game and left not realising you can auto aim..

Yeah, that's the reason I wanted to focus on this, I see a lot of new players and returning vets put off the game because of manual aim as default.

I'm going to take a look at the various pre-defined keymaps currently available and see if we can get an Auto Aim/Auto Attack one implemented.

I use Manual aim as much as I can.

Since I play melee fighter I am close to my target so in most 1 on 1 fights/duels I use manual aim for bonus critical chance.
However in instances, mass pvp and when use ranged I use auto aim/auto attack.
I like manual aiming bonus and I think it is fair.
What it bothers me is complicated system of using it, and very bad auto attack indicator.
Devs really should add x to O when auto attack is active (in present system).
This sollution we use now is very bad.

My proposition. Make Auto aim auto attack default attack. (double click on target to activate it)

But if you are in range and hold/press left mouse button over target it should activate manual aim (without deactivating auto attack) so if target get's away you still continue to attack without getting manual aim bonus.

*puts her hand up*

Yes please, Badge, I want them as default, as I do Chase Camera Off.

I use Manual aim as much as I can.

Since I play melee fighter I am close to my target so in most 1 on 1 fights/duels I use manual aim for bonus critical chance.

There is a 3% critical chance increase for manual aim, the 5% chance to miss only applies if you use auto-aim with a ranged weapon.

Use autoaim/autofire 90% of the time, when I get someone attacking  (pvp, BH) that just stands still I'll click it off to take them down.

PVE always use it, those npc can be kinda spastic

I went to Auto-Aim once it was introduced.  Seeing the discussions of it on the forums and the patch notes at the time is how I knew it existed. 

I would like it made more streamlined on how to activate auto attack though.  Double clicking the target is enough to start it, but when there's alot of targets around it makes it hard to get it in the right spot.  Instead, double clicking anywhere should start auto-attacking on whatever you have set as the intended target. 

That or make it so double clicking something will clear your old target, set what's under your cursor as the intended targer and start auto attacking it.