auto target

[JaddynnStarr.5201]

this is by design and WAI... the more trash that you can randomly draw in from agro, the more likely you are to die and have to respawn... thus wasting time... which is a key part of the business model in MMO's. frustrating yes... will they fix it? not on your life...

[Ashen.2907]

I have played a game with worse targeting than GW2, but not by much.

[Eloc Freidon.5692]

Its especially fun when you stop auto attacking for no reason.

[kharmin.7683]

> @"Eloc Freidon.5692" said:

> Its especially fun when you stop auto attacking for no reason.

 

Or lose focus on your target and not be targeting anything.

[Last Crysis.1934]

> @"Neural.1824" said:

> I think the choice by Arenanet to place a Moa, or Boars next to Aggressive mobs all across Tyria is an indicator that it's likely deliberate.

> Character/Lore-wise it makes "the commander" look like a blundering idiot. Middle of a fight and they up and attack something that isn't even in their field of vision.

> Turning Auto-targeting off helps to some extent, but unless you right-click/double-click on a mob, it's next to impossible to use Tab to select the proper target.

>

 

Yup at this point I thing A-net is just sitting back and laughing, good job on trolling us. You get a gold star ?

[BolkovonHarnfeldt.1372]

Though not strictly related to auto-targeting (I think - might be wrong though), my favorite example is when I switch to air on my ele right at the end of combat when all "red" enemies are dead, and - since I'm technically still in combat state - the "electric discharge" trait procs and hits an innocent yellow bystander nearby...

[Sarpan.9074]

Thanks for this thread. I did not realize it was so broken, just assumed I was doing it wrong.

[SlippyCheeze.5483]

> @"Sarpan.9074" said:

> Thanks for this thread. I did not realize it was so broken, just assumed I was doing it wrong.

 

As a point to counter-balance, the system works consistently as I expect. Sometimes this is annoying, since it runs on an essentially "fixed" order, so if I tab too far I have an annoyance getting back to where I wanted, but ... I don't experience the problems that others describe. Especially, I certainly don't experience the "refusal" to target red enemies, or targeting things behind me.

 

I'm not saying they are wrong, just that it could be a matter of expectation vs reality, where the reality isn't behaving the way folks expect, even if it is internally consistent and correct.

[TotallyNotJazzie.1493]

> @"Reitha.4810" said:

> Hi, we of the wall protection society agree that attacking walls unprovoked is not in the best interest of masonry everywhere. Walls are friends, not rubble.

> Sincerely, Reitha

> Protector of the fourth wall.

>

> In all seriousness, I agree the targeting could use a little love. Personally, I would love to see it cycle through the mobs your actively fighting before before any others. The amount of times I've accidentally agro'd a hydra...

 

This. The amount of times I’ve tried to finish off a 10% hp forged soldier with Warr Axe 3 only to lob it straight into the Hyrda who happens to be walking about 800 range behind it... *sigh*

[Stalkingwolf.6035]

> @"Hashberry.4510" said:

> I have never seen a game with such poor targeting.

 

i remember wow start from legion. tab targeting was completly broken :-) GW2 is ok, it could be better or anet could just add larger healtbars for enemies, so you can click the target you want.

[Bloodstealer.5978]

> @"mauried.5608" said:

> Dont know if the game engine will support this idea, but a sort of fix would be a list of do not target these mobs such as Moas, jungle boars, pocket raptors etc , sort of the ignore list for players, which players could add too , so that the targeting system would ignore any of the critters on the list.

>

 

I actually thought this was changed to a similar priority system about 3 years back when wvw was altered.... maybe wrong but I thought that ambient and yellows were supposed to be manually targeted. Maybe something has crept back I to the game in error, but certainly as of where we are currently it really has become a reale mess and the worst targeting system I have played I 15 years of mmo gaming

[mathion.8549]

> @"Ayakaru.6583" said:

> While we’re on the issue,

> Can we **PLEASE** have the autotarget option ignore yellow creatures we’re not already in combat with?

> I would pay serious gems for that update in case anet needs an incentive.

> Im so tired of using skills for mobility and it instead targets a dolyak or firefly that was maybe not even onscreen next to me, or even behind me

 

I have a rather lengthy list of auto-targeting fails I'd love to see addressed, with yours being one of them. Auto targeting should never highlight a yellow-named creature. If folks want to hit one, tab to it (closest target) or T it (next target).

 

I'd go so far as to add a few other things that aren't that hard to implement in code (at least not using an if-then-else decision tree):

 

If autotarget, then target and shoot closest red-named enemy within a 90 degree cone (45 degree left and right from front) in front.

Else target and shoot closest red-named enemy target.

 

If Next target (T) target, and targets are equal then target closest next target

Else target closest higher enemy.

 

(Note the emphasis on "closest" here, since those are the ones beating on your character's face that are usually who one wants to hit)

 

In that vein, it's important to disable a few things that auto-targeting does.

1. Never auto-target an obstructed foe.

2. Never auto-target yellows.

3. Never auto-target the same kind of critter UNLESS toggled to do so in options or that's all that's left. Always go for the closest one.

4. Never auto-target with a non-weapon attack skill. (Utility skills shouldn't auto-target like, ever, especially when shouts hit surrounding foes and you end up shooting at them when you don't want to.) Utility skills should be previously targeted by selection or prior auto-targeting, or explicit placement with the mouse. (That can be another options toggle, if folks like that. Personally, I hate it.)

 

I'd also add that it would be really nice if clicking on the name of the critter one wants to hit was all it took to just target them. In the game, I end up clicking on other players more often than the critters. If the critter names weren't on the same level (AKA much higher than the player names), that would help, but most of the time, I can't click on it because it's running around and the click doesn't register. An option would be to not be able to mouse click on anything that didn't already have its name showing. One can show names of players, NPC's and critters.

 

In every other respect, I totally love the game. But I complain loudly and often about how utterly unpredictable and unreliable auto-targeting is in any given situation, with it targeting things I don't want to hit (outside of mob melees) more often than things I do want to hit, and even in mobs, I usually end up wasting time dealing with something I didn't want to hit because auto-targeting went sideways and decided that survival-instinct-impaired Moa 1000 units beyond my weapon's range obstructed by all sorts of things needed to die right at that moment.

 

It could be a lot better if it wasn't so unpredictable. Failing all the special stuff, just target what's closest (preferably in front of you), don't target what's obstructed or out of range, and stop targeting yellows entirely. I think those three things would improve the game play experience immensely.

 

Comments are welcome in this case, since I didn't exactly run a player poll to see what other folks thought, so input away.