35 replies to this topic

[BoPop]

I think (can't remember, not looking) that "R" is the default button for "targeting". It might be "T" not sure, i have mine as "R".

Whichever it is, USE IT!

Seems obvious right? But if you spectate on folks, i've spectated on many, don't you seem to find that many people aren't targeting? And I think to myself, "For the love of god why is this person not targeting a highlander he's fighting, who's 15 meters in front of him, and is instead still targeted on some spider who's out of range, moving fast, behind a building, whatever." It takes a millisecond to tap that R button and the information gleaned can literally make the difference between victory or defeat in a fight.

Here's what targeting does: in order of importance, in my opinion:

1) targeting tells you IF and WHERE the mech you are firing upon is damaged and how damaged they may or may not be. Why spend ammunition and heat on a component that isn't hurt, when one centimeter to the left is a component that's about to just fall off it's so damaged? Go for the hurt components! ($cb,mxp,gxp) And the only way you'll find this out is by targeting the enemy. If you blow out someone's component you've crushed their morale because they've just lost weapons, double heat sinks, and armor padding.

2) targeting alerts your team! (without typing or speaking), even through buildings and terrain (most the time), that you are locked onto an enemy and firing at him which tends to encourage your allies to come help you kill it. ($cb,mxp,gxp, savior kill bonuses, kill assists, so forth)

3) allows LRM'rs to also get some love in, so long as they are within 1,000 meters and not too blocked by terrain or buildings. (bonuses)

4) targeting gives bonus mech xp, cbills. Even in a short fight where you loose, if you targeted a few times and got a couple kill assists/spot bonuses you'll make more than winning a quickcap game.

Different ways/reasons to target:

1) quick cycle - target the herd quickly, all of them. R R R R R R R R (you may need to point your cross hairs at each target and hit R and do it fast. I love getting in close enough to the enemy herd and cycling through all of them really fast, it let's my fat boys know "Yep, there's at least 4 or 5 over there, that's where i'm taking my slow arse."

2) lock on - i like to lock on to a couple targets for different reasons. I may lock on to fast movers simply so people can get some data on him and know, "Yep, got a light that might try to quick cap us, or at best, tease our base." Or I lock on to targets that i see in the open that don't stand a chance of being shielded by terrain from LRM's. Especially if at the start of the match 3 of my teammates go, "LRM boat here!"

When I'm in a quick medium or light, i feel obligated to get to the middle of the map as quick as possible (up high if i can) to find out where all the baddies are. I'm not looking for the one jenner, i'm not looking for one sniper, i'm looking for THE HERD. Your heavies and assaults really need to know where THE HERD is, not the lone individuals sniping. Still though, if you get a chance to target someone, ANYone, spot them, if only for a second. This helps that whole situational awareness another thread is addressing at the moment (which kind of inspired this thread)

The target button should be one of the most clicked buttons as you play MWO. If you are in a brawl, cycle through them targets, go for the weakest first.

Got a cataphract to the left and an atlas to the right? Do your best to target both of them quickly and size up their damages. For all you know that Atlas has an XL engine and his left torso is about to go, alpha that thang! then get to work on the cataphract. Don't just start fighting the cataphract while the nearly dead atlas continues to pound you on your flank. The only way you can make decisions like these are by targeting.

You'll live longer and make more everything.

The reasons people don't target?

1) They are new, and don't know how game altering active targeting can be, or they are still working on the overall dexterity required to pilot, fire and cycle targets.
2) They are selfish and don't want someone to steal their kill.

GLHF!

[Dawnstealer]

"R"

And yes, especially when I'm stomping around in my LRM boat (vs my brawler or my scout), it can be frustrating. I could be raining down death on the mech attacking the front-running scout if they'd just target their opponent. All too often, I'll be moving forward to support someone locked in combat (usually a scout), and by the time I get there, the scout's either dead or run off and I'm stuck in combat.

Deathblimps don't do too well when they're surrounded by enemies, so it makes me less likely to lend a hand to a non-targeting scout. Even in close-range combat, you lock your target and it shows everyone who you're shooting at (SOLID RED TRIANGLE over the target).

In nearly every game I've played, the team that focuses their fire and works to take down one or two enemies at a time (or has good groups of scouts that excel at taking out isolated mechs), is the team that wins.

[BoPop]

Dawnstealer, on 16 May 2013 - 06:43 AM, said:

I could be raining down death on the mech if they'd just target their opponent. -- Even in close-range combat, you lock your target and it shows everyone who you're shooting at (SOLID RED TRIANGLE over the target).--In nearly every game I've played, the team that focuses their fire - is the team that wins.

amen.


the tl;dr; of my OP

BoPop, on 16 May 2013 - 04:56 AM, said:

The target button should be one of the most clicked buttons as you play MWO. If you are in a brawl, cycle through them targets, go for the most damaged mechs/components first. The only way you can make decisions like these are by targeting.

[Darwins Dog]

Why just last night I was in my Cicada, when I rounded a corner to find a hunchback and a highlander. They hadn't noticed me yet, so I had the opportunity to run away and never be noticed, but I decided to target the highlander first. That's when I say his red center torso. Instead of running I engaged the highlander and cored it with two volleys. Then I booked it as the hunchback was still in good shape (another fact learned by targeting)

I got a kill, took out a lot of firepower, and survived the engagement all thanks to my R key. Thanks targeting!

[InRev]

BoPop, on 16 May 2013 - 04:56 AM, said:

1) quick cycle - target the herd quickly, all of them. R R R R R R R R (you may need to point your cross hairs at each target and hit R and do it fast. I love getting in close enough to the enemy herd and cycling through all of them really fast, it let's my fat boys know "Yep, there's at least 4 or 5 over there, that's where i'm taking my slow arse."

This is such a useful tool for a scout, I can't even overstate it. Without a map ping function, it is basically the only way to alert a pub group of a large mass of baddies, outside of taking your hands off the controls to type. On maps like Tourmaline and Alpine, where going down the wrong path can spell disaster, a scout pinging the enemy team with target locks can be invaluable if only to direct the assault blob to the fight.

One of the most strangely satisfying feelings is turning a corner, seeing a blob, targeting them all, hauling *** away and seeing the little blue arrows on your minimap turning around and heading in your direction. Makes a scout feel like he actually made a difference.

[BoPop]

Darwins Dog, on 16 May 2013 - 10:55 AM, said:

I decided to target the highlander first. That's when I say his red center torso. Instead of running I engaged the highlander and cored it with two volleys. Then I booked it as the hunchback was still in good shape (another fact learned by targeting)
I got a kill, took out a lot of firepower, and survived the engagement all thanks to my R key. Thanks targeting!

hell yea!

InRev, on 16 May 2013 - 11:01 AM, said:

This is such a useful tool for a scout, I can't even overstate it. Without a map ping function, it is basically the only way to alert a pub group of a large mass of baddies, outside of taking your hands off the controls to type. On maps like Tourmaline and Alpine, where going down the wrong path can spell disaster, a scout pinging the enemy team with target locks can be invaluable if only to direct the assault blob to the fight.

amen

InRev, on 16 May 2013 - 11:01 AM, said:

One of the most strangely satisfying feelings is turning a corner, seeing a blob, targeting them all, hauling *** away and seeing the little blue arrows on your minimap turning around and heading in your direction. Makes a scout feel like he actually made a difference.

i know right? strange little thrill, especially if your team notices it, sets up, and decimates them because of your intel.

Edited by BoPop, 16 May 2013 - 11:09 AM.

[Mechteric]

BoPop, on 16 May 2013 - 04:56 AM, said:

2) targeting alerts your team! (without typing or speaking), even through buildings and terrain (most the time), that you are locked onto an enemy and firing at him which tends to encourage your allies to come help you kill it. ($cb,mxp,gxp, savior kill bonuses, kill assists, so forth)

While most of your post is agreeable, this one is actually incorrect I believe. Your team cannot infer which mech you have targetted, they can see however any radar contact you have (targeted or not, as long as ECM is not a factor). Targetting info gathered will transfer though.

Edited by CapperDeluxe, 16 May 2013 - 11:13 AM.

[BoPop]

CapperDeluxe, on 16 May 2013 - 11:12 AM, said:

While most of your post is agreeable, this one is actually incorrect I believe. Your team cannot infer which mech you have targetted, they can see however any radar contact you have (targeted or not, as long as ECM is not a factor). Targetting info gathered will transfer though.

indeed. that's why it's important for them to lock on to a target as soon as they see one locked on to, in the hopes it lasts long enough to give them intel. most likely the original spotter doesn't have the time to type out what he just spotted and has to move on.

good point.

[Mechteric]

BoPop, on 16 May 2013 - 04:56 AM, said:

1) quick cycle - target the herd quickly, all of them. R R R R R R R R (you may need to point your cross hairs at each target and hit R and do it fast. I love getting in close enough to the enemy herd and cycling through all of them really fast, it let's my fat boys know "Yep, there's at least 4 or 5 over there, that's where i'm taking my slow arse."

Just one more thing I noticed about this particular piece of advice, in that cycling targets too rapidly does nothing for your team. The first is that simply by having LOS for 5 contacts on your radar, even without targeting each of them, they will all appear on your friends' radars (assuming no ECM interference).

Secondly, by "rapidly" cycling through targets you are not giving it enough time to determine any actual information about that mech. It is best to wait to cycle to the next target until you at least see its weapons loadout.

[Goose]

BoPop, on 16 May 2013 - 04:56 AM, said:

2) targeting alerts your team! (without typing or speaking), even through buildings and terrain (most the time), that you are locked onto an enemy and firing at him which tends to encourage your allies to come help you kill it. ($cb,mxp,gxp, savior kill bonuses, kill assists, so forth) … 1) quick cycle - target the herd quickly, all of them. R R R R R R R R (you may need to point your cross hairs at each target and hit R and do it fast. I love getting in close enough to the enemy herd and cycling through all of them really fast, it let's my fat boys know "Yep, there's at least 4 or 5 over there, that's where i'm taking my slow arse."

This. You can worry about who's the Gauss'apult 20 seconds later; But you got'a find the main body first.

Fill in all the hollow triangles.

[Othello]

BoPop, on 16 May 2013 - 04:56 AM, said:

I think (can't remember, not looking) that "R" is the default button for "targeting". It might be "T" not sure, i have mine as "R".

Whichever it is, USE IT!

I agree and I bind the right mouse button for targetting.

[Soy]

Not using targeting is the first sign of a noob, before anything else can even be questioned really.

[VXJaeger]

One of most spectacular moments that I've had in this game was, when there was 3 LRM-boats in our team. It was in Gauss Valley, and I was scouting with my Raven...got into a good position and targeted an 6 PPC Stalker witch was in the open.
All 3 LRM-boats immediatelly and simultaniously oped fire on that cheesegun, and a avalance of missiles rained down. It didn't had a chance to take more than 10 steps before it melted down Sometimes using R is unbelievably satisfying

Edited by VXJaeger, 17 May 2013 - 12:57 AM.

[Revorn]

2LRM20 could be a nice little Help for you, if you figth a Baddie. Press "R" for getting this Package delivered to the Target of your Choice.

[twibs]

Too bad bad players don't read forum and will continue to not 'R'. Sigh, at least you get to call the all sort of names.

[Mokou]

Game hints: Press "R" to win!

[Rushin Roulette]

As for the LRMs. If they are shooting from way back out at just under 1000 meters away I really dont want/need their support as they are quite often just as much danger to their own team as they are to the enemy team (who if they are smart will just step behind some cover for a short time). Quite often these LRMs will end up hitting a teammate just after the target went down or someone standing on the wrong side of a building behind which the target is hiding from the LRMs (Only the targeted mech has teh incomming fore warning, not your friendly mech who happens to be in the flight path at the wrong time).

Any good LRM user will be up close at around 180-350 meters away from his intended target and will do the spotting for himself. He will then know if his missiles are on target or landing useless in a hill or a building.

[Arvanil]

twibs, on 17 May 2013 - 03:31 AM, said:

Too bad bad players don't read forum and will continue to not 'R'. Sigh, at least you get to call the all sort of names.

That's true... A possible solution would be to add a setting like "auto-target" (on by default), which targets the mech you're hitting automatically. Might be a little help for beginners and the rest just disables it if autotargeting is not desired.

[Oriius]

It might be worth adding a little more XP/c-bills for the spotting bonus, make people want it. Though I still get the feeling people won't do it. Maybe an auto target if you shoot someone (in target range), with an option to turn it off for those of us who don't need it. I guess we need training wheel options much like the arm lock one we have currently.

It does make my day when I fight people who don't. Has been a lot of times where had they targeted me, they would have for example seen my legs were stripped and red, while they pound away at my torso letting me twist the damage out.

[BoPop]

VXJaeger, on 17 May 2013 - 12:54 AM, said:

got into a good position and targeted an 6 PPC Stalker witch was in the open.
All 3 LRM-boats immediatelly and simultaniously oped fire on that cheesegun, and a avalance of missiles rained down. It didn't had a chance to take more than 10 steps before it melted down Sometimes using R is unbelievably satisfying

glorious!

had a similar situation the other night on River City Night, in my cicada3M. my ecm (and the darkness) allowed me to get into such a position that i was (also) targeting an ERPPC stalker thinking he was king of the mountain. suddenly from 2 directions massive volleys of LRMS came down on him. For some reason he didn't move, big mistake, i held my lock and he didn't survive the second round.