TARGETING ("R" BY DEFAULT. USE IT WELL, AND USE IT OFTEN)
With the current game's netcode and design, it sometimes takes a few moments for the specific information about a target to appear. However, if you keep an enemy locked, all of this info will show up eventually.
TARGET ARMAMENTS:
Knowing your enemy's loadout has the potential to win battles for you. For instance, an enemy Awesome
could be a medium pulse laser boat capable of tearing you apart at close range. Or, it
could just be a stock variant with 3 PPCs which become almost useless at 90m or less. Use this readout to your advantage and as a basis for engaging targets.
TARGET STATUS:
The functionality for this readout is the same as it is for your mech's status in the bottom left of the screen, where each part's armor is shown as a outline that fades from bright yellow to orange to red as that part is damaged. Once the part receives enough damage, the outline disappears and damage is then applied to the part itself. If a part is missing, it means it has been destroyed and any weapons/ammunition/jumpjets located on that part will no longer be usable. In the latest patch, completely fresh and undamaged parts appear grey and transparent.
TOTAL REMAINING HEALTH:
This can often be mistaken for "essential" information. While useful in a general sense, it is better to pay more attention to the enemy's "paper doll" (TARGET STATUS) in the top-right corner. This is because the percentage readout is taking all remaining armor and internal integrity into account, whereas the paper doll will show you exactly which areas have been damaged. If an enemy's health percentage is particularly low, that enemy has probably caused your team to spend a lot of ammo and time to get it there.
DISTANCE TO TARGET:
The exact distance between your target and the mech. Essential for LRMs as well as just generally maximizing your damage.
TARGET DESIGNATION:
This feature is easily one of the most overlooked UI elements for the casual PUG player. However, as soon as you start playing in a group, this letter becomes your best friend for focusing fire. As each enemy is targeted by you or your teammates, the enemy is assigned a sequential letter from A-H. This lets your team call out targets to watch out for, fire LRMs at, going towards the base, etc. If you are using a Teamspeak/Vent/etc. server to play with your group, it would be prudent to familiarize yourself with the NATO verbal alphabet so you can call out these letters confidently (plus, it just sounds cooler). Here's the
alphabet up to "L" since 12v12 will be the max:
A - Alpha (or Alfa)
B - Bravo
C - Charlie
D - Delta
E - Echo
F - Foxtrot
G - Golf
H - Hotel
I - India
J - Juliet
K - Kilo (pronounced "Key-loh")
L - Lima (pronounced "Lee-mah")