Can we get a fire sequencer please?

[Gryphorim]

Some tool, probably on the firegroups tab, that would allow us to set our weapons to fire sequentially, rather than all at once?

Personally, I'd like if the sequencer had an auto-sequence mode, that literally just fired each weapon in the firegroup .5 seconds after the last, and a manual mode.
Manual mode could allow allocation of how many weapons fire at each step (for instance, if you wanted to fire 2 weapons, then another 2, and so on.) as well as adjusting time between each firing step.

I think this would make some weapons, like the PA, Cannon and railgun, just a bit more popular, as it allows pilots to fire for saturation, rather than waiting for pinpoint accuracy. It also allows for more naturally judicious use of missiles and torpedoes, limiting fire to one at a time (if desired) without having to mess around with firegroups or module power allocation on the fly.

As a sidenote, related topic: can we also get a (optional) velocity vector pip on our HUD, the "space dust" streaks are nowhere near precise enough, especially when flying near planetary bodies.

 

[Gunnet]

I'd like this just for the heat management. Staggering fire manually gets a little tedious, particularly with our meagre number of fire buttons.

The vector indicator would be great too. Perhaps once we have that we could get a graphics option to disable the space dust.

 

[Kaocraft]

Some tool, probably on the firegroups tab, that would allow us to set our weapons to fire sequentially, rather than all at once?

Personally, I'd like if the sequencer had an auto-sequence mode, that literally just fired each weapon in the firegroup .5 seconds after the last, and a manual mode.
Manual mode could allow allocation of how many weapons fire at each step (for instance, if you wanted to fire 2 weapons, then another 2, and so on.) as well as adjusting time between each firing step.

I think this would make some weapons, like the PA, Cannon and railgun, just a bit more popular, as it allows pilots to fire for saturation, rather than waiting for pinpoint accuracy. It also allows for more naturally judicious use of missiles and torpedoes, limiting fire to one at a time (if desired) without having to mess around with firegroups or module power allocation on the fly.

As a sidenote, related topic: can we also get a (optional) velocity vector pip on our HUD, the "space dust" streaks are nowhere near precise enough, especially when flying near planetary bodies.

That would be super cool and useful. I guess you could kind of fake the effect by making multiple fire groups and binding the same button to both cycle firegroups and fire weapon.

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

+1

Good idea.

Probably needs to be in the suggestions section though.

CMDR Cosmic Spacehead

 

[Gryphorim]

Reposted in suggestions thread. I hope this gets seen. I'd love to set up 4 cannons or PA's on a FDL to fire like an XWing's laser cannons!

 

[UnhappyDev]

Interesting idea OP. +1

 

[Komemiute]

Technically it can be achieved outside the game with T.A.R.G.E.T. in case you have a HOTAS Warthog.
If you have an X-52 or stuff like that you have the own programming thingamajing.

If you don't own either I strongly suggest you to, it's amazing.

I'm O.T. I know, sorry.

 

[Consequat]

Technically it can be achieved outside the game with T.A.R.G.E.T. in case you have a HOTAS Warthog.
If you have an X-52 or stuff like that you have the own programming thingamajing.

If you don't own either I strongly suggest you to, it's amazing.

I'm O.T. I know, sorry.

All those nice things we want are only achievable with 3rd party software or some fancy joystick stuff. But for the people who enjoy the game only with mouse+keyboard: eeh, get forked.

 

[Komemiute]

Sadly that's the way it is... YOU FILTHY KEYBOARD PEASANT
I jest of course...

 

[Valethar]

HOTAS Master Race!

Too soon?

 

[Agony_Aunt]

I'm not sure i'm seeing the need here. If you are running weapons that cause too much heat or draw too much from the PD that you need them to fire sequentially, don't fit multiple weapons of that type then, and fit something else in its place.

Like, rather than 2 beams firing alternately, fit one beam and a cannon.

Can you give a specific use case where this would be better than using the other hardpoints for different weapons?

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

I'm not sure i'm seeing the need here. If you are running weapons that cause too much heat or draw too much from the PD that you need them to fire sequentially, don't fit multiple weapons of that type then, and fit something else in its place.

Like, rather than 2 beams firing alternately, fit one beam and a cannon.

Can you give a specific use case where this would be better than using the other hardpoints for different weapons?

Because it would look amazing.

 

[Noctover]

This actually unlike most ideas that come up isn't entirely bad. As in pretty good. I'd go for it.

 

[GeneralIdea1964]

I'm not sure i'm seeing the need here. If you are running weapons that cause too much heat or draw too much from the PD that you need them to fire sequentially, don't fit multiple weapons of that type then, and fit something else in its place.
<snip>

I agree, this is how the weapons work.

You either live with them overheating and having to wait for them to cool, Or you don't fit such heat intensive ones in the first place.

I usually have mix of weapons as lasers overheat, but can take out shields much better, while MCs and canons are better against the ship hull and don't overheat, but run out of ammo and you need to wait for reload.

That is the two fire button functions taken care of.

It's just the way it works .. it's the same for everyone.
(unless you are a rich '@$%^^' with a Warthog Hotas Grrrrh!)

 

[[VR] Deggial]

I don't know.

Would such a thing be useful? Oh, definitely!
Would it be more interesting/fun/engaging? Questionable.

The problem with games is that, if you take more and more agency away from the player, the game starts to "play itself". Currently, you have to be active to change your weapon groupes, if you which to use more than the two weapon selections supported by the two available fire buttons.
A sequencer would make using more varied weapons easier. But would it add to the enjoyment of the game? Convenience does not always equal fun. On the contrary: Learning to use a system that forces the player to overcome challenge is oftentimes way more rewarding. Just my opinion.

 

[Agony_Aunt]

Because it would look amazing.

Ah, as a cosmetic thing, that works for me. I've nothing against exchanging efficiency for looking awesome.

 

[Gryphorim]

I'm not sure i'm seeing the need here. If you are running weapons that cause too much heat or draw too much from the PD that you need them to fire sequentially, don't fit multiple weapons of that type then, and fit something else in its place.

Like, rather than 2 beams firing alternately, fit one beam and a cannon.

Can you give a specific use case where this would be better than using the other hardpoints for different weapons?

2 Specific cases were provided in first post.

- Firing missiles, torps or mines. With sequencer, fire them one at a time. Without the need to set up convoluted list of fire groups (that can be frustrating to tab through in a fight), or take eyes off of combat to switch one launcher off and another on in modules tab.
- Firing weapons that are low RoF, for saturation effect with sequencer. Rather than having, say, 4 cannons all fire in one massed volley, a sequencer allows for the cannons to fire one after another at effectively 4 times their individual RoF, allowing for sustained fire on target, rather like a single big multicannon. Maybe of little utility to a player with good aim, but for a potato like me, being able to hold down trigger and spam cannon shells would help me land some hits. Yes, a multicannon lets me do this, but that's not the point, I'd like the variety of options.

Additionally, firing sequentially allows for lower peak heating, meaning PAs and rails could see more use, allowing for higher rates of fire than using less of these weapons, as you suggest, but allowing finer control over the amount of heat we subject our ships to, by only firing 1 or 2 shots from a potentially larger weapons group.

With beam lasers and multicannons, a sequencer would be of little utility, true, but those are edge cases, rather than being representative of majority of weapons.

 

[Stealthie]

Hmmm....

My knee-jerk response is that it'd be a cool idea.

Then, after 5 seconds, my inner cynic starts to wonder if it'd just create another potential "exploit" whereby there'd be some definitive "meta" for weapons usage and everybody would be able to set their weapons up so they could, say, take out shields and then automatically fire off a devastating kinetic attack.

Speaking as a Vulture jockey, I'd love it if there was some way to have complete control over weapons so you could, for example, deploy beams - thus disabling your FSD due to power priorities, take out a bandit's shields and then stow your beams, switch to guns to finish the job and your FSD would be get chance to start spooling up as soon as the beams were stored and there was sufficient power available to the FSD.

Course, I understand why it might not be a good idea to make it "too easy" to manage stuff like this efficiently.

 

[Agony_Aunt]

2 Specific cases were provided in first post.

- Firing missiles, torps or mines. With sequencer, fire them one at a time. Without the need to set up convoluted list of fire groups (that can be frustrating to tab through in a fight), or take eyes off of combat to switch one launcher off and another on in modules tab.
- Firing weapons that are low RoF, for saturation effect with sequencer. Rather than having, say, 4 cannons all fire in one massed volley, a sequencer allows for the cannons to fire one after another at effectively 4 times their individual RoF, allowing for sustained fire on target, rather like a single big multicannon. Maybe of little utility to a player with good aim, but for a potato like me, being able to hold down trigger and spam cannon shells would help me land some hits. Yes, a multicannon lets me do this, but that's not the point, I'd like the variety of options.

Additionally, firing sequentially allows for lower peak heating, meaning PAs and rails could see more use, allowing for higher rates of fire than using less of these weapons, as you suggest, but allowing finer control over the amount of heat we subject our ships to, by only firing 1 or 2 shots from a potentially larger weapons group.

With beam lasers and multicannons, a sequencer would be of little utility, true, but those are edge cases, rather than being representative of majority of weapons.

Hmm... i see. I think considering it would likely be rather finicky to implement, require a lot of UI messiness, and probably also make things too easy, i doubt FD would go for this.

 

[Truesilver]

OP, third party I know, but anyone can already achieve exactly what you describe using macro software such as Autohotkey or Voice Attack.

Rather than having, say, 4 cannons all fire in one massed volley, a sequencer allows for the cannons to fire one after another at effectively 4 times their individual RoF, allowing for sustained fire on target, rather like a single big multicannon.

Hmm... i see. I think considering it would likely be rather finicky to implement, require a lot of UI messiness, and probably also make things too easy, i doubt FD would go for this.

PvP-ers have been doing this since launch and not just with weapons, e.g. heat sinks, SCB's and bank-swapping.