Targeting. Static reticle or Floating reticle ?

[Mack]

Having gone back to play Elite: The Original, the one thing that I am hating is the static reticle for targeting ships etc.

I can't remember what style was used by the later editions though.

I much prefer the floating style of reticle, so that you can track and shoot without having to fly directly at your target like a spitfire with a forward mounted cannon.

To clarify, for the Floating reticle I don't propose a targetting indicator also, just the ability to move the reticle anway on the screen.

 

[davidsev]

It should probably depend on the gun.

I've always found a static one much easier to use, and it's also much easier when just using a mouse / keyboard.

 

[Kerrash]

Having gone back to play Elite: The Original, the one thing that I am hating is the static reticle for targeting ships etc.

I can't remember what style was used by the later editions though.

I much prefer the floating style of reticle, so that you can track and shoot without having to fly directly at your target like a spitfire with a forward mounted cannon.

Are you thinking of the difference between the velocity vector and targeting reticle from FE2?

 

[Memnoch]

If you mean like the reticle in Freelancer where you aim off centre and the ship starts to move in that direction as well then yes, I that would work really well but not if the movement method they choose is like Elite. It would work great if it was like Frontier though.

 

[Mack]

Are you thinking of the difference between the velocity vector and targeting reticle from FE2?

I can't remember anything about the games in between at all unfort.

I prefer to play mouse/keyboard using mouse for directional control and reticle control and keyboard for all other function. Having installed oolite, I've already decided I hate it!!
Playing the original in an emulator is better, but again, i'd rather have the cursor track across the screen (SWG or Freelancer style) rather than feeling like the ship is on rails.

 

[Jokester]

I'm not sure if I'm keen on a aiming reticle that tells you where to point to hit a moving target as it removes a lot of skill from the game.

 

[Hamerstein]

If you mean like the reticle in Freelancer where you aim off centre and the ship starts to move in that direction as well then yes, I that would work really well but not if the movement method they choose is like Elite. It would work great if it was like Frontier though.

I'd assumed this kind of thing too, I don't imagine guns to be rigidly fixed, so they are able to track independently of your ships direction to a degree. At the same time if your gun tries to track beyond it's firing arc, your ship turns to compensate.

 

[Kerrash]

I wouldn't worry about this aspect of the game, I am sure that FD will find the best balance.

 

[Captain N]

The point of the "spitfire" control method in Elite is to force you to line up your ship for the shot instead of just going point and shoot. Think what it would be like if you could turn any way you wanted, it would be just like Wing Commander. Being able to rotate your cannons independently would have much the same effect.

 

[Kerrash]

The point of the "spitfire" control method in Elite is to force you to line up your ship for the shot instead of just going point and shoot. Think what it would be like if you could turn any way you wanted, it would be just like Wing Commander. Being able to rotate your cannons independently would have much the same effect.

You are right, I much prefer the idea of being in more direct control of the weapons targeting during dogfighting.

 

[Captain N]

The point of the "spitfire" control method in Elite is to force you to line up your ship for the shot instead of just going point and shoot. Think what it would be like if you could turn any way you wanted, it would be just like Wing Commander. Being able to rotate your cannons independently would have much the same effect.

You are right, I much prefer the idea of being in more direct control of the weapons targeting during dogfighting.

I'm not entirely sure you understood my point. This is one of those instances where more control is not necessarily better.

I find Wing Commander and similar ultimately rather boring compared to Elite because of this.

 

[MadDogMurdock]

Static for me - ultimately flying skills should count - I don't want a point and click mechanic.

 

[wayne nicoll]

are you talking about a box around your target or an indicator of where you place your crosshairs to shoot so that if your foe keeps their course/speed constant you will hit them? or something different? if it's this then give me a box, much more skill involved!

 

[Mack]

are you talking about a box around your target or an indicator of where you place your crosshairs to shoot so that if your foe keeps their course/speed constant you will hit them? or something different? if it's this then give me a box, much more skill involved!

No targettng aids as such, what i'm meaning is the ability to move your crosshairs anywhere around the screen and be able to fire your weapons in the direction of the crosshair. It should be up to you to work out how far ahead of the target you would need to fire so as to hit it etc.
Elite(original) had the crosshairs in the middle of the screen and not moveable, so to hit a ship in combat, you had to turn the ship and maneuver around to try and get the target into the crosshairs.

 

[Craib]

Static for me - ultimately flying skills should count - I don't want a point and click mechanic.

+1 to the above

 

[Cmdr Andy B]

Static for me - ultimately flying skills should count - I don't want a point and click mechanic.

ditto for me too

 

[Stachel]

ditto for me too

Tritto.

 

[Dusty]

Why not both depending on weapon system

 

[Benny Mac]

I voted for "Floating" because that's closer to my preference of "It depends on the weapon system".

Am I right in remembering that in Elite it takes a lot of ship manoeuvring to target something just to the left or right of the reticle? That's a bit odd.

 

[Fangrim]

Am I right in remembering that in Elite it takes a lot of ship manoeuvring to target something just to the left or right of the reticle? That's a bit odd.

Yes. Rotate ship so target is above or below reticule, then steer up or down.