Targeting change in HEAD

[d_m]

So, I have added a feature which I find useful, and hope that others will as well. It addresses bug #374 by adding (') as "target closest", similar to (*t).

The two ways this can be used are:

1. With the remember target option, you can use it first and then shoot/throw/aim at monsters until they die.

2. Without remember target, you can (f)ire, then choose ammo, then just hit (') to shoot at the closest monster.

I'd encourage anyone who plays nightlies to try this out and let me know what they think about it. I am also considering two other features and would be interested in your thoughts.

First, I am thinking of making the ammo prompt default to the cheapest kind of ammo (e.g. +0/+0 < +15/+9 < +6/+6 slay evil). Right now if you only have one kind of ammo you can hit RETURN to accept it as the default, but otherwise you have to choose manually. The only hitch I can see is that it will penalize people who mostly want to use good ammo but carry around bad ammo as a backup. I was also thinking of having the code check for an inscription first, and prefer that over the cheapest ammo, to give people in this situation a work-around.

Second, I am thinking of either getting rid of direction selection, or making it secondary to targeting. Right now after choosing (a)im or (f)ire you immediately get a directional prompt, and have to hit (*) or whatever to target. I submit that most of the time you want to b e targeting, and that direction should be the one that requires two keypresses to use.

Anyway, my track record on UI changes is spotty at best, hence your input. Thoughts?

[pav]

How about auto-targeting the closest monster? It's in NPP and it's very useful. Make it also refresh monster memory subwindow at the same time.

[buzzkill]

I like Pav's notion of auto-targeting the closest monster by default, because most of the time that is who you are aiming at.

Without Pav's fix, I like the idea of your key target nearest. (I'd prefer it be the , (comma), but that's just me, I think it must be what FA uses).

I'm not sold on getting rid of the direction-prompt as the default, but I'm not dead set against it either. I probably use the directional keys to fire about 50% of the time, more in the early game, less in the later, but I don't use macros, maybe if I did use macros than that would change. If you could use the 'closest target selection key' to select the closest target at the directional prompt, then press it again to select the next nearest and so on, then I'd be on board.

I'd limit auto-ammo selection to when you only have one type of (suitable) ammo. If you are firing with a bow and only have one type of arrow in your inventory then there should be no prompt at all.

[bron]

Perhaps this belongs in a separate thread, but if you're changing targeting, here is a problem I've encoutnered: the targeting code seems to require that you target a monster if there are any that are target_able. I (rarely, but occasionally) want to target a wall with Stone-to-Mud, or an empty space with a Ball spell (e.g. to kill the maximum number of lice in one shot). I can do this when there are no monsters, but not when there are. While it is certainly the case that I almost always want to target a monster, so that should continue to be the normal/default/easy case, there should be some way to break out of that targeting mode and be able to shoot at any target_able space.

[RogerN]

Perhaps this belongs in a separate thread, but if you're changing targeting, here is a problem I've encoutnered: the targeting code seems to require that you target a monster if there are any that are target_able.

While targeting, press 'o' in order to target freely without locking onto monsters.

[tummychow]

I do think that you should start in targeting mode rather than having to hit *; I honestly never use direction. It would also be nice to start on the nearest monster when in targeting mode, of course.

[d_m]

I'm at work so I can't write a detailed post right now, but:

1. I'm pretty sure that targeting has always highlighted the nearest monster by default. Certainly that is what the (existing) code says it is doing, and it is true in my experience as well.

2. Currently if you have only one (valid) type of ammo you can hit RETURN to have that ammo selected at the ammo selection prompt.

3. There is some new code introduced (written by rhinocesaurus) which is designed to increase accessibility by printing coordinates of targeted monsters, and a more verbose 3 line help message that is available with "?"

[PowerDiver]

I use direction fairly often when shooting aiming or zapping down a corridor. It is useful either when the target is unseen, or when there are a bunch of monsters to kill and you do not want to bother to retarget after each death.

[Nick]

Without Pav's fix, I like the idea of your key target nearest. (I'd prefer it be the , (comma), but that's just me, I think it must be what FA uses).

FA uses the . actually - stolen from Steam, and possibly originally from Ey. And I also commonly use the direction keys too - but I'm not sure whether that's because they're only a single keypress...

[bebo]

I use direction fairly often when shooting aiming or zapping down a corridor. It is useful either when the target is unseen, or when there are a bunch of monsters to kill and you do not want to bother to retarget after each death.

this

also the idea to add an inscription to set the default ammo for launchers looks like a really good idea to me; in any case as things are right now I use "@f1" for my default missile, and "\e\e\e\ef1*" as a macro to shoot, speeding up things considerably

[Magnate]

this

also the idea to add an inscription to set the default ammo for launchers looks like a really good idea to me; in any case as things are right now I use "@f1" for my default missile, and "\e\e\e\ef1*" as a macro to shoot, speeding up things considerably

I too use inscriptions and macros for ammo, and I suspect most people who are choosy about ammo do it, so as long as the new targeting code is macro-friendly, it shouldn't annoy anybody.

My point about this, is let's backport the quiver. In both S and NPP (and doubtless other variants) it gives you ten ammo slots with intelligent self-selection (cheapest ammo first, unusable ammo last etc.). You can use inscriptions to force ammo into a specific slot, etc.

If d_m is going to do most of this work for ammo selection, the quiver should be a piece of cake!

I'd be happy for the default to change from direction to target.

[fizzix]

I too use inscriptions and macros for ammo, and I suspect most people who are choosy about ammo do it, so as long as the new targeting code is macro-friendly, it shouldn't annoy anybody.

My point about this, is let's backport the quiver. In both S and NPP (and doubtless other variants) it gives you ten ammo slots with intelligent self-selection (cheapest ammo first, unusable ammo last etc.). You can use inscriptions to force ammo into a specific slot, etc.

If d_m is going to do most of this work for ammo selection, the quiver should be a piece of cake!

I'd be happy for the default to change from direction to target.

I highly recommend reducing the multipliers on launchers or decreasing ammo damage somehow before implementing a quiver. I do think that the quiver should be implemented, but arrows are too powerful.