UI Proposal: target in monster mode by default

[fph]

I must suck at explaining things.

Setup: create a new character, a mage or necromancer, and learn magic missile / nether bolt. Make sure one or two townfolks are in sight, and press m, a, a.

Current behaviour: Is a monster targeted automatically? No, the game asks for a direction and you have to press * to start targeting monsters and cycle through them with the arrow keys. Otherwise, the arrow keys just fire a bolt in a cardinal direction, whether there's a monster there or not.

Proposal: A monster is targeted automatically. To shoot in a cardinal direction instead, you have to press *, or p, or whatever. (If you wish, you can think to my proposal as "the key * is inserted automatically after m,a,a")

[Pete Mack]

Ah. Try using 5 instead of *. It works exactly as it should: use current target, or pick one if it hasn't been set. The problem is that it is under documented, not that it doesn't work. It really should show up in the targeting prompt.

[Nick]

Ah. Try using 5 instead of *. It works exactly as it should: use current target, or pick one if it hasn't been set. The problem is that it is under documented, not that it doesn't work. It really should show up in the targeting prompt.

This doesn't seem to work in current master. Maybe I broke it.

[fph]

5 doesn't work in master for me either. In any case, I don't see how it would solve my problem.

Current state (assuming 5 works):

1. Bolt at previous target: m1a5 / m1a'
2. Bolt at new target when there is a previous target: m1a*<direction>t
3. Bolt at new target when there is no previous target: m1a5<direction>t / m1a*<direction>t
4. Bolt in a cardinal direction when there is a monster in sight: m1a<direction>
5. Bolt in a cardinal direction when there is no monster in sight: m1a<direction>

My proposal:
1. Bolt at previous target: m1at / m1a<space> / m1a5 / m1a'
2. Bolt at new target when there is a previous target: m1a<direction>t
3. Bolt at new target when there is no previous target: m1a<direction>t
4. Bolt in a cardinal direction when there is a monster in sight: m1a*<direction>
5. Bolt in a cardinal direction when there is no monster in sight: m1a*<direction> / m1a<direction>

You gain a keypress in 2 and 3, and lose one in 4, which seems far less common.

[Derakon]

oh i think its a good idea

Go away. I'm sick of having to report each of your posts.

[Pete Mack]

The way 5 works to my knowledge is it picks current target if one exists, but prompts for a new one if one doesn't. This is perfect behavior, as far as I am concerned. It may only work in roguelike keymap, but I don't see why.