There is an inconsistency in the JS-targeting mechanism which I find distinctly odd.
Usually both NPCs and the player can only target other entities within scanner range. If the target leaves scanner range, it is lost. This behaviour feels sensible.
However, the JS target property overrides this sensible behaviour. If you are at the witchpoint, both system.mainStation.target=player.ship and player.ship.target=system.mainStation work and actually set the respective entity's primary target. The main station becomes visible on screen with a reticle instantly, no matter how far away it is. (There are a couple of screen shots around which show ridiculously distant targets with a reticle.) Targets acquired this way aren't lost anymore, except by targeting something else. To me this feels wrong. Can something be done about it? I think the attempt to target something outside scanner range of the targeting entity in JS should return false.
Usually both NPCs and the player can only target other entities within scanner range. If the target leaves scanner range, it is lost. This behaviour feels sensible.
It's not always true. I've had something targeted, then it flew off my scanner on injectors, and sometimes I had it targeted still. At ~30 kms away! (Happens rarely and with no rule to it)
I think the attempt to target something outside scanner range of the targeting entity in JS should return false.
McLane - I would LOVE to know how you got this to happen. I attempt to assign player.ship.target=system.mainStation via the console, and I instantly get 'Target Lost'. I have even opened this as a Feature Request. You have it happening and want it to return false, and I can't get it to happen and want it as an optional behavior.
However, I noticed that there is one condition: It only works with de-activated targeting system ('U'). If I press 'R' to activate the targeting system I also get the instant 'Target lost'. Also if I first have targeted the station and then press 'R', the target is lost immediately.
In other words: the player ship can target distant entities if (and only if) the targeting system is not active. This is a contradiction in terms, therefore it clearly seems a bug to me.
However, I noticed that there is one condition: It only works with de-activated targeting system ('U'). If I press 'R' to activate the targeting system I also get the instant 'Target lost'. Also if I first have targeted the station and then press 'R', the target is lost immediately.
In other words: the player ship can target distant entities if (and only if) the targeting system is not active. This is a contradiction in terms, therefore it clearly seems a bug to me.
I just tried the above... Lost Target, target system NOT active.
Last edited by Frame on Mon Mar 21, 2011 8:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I use the Target Autolock oxp, but usually have the targeting system active anyway. Presumably it happens when I'm fired upon, whilst the target system is inactive, and then run away...?
So the reason for the behaviour must be in my ship OXP (and presumably in other ship OXPs as well).
Or possibly in some combination of equipment I have on my Imperial Courier. Must be vanilla equipment, though, as I had all equipment-related OXPs deactivated.
Replicated it with the Imperial Courier here too. OK, we seem to have a lead. Let's try to see now what it is inside the Courier that causes the bug to occur.
Edit: Actually, it is your save game, not the Imperial Courier. I changed the ship in the savefile to a standard Cobra and got the bug again.
