(NEW RELEASE)MilitaryTargettingSystemv1.oxp for 1.76+

[CommonSenseOTB]

Sorry Tricky, I can't seem to make what you descibe happen and Thargoid is correct about TAP. Just a thought: you do realize that when you select a new category, the old targets are not cleared while the new targets for the newly selected category(if any) are added onto those? Could this be what you are seeing? As you described above, you hit n and then this happened. Not something that just happens or when you switch targets with the normal keys, but when you activate the equipment(select new targetting category which loads targets, if any). If that category was "Friendlies" could the traders's target be loaded up and be the target you have after pressing n? Just a passing thought...

[Solonar]

I have observed some quirky behavior with this device. Once it is used for the first time in a session it seems to stay on. Even when jumping into new systems does this device sometimes continue to acquire new targets automatically even if I am not actively using the device to do so.

[CommonSenseOTB]

I have observed some quirky behavior with this device. Once it is used for the first time in a session it seems to stay on. Even when jumping into new systems does this device sometimes continue to acquire new targets automatically even if I am not actively using the device to do so.

Hey Solonar, I see you're giving this a good shakedown. Excellent. Now that you're used to it some of mannerisms of this equipment become obvious. These can all be fine tuned for better ergonomics. So when I started out to decide what the best way was to set up how it behaves in play, I realized that there was only the correct way for me and that many different people might have many different preferences about how they would like it to behave or operate. So I settled on a compromise of behaviour so there should be some good stuff for everyone in it. That way everyone would playtest it really good and eventually come up with a little detail here or there which might lead to some real improvement in the overall function of the device. Keep the good stuff and hopefully improve upon some of the niggly little bits that can be improved.

So I'm guessing you don't want it on all the time. Would you like me to add an "OFF" category? I thought about that but had a niggly little thought that adding another category that you had to scroll through that did nothing would just be another keypress that may get in the way during a critical moment of combat. So I had decided against it and figured that it would be intuitive to the user that has such an automatic target aquisition tool to leave it parked in salvage mode so that when they are flying by on torus drive that they would be alerted to cargo and have a target lock as well to use when they hit j to get out of torus drive. Good reason I figure to stop, to pick up salvage, so I thought that when it came right down to it, the "OFF" category would be ignored. So if not an "OFF" category and there is only one activation button, what would be the best way to offer an on/off? I'm a little hesitant to have conditions out of the players control that prevent automatic target locks at a time when they may want them to happen. Ideas?

Aside from this little quirky behaviour, how is it performing for you? Any other suggestions to make it work better for you? This is one of those oxps that is going to need lots of playtesting and feedback from as many different types of people with different playstyles in order to make it even better until it is a sheer joy to use.

[Solonar]

The target acquisition is not a hindrance. I was merely caught off guard by its continuous operation. I would say leave it as is. If you might want to consider adding an 'off' option, perhaps one more selection in the scroll that is something like a 'nil' setting so that the device does not look for any targets. The device itself operates very well and I will be able to make better use of it now that I have a better understanding of its function.

[Diziet Sma]

Now that you're used to it some of mannerisms of this equipment become obvious. These can all be fine tuned for better ergonomics. So when I started out to decide what the best way was to set up how it behaves in play, I realized that there was only the correct way for me and that many different people might have many different preferences about how they would like it to behave or operate. So I settled on a compromise of behaviour so there should be some good stuff for everyone in it. That way everyone would playtest it really good and eventually come up with a little detail here or there which might lead to some real improvement in the overall function of the device. Keep the good stuff and hopefully improve upon some of the niggly little bits that can be improved.

The target acquisition is not a hindrance. I was merely caught off guard by its continuous operation. I would say leave it as is. If you might want to consider adding an 'off' option, perhaps one more selection in the scroll that is something like a 'nil' setting so that the device does not look for any targets. The device itself operates very well and I will be able to make better use of it now that I have a better understanding of its function.

How about keeping all the different behaviour types and allow players to choose their preferred default settings, or turn features on/off, via OXPConfig?

[Solonar]

I observed more odd behavior with this device. It seems to trigger re-acquisition of targets whenever I receive a distress call, a death threat call or grateful response call from ships within scanner range.

[CommonSenseOTB]

How about keeping all the different behaviour types and allow players to choose their preferred default settings, or turn features on/off, via OXPConfig?

Yeah, that's probably what will eventually happen. Thanks. So how did you find this oxp in use for yourself Diziet Sma?

I observed more odd behavior with this device. It seems to trigger re-acquisition of targets whenever I receive a distress call, a death threat call or grateful response call from ships within scanner range.

Yeah, there's a bit of code that sets the category to "Hostiles" which of course loads all hostile targets. This code triggers when your condition changes to conditon red from another condition like yellow or green. Must be coinciding with those comms messages and perhaps, now that I think about it, is probably what Tricky noticed in an earlier post. In my brief testing, I had determined it was better to have this code in than not just to avoid the hassle of as many as 5 button presses to select category "Hostiles" while under a surprise attack. This is sort of similar behaviour to Target Autolock Plus which gives you one first attacker hostile target lock if no other targets were previously selected.

Thanks for the input. It's sort of a prototype that I literally came up with the possible core function on a cocktail napkin. You are all my test pilots. So far it sounds like that core component that loads targets when you select a category is working well, from the lack of any other feedback on that.

So far, there's a desire for on/off and some kind of default setting that could be changed. Other ideas, comments, or playtest findings?

[Tricky]

One other I noticed was that when the targetted selected with this system is untargetted it doesn't go back to it's original scanner colour. It stays flashing blue/yellow.

[CommonSenseOTB]

One other I noticed was that when the targetted selected with this system is untargetted it doesn't go back to it's original scanner colour. It stays flashing blue/yellow.

Confirmed. Thanks Tricky. While the current behaviour still highlights the last target with blue and orange even when you unlock the target, the target is still in the target system memory expansion however and will come back if you scroll through all the current targets in that category. Still, should null the scannercolors when the lock is lost but the target is still there. Will fix for the next version. Great job people. Almost enough items to look at to make it worth starting on.(It's only been 3 1/2 days)

[Solonar]

Some might say this device is quirky. I decided it simply has personality.

Other than having personality this is a useful device for an active combateer. I like having it on board.

[Tricky]

Bug report:

Using the regular targetting system, 'r', on a wormhole to see where it was linked to with the wormhole scanner. Got this in the debug console...

Code: Select all

Exception: TypeError: target is null
    Active script: militarytargettingsystem 1.0
    militarytargettingsystem.js, line 150:
       target.scannerDisplayColor1 = "0.0 0.0 1.0 1.0";//blue

[Diziet Sma]

So how did you find this oxp in use for yourself Diziet Sma?

Overall, I like it very much.. it has a lot of the feel of a targeting computer of the type described in some of the novellas and short stories, and helps considerably with the ever-important immersion factor.

As the others have said, it does seem a little 'quirky' at times. It appears to be a more-or-less 'set and forget' type of thing, in that I can program what I want it to do and it will keep on doing its' thing across multiple jumps and activation/use of other special equipment, but it doesn't always seem to 'notice' that it really ought to refresh its' target-list, after a witch-jump, for example. Usually just a tap on the activation key will do the job, but sometimes this will cause it to jump to the next target category instead. Some of this may just be me getting used to using it, of course.

Also, I noticed that the system initiates a missile-lock on the first target it acquires. Whilst a nice time-saver in combat perhaps, (although generally I prefer to be the one who decides whether I want to use a missile -and which one-) that sort of thing is considered rather anti-social by stations, cops and other law-abiding types.. and can lead to nasty accidents.. perhaps an option to do an Ident-lock instead on non-offender/fugitive categories would be good to have? (Optional because certain.. errrmm.. less than scrupulous Commanders may have good reason to insta-missile-lock the Police )

What else? Let's see.. I use the Police Scanner Upgrade, which tags all offenders and fugitives as such on my scanner the instant they appear. I notice however, that your MTS doesn't pick up on offenders/fugitives until they announce themselves as hostile, by locking a missile onto me. It would be nice if the MTS could take advantage of an installed PSU to immediately add them to the target list, rather than waiting on a declaration of intent.

Once again, I like this a lot, it adds considerably to the realism of the game, and when the wrinkles are ironed out, and the defaults can be configured by the player, it will be one of the must have OXP's, in my opinion.

[CommonSenseOTB]

So how did you find this oxp in use for yourself Diziet Sma?

Overall, I like it very much.. it has a lot of the feel of a targeting computer of the type described in some of the novellas and short stories, and helps considerably with the ever-important immersion factor.

As the others have said, it does seem a little 'quirky' at times. It appears to be a more-or-less 'set and forget' type of thing, in that I can program what I want it to do and it will keep on doing its' thing across multiple jumps and activation/use of other special equipment, but it doesn't always seem to 'notice' that it really ought to refresh its' target-list, after a witch-jump, for example. Usually just a tap on the activation key will do the job, but sometimes this will cause it to jump to the next target category instead. Some of this may just be me getting used to using it, of course.

Also, I noticed that the system initiates a missile-lock on the first target it acquires. Whilst a nice time-saver in combat perhaps, (although generally I prefer to be the one who decides whether I want to use a missile -and which one-) that sort of thing is considered rather anti-social by stations, cops and other law-abiding types.. and can lead to nasty accidents.. perhaps an option to do an Ident-lock instead on non-offender/fugitive categories would be good to have? (Optional because certain.. errrmm.. less than scrupulous Commanders may have good reason to insta-missile-lock the Police )

What else? Let's see.. I use the Police Scanner Upgrade, which tags all offenders and fugitives as such on my scanner the instant they appear. I notice however, that your MTS doesn't pick up on offenders/fugitives until they announce themselves as hostile, by locking a missile onto me. It would be nice if the MTS could take advantage of an installed PSU to immediately add them to the target list, rather than waiting on a declaration of intent.

Once again, I like this a lot, it adds considerably to the realism of the game, and when the wrinkles are ironed out, and the defaults can be configured by the player, it will be one of the must have OXP's, in my opinion.

Thanks for testing Diziet Sma, very much appreciated. I'm glad this adds to immersion based on existing novellas and short stories.

I will attempt to iron out some of the quirkyness, such as refreshing the target list after a witchjump. As far as I know, target locks are target locks and having a missile lock requires the missiles to be in the right mode. Try safing your missiles and then see what happens. It will only affect things based upon what mode you are already in. I think that is out of my hands anyway as there is no way by javascript(yet?) to read/write which pylon is active and what state the missiles are in or I could possibly do something there.

As for the Police Scanner, I guess I could have the target category instant switch to the current "Fugitives/Offenders" category when the police scanner gives that information just like it currently switches to "Hostiles" category when attacked and not in the "Hostiles" category. Will look into that. However, one could simply scroll to the "Fugitives/Offenders" category manually when they see tagged offenders appear on the scanner in order to get those target locks. If one was in the middle of a salvage operation collecting cargo cannisters with target locks from the "Salvage" category when tagged offenders showed up and it autoswitched to the "Fugitives/Offender" category which caused you to have the locks on the cargo put further down the list or pushed off of it and lost thereby preventing you from grabbing as much cargo as you could before being attacked, well, one might not like that quirky behaviour either. In this particular example, when the offenders do actually attack you while in the "Salvage" category, it will switch to the "Hostiles" category which target locks up the attackers. Still quirky, but a safety feature none the less as targetting your attacker is probably far more important than an extra cargo container to scoop. haha! (I could be wrong)

Thanks for the input Diziet Sma, that's just the kinds of observations I'm looking for. Glad you like it! I have lots to think about for the next version. So many possibilities. Cheers!

[CommonSenseOTB]

Bug report:

Using the regular targetting system, 'r', on a wormhole to see where it was linked to with the wormhole scanner. Got this in the debug console...

Code: Select all

Exception: TypeError: target is null
    Active script: militarytargettingsystem 1.0
    militarytargettingsystem.js, line 150:
       target.scannerDisplayColor1 = "0.0 0.0 1.0 1.0";//blue

Thanks Tricky, will add code to check what a target is before changing the scannerDisplayColor.

I wonder, is there a way to change the scannerDisplayColors of a wormhole? What would that be, or is this hardcoded to be unchangeable?

[Tricky]

Bug report:

Using the regular targetting system, 'r', on a wormhole to see where it was linked to with the wormhole scanner. Got this in the debug console...

Code: Select all

Exception: TypeError: target is null
    Active script: militarytargettingsystem 1.0
    militarytargettingsystem.js, line 150:
       target.scannerDisplayColor1 = "0.0 0.0 1.0 1.0";//blue

Bump!

Patch file follows...

Code: Select all

--- AddOns/CommonSenseOTB.oxp/MilitaryTargettingSystemv1.oxp/Scripts/militarytargettingsystem.js   2012-06-24 04:22:09.318000000 +0100
+++ AddOns/CommonSenseOTB.oxp/MilitaryTargettingSystemv1.oxp/Scripts/militarytargettingsystem.js   2012-08-09 00:35:43.300700000 +0100
@@ -147,10 +147,13 @@
          this.mtelasttarget.scannerDisplayColor1 = null;
       this.mtelasttarget.scannerDisplayColor2 = null;
          }
+   if (target && target.isValid)
+      {
    target.scannerDisplayColor1 = "0.0 0.0 1.0 1.0";//blue
    target.scannerDisplayColor2 = "1.0 0.5 0.0 1.0";//orange
    this.mtelasttarget = target;
    }
+   }

 this.playerBoughtEquipment = function(equipmentKey)
    {

Basically I added this around the scanner display colour change...

Code: Select all

if (target && target.isValid) { ... }