Guild Wars 2

Why do we need to improve the targeting system?

The current targeting is really limited and doesn’t promote target swaping. This makes the teamfights less skill-based and promotes tunnel visioning.

Right now players cannot efficiently swap targets in order to CC the support builds while nuking the primary target.

In the current metagame, ressurrecting is too easy and interrupting resses way too hard. Bunker mesmer for example can ressurrect with quickness and stability, engineers can stealth, etc. A better targeting system would help us to pre-interrupt resurrections before the support reaches the downed team mate.

At the same time, it’s very hard to coordinate a “korean swap” where everyone in the team suddenly changes the target and bursts down someone from 100 to 0. This kind of swaps that are so common in PvP games don’t see any play in GW2 because of the poor targeting system.

To sum up, better targeting gives players more room for outplaying.

What do we want to implement?

A totally optional system for those players that want to bring their gameplay to the next level. This addition should not change anything for players that don’t want to use it.

Basically we don’t need a “new system”. We just need more tools for those players that want to use them.

Option1: Target arena enemy #

World of Warcraft uses this system in its arena PvP.

Basically you can set up key bindings to instantly target your enemies depending on a default order.

These keybinds are:

“Target arena enemy 1”
“Target arena enemy 2”
“Target arena enemy 3”
“Target arena enemy 4”
“Target arena enemy 5”

The same can be done with allies to support them more efficiently.

Problem: This system would kill the purpose of mesmer clones and illusions.

Solution: When you target a mesmer using these keybinds you will target a random Clone instead. You can use the same keybind to keep swaping through all the mesmer copies (including the original).

Option2: Call Targeting

Improve the Call target system that is already in the game.

“Call Target is a keybind ability (default: Ctrl+T) that allows you to “mark” a target, monster or player, which creates a large red bull’s-eye that hovers over the head of the enemy."

Having only one mark is very limited as players, especially in soloQ, keep unintentionally removing marks that were made by their team mates.

If two fights simultaneously happen (let’s say a 2v2 and a 3v3) one of them is doomed to have no mark at all.

This system should be extended to allow players to call up to 3+ different marks with different colors or shapes. Similarly, there could be optional key binds to target the different marks.

Too long, didn’t read

Improving targeting

- Gives more tools to the players to combat the bunker meta.
- Helps communication between soloQueuers
- Makes ability spamming and tunnel visioning less effective
- Creates more room for outplays.

I haven’t played WoW so excuse me for asking but, does the different keybind targeting have different colors assigned to them?
How does their targeting works? Is it an highlight or, as GW2, a big, bright, target mark on top of their head?

On another hand, I truly appreciate this idea… it would make the whole targetting system less… unfriendly to Squeuers while promotting a real capacity of teamplay with premade…

Pepsi.8907:

I haven’t played WoW so excuse me for asking but, does the different keybind targeting have different colors assigned to them?
How does their targeting works? Is it an highlight or, as GW2, a big, bright, target mark on top of their head?

On another hand, I truly appreciate this idea… it would make the whole targetting system less… unfriendly to Squeuers while promotting a real capacity of teamplay with premade…

In WoW you just have 1 keybind to instantly target each enemy. This replaces the use of Tab to navigate throught each enemy.

You don’t mark, you directly take the target.

Good idea +1.

I miss the Aion targeting system in games, too.

You basically assign signs or numbers to your targets. By clicking on the assigned keybind, we can select directly the one we desire.

Mesmers will be a problem, your suggestion is good on this, or we could let them without target too.

Another good targeting idea is to allow instant target swap. Many times I’ve been in situations where I wanted to attack 1 person and interrupt another. The problem is that it takes a critical second for your character to stop tunnel visioning one and switch to the other target. This happens a lot in a downed fight necro vs ranger, you need to attack the ranger and fear the pet. You channel a full attack against the ranger, switch target to the pet and use fear, but your character still tries to fear the ranger.

Asato.5479:

Good idea +1.

I miss the Aion targeting system in games, too.

You basically assign signs or numbers to your targets. By clicking on the assigned keybind, we can select directly the one we desire.

Mesmers will be a problem, your suggestion is good on this, or we could let them without target too.

FFXIV as a system such as that, there’s even round, square and triangle (or a “stop” sign to not get a target)
It had been an incredible way to communicate in lieu et place of the flawed and almost non existent one that we have

The point of the current targeting system is to just draw attention to something. You do not have to have the target above a person’s head the entire time that you are trying to kill them.

Having automatic targets for each player on the enemy team would prevent movement play. Currently, you have to see someone to target them, and you have to be within a range in order to switch to that target. Else, you could always know where every player was on the enemy team.

I would appreciate a two target system, but that is what the next and previous target buttons are for.