Guild Wars 2

I was just thinking of having an option that would allow us to have a semi-transparent circle around the middle of the screen (coin-size, resizable;bright green/red w/e) that would allow a player to simply aim and pick the target.
Thoughts? Any better ways to improve it?

I don’t get it.

I think neverwinter online has something like that.

What OP has described is basically GW2 Combat Mode. This works in games built around it (Dragon Nest, ESO) but really doesn’t work in one that isn’t, such as GW2.

Evan Lesh.3295:

It’s an interesting idea to visually show selection areas, I can’t think of a game that has done this off the top of my head. However with any amount of overlapping characters that can be on the screen, this may not look so hot.

Is there a way we could better visually show who you would target if you clicked while hovering character models?

Simple – when the “O” goes over a player you could create a thin glow all around the target to create a distinction between the non-targeted ones. If there are multiple players within the circle, allow for tab selection between characters in the circle/approximate to the circle.

Deku.3129:

I don’t get it.

Crosshairs?

Pyroathiest.4168:

What OP has described is basically GW2 Combat Mode. This works in games built around it (Dragon Nest, ESO) but really doesn’t work in one that isn’t, such as GW2.

True, but judging by some of the videos I’ve seen (like this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tjK5OI2oAQ) it doesn’t look / work too badly.

EDIT: V2 vid here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBA2Yb4tvmU
Although in general these mods seem to be iffy in terms of ban-ability.

“Combat Mode” looks nice on those vids ^, also what a guy said in them about AOE targeting sounds great. Maybe Anet can give him a job?

Evan Lesh.3295:

Is there a way we could better visually show who you would target if you clicked while hovering character models?

i would start with effects clutter, it is really bad and impedes on the ability to actually even see the target and subsequent tells. we mentioned this during beta but yet here we are 1.5 yrs later with still nothing being done about it. /sigh

Would love to see that work against tiny asura in the middle of a mob

While I quite liked using the type of targeting system suggested by the op in DCUO it’s not a good fit for GW2. Also I’d like to point out that GW2’s targeting is a hell of a lot better than WoW, a game I’ve always had major issues with targeting in, and even gives you the option of using skills without a target and hitting whatever is in front of you.

That being said the system’s not perfect ofc and I’ve noticed some oddities such as times when it targeted something about a foot away from where i was clicking instead of what I was clicking on and I literally had to click beside an object to target, and there’s the fact that many things when used without a target just quickly slump down to the ground instead of firing out straight.

Evan Lesh.3295:

Nabbo.2845:

Evan Lesh.3295:

It’s an interesting idea to visually show selection areas, I can’t think of a game that has done this off the top of my head. However with any amount of overlapping characters that can be on the screen, this may not look so hot.

Is there a way we could better visually show who you would target if you clicked while hovering character models?

Simple – when the “O” goes over a player you could create a thin glow all around the target to create a distinction between the non-targeted ones. If there are multiple players within the circle, allow for tab selection between characters in the circle/approximate to the circle.

We definitely already glow targets when you hover them. I cannot describe the number of iterations of targeting we’ve gone through. It’s incredibly hard to get something that stand out in crowded fights that is still aesthetically pleasing. The two concepts are at odds

Yes, the targets do glow when you hover over them but you could make it more so with other options. You could implement various ways of targeting and make them all customizable options. I, for one, would see myself using a crosshair-based targeting system in tPvP. Perhaps create key-bindings to switch between different targeting systems in-battle?

Plus, I am 100% sure there are PvP players (surely PvE/WvW alike) that are willing to give up some aesthetics for more efficient targeting.

Evan Lesh.3295:

We definitely already glow targets when you hover them. I cannot describe the number of iterations of targeting we’ve gone through. It’s incredibly hard to get something that stand out in crowded fights that is still aesthetically pleasing. The two concepts are at odds

I think the real trick there is options. Because some people will be willing to sacrifice the aesthetics for functionality, where others will care more about the visuals. So making options to ‘customize’ the experience to allow more flexibility than a ‘one size fits all’ option would work better.

Evan Lesh.3295:

Nabbo.2845:

Evan Lesh.3295:

It’s an interesting idea to visually show selection areas, I can’t think of a game that has done this off the top of my head. However with any amount of overlapping characters that can be on the screen, this may not look so hot.

Is there a way we could better visually show who you would target if you clicked while hovering character models?

Simple – when the “O” goes over a player you could create a thin glow all around the target to create a distinction between the non-targeted ones. If there are multiple players within the circle, allow for tab selection between characters in the circle/approximate to the circle.

We definitely already glow targets when you hover them. I cannot describe the number of iterations of targeting we’ve gone through. It’s incredibly hard to get something that stand out in crowded fights that is still aesthetically pleasing. The two concepts are at odds

Try changing the player name maybe. I mean I know a lot of people, especially in PvP, will run around with show enemy names up. Maybe if you target someone or hover or whatever, that persons name changes to a yellow color or some other color besides red but can’t be confused with an ally (orange perhaps). This way players can choose to enable or disable it if they don’t like it by turning off show player names.

I would imagine it would be hard to improve targeting since body blocking exists and the camera can only zoom so far out. It would improve visibility greatly if the camera can zoom out back more so that I can click my targets easier, or maybe have nameplates above the players, but the screen is already too cluttered with particle effects.

Selected or pointed target could be enlareged <mechanic already exists with warrior Rampage>. Scale of this enlargement is something that would require testing tho I feel it will also lead to more visible skill animations.
Moreso If the size of enlargement could also be different for specific races this will help with combat visibility (e.g asura).

Odeezee.7362:

Evan Lesh.3295:

Is there a way we could better visually show who you would target if you clicked while hovering character models?

i would start with effects clutter, it is really bad and impedes on the ability to actually even see the target and subsequent tells. we mentioned this during beta but yet here we are 1.5 yrs later with still nothing being done about it. /sigh

I know. That way it’d be easier to take you down in teamfights, Odee!

Simple way to enhance targeting:
Options menu checkmark box for:
Target closest/next/previous buttons only target players.
This way you could still target cycle when a million minions were around, and it’s still easy to target any specific/said minions with the mouse as usual because they aren’t as squirrely as humans.

I think the fights people complain about with MMs are only super difficult because targeting the player when you need to in that bunch is really hard sometimes.

All I need is the option to turn off being able to select other players when targeting. Like maybe you’d need to hold down a key to select a friendly player as your target. These is almost no reason to select other players in combat, and yet in large zerg situations I end up almost always targeting other players much of the time since it’s so easy to click on them accidentally when using ground target skills or clicking and releasing right-click to look around.

Evan,

Is there any way to simply make the mouse cursor more visible? Maybe a check box in the options that makes it larger/a brighter color/glow? My biggest issue targetting comes from when I want to click someone or somewhere and not being able to find my mouse because the brown blends in with the background.

I’d be happy if the game didn’t constantly de-select my target for some reason (and I’m not talking about stealth).

Evan Lesh.3295:

It’s an interesting idea to visually show selection areas, I can’t think of a game that has done this off the top of my head.?

Smite,
Dragon’s Nest,
Continent of the 9th,
Cube World,
Neverwinter Online,
RaiderZ,
DC Universe,
Elder Scrolls Online

So I am in game now, and there is a player ~2,000 range away from me. I can move my cursor about a 1/2 inch to the left or the right of this character and still select this character.

Most of the targeting confusion for me comes not from the visual cues, but from the disconnect of what I am hovering over with my cursor and what is selected. Its my hypothesis that these “click-box” overlaps are the main cause of the problem.
I think if you were to tighten up the “click-boxes” to better outline the character shape, a good bit of the confusion of who you select as a target could go away.

TLDR;
I think accurate clicking systems would help more than an obtrusive visual change

Nabbo.2845:

Odeezee.7362:

Evan Lesh.3295:

Is there a way we could better visually show who you would target if you clicked while hovering character models?

i would start with effects clutter, it is really bad and impedes on the ability to actually even see the target and subsequent tells. we mentioned this during beta but yet here we are 1.5 yrs later with still nothing being done about it. /sigh

I know. That way it’d be easier to take you down in teamfights, Odee!

kitten , but i didn’t do anything

Dee Jay.2460:

I’d be happy if the game didn’t constantly de-select my target for some reason (and I’m not talking about stealth).

try disabling “Right-Click to Attack/Interact” in the Options Menu

Geff.1930:

Evan Lesh.3295:

It’s an interesting idea to visually show selection areas, I can’t think of a game that has done this off the top of my head.?

Smite,
Dragon’s Nest,
Continent of the 9th,
Cube World,
Neverwinter Online,
RaiderZ,
DC Universe,
Elder Scrolls Online

I can’t speak for most of these, but Dragon Nest is an entirely different combat system built from the ground up to support that type of targeting, and it works well because you don’t have actual target-locked skills.

ESO has target locked skills, and when fights get messy, the targeting sucks massively. It’s really difficult to maintain a consistent target.

How about a cursor we can see? With all the spell effects sometimes it can be hard to determine if you are pointing at the ground or at the sky.

GW2CM. Trust me.