PSA: There are new turret modes now

[LameFox]

Oddly I did not see this in the patch notes but in the beta there are turret modes that fire at one thing before switching to another thing. Not quite the customizable priorities of yore, but, certainly more serviceable than turrets that can only do one thing ever.

[alt3rn1ty]

Thank you for this post, I wouldn't have known about this if you had not posted.

I just did a search of the Beta 1 notes, you are right it is not mentioned. Here are the only lines with "Turret" mentioned :

Added weapon and turret range of ships to Object Information menu.
Improved tolerance of turret friendly fire between player and non-player factions.
Fixed turret control acquiring only one missile per missile swarm.
Fixed inconsistencies in M turret pricing.
Fixed Ion Pulse turret bullets clipping into ship hull on launching.
Fixed floating turrets on Terran defence tube.
Fixed turrets of Scrap Recycler being inside module.
Fixed turret positioning issue on Magnetar.
Fixed missing sound on large mining turrets.

Wish now there were descriptions for the new Options, ie if we choose "Shoot missiles first", what is the priority for the turret if there are no missiles, does it default to "Defend"?. For example is the logic something like "If no missiles, then target closest enemy", what comes as Second priority for this mode.

I mean this sounds like a very nice option, now we dont have to dedicate a turret purely to defence against missiles (which means that turret is mostly idle when it could be targetting other quarry aswell, kind of a waste of turret previously).

[j.harshaw]

it's this line in the log:

Added new weapon modes and renamed some old weapon modes for clarity.

[alt3rn1ty]

it's this line in the log:

Added new weapon modes and renamed some old weapon modes for clarity.

Thank you
But what does "Shoot missiles first" .. do Second? - if there are no misslies around does it default to Defend.

If it does this is a fantastic new mode I have been wishing would happen for years.

[LameFox]

it's this line in the log:

Added new weapon modes and renamed some old weapon modes for clarity.

Oh that would explain it then, to me weapons means the forward guns. I remember seeing that and wondering "what are weapon modes, like when you charge them or something?"

[Falcrack]

it's this line in the log:

Added new weapon modes and renamed some old weapon modes for clarity.

Thank you
But what does "Shoot missiles first" .. do Second? - if there are no misslies around does it default to Defend.

If it does this is a fantastic new mode I have been wishing would happen for years.

This is important to know. I prefer "Attack all enemies" were the secondary mode if no missiles are incoming. Defend only fires if the ship is fired upon, which is not my preference for pure combat ships.

[LameFox]

This is exactly the sort of reason I'd prefer custom ones lol. Presets for how everyone plays would be... very numerous.

Having said that, I think going from missile defence -> defence wouldn't bother me too much, partly because incoming missiles imply attackers to fire at, and partly because it's something I'll likely be using on M turrets whose ranges are so short they are largely defensive whether they like it or not.

[flywlyx]

This is exactly the sort of reason I'd prefer custom ones lol. Presets for how everyone plays would be... very numerous.

Yeah, the custom one will be way better.

I would anticipate that everyone will pose the same question: Who will be the second after missiles?

I hope Egosoft is following a similar timeline to X3; six years later, they will release the custom turrets' behavior.

[GCU Grey Area]

if we choose "Shoot missiles first", what is the priority for the turret if there are no missiles, does it default to "Defend"?

From what I can tell turrets default to Attack All Enemies if set to Shoot Missiles First when there are no missiles around. Tested it on a Xenon fleet. Configured all non-missile M turrets on my Ray to Shoot Missiles First then flew into the middle of a fighter swarm. They were shooting at Xenon S/M fighters without the need for my ship to be shot at first (so default is probably not Defend). Then went after a K & they shot at that ship too.

[alt3rn1ty]

if we choose "Shoot missiles first", what is the priority for the turret if there are no missiles, does it default to "Defend"?

From what I can tell turrets default to Attack All Enemies if set to Shoot Missiles First when there are no missiles around. Tested it on a Xenon fleet. Configured all non-missile M turrets on my Ray to Shoot Missiles First then flew into the middle of a fighter swarm. They were shooting at Xenon S/M fighters without the need for my ship to be shot at first (so default is probably not Defend). Then went after a K & they shot at that ship too.

I have just spent a few hours testing too, made a video of a Kuraokami having a go at a few Kha'ak.
I think you are right it does seem to default to Attack All Enemies ..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOuE0BXCJyM

Sooo nice.

Better be careful with this in the 7 beta new sectors, I have allies there that dont behave like allies (Blacklisted these sectors for traders), so this turret setting could easily get my rep with them decreasing.

[alt3rn1ty]

I'm so impressed I am currently editing ALL of my fleets (Alt Tabbed out of game to post this).

Big Military ships:
L Turrets - Attack Capital Ships First - Previously these were Attack Capitals, but I think there are occasions a stray slow heavy weapon can catch a smaller ship (Rare but why not)
M Turrets - Shoot Missiles First - Because missile defence is good, and defaulting to Attack all enemies is excellent

Small/Medium Military ships:
Turrets - Shoot Missiles First - as above M turrets (Actually are there ANY smol fighters with turrets .. dont think so, read Medium Military ships)

Miners (Mostly L Wyverns in my game, with Split Flak .. because Kha'ak jelously guarding resource hot points):
Turrets - Defend - I prefer these ships to prioritise billy big steps get the hell outta there (not so much of a problem with L Miners, but Kha'ak spawning seems to have increased a little in 7B1, I have for the first time EVER lost 1 L Miner today (but thats because I was In Sector at the time and didn't respond quick enough to the High attention situation), I had 4 x Space suits in my property list waiting for rescue afterwards .. "Shipyard build another Wyvern Mineral please" <Damn, lost the experienced crew>)

Traders (L Sturgeons in my game):
Turrets - Defend - as above

I think these new turret settings are a game changer.
There are niche uses for the other options, but generally I think the above is good.

Now I just need to encourage the game to use missiles more, I found that if the player does not use missiles, the game engine tends to use them rarely from enemies. So in my game I rarely see them being used against me because for a long time in X4 I have steered clear of micromanaging stocking the things .. Things may change
Loved missiles in X3AP, but X4 so far has not impressed in the missile department .. I may be on the verge of changing that now with the new turret options.

Edit: Future V7 x4 players .. bookmark this topic
@Imperial Good / @CGU Grey Area will probably come up with more advanced play ideas for the new turret options, but that's what Imperial good's / CGU Grey Area do.

[Zloth2]

I think these new turret settings are a game changer.

Every item in the patch notes is, literally, a game changer.

I found that if the player does not use missiles, the game engine tends to use them rarely from enemies.

I found that's not true as of 6.2, and I found out the hard way. SCA pirate capital ships are tearing up my ships when they have a bunch of missile turrets. Boarding isn't as easy as it was back in 6.0!

P.S. And watch your mining drone count on those mining ships. The Kha'ak aren't just shooting at your ship anymore in 7.

[LameFox]

I think these new turret settings are a game changer.

Every item in the patch notes is, literally, a game changer.

I found that if the player does not use missiles, the game engine tends to use them rarely from enemies.

I found that's not true as of 6.2, and I found out the hard way. SCA pirate capital ships are tearing up my ships when they have a bunch of missile turrets. Boarding isn't as easy as it was back in 6.0!

P.S. And watch your mining drone count on those mining ships. The Kha'ak aren't just shooting at your ship anymore in 7.

SCA have always used missiles IIRC. They don't appear able to resupply them though, so it's somewhat luck based whether they fire any at you or are already empty by the time you find the ship.

[alt3rn1ty]

P.S. And watch your mining drone count on those mining ships. The Kha'ak aren't just shooting at your ship anymore in 7.

thats just evil.

[chew-ie]

P.S. And watch your mining drone count on those mining ships. The Kha'ak aren't just shooting at your ship anymore in 7.

thats just evil.

Somewhere in the past, a Egosoft dev: "Muhaha - I improved the AI alright. Kha'ak learned a new thing"

[alt3rn1ty]

P.S. And watch your mining drone count on those mining ships. The Kha'ak aren't just shooting at your ship anymore in 7.

thats just evil.

Somewhere in the past, a Egosoft dev: "Muhaha - I improved the AI alright. Kha'ak learned a new thing"

[Mr.Killer]

Personally I think it is an improvement that we really missed. These new options gives us more flexibility in control over the dull turrets.

Wish now there were descriptions for the new Options, ie if we choose "Shoot missiles first", what is the priority for the turret if there are no missiles, does it default to "Defend"?. For example is the logic something like "If no missiles, then target closest enemy", what comes as Second priority for this mode.

I mean this sounds like a very nice option, now we dont have to dedicate a turret purely to defence against missiles (which means that turret is mostly idle when it could be targetting other quarry aswell, kind of a waste of turret previously).

While some have asked for personal control of the turrets, this is something that the marines could be doing when on board and doing nothing but polishing their nails.
On the other hand, description when hovering over the setting would also give explanation, but the option could also be broadened by explicitly number the actions and the player can give priority numbers like this:
1 defend
2 attack all enemies
3 attack only capitol ships
4 attack capitol ships first, then (number, number)
5 attack only fighters
6 attack fighters first, then (number, number)
7 shoot only missiles
8 shoot missiles first, then (number, number, number)
9 attack my current enemy, then (number, number, number)

This number is the option after the current setting is solved, this can rotate and get a better protection for ship turrets.
Who knows if the devs find this plausible and maybe achievable.

[alt3rn1ty]

I think we just need tooltips for each choice, or .. what a turret defaults to (as per "Shoot missiles first" defaults to Attack all enemies when no missiles are around) explained in the encyclopedia.

Turret Modes :
Blah blah blah per mode

(And not Weapon modes, as the change was described in the Patch notes, thats just confusing)

[Feloidea]

I may experiment with missile turrets again if the "shoot capitals only" setting also works like that OOS. Last time I tried it the Tokyo in question emptied it's dumbfires against Xenon S and M ships (and then got smoked by a K after running out of missiles ...) and my post in Tech Support about it didn't gain any traction so I can only assume that the current "Attack Capital Ships" is really only "attack capital ships first" and will still happily sling finite missiles at anything else in reach.

The other thing the game needs to make missile loadouts more attractive is a subordinate behaviour to automate missile resupplies, maybe even add a specialized resupply ship that can transfer large amounts of missiles to ships using them (especially L destroyers without an M dock that can only rely on S suppliers outside of auxillary ships to resupply).

[GCU Grey Area]

assume that the current "Attack Capital Ships" is really only "attack capital ships first" and will still happily sling finite missiles at anything else in reach.

Not seeing that in my 7.0 beta game. Have a pair of tracking turrets on my Ray. They're loaded with H.Smart & are set to 'Attack Only Capital Ships'. Have not seen them fire on anything other than enemy capital ships, even in a target rich environment with plenty of enemy S/M ships within range.