# Make (F)iring weapons target the closest hostile first

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-f-iring-weapons-target-the-closest-hostile-first/4627>\
**Category:** The Drawing Board\
**Created:** [December 26, 2013, 6:35am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-f-iring-weapons-target-the-closest-hostile-first/4627 "2013-12-26T06:35:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 16\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Olith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Olith](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Olith)\
**Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 6:35am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-f-iring-weapons-target-the-closest-hostile-first/4627/1 "2013-12-26T06:35:49Z")

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Instead of the first thing in line of sight\range and prioritize that one thing, over anything that is closer and likely more dangerous.

I came up with this because I was right next to a zombie and accidently shot and killed my dog that 5 tiles away and got a bite wound.

Why are friendlies even targeted? and not even given a prompt?

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**Author:** ![Furaotic](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/furaotic/32/64_2.png) [@Furaotic](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Furaotic)\
**Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 11:12am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-f-iring-weapons-target-the-closest-hostile-first/4627/2 "2013-12-26T11:12:45Z")

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ugh, I’m not the only one whos shot their dog instead of the blood thirsty, vicious monster 6 tiles away.

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**Author:** ![AtomicDryad](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/atomicdryad/32/85_2.png) [@AtomicDryad](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/AtomicDryad)\
**Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 7:41pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-f-iring-weapons-target-the-closest-hostile-first/4627/3 "2013-12-26T19:41:18Z")

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Feh I thought I fixed that months back. More precisely it shoud. Target the last targeted hostile, or the lastest spotted hostile.

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**Author:** ![ClaytonRISING](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/claytonrising/32/75_2.png) [@ClaytonRISING](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/ClaytonRISING)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 8:48pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-f-iring-weapons-target-the-closest-hostile-first/4627/4 "2013-12-31T20:48:11Z")

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Latest spotted hostile? I disagree. It should target the closest threat first.

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**Author:** ![Binky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f04885/32.png) [@Binky](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Binky)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2014, 1:30pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-f-iring-weapons-target-the-closest-hostile-first/4627/5 "2014-01-01T13:30:06Z")

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I think it should go first to ‘Last targeted’ (as you will probably want to shoot what you’ve already shot) then to ‘Closest enemy’, and then to most dangerous enemy if two enemies are equidistant.

I do think that in some cases this should be overruled, for instance in the situation of a much more dangerous monster or a caster/ranged attacker who was able to attack before other enemies were (for instance) within 5 tiles. It was debated for a long time with DCSS and decided against, but I do really feel that this sort of targeting mechanism would help players and make the most sense.

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**Author:** ![ClaytonRISING](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/claytonrising/32/75_2.png) [@ClaytonRISING](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/ClaytonRISING)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2014, 4:13pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-f-iring-weapons-target-the-closest-hostile-first/4627/6 "2014-01-01T16:13:10Z")

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I don’t know, I’d rather fire at the enemy closest to me than one I’ve already shot further away.

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**Author:** ![Binky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f04885/32.png) [@Binky](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Binky)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2014, 5:27pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-f-iring-weapons-target-the-closest-hostile-first/4627/7 "2014-01-01T17:27:45Z")

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> [@Clayton](#):
>
> I don’t know, I’d rather fire at the enemy closest to me than one I’ve already shot further away.

What if you were shooting at a barrel which would explode in a radius that would kill all the zombies around you, or if you were shooting at a ranged adversary?

Obviously it should snap to the closest when first firing, but after that I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t want it to keep snapping back to the rat next to me if a hulk was bearing down on me.

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**Author:** ![ClaytonRISING](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/claytonrising/32/75_2.png) [@ClaytonRISING](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/ClaytonRISING)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2014, 5:30pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-f-iring-weapons-target-the-closest-hostile-first/4627/8 "2014-01-01T17:30:28Z")

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> [@Binky](#):
>
> [quote=“Clayton, post:6, topic:4627”]I don’t know, I’d rather fire at the enemy closest to me than one I’ve already shot further away.

What if you were shooting at a barrel which would explode in a radius that would kill all the zombies around you, or if you were shooting at a ranged adversary?

Obviously it should snap to the closest when first firing, but after that I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t want it to keep snapping back to the rat next to me if a hulk was bearing down on me.[/quote]

That’s too specific of a situation. The first rule of being a good soldier is that you always engage the closest threat first.

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**Author:** ![Datanazush](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/datanazush/32/1055_2.png) [@Datanazush](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Datanazush)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2014, 6:41pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-f-iring-weapons-target-the-closest-hostile-first/4627/9 "2014-01-01T18:41:14Z")

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Maybe there could be a keybind? Capital F doesn’t do anything when in the firing menu, right? It could be done so that f\>F automatically fires at the previous target if there is one or fire at previous direction if there isn’t.

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**Author:** ![FunsizeNinja123](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/funsizeninja123/32/118_2.png) [@FunsizeNinja123](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/FunsizeNinja123)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2014, 6:46pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-f-iring-weapons-target-the-closest-hostile-first/4627/10 "2014-01-01T18:46:28Z")

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Cap. F changes the thing you are firing on your gun. Like if you have the grenade launcher mod attached to your gun F with switch between regular gun mode and grenade launcher mode. Also, F switches between burst mode and single shot mode.

I want to double tap my pistols, damn it.

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**Author:** ![Datanazush](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/datanazush/32/1055_2.png) [@Datanazush](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Datanazush)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2014, 7:30pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-f-iring-weapons-target-the-closest-hostile-first/4627/11 "2014-01-01T19:30:47Z")

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[quote=“FunsizeNinja123, post:10, topic:4627”]Cap. F changes the thing you are firing on your gun. Like if you have the grenade launcher mod attached to your gun F with switch between regular gun mode and grenade launcher mode. Also, F switches between burst mode and single shot mode.

I want to double tap my pistols, damn it.[/quote]

Does it do it when you’re already in the firing/aiming menu though? That’s kinda what I was planning, when I tested it out, capital F just fired a shot.

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**Author:** ![FunsizeNinja123](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/funsizeninja123/32/118_2.png) [@FunsizeNinja123](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/FunsizeNinja123)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2014, 7:38pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-f-iring-weapons-target-the-closest-hostile-first/4627/12 "2014-01-01T19:38:32Z")

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> [@Datanazush](#):
>
> Does it do it when you’re already in the firing/aiming menu though? That’s kinda what I was planning, when I tested it out, capital F just fired a shot.

Huh… Never thought about that. But no, it does not work when you are in the firing “menu”.

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**Author:** ![Binky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f04885/32.png) [@Binky](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Binky)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2014, 7:46pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-f-iring-weapons-target-the-closest-hostile-first/4627/13 "2014-01-01T19:46:44Z")

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> [@Clayton](#):
>
> The first rule of being a good soldier is that you always engage the closest threat first.

Negatory - you always engage the most urgent threat. Why, in a hp based game, would you engage the rat doing 2 dmg to your leg rather than the bandit holding a machine gun? Obviously it should be closest if you’ve not engaged anything, but if not, it just makes sense to keep shooting whatever you were shooting.

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**Author:** ![ClaytonRISING](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/claytonrising/32/75_2.png) [@ClaytonRISING](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/ClaytonRISING)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2014, 8:15pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-f-iring-weapons-target-the-closest-hostile-first/4627/14 "2014-01-01T20:15:20Z")

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> [@Binky](#):
>
> [quote=“Clayton, post:8, topic:4627”]The first rule of being a good soldier is that you always engage the closest threat first.

Negatory - you always engage the most urgent threat. Why, in a hp based game, would you engage the rat doing 2 dmg to your leg rather than the bandit holding a machine gun? Obviously it should be closest if you’ve not engaged anything, but if not, it just makes sense to keep shooting whatever you were shooting.[/quote]

You’re using very specific situations. I’m basing it off of the general theme of the game: zombies. Which is what you fight the most. I’m convinced that in this game you’ll be in more situations where you’re fighting zombies who have to be close to you to attack you more than a rat biting your leg while a bigger threat is further away…

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**Author:** ![Binky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f04885/32.png) [@Binky](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Binky)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2014, 8:21pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-f-iring-weapons-target-the-closest-hostile-first/4627/15 "2014-01-01T20:21:49Z")

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> [@Clayton](#):
>
> You’re using very specific situations. I’m basing it off of the general theme of the game: zombies. Which is what you fight the most. I’m convinced that in this game you’ll be in more situations where you’re fighting zombies who have to be close to you to attack you more than a rat biting your leg while a bigger threat is further away…

If it’s just the same danger enemies (such as zombies), then it does make sense to pick the closest, but with a mix of enemies in FOV (especially when ranged NPCs and the like are in) then I feel that the most dangerous/previously fired at is the best to snap too.

If a more complicated design was desired, it could look at all sorts of factors to decide on the ‘danger’ (which could be tweaked to your play style) but really, if you’re in a situation where it’s that dangerous, you shouldn’t be hammering the fire button.

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**Author:** ![kevin.granade](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/kevin.granade/32/1316_2.png) [@kevin.granade](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/kevin.granade)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 5:50am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-f-iring-weapons-target-the-closest-hostile-first/4627/16 "2014-01-02T05:50:33Z")

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If you’ve already fired at a particular enemy, the ONLY sensible default is that enemy.  
However, as has been pointed out the keybinds on the firing menu are wide open, so we can probably have some for “target closest” enemy, “target toughest enemy”, etc, so it’s only one additional keypress to fire at something other than the default.