What does "Tab Targeting" do?

GreenHere

Seriously, I can't figure it out...

I use a controller on PC (yeah, yeah; I know, I know...). The Cycle Preferred Target function puts a white outline on an enemy and, from what I can tell, literally nothing else. If there's an enemy between me and the one I have targeted, my attacks still hit the one closest to me. If I am not directly highlighting the target I want to hit with my cursor, the targeting does nothing aside from the white outline. Is that all it's meant to do? Am I missing something here?

Henryc1t807

In my experience, it's a big buggy and a bit broken. Like you said, when there is an enemy between the enemy I have tab targeted, I will hit the enemy closest. However, sometimes if I have targeted a boss and I go to attack an add. My attacks will travel to the boss even though he isn't in my line of sight.

idk

Taonnor wrote: »

And your target is "locked" so you can more easily follow them.

Locked is to strong of a word for tab target in this game.

It is essentially only a preferred target but if another target's hit box is between you and the one selected single target damage is less likely to hit your selected target. Essentially it will prefer the target over others when they are close together but not blocked.

Royaji

It does help to focus your target in a big stack of adds. Useful for off-tanks and all kinds of "interrupters". Also good for fights where you need to quickly focus one add in a group. It's not a panacea to solve all your targeting problems but it helps.

Also very useful in PvP since it is a literal in-game wallhack. Try it.

Thogard

It allows you to hit a person behind another person. You still have to target the intended victim, but if you do it is as if the person in between you does not exist.

People who say otherwise have not tested it out and are confusing their own faulty aim for a faulty system.

Recremen

I find tab-targeting extremely useful in both PvE and PvP, but I'd be darned to tell you precisely how it works. I just did some experiments in-game, and it seems to just widen the hit box on a particular target. I fire an arrow at one spot without tab-targeting the enemy and the shot doesn't hit, I fire at the same spot WITH tab-targeting the enemy and then it DOES hit the enemy. Tried a few times with stationary enemies.

Now, for me as a melee DPS this becomes important. I used to miss SO MANY light and heavy attacks for completely indiscernible reasons. I would have my cursor over the enemy and it just would give me the whiff sound. Ever since I started tab-targeting, though, I never whiff, even sometimes when turned away from the boss (but again, melee range, I'm probably still aimed at the boss' hit box from the inside). It really was a game-changer. It also lets me see where an enemy has moved in PvP more easily until they break it with stealth. A great tool all-around!

jypcy

Yeah, as others have stated, it prioritizes aiming on the tabbed target but doesn’t make your aim exclusive to that target. If you put something else in your sights, you can still attack that instead. But if your tabbed target is in your line of sight without any significant obstructions (such as another target between you and it), your single target abilities prioritize their aim at the tabbed target.

A comparison to targetting without the tab might help distinguish its function: if not tab targeted, your aim is focused at pretty much whatever is most centered and closest in your view. If something else wiggles a bit so that it momentarily is closer and more center than your intended target, your abilities will start hitting that until it moves. With tab targetting, you can continue hitting your intended target even if something else slightly obstructs it. If something more significantly obstructs it (and this is vague, but unfortunately I can’t give you more concrete criteria), then you’ll have to adjust your aim, else your attacks will hit the intervening target even though you have something else tabbed.

At least, that’s been my experience with it from my testing in various scenarios.

RaddlemanNumber7

I regularly use tab targeting in Cyrodiil to snipe people who are firing siege when there are lots of other targets running around them. I used it twice for that earlier today.

The first time I tabbed the guy first try and all the shots hit him.

The second time it took me a couple of goes to tab the guy I wanted. My first shot went off nearly at right angles, even though my cursor was over the tabbed target. The second and subsequent shots all hit the tabbed target despite some other enemy running around him.

That pretty much sums up my experience with tab targeting. First shot can be wildly erratic, but the rest are on target provided you keep aiming at them and they don't run away behind some cover.

Tabbed targets don't seem to be able to purge it off, and it doesn't seem to time out. It can stay on the target for ages. It can be fun watching this shiny little outline running around inside keeps and towers.

After Murkmire hits I think I might try using tab targeting on stealth users as a substitute for Piercing Mark now that's getting nerfed so bad. If they run off behind cover at least I'll have some chance of keeping track of them. The big problem is going to be finding a convenient key, and an extra finger, to set it quickly enough during combat.

GreenHere

Big thanks to:

@jypcy
@idk
@Recremen
@RaddlemanNumber7
@Royaji
@Thogard
@Henryc1t807

for the particularly illuminating posts! Your contributions helped me understand it a bit better, and gave me something more specific to look for in my testing. Thanks to all who contributed to the thread!

After reading what's been added to the discussion I went back and did some more, slightly less casual, testing with the targeting feature. What I've found was best described by @jypcy, and seems pretty accurate. I've copied it below.

It's a slight and vague enhancement of the standard targeting. You can hit a target behind another, but only sometimes. Often you'll still hit whatever's closest, but it does widen the window of opportunity a bit on your preferred target. It seems to work better once in-combat, vs before opening combat. The clearest difference I could see is being able to target one enemy when others were super close together. Further apart, it's harder to notice the benefits.

jypcy wrote: »

Yeah, as others have stated, it prioritizes aiming on the tabbed target but doesn’t make your aim exclusive to that target. If you put something else in your sights, you can still attack that instead. But if your tabbed target is in your line of sight without any significant obstructions (such as another target between you and it), your single target abilities prioritize their aim at the tabbed target.

A comparison to targetting without the tab might help distinguish its function: if not tab targeted, your aim is focused at pretty much whatever is most centered and closest in your view. If something else wiggles a bit so that it momentarily is closer and more center than your intended target, your abilities will start hitting that until it moves. With tab targetting, you can continue hitting your intended target even if something else slightly obstructs it. If something more significantly obstructs it (and this is vague, but unfortunately I can’t give you more concrete criteria), then you’ll have to adjust your aim, else your attacks will hit the intervening target even though you have something else tabbed.

At least, that’s been my experience with it from my testing in various scenarios.

Again, thank you all. I'm going to actually try making use of this feature now that I understand it a bit better. Especially in PvP, where I really need to "git gud" & "L2P" already. Thanks for the hint, @Royaji!

Royaji wrote: »

It does help to focus your target in a big stack of adds. Useful for off-tanks and all kinds of "interrupters". Also good for fights where you need to quickly focus one add in a group. It's not a panacea to solve all your targeting problems but it helps.

Also very useful in PvP since it is a literal in-game wallhack. Try it.

Thogard

GreenHere wrote: »

Big thanks to:

@jypcy
@idk
@Recremen
@RaddlemanNumber7
@Royaji
@Thogard
@Henryc1t807

for the particularly illuminating posts! Your contributions helped me understand it a bit better, and gave me something more specific to look for in my testing. Thanks to all who contributed to the thread!

After reading what's been added to the discussion I went back and did some more, slightly less casual, testing with the targeting feature. What I've found was best described by @jypcy, and seems pretty accurate. I've copied it below.

It's a slight and vague enhancement of the standard targeting. You can hit a target behind another, but only sometimes. Often you'll still hit whatever's closest, but it does widen the window of opportunity a bit on your preferred target. It seems to work better once in-combat, vs before opening combat. The clearest difference I could see is being able to target one enemy when others were super close together. Further apart, it's harder to notice the benefits.

jypcy wrote: »

Yeah, as others have stated, it prioritizes aiming on the tabbed target but doesn’t make your aim exclusive to that target. If you put something else in your sights, you can still attack that instead. But if your tabbed target is in your line of sight without any significant obstructions (such as another target between you and it), your single target abilities prioritize their aim at the tabbed target.

A comparison to targetting without the tab might help distinguish its function: if not tab targeted, your aim is focused at pretty much whatever is most centered and closest in your view. If something else wiggles a bit so that it momentarily is closer and more center than your intended target, your abilities will start hitting that until it moves. With tab targetting, you can continue hitting your intended target even if something else slightly obstructs it. If something more significantly obstructs it (and this is vague, but unfortunately I can’t give you more concrete criteria), then you’ll have to adjust your aim, else your attacks will hit the intervening target even though you have something else tabbed.

At least, that’s been my experience with it from my testing in various scenarios.

Again, thank you all. I'm going to actually try making use of this feature now that I understand it a bit better. Especially in PvP, where I really need to "git gud" & "L2P" already. Thanks for the hint, @Royaji!

Royaji wrote: »

It does help to focus your target in a big stack of adds. Useful for off-tanks and all kinds of "interrupters". Also good for fights where you need to quickly focus one add in a group. It's not a panacea to solve all your targeting problems but it helps.

Also very useful in PvP since it is a literal in-game wallhack. Try it.

@GreenHere if you have two people stand still, one in front of the other, you can tab target between them and whoever is tab targeted will get hit.

Let’s say you want the guy in the back. You mouse over both of them, then tab target the guy in the back, and voila your attacks will hit him.

HOWEVER if the person in the front were to walk off so that he was no longer in danger of being targetted, and then wander back in and block the reticle again, then your next attack would go to him. This is because he is “new” from a targetting purpose and has not been tabbed past - you gotta tab past him AGAIN.

It’s annoying with how much people move in cyrodil.

driosketch

Nope, that's all it does. It puts a slightly more noticeable box around the enemy. It's more of a visual bookmark than a target ing mechanic.

Taonnor

And your target is "locked" so you can more easily follow them.

EliteWarrior

I removed that feature
Tab is my switch bars key

Beardimus

Honestly, alot of people swear it does more than that in PvE & PvP, i.e. Helps actual targeting in a group

GreenHere

Beardimus wrote: »

Honestly, alot of people swear it does more than that in PvE & PvP, i.e. Helps actual targeting in a group

Yeah, that's what makes me wonder...

People talk about it like it actually does something, but in my (casual) testing, I can't figure out what for the life of me. It does not allow me to single out enemies in a group with my single target abilities... You know, the only reason I'd want to use such a targeting system in the first place. :P

Taonnor wrote: »

And your target is "locked" so you can more easily follow them.

What do you mean by this? All I can figure is that it's slightly easier to keep visual track of a particular enemy... are you implying it does something more?

Nestor

Tab Targeting and Cursor Modes are my Suicide Mode. Turn those on and I am guranteed to die. Which is why I unmapped both on my game.

PathwayM

It depends on the skill you cast. If it's a single target ability like crushing shock for example it will often home in on the targeted player.

magictucktuck

Nope nothing else regardless of people's voodoo luck charm theories lol (I have my own of course) but if you're in an add heavy fight it might help with aoe placement. But that's like 2 fights in the game. Last night on the last boss of dsa it might have helped since they all looked the same but still isn't that hard to figure out

newtinmpls

PathwayM wrote: »

It depends on the skill you cast. If it's a single target ability like crushing shock for example it will often home in on the targeted player.

If nothing is in the way.

If no one nearby moves.

If the stars are right.

Then probably.

Maybe.

GreenHere

PathwayM wrote: »

It depends on the skill you cast. If it's a single target ability like crushing shock for example it will often home in on the targeted player.

"Often"? See, comments like this are what throw me off! haha

If I highlight & target an enemy, then strafe around to where an unhighlighted enemy is between us, my Crushing Shock (the skill I actually did most of my testing with, btw!) hits the one closest (or whomever my reticle is on, anyway) regardless of the targeting feature. Who I have highlighted makes no discernible difference. Which is why I feel like I must be missing something... right?

People say yes, people say no, and my testing tells me that I don't know. :P

GreenHere

newtinmpls wrote: »

PathwayM wrote: »

It depends on the skill you cast. If it's a single target ability like crushing shock for example it will often home in on the targeted player.

If nothing is in the way.

If no one nearby moves.

If the stars are right.

Then probably.

Maybe.

lol

Seems about right. xD

RexyCat

Beardimus wrote: »

Honestly, alot of people swear it does more than that in PvE & PvP, i.e. Helps actual targeting in a group

I can't tell how many times I have killed a small snake (critter) instead of a big bad bandit.

Targeting is really bad in this game considering GW2 added action camera (same way ESO use camera for target) from tab targeting for some time ago and this game can't distinguish between target that nearly can't be seen on screen which if neutral vs threat.

When I try to see other player I get a critter instead and can't find a position too show player info. It is really annoying how these critters manage to block view although they a small crawling things on ground and my camera is in third person view.


[In GW2 you can use both action camera and tab target to control what to hit.]

Red_Feather

GreenHere wrote: »

PathwayM wrote: »

It depends on the skill you cast. If it's a single target ability like crushing shock for example it will often home in on the targeted player.

"Often"? See, comments like this are what throw me off! haha

If I highlight & target an enemy, then strafe around to where an unhighlighted enemy is between us, my Crushing Shock (the skill I actually did most of my testing with, btw!) hits the one closest (or whomever my reticle is on, anyway) regardless of the targeting feature. Who I have highlighted makes no discernible difference. Which is why I feel like I must be missing something... right?

People say yes, people say no, and my testing tells me that I don't know. :P

You can't get a straight answer from trusting people on the internet.

Crafts_Many_Boxes

For me, unless I have the target tabbed, a lot of my light attacks / some other skills just don't connect unless my reticle is like directly on the target. It's really annoying because some bosses unlock themselves from the tab target when they teleport (z'Maja in cloudrest is especially annoying).

robpr

It "locks" the target, so if you have really potato aim skills and attacks home on locked target from greater radius. I also get a feeling that it also redirects procs from single target sets (like Zaan) to always attack the locked target.

Basically tab target something, aim in general direction and your single target skills will always hit.

GreenHere

Red_Feather wrote: »

GreenHere wrote: »

PathwayM wrote: »

It depends on the skill you cast. If it's a single target ability like crushing shock for example it will often home in on the targeted player.

"Often"? See, comments like this are what throw me off! haha

If I highlight & target an enemy, then strafe around to where an unhighlighted enemy is between us, my Crushing Shock (the skill I actually did most of my testing with, btw!) hits the one closest (or whomever my reticle is on, anyway) regardless of the targeting feature. Who I have highlighted makes no discernible difference. Which is why I feel like I must be missing something... right?

People say yes, people say no, and my testing tells me that I don't know. :P

You can't get a straight answer from trusting people on the internet.

Well NOW you tell me! My life is a lie! D':

You're right, though. I think this whole issue arose from me putting too much stock into what I see in chat and whatnot, where people swear that tab targeting does more than it does.

Leave it to ZOS to implement a targeting system that doesn't target squat. *sigh*

GreenHere

Crafts_Many_Boxes wrote: »

For me, unless I have the target tabbed, a lot of my light attacks / some other skills just don't connect unless my reticle is like directly on the target. It's really annoying because some bosses unlock themselves from the tab target when they teleport (z'Maja in cloudrest is especially annoying).

That's my experience too, only it's the same with or without tab targeting. I have to be directly aimed at what I want to hit with single target abilities.

robpr wrote: »

It "locks" the target, so if you have really potato aim skills and attacks home on locked target from greater radius. I also get a feeling that it also redirects procs from single target sets (like Zaan) to always attack the locked target.

Basically tab target something, aim in general direction and your single target skills will always hit.

Interesting theory! Can't say I've tested things like Zaan, where a set or skill targets an enemy on its own...
I think I have to call placebo effect on the "greater radius" claim, though. When I tried testing it, the same hitboxes as always seemed to apply. Thanks for the input, though. I may test this a bit more based on that claim.

GreenHere

Henryc1t807 wrote: »

In my experience, it's a big buggy and a bit broken. Like you said, when there is an enemy between the enemy I have tab targeted, I will hit the enemy closest. However, sometimes if I have targeted a boss and I go to attack an add. My attacks will travel to the boss even though he isn't in my line of sight.

Interesting! Any specific examples you could name, that I might test them? Or just bosses with adds in general milling around in the fight?

GreenHere

idk wrote: »

Taonnor wrote: »

And your target is "locked" so you can more easily follow them.

Locked is to strong of a word for tab target in this game.

It is essentially only a preferred target but if another target's hit box is between you and the one selected single target damage is less likely to hit your selected target. Essentially it will prefer the target over others when they are close together but not blocked.

This makes me think I should go grab two target skeletons and arrange them kind of shoulder to shoulder, and test some more. Thanks for the insight, @idk! Worth checking into, at least. I'm holding out hope that the feature does something more than a white outline on people...

Starlock

GreenHere wrote: »

Taonnor wrote: »

And your target is "locked" so you can more easily follow them.

What do you mean by this? All I can figure is that it's slightly easier to keep visual track of a particular enemy... are you implying it does something more?

Also, the highlight doesn't drop when you loose line of sight to your target. Or for anything else, really. I have to wonder if that is intentional.

idk

GreenHere wrote: »

idk wrote: »

Taonnor wrote: »

And your target is "locked" so you can more easily follow them.

Locked is to strong of a word for tab target in this game.

It is essentially only a preferred target but if another target's hit box is between you and the one selected single target damage is less likely to hit your selected target. Essentially it will prefer the target over others when they are close together but not blocked.

This makes me think I should go grab two target skeletons and arrange them kind of shoulder to shoulder, and test some more. Thanks for the insight, @idk! Worth checking into, at least. I'm holding out hope that the feature does something more than a white outline on people...

It does help get the right target but does not have some of the silliness older games like WoW and SWToR have with their tab targeting. Still need a somewhat clear line of sight and have to be making an attempt to actually target. As someone said, it seems to make the hit box a little bigger.

GreenHere

Royaji wrote: »

It does help to focus your target in a big stack of adds. Useful for off-tanks and all kinds of "interrupters". Also good for fights where you need to quickly focus one add in a group. It's not a panacea to solve all your targeting problems but it helps.

Also very useful in PvP since it is a literal in-game wallhack. Try it.

Is this how people see me when I use Cloak on my NB?! I've been Crit Rushed multiple seconds after being fully cloaked, from far away, by people who didn't have the red eye above their head. When asked they said "dunno, must be lag?"...

MaleAmazon

Is this how people see me when I use Cloak on my NB?!

You cant see through cloak on it (duh), but you can see people if they stop behind a wall, so if you go there and reveal and they never moved...

At least I think so, I cant be bothered to check to verify at the moment.

I believe it helps with targeting too, but, see above. Even if it doesnt autotarget it helps you with where you should aim. Try it if you want, it is fairly useful.

Onefrkncrzypope

IDK on PC but on console it piroritizes the target. When I'm tanking the hulk in vmol or anything if I aim at that target even if clipping my taunts and bashes will always land. I put the hulk into hatrakk or even taunt through him when the switch is needed. It does work on ps4.

Royaji

GreenHere wrote: »

Royaji wrote: »

It does help to focus your target in a big stack of adds. Useful for off-tanks and all kinds of "interrupters". Also good for fights where you need to quickly focus one add in a group. It's not a panacea to solve all your targeting problems but it helps.

Also very useful in PvP since it is a literal in-game wallhack. Try it.

Is this how people see me when I use Cloak on my NB?! I've been Crit Rushed multiple seconds after being fully cloaked, from far away, by people who didn't have the red eye above their head. When asked they said "dunno, must be lag?"...

I believe cloaking/using an invisibility pot/fully crouching breaks tab target. Those gap closers were probably casted before your cloak so they still hit you once the animation finishes.