Improved tank cannon responsiveness.

[Blue101]

While out exterminating biters in my tank, I noticed that the cannon would sometimes wait for a few seconds before firing a shot after I pressed space to shoot. After investigating why this was I noticed that the cannon doesn't automatically aim at the mouse all the time. Instead returns to pointing towards the front of the tank after a short idle time. Then when you issue a command to fire, it must rotate to the correct orientation before firing. Sometimes the delay is so long that stationary targets are missed as I've since moved out of range.

Suggestion: have the tank's cannon always point at the mouse so firing your main gun is more responsive.

[Koub]

[Koub] Moved to Ideas and Suggestions.

[BlueTemplar]

IMHO tank cannon should feel slow and powerful. (Like tank's acceleration/deceleration is.)
Otherwise it would be too similar to its machinegun (and car).
I'd rather see a clearer indication, in the vein of turret ranges, of the moment-by-moment firing arc of the cannon...

[Ghoulish]

I see both blues points, have to agree with Templar though. The vanilla tank should be somewhat slow in tracking with the turret, but should pack a punch. For me this is vanilla Factorio to a tee. I have a few MODs ™ so couldn't comment on its punch. What might be a solution is to have a smaller faster tank with lighter armor which does track to the mouse. Zipping in and out of nests like that would be fun, even better with a MODed laser or biogenic biter destroying Hellfire rocket (or eight) On top, all whilst dropping spider mines which leap on to those damn biters faces and do a job on them like that of any person who gets addicted to cosmetic surgery (PG version).

This does after all reflect reality. Fast small tanks which would be used for reconnaissance, or target spotting. And the slower big boys, who lay down the hurt. In modern warfare of course the accuracy and tracking of targets is amazing, even when the tank is moving at speed over rough terrain, and lets not forget modern tanks can haul ass faster than a catholic priest leaving the country. So in the modern world it's as 101 asks, but at least for me in the Factorio world, it should be similar to a 1st or 2nd World War era's weaponry, that fits for me with the steampunk theme.

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This leads on to a topic which I think is very important for the final game (and may that be a year off - as the longer it takes the better the game gets!). A little off topic perhaps, however for me it is directly linked to the point the OP raises, certainly in as much as my proposed solution.

Factorio does lack some very much needed items. For example adding a new type of tank or a heavy car so there is a little more choice in how you go about things in your world. I'll elaborate.

• An upgrade to stone walls and gates to concrete. I would very much like to see diagonal walls and gates visually changed to be straight and not step-like
• A bigger type of light / flood lights. A Factorio way to light up a large area (like stackers / outlying base areas).
• Pipes which can be next to each other and wont mix. Messing with any type of fluid is always fun, and the slipperier the better too. For example a slip and slide. It's a big part of the game as well! Why isn't there a pump that will equally split a fluid 50-50? Belts have splitters. Having to use two combinators linked to a tank works, but.. We have that tool for belts why not fluids? I ask the devs this - especially in light of recent planned upcoming changes to oil, specifically the aspect of it making things more progressive and easy for a new player: How easy is it to split fluids currently? You do have to split fluids, or just pump so much stuff in at the start it's not an issue, but that probably isn't on the board for a new player, just like combinators (at least for some).
• Faster trains, bigger fuel space. When the base grows and ups drops, a 3-8 will crawl away from the stop or intersection, a 3-8-3 must be slower than my grannie and her zimmer frame after a double hip operation and has just been run over by Blue101 in his new lighter, faster moving and tracking tank. More fuel space is needed if you burn low quality fuel (coal or the output of X MODs addition) Yet have to haul over a long distance.
• Different train track types, materials for construction, colours. Nothing wrong with vanilla's, the addition of gravel was beautifully done, Albert and his team always do wonderful work IMHO. But remember the theme? Choice.
• Heavy car / lighter tank (mentioned a little) / why not get immersive and have the lighter tank target spotting for for the new Super Heavy Tank we added, which can call the artillery if in range, perhaps a cruise missile or 2 itself.... Heavy science cost for this technology. The ability to pick up a tank isn't immersive to me, I plain don't like it in fact. You shouldn't be able to head to the front lines with 2 supper heavy MODed tanks on your person, or even some vanilla ones, and a bunch of cars in case.. Please let Albert and his crew loose on the idea of a low bed tank hauling train wagon, all nicely animated as it rolls up the ramp, to be used on the front lines, pretty pretty please kovarex
• Bigger fluid storage tanks, a mark 2 logistical chest system which has a larger capacity, faster pumps. I don't know if fluid storage is like solar arrays in how their capacity is calculated or stored (solar arrays does it in a friendly ups way) But I would much rather have one or two large storage tanks which allow me multiple connections, than a bunch of 10,000 capacity small ones, visually it's ugly to me. I bet storage tanks can get pretty big in the real world too. Faster pump or two just to get things moving. I know the fluid system is currently being reworked, please add a few tools for us too (don't forget the 2 pipes side by side not connecting, and the 90° bend).

The theme is a little more choice for the player. Of course there are MODs which cater to much of this, I use them. Asphalt Roads, Dectorio for two. But I am willing to bet quite highly with my own £'s that even a gamer who never plays with MODs would like a little more choice in how their base looks, or in the tools given to them to interact with the environment, kill biters or defend. Yes MODs cater to this, and thank you if you have ever released one, Wube has added MODs to the game in the past, Choumiko's tank wagon, and the one which gave you stone from stone piles, now with coal too. These MODs are popular because they cater to a need the community has, or just plain add to the game in a good way, there is a fine line line to be walked between adding too much stuff, or over complicating things, I realise that. I'd just like a little bit more choice in things. Wube has already given us a great deal of choice all over the game, there is a whole host of deployable bots for example (though they need to last longer please). There's just one or two items or MOD ideas missing and needed, eg gotlag's pipe MOD.. For me this is what Factorio deserves.

Everything I have mentioned whilst wondering slightly off topic (however for me it is most definitely linked) Would take a bunch of time to design and think out fully. And as the boss himself said;

When I think I covered all the ways it could crash

viewtopic.php?t=1878&start=10#p13457

All I know about game development is that it takes longer than you think, and all I ask for would need a whole bunch of effort and time, and Wube is already giving, and has given, so much (drooling at what MOD authors will do once you give them a few planned tools to place windows etc).

At the very least I would like to get the idea of what I say over to Wube, and I hope the community would be on side with what I ask for too. I'm not asking for a million types of XY or Z, far far from it, there is a fine line to tread, and it's been trodden well so far, superfluous stuff is not what I ask for. Just a little more choice, the ability to customise our Factories a little bit more. All this could be in the plan for all I know as the polish keeps getting deeper - that's clear to see for all. Ideas Wube already has like this could be already planned or being thought on for adding now or even after v1.0. But kovarex - you've taken the time to add an animated pump for example, needed? No. But it's a totally awesome addition. Just one or two more awesome additions here and there please. Maybe I'm off the ball here a little, in as much as I am heavily influenced by MODs, but a few areas they need a little extra. Factorio deserves it.

Going live round about now!

[Darinth]

While I'll agree the tank should feel slow, right now this behavior is simply odd. You can't line up your shot before shooting? I'd be good to potentially reduce the cannon tracking speed, but it should probably just consistently attempt to track the mouse.

[BlueTemplar]

Good catch !
I had forgotten about that behaviour and just started to keep spacebar pressed while in combat, timing instead for my mouse position to be at the right spot when the shot happens !

The cannon turret behaviour probably should be changed so that it always tries to follow your mouse cursor -

- with maybe the small caveat that the current behaviour makes the tank more unwieldy, and therefore more unique (and "realistic"*) - it makes harder to spam targeted capsules at the same time, differentiating it even more from the car !
(Yeah, the first shot though... )

*(AFAIK tanks always use a team (at least pre-computer age?) : at least one driver and one shooter ?)