What do you use "manual targeting" with turrets for?

[Tynan]

You can hit a special button to make a turret force-fire at a given target. I want to understand how this feature is used. Can you tell me how you've used this control in the past? Thank you all.

[NoImageAvailable]

I use it to micromanage turret targets. This means setting priority targets mid-battle, setting mortars to target the center of a raider camp (rather than some individual raider way on the edge, as the auto-targeting would), killing annoying wildlife if it happens to wander into range, etc.

[Noobshock]

killing non hostile roaming animals while reducing risk (shooting boomalopes, or dangerous high hp stuff like thrumbos etc)

targeting  specific particularly threatening hostile pawns/MECHANOIDS within reach (omg shoot down scythers first before they amputate my guys)

that's about it for me.

but I do very much like having the option to micromanage turret targets

[Calahan]

I mainly use that option for:-

a) micro-managing targets during raids, since multiple turrets all targeting the same enemy can lead to a lot of wasted shots (especially if the target was already heavily injured).

b) as above, but in relation to making sure the turrets do not target any raiders I have my eye on (as future recruits).

c) killing off downed raiders who I do not want to capture.

d) general purpose tile clearance. For example if there are trees which I know I need to clear at some point soon, and they are too immature to yield any wood, then I will clear them via Set Forced Target to speed things up. I sometimes do the same with rock tiles as well if I need them mined quickly.

e) I sometimes use it to kill any animals who might stray into range (if I need the meat).

Edit - and if only you were able to clear snow with this option, then I'd instantly add... f) clearing snow!

[Mihsan]

I use turret's targeting mostly for:
- "Hunting" animals that came close to my base
- Stoping berserking colonists
- Attacking ancient ships
- Targeting most dangerous dudes in combat

[panggul_mas]

Any raid involving a significant number of melee attackers will eventually see them crossing the line of fire, and bunching up around my colonist firing line. If any of them are auto-targeted by turrets, all of a sudden i have all my turrets firing directly towards my colonists, resulting in a bullet storm of friendly fire.

So I have to pause every two seconds to manually target each individual turret to avoid friendly fire.

[Goldenpotatoes]

Mostly for hunting animals that stray too close for easy meat and priority targets during raids.

Also for the rare occasion the 70-year old man with 2 peg legs joins my colony at random and just so happens to walk into said 'friendly fire'.

[Mossy piglet]

I use it to get easy animal kils, rather than actually hunting them.

[Limdood]

there are great reasons here, which i may consider using in the future, but currently only for killing downed raiders i don't want...to keep from having to wait for them to die or take colonist time to kill them.

[Thane]

Mostly as a remote trigger for ancient ship parts, or traps utilizing roofs.


I find much more use out of the grid switching thing, for turning things off.

[AllenWL]

Just like how I use the force target on pawns. To kill things I need killed within range.

Things that need to be killed range from raiders(alive or downed), animals(mad or normal. Mostly mad. Those guys tend to get closer to my turrets), mechanoids, etc.

Though I mostly just let the turrets support my colonists. Since they kinda suck, I don't really care what they shoot at as long as they don't hit my colonists and draw enemy fire.

Also used to take care of the occasional crazy squirrel that wanders into the town at night.

[Ectoplasm]

Killing thrumbo's Easy money. Feels a bit cheaty when I do this though, shouldn't the thrumbo aggro on to a pawn? Currently they just stand there and let you shoot them (I think this is the same behavior for all animals currently).

[Shurp]

I don't use it often.  But it's handy for executing downed pirates when my colonists are too busy cleaning up after a battle for target practice.

[erdrik]

-Target prioritization during raids. Usually to focus down the mechanoids that have inferno cannons or charge lances.
-To trigger the mechaniods from the crashed ship after building a ring of turrets around it, so my snipers are all ready to fire as soon as the mechanoids come out.

I don't really use it for much beyond that. But thats mostly because targeting with multiple turrets at once does not provide feedback on if the forced order was successful, and Ive become paranoid that one or more will not fire.

[shenzya]

i use it for :

1) hunting animal (free kill)
2) target spécific raider (that guy with rocket launcher)
3) killing the "useless wanderer join" beacause it's alway a super old crappy pawn