• Hail Guest!
    We're looking for Community Content Contribuitors to Stratics. If you would like to write articles, fan fiction, do guild or shard event recaps, it's simple. Find out how in this thread: Community Contributions
  • Greetings Guest, Having Login Issues? Check this thread!
  • Hail Guest!,
    Please take a moment to read this post reminding you all of the importance of Account Security.
  • Hail Guest!
    Please read the new announcement concerning the upcoming addition to Stratics. You can find the announcement Here!

[BUG] Casting Problems?

Petra Fyde

Peerless Chatterbox
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
There are some alleged problems with spell casting in the client. Can we get some logical, informed and non-hysterical input on exactly what the problem is and how long it has existed. Also does anyone have any work arounds?
 

Ashlynn_L

Lore Master
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
It seems to be with the casting recovery mainly. I've not been back all that long, but casting with 2/6 FC/FCR seems a lot more sluggish than it did in the old 3d client. And sometimes I don't even get the cursor.

I wish I did have a work around.
 

Mervyn

Babbling Loonie
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I've explained the symptoms before, but i'll explain it again.

In CC if you cast a spell immediately after you've done last target on your previous spell, the spell will cast, in EC, the spell will just not cast. It's like you have to wait a click before casting the next spell after doing last target.

Problem occurs on both legacy targeting and new targeting system. (haven't actually tested to see if the problem still exists using automatic target self/current cos these are useless in pvp)

Proof= no mages using E.C for pvp (although the lack of range check last target may play a large role in that too)
 

Ashlynn_L

Lore Master
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
How long is the "click" you have to wait? And does this basically make recovery speed buffs half-useless in the EC?
 

Taylor

Former Stratics CEO (2011-2014)
VIP
Alumni
Supporter
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Campaign Benefactor
Hmm...I believe you, Mervyn, but spells seem to go off normally for me. I'll try more when I get home, but I've switched recently to the EC and haven't noticed a difference.
 

Mervyn

Babbling Loonie
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
the click is 0.0001 seconds, however if you have to consciously make a delay, i'm human and can't work with those small time amounts, the problem is you press the button to cast a spell, and it doesn't cast.

As for does fcr help? i have 2/6 and the problem still occurs if you precast a spell, give it ages so it's completely casted and you've finished recovering 10 seconds ago, then last target and cast a spell immediately, it still does it.

You may have to try a few times, just have EC and CC open at same time and go to cast a spell as fast as possible after last target, cc won't fail, ec will not cast the spell sometimes.
 

Taylor

Former Stratics CEO (2011-2014)
VIP
Alumni
Supporter
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Campaign Benefactor
Oh...I've only seen that with the new targeting system. If you have a target selected (including yourself or an inanimate object), you will not get a target cursor after casting a spell. Took me a little while to figure that out, too.
 

Mervyn

Babbling Loonie
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Oh...I've only seen that with the new targeting system. If you have a target selected (including yourself or an inanimate object), you will not get a target cursor after casting a spell. Took me a little while to figure that out, too.
ok,,,,,, i also figured that out after 1 second of using EC, and adjusted the target type from current/self to target cursor.

I'm saying the spell will not cast at all, not that the target cursor doesn't appear, but thank you for babysitting a fellucan.

I doubt you will be able to repeat the experiment tbh, the problem is quite subtle and affects high end players to a massive degree.
 

Dermott of LS

UOEC Modder
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
...

There are some posts here that should be a good start... I'll go ahead and add the specific ones here:

Post 1: Cetric GL says:

Would love this. There are very many problems with casting, and some dev's believe the solution is learning the new targetting system to adjust better. But i don't believe they understand some of the nuances of this.

Here are two examples of casting problems

Legacy targeting - chaining spells with a mouse wheel

You cannot say, casting exp-(scroll last target mouse wheel) flamestrike without "over casting" the flamestrike. Billy teng was able to identify what was actually causing this problem, but never developed a solution, and his main solution was adjusting to the new targeting system.

Now here is my issue with the new targeting system (the cursor target queueing, sounds great in theory, but not good in practice IMO). If i planned on staying on one target the majority of them time, and not switching up, targetting one thing, canceling the target, and going to the next would not be a big deal. But in a casting, especially precision casting like in pvp, you need to be able to do things fast. If i had to cancel my target inbetween targets every single time, it would throw off the game sooo much. Not to mention... you don't always have to cancel, so it isn't a guarantee. You Target an enemy with a offensive spell, you hit a friendly with a heal, you teleport or cast fields by targeting the ground. Canceling targets inbetween these things would be too slow, and just not worth the time.

There is also the ability to cycle through targets. It is much more efficient to click on the targets, and use a legacy last target macro, than cycling through until you get the target you wish. It is just not efficient.


There are other misc. issues presented to spell casters, such as when a target goes off screen or invises (i guess this also has to do with the targeting systems lol) and animations, or effects.

I must say though, the idea of focus groups dedicated to different functions would be ideal. Casting can be greatly tested by setting up pvp, this imo, is because casting speeds, and efficient targeting is most important in this environment.

Post 2: Cetric continues:

Originally Posted by Mapper View Post
I can't think for sure what causes issues with mages in the EC client, But I do notice that quite often I hit a macro to cast ebolt and I won't get the target come up, It'll show the words of power, cast it but no target. So I end up having to cast it twice.

And this is with healing too, So at times It can be lethal, But I mean it happens maybe once out of every 100 spells.
I assume you are using the mouse wheel for last target. I only believe this because this is the giant problem i tried working with billy teng on. Where ultimately, it was just suggested to use the new targetting system.

Here is the problem

lets assume you have last target on the Esc key

If you cast Explosion, hit last targ(esc) and cast flamestrike

Explosion
Last Target
Flamestrike
(cursor)

No problem, you get the target cursor and everything for both.

Now lets assume this, you have last target on the mouse wheel UP.

You cast Explosion, Hit mouse wheel up just one click, not scroll the mouse wheel, but just up one "click" and cast flame-strike...

Explosion
Last target
Flamestrike
(cursor)

no problem! get the target cursor.



Here is the problem

You cast Explosion, you scroll your mouse wheel up, several "clicks" like you roll the mouse wheel. You cast Flamestrike, you see the words, but no cursor....

What this in effect does is:

Explosion
last target
last target
last target(depends how far you scroll your mouse wheel, mine goes 3 clicks normally)
Flamestrike
(nothing)

It is like the last target macro spams or floods the queue, which cancels out what is happening next. Hope this makes sense, and is the same problem i have.

I have always had my Target Self macro on the number 1 key, with heals and such around it, so this has never been an issue for me in the EC, jsut last target. (i did that cause i would accidentally heal enemies, and blow myself up with both on the mouse wheel lol)

Here is the thread beginning outlining the problem with BTeng, but had seem to be dropped.
is spell queuing last target with a mouse wheel fixed yet?
 

Martyna Zmuir

Crazed Zealot
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I run into this issue quite often, especially during EM events.

Cast a spell, it uses the already targeted mob. Then I try to cast again, and nothing.

I think this is from the enforced delay they added into the EC to combat the machine-gun-like pot throwing. Instead of fixing the problem, they took the easy way and enforced a delay.
 
O

Old Man of UO

Guest
In PvM it's not really an issue for me, EXCEPT when the target goes out of range after starting to cast and then I get nothing. In the CC you get the cursor and can run back into range and finish targeting/casting. If you play only in the EC, you learn to adjust to the difference pretty quickly.

I do wish the cursor would come up when the target goes out of range. I suppose this would be deadly in PvP, but it's really a minor issue in PvM.
 

Mervyn

Babbling Loonie
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
In PvM it's not really an issue for me, EXCEPT when the target goes out of range after starting to cast and then I get nothing. In the CC you get the cursor and can run back into range and finish targeting/casting. If you play only in the EC, you learn to adjust to the difference pretty quickly.

I do wish the cursor would come up when the target goes out of range. I suppose this would be deadly in PvP, but it's really a minor issue in PvM.
You can change the spells from target current or self to target cursor, your issue resolved.
 
O

Old Man of UO

Guest
You can change the spells from target current or self to target cursor, your issue resolved.
Yes, I realize that but you would have to manually target every time. It's still faster to target current/self than using the cursor, and just dealing with the times the target goes out of range. Like I said, for PvM it's not that hard to deal with it.
 

Mervyn

Babbling Loonie
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Yes, I realize that but you would have to manually target every time. It's still faster to target current/self than using the cursor, and just dealing with the times the target goes out of range. Like I said, for PvM it's not that hard to deal with it.
Thats a lack of the 'range check last target'

nothing to do with the slower casting effect
 
Top