Poll: Tab-targeting: keep or remove?

[Toll]

I find it pretty handy for fighting the cave bats, because it allows me to focus more on my dodging and not worry about constantly adjusting my mouse pointer. Outside of that I wouldn't miss it terribly. But I do like having the option.

Same here, I use it on shadow bats and maybe the occasional enemy that I can't get within my screen area consistently. Basically when I can't really see the enemy. Oh and when I accidentally activate it because I don't know how to turn it off.

Just want to point it out here: Q will remove the tab-target if it's active.

[KDR_11k]

I guess that's why I had trouble, I rebound Q to refer to a spell slot (used to bind shields to that).

[BobTheJanitor]

The clear target key is also rebindable in your key configuration.

(Yes, firefox, rebindable is a word. Quit underlining it in red. Jerk.)

[Bluddy]

I'm going to offer the dissenting opinion here. To me tab-targeting still seems like auto-aim. A pretty 'dumb' auto-aim, but an auto-aim nonetheless. More importantly, though, it obscures the other play options that are IMO better. Tab targeting is the obvious second choice the way things are set up, and as you can see by the sample of people who answered in this thread, many think it's the only way to play without using the mouse. This is unfortunate, because I think if they tried a keyboard-only setup, they'd be satisfied. For a laptop, I think the setup of arrow keys for movement and WASD keys for firing is incredibly easy to handle and gets the job done. For desktop, the reverse is probably easier (WASD for movement, numpad for firing). This is the classic gamepad D-Pad + buttons setting that most 2d scrollers use except with 9+ easy-access buttons.

[zoutzakje]

I can't really judge on this matter because I haven't played the game yet, but I have seen a similair scenario in different games where people select targets with Tab to make the "grinding" easier. I couldn't get used to the option myself and I have been selecting targets by clicking my mouse for the entire 4 years I played that game. I think it will be the same when I'm finally able to play AVWW.
I don't see it as a cheat though, no. As you described, selecting targets with TAB has disadvantages. So if people still prefer to use it, it's their choice.

[BobTheJanitor]

I'm going to offer the dissenting opinion here. To me tab-targeting still seems like auto-aim. A pretty 'dumb' auto-aim, but an auto-aim nonetheless. More importantly, though, it obscures the other play options that are IMO better. Tab targeting is the obvious second choice the way things are set up, and as you can see by the sample of people who answered in this thread, many think it's the only way to play without using the mouse. This is unfortunate, because I think if they tried a keyboard-only setup, they'd be satisfied. For a laptop, I think the setup of arrow keys for movement and WASD keys for firing is incredibly easy to handle and gets the job done. For desktop, the reverse is probably easier (WASD for movement, numpad for firing). This is the classic gamepad D-Pad + buttons setting that most 2d scrollers use except with 9+ easy-access buttons.

It's not only a pretty dumb auto aim, it is an auto aim riding the short bus to derpy town. Try playing with only the tab targeting option for a while, and you'll quickly see it as situational at best. It has no ability to lead targets, and since there are no hitscan attacks, it will miss a LOT. And when you're fighting more than one thing, it's much more of an impediment than a help. It targets the wrong enemy often. And when you try to retarget, it will select a skelebot through the wall behind you, rather than the rhino that's nuzzling your face. It's useful for cleaning up that one last esper that's hanging out up near the roof, or fighting something that flies straight at you (bat bosses) or some huge bosses that are off the screen, but the rest of the time, it will let you down more than it will help you. And that seems pretty much exactly right.

[keith.lamothe]

Yea, I often fight with tab-targeting much the same way I fight using the movement-directed aiming: namely, I move my character, rather than my cursor, to get the angle I want on the shot.

What the tab-targeting lets me do is play on really cheap keyboards (like the one on the laptop I'm using now) where pressing LeftArrow, DownArrow, and 1 all at once causes at most two of those signals to actually make it to the OS, much less to the game.  Say, Bob, I think my keyboard rides that bus you were talking about.  Perhaps they were made for one another.