set target adds range, huge advantage

[MeSaber]

Description

Adding set target to a unit you are about to attack, releases the projectile before the target is inside attack range. Looks true for pretty much any unit ive tried it with so far so seems global. This makes you add range and get a huge advantage of firing first, especially noticeable in air to air combat where your missile already hit before enemy can release its.

https://i.imgur.com/Tq7NbYI.png
https://i.imgur.com/KZGlV8Z.png
(this was move (red fig) vs move+set target (blue fig))

Now there seems like Fight command also does this but not to the same extent, it also releases the projectile before a target is in attack range, but the set target does it way more efficiently (you fire earlier than fight command). (You can test this by making 2 figs attack each other, both using fight command but one is in hold pos and the other manuver/roam, what you will find is that manuver/roam has the behaviour told in this post, while hold pos adhere to the attack range circle, ie not firing early)

Units that benefit a lot from this is any unit really that isnt laser and retreats against an enemy or has an enemy engaging you. You can get more shots in before the target is even close to attacking you.

Janus:
https://i.imgur.com/RfbpDBj.png
https://i.imgur.com/PaGweiT.png

Its possible for the projectiles to do no dmg because the fuel runs out.

The slower the projectiles the more funky behaviour:

Rocko vs any super fast unit: https://i.imgur.com/XVeNYf0.png
Sometimes even releasing the projectile in the other direction.

Expected Behaviour

Fire projectile when target is in range.

Actual Behaviour

Set target somehow overrides the attack range and focus on prediction instead.

Reproduction steps

Set target on units you wanna add range towards.

Other

To clarify a bit more:

Anytime you use 'set target' on an enemy, thats close to same result as FireAtWill+Roam. When using Set Target you can have the unit in holdFire+holdPos and it wont affect the result/range.

Other modes:

FireAtWill + Hold Pos = Unit only fires when enemy is inside attack range circle. This would be the expected behaviour where a unit cannot fire before a target is actually inside range.

FireAtWill + Manuver = Unit fires early if the prediction of hitting is inside attack range circle. Caveat: The manuver mode can make the unit engage enemy late (target the enemy with a red line) and therefore get slower pre-fire compared to roam. This can be observed with t1figs, compare it to t2figs where manuver/roam is pretty much equal in results.

FireAtWill + Roam = Unit fires early if the prediction of hitting is inside attack range circle. The engagement (red line towards target) is very early so you get max possible range, just as you would use set target.

[Ruwetuin]

I've tried to reproduce the janus vs pawn scenario but this doesnt happen for me

[MeSaber]

Have radar/los coverage of target, 'set target circle' over target, run target towards Janus.

The faster the target runs towards Janus the earlier Janus will fire.

[MeSaber]

2024-03-26_19-32-51-044_Quicksilver Remake 1_105.1.1-2414-g91273e4 BAR105.zip

[SethDGamre]

#3860 seems related

[MeSaber]

#3860 seems related

Unsure. The difference is that in this case Janus can stay still and fire early (if target stands still and janus moves towards target you get no range advantage), meanwhile in torpedo case the target can stay still and the speed of torpbomber/gunship matters instead. Might be target going full speed towards torpbomber/gunship could affect too, not tested that actually. If that would be the case torpbomber/gunship have even longer range than shown here.

Edit: Can confirm you get even more range if a ship moves towards you.