Greetings everyone,
I wanted to open up a discussion about unit targeting logic, specifically regarding ranged units. It’s pretty frustrating when a group of Skirmishers wastes a massive volley on a Siege Ram while getting absolutely shredded by Arbalesters.
While manual focus-firing is a core part of the game’s history, it creates an “APM tax” that can make massive late-game fights exhausting. Over the last few years, Microsoft has introduced fantastic Quality of Life features like auto-farm and auto-scout, which make the game way more beginner-friendly. I believe the same can be done with targeting, but not for free.
Instead of changing the base game logic, what if we introduced a Target Priority System as an expensive, late-game Imperial Age Technology?
The Tech: “Selective Targeting” (University / Castle)
Suggested Cost: (for example) 1500 Wood / 1000 Gold.
1: The Command Card Toggle
Once researched, you unlock a single toggle button on the unit command card, next to the stances.
- Clicking the toggle cycles through target types (Default distance-based selection → Archers → Cavalry).
- Units will scan their attack radius. If the preferred target is in range, they target it. If not, they fall back to standard proximity targeting (Default distance-based selection).
- It requires very low UI changes, doesn’t mess up the screen, and is incredibly lightweight for the Engine.
2: Automated Bonus-Damage Targeting (Worse but better than nothing)
- A completely passive, automated system where units prefer to attack targets they have the highest attack bonus (or just the highest damage) against.
- If a Skirmisher has an Archer and a Champion at equal distance, it automatically selects the Archer due to its bonus damage.
- Zero input required from the player, making combat feel vastly more intuitive and beginner-friendly.
Impact
I know the immediate counter-argument: “This kills the micro skill gap/meatshields like Rams become useless.”
I argue the exact opposite. This is essentially Ballistics 2.0.
Before Ballistics, dodging arrows is easy. After Ballistics, you actually have to micro harder and move unpredictably (for the engine at least). This tech does the exact same thing for army composition. Currently, you can just park a Siege Ram in front of your Arbalesters and let the “dumb” targeting waste arrows on it. It’s a “passive crutch”. If your opponent pays for this expensive technology, that crutch is gone. Now, you have to actively micro the ranged units behind to dodge incoming fire. It makes late-game micro harder and more deliberate.
Deepening the Macro and Mind Games
By making this a heavy Imperial Age investment rather than a free mechanic, it adds massive strategic depth:
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Preserves Early/Mid Game Micro: In Feudal and Castle age, classic tactics, like using a single Knight that becomes Neo and Matrix-es his way out of the Archer fire, will still work perfectly.
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The Economic Poker Game: If your composition is dominating and you suddenly notice the opponent’s unit production dip, you have to make a macro read. Are they saving up 2500 resources for this tech? Are they hiding a sudden cavalry switch? You have a brief window to anticipate the upgrade and counter it.
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Pro vs Low-Level Impact: On the pro ladder, players likely won’t drop 2500 resources on this in a tight 1v1 because they can already focus-fire manually. But in mid-level games or 2-hour 4v4 team games, it becomes an incredibly fun, strategic win-condition.
Giving this out for free would be a bad idea, but forcing players to earn their units’ intelligence, like instructing them to select targets, through macro adds a new layer of strategy.
