[Feature Request] Turret Control & GUI Improvements

[Torstein]

Summary:
Turret controls are currently spread across several interfaces, lacking hierarchy and clarity. This proposal aims to streamline and enhance turret behavior customization globally, per ship, and in combat.

Current State

Turret control is divided into three main locations:

Turret control is currently split across three different locations:

• Global Setting. Player Information > Global Orders > Global Standing Orders > "Default Setting for Ships’ Weapon and Turret Behavior"
  This applies to turrets set to "--" in the *Buy Ship* interface and may change if global orders are later modified.
• During Ship Configuration. Buy Ship > After selecting a ship and adding turrets > Under Settings > "Turret Groups"
• After Ship Creation: Ship Information > Loadout > Turret Behavior

[*]Station control

Current turret behavior options:


* Defend
* Attack All Enemies
* Attack Only Capitals
* Attack Capital Ships First
* Attack Only Fighters
* Attack Fighter Ships First
* Shoot Only Missiles
* Shoot Missiles First
* Attack My Current Enemy
* Mining

The global option applies these to all ships and turrets unless overridden.

The station options are currently weaks since it only since you can only apply settings to all, not per type.

---

Proposed Changes

1. Priority / Focus Options for Gun and Missile Turrets

Suggested new priority list:

* Global Priority
* Focus My Current Enemy
* (space)
* Prioritize Capital Ships First
* Prioritize Fighter Ships First
* Prioritize Missiles First
* (space)
* Focus Only Capitals
* Focus Only Fighters
* Focus Only Missiles


UI Improvements:

• Add spacing between entries for better readability and usability.
• Add tooltips:
  • Capital Ships: L/XL ships and stations
  • Fighter Ships: S/M ships
  • Focus My Current Enemy: Targets the ship the ships main guns is currently focused on.
  • Global Priority: (renamed from "Attack All Enemies") Targets based on global hierarchy
• Exclude Industrial turrets from these options (mining/towing only)

---

2. Split Global Orders into Behavior & Priority

Currently, turret behavior and targeting priority are merged. Splitting them allows more flexibility per ship role.

Global Orders – Turret Behavior:

• Defensive – Only fires after a hostile ship shows aggression toward the current ship or nearby allied ships.
• Aggressive – Always fires on hostile ships, based on Fire Authorization rules.

Different defaults to be appropriate for civilian and military ships.

Global Orders – Turret Priority / Focus:

Turret type and variant (Mk1, Mk2, etc.) details do not need to be shown in the GUI.
Industrial types (Mining, Scrap Tractor Beam) details do not need to be shown in the GUI.

Instead, show **priority/focus options** per turret class, with a clear hierarchy:

Code: Select all

All /
├── Guns /
│   ├── Large Turrets /
│   │   ├── Beam                      [Default: Prioritize Fighters First]
│   │   ├── Bolt                      [Default: Prioritize Capitals First]
│   │   ├── Erlking Pulse Graviton   [Default: Prioritize Capitals First]
│   │   ├── Graviton                 [Default: Prioritize Capitals First]
│   │   ├── Ion Flak                 [Default: Prioritize Fighters First]
│   │   ├── Ion Net Launcher         [Default: Prioritize Capitals First]
│   │   ├── Kyon                     [Default: Prioritize Fighters First]
│   │   ├── Phase                    [Default: Prioritize Capitals First]
│   │   ├── Plasma                   [Default: Prioritize Capitals First]
│   │   ├── Pulse                    [Default: Prioritize Capitals First]
│   │   └── Seismic Charge           [Default: Prioritize Capitals First]
│   └── Medium Turrets /
│       ├── Arc                      [Default: Prioritize Fighters First]
│       ├── Astrid Beam              [Default: Prioritize Fighters First]
│       ├── Beam                     [Default: Prioritize Fighters First]
│       ├── Bolt                     [Default: Prioritize Fighters First]
│       ├── Electromagnetic          [Default: Prioritize Fighters First]
│       ├── Erlking Bolt             [Default: Prioritize Fighters First]
│       ├── Flak                     [Default: Prioritize Fighters First]
│       ├── Impulse                  [Default: Prioritize Fighters First]
│       ├── Ion Pulse                [Default: Prioritize Capitals First]
│       ├── Kyon                     [Default: Prioritize Fighters First]
│       ├── Needler                  [Default: Prioritize Fighters First]
│       ├── Phase                    [Default: Prioritize Fighters First]
│       ├── Plasma                   [Default: Prioritize Capitals First]
│       ├── Positron                 [Default: Focus Only Missiles]
│       ├── Pulse                    [Default: Prioritize Fighters First]
│       └── Shard                    [Default: Prioritize Fighters First]
└── Turret Missile Launchers /
    ├── Heavy Dumbfire              [Default: Focus Only Capitals]
    ├── Light Dumbfire              [Default: Focus Only Capitals]
    ├── EMP Missile                 [Default: Focus My Current Enemy]
    ├── Heavy Barrage               [Default: Prioritize Capitals First]
    ├── Light Barrage               [Default: Focus Only Fighters]
    ├── Heavy Cluster               [Default: Focus Only Capitals]
    ├── Light Cluster               [Default: Focus Only Capitals]
    ├── Disruptor                   [Default: Attack My Current Enemy]
    ├── Heavy Guided                [Default: Focus Only Fighters]
    ├── Light Guided                [Default: Focus Only Fighters]
    ├── Heavy Heatseeker           [Default: Focus Only Fighters]
    ├── Light Heatseeker           [Default: Focus Only Fighters]
    ├── Interceptor                [Default: Attack My Current Enemy]
    ├── Scatter                    [Default: Focus Only Capitals]
    ├── Heavy Smart                [Default: Focus Only Fighters]
    ├── Light Smart                [Default: Focus Only Fighters]
    ├── Starburst                  [Default: Focus Only Fighters]
    └── Swarm                      [Default: Focus Only Fighters]

This will allow the diffrent turret types to have different priotiy and focus based on what they are good at.

This should enable less need for custom turret confuguration per ship loadout.

---

3. Ship Configuration: Buy Ship > Turret Groups

Current Issue:
The list is flat, unclear, and defaults to "--".

Proposed Improvements:

• Set default to Global Priority instead of "--"
• Show hierarchical grouping:

Code: Select all

All /
├── Industrial /
├── Guns /
│   ├── Medium Turrets /
│   └── Large Turrets /
└── Turret Missile Launchers /

• If all sub-turrets share a setting, display it at group level.
• If they differ, show "--".
• Include a link to view Global Orders directly.

---

4. Ship Information > Loadout > Turret Behavior

Enhancements:

• Add turret-type hierarchy for quicker navigation and changes
• Allow setting Aggressive / Defensive behavior of ship
• Add link to Global Orders for clarity

---

5. In-Flight Quick GUI Option

Add a toggle for quick turret behavior adjustments while piloting a ship.

---

5. Station Information > Loadout > Turret Behavior

• Add all turret types.
• Add turret-type hierarchy for quicker navigation and changes
• Allow setting Aggressive / Defensive behavior of ship
• Add link to Global Orders for clarity

These changes would streamline turret management across all phases of ship setup and combat, improve usability, and reduce the need for repetitive micromanagement.

[vvvvvvvv]

This sounds more complicated than current system. Especially the part with default for every turret type being treated as separate entry in global orders. If I understood it correctly.

What turret shoots can be determined by a few checkboxes and a priority assignment. The reason why current menu is long is because it tries to cram every possible combination into a list.


A more complex version is possible with precise targeting order priority control.

This can be made into profiles. With default profiles being identical to current settings. And those could show up in turret option list.

[Torstein]

This sounds more complicated than current system. Especially the part with default for every turret type being treated as separate entry in global orders. If I understood it correctly.

What turret shoots can be determined by a few checkboxes and a priority assignment. The reason why current menu is long is because it tries to cram every possible combination into a list.


A more complex version is possible with precise targeting order priority control.

This can be made into profiles. With default profiles being identical to current settings. And those could show up in turret option list.

I have not proposed any changes to the underlying system beside the split of Defensive/Aggressive from Priority, as i understand it they are treated as separate entry in global orders that is why we have option on ships:

Spoiler

Show

https://i.imgur.com/SFTBwPB.png
https://i.imgur.com/AE47T42.png

The proposed change will just make it a GUI element that users can see, understand, and change if they feel the need.


From wiki:

## Turret Settings
...
### Attack All Enemies
Sets the turret group to attack all targets to the best of it's ability. Will attack targets based on internal target priority. For example, Plasma will target capital ships first, and Pulse will target fighters first.
...
https://wiki.egosoft.com:1337/X4%20Foun ... etSettings

I personally don't think the current meny is long with it being 10 elements. I think the developers has made a good choose when it comes to options. As you say a full matrix is possible but will make it very complicated, most users probably will drown in options.

[flywlyx]

I personally preferred the old Turret Command Configuration in X3, where players could set their own target priorities. It’s such a fundamental feature