does enemy Ai target core, or cockpit?

[VladK02]

What title says - where do enemy shots go?

I've lost a few small ships due to losing a cockpit, with hull continuing to fight without me lol - Im now flying ships with 2 cockpits each, and thinking that putting cockpits in front of the ship might not be best idea. So, does enemy draw a line to the center mass, to the ship core, or to occupied cockpit? Relevant.

[The Big Brzezinski]

If they're entities, like drones and ground forces, I think they'll aim for cores and players. I've had drone aim right at my CV's bridge. They've also taken shots at the dorsal armor over the machinery room, but there's all kinds of stuff in there besides the core them might've been aiming at. They haven't tried shooting thrusters, though, even though that's the first device that would come into range.

If they're turrets, they follow normal turret aiming settings.

[VYM]

To answer that question I built huge cross shape CV and put cockpit on top of it, core on the bottom, generators on left side, shield generator on right side and thrusters in the middle. In my case AI was targeting thrusters.

[Katitoff]

I'd expect AI to go with the same target list we have on weapons, just with everything checked on.

[Sabaithal]

Drones seem to target the core more than other components from my experience.

[japp_02]

SVs, HVs:
From the damages I get I conclude that most hits are on the weapons, blocks around the weapons, the thrusters and the cockpit, I get a normal distribution around those targets, thus: no particular target is in the focus.

CVs against bigger ships with turrets:
Here it's more complicated to find out. To analyze you must remember the direction of the fire, your aspect angle to the enemy when he fired, then observe the hits on your CV and prolungate the fireline on blocks which are not weapons, thrusters or cockpit to know what devices are in the prolungated fire line: If the logic is the same as we program our turrets then these devices should be the core, shields or warp engine. From what I could see these hits are also in a normal distribution meaning the enemy was not focusing on 1 particular device.
It also means that it's worth to protect your core, your warp engine and your shields with several block layers because they will all be targeted.

[Yascherrica]

Npc hit players (=cockpit) and everything from the turret priorities list. As turrets do they target the closest device weather it cannon, cockpit or anything else.

[RoY]

I would think they can only auto target the same items as the players can.

[Niuq]

They target the same things that you can set your turrets to + player, and core.
So for SV and HV most are built using a forward cockpit so it feels like they are just targeting you.
Use of Decoys , like a small thruster or small gen goes a very long way when placed correctly.

For larger blocks they target the base of the block. Large generator it is the square end, thrusters it is the side opposite of where the thrust comes out. Things like the warp drive it is the center bottom of the block.

For SV and HV combat builds having direct fire weapons , turrets, and some thrusters in front of the cockpit helps alot.

[I am Goot]

The AI has only eyes for 3 things. YOU, your vehicle/base core and your base turrets in that order..... they do not target anything else. They only engage your turrets if they've been fired upon, otherwise they ignore your turrets but will default to attempting to attack your core. They might HIT something else which is in the way between them and your core, but they only go for your core.

You can put your core in the most peculiar and audacious place possible, but the AI knows exactly where it is located. Its been like this since the game launched in 2015.... Why fix something that as far as Eleon are concerned.... isn't broken.

When you are outside your vessel/base you are the primary target. When you sit in a cockpit, you become part of the vessel. You'll notice this if you ever put a high radiation or temperature producing equipment right under your cockpit like a Warp Generator, or a power generator.... the temperature/radiation will be really high, until you sit in your cockpit and it mysteriously goes away. The game only recognizes you as an entity when your not interacting with your vehicles controls.

If the AI cannot find you, it then goes for your core. If it is attacked by a turret, they will return fire on said turret, but otherwise they'll just go for the core.

Another example of this. If you build your base underground, and place your core under a lake. The AI drones/bombers will fly directly over your cores location. If the AI sends a troop transport, they fly direct to your core location.... but something in the programming makes the transport realise there is water there, it cannot land on water, so they just fly off. They used to just drop their troops on top of your core.... albeit in this example, sitting on the lake floor, directly above your core.

Nothing has changed in 7 years, and i highly doubt, it will change

[The Big Brzezinski]

Of course, this also means you know exactly which spots you need to armor and which you don't. You know you'll never have to worry about protecting your fuel or ammunition storage, for instance, but you will need to protect your thrusters and generators. An armored citadel can protect a CV's vital machinery much more efficiently than armoring the entire ship. Even some headroom between a carbon fiber wall and a core can make the difference a rocket that leave a big hole in your SV and one that takes it down entirely.

[RoY]

There is no option for player to set turrets to target cores so I would guess the AI can not either?

[Sabaithal]

Originally posted by RoY:

There is no option for player to set turrets to target cores so I would guess the AI can not either?

Drones can

[gerald2]

From my experience drones and turrets mostly target core if something is on their way they will try shot thru

[gerald2]

Originally posted by RoY:

There is no option for player to set turrets to target cores so I would guess the AI can not either?

they can ,and they do ,especially drones i left sv unattended and unpowered ,drone came and cut thru armour exactly where core was under it and destroyed core other parts of ship wasnt touched even ,got that effect many times.

[XLjedi]

From what I've seen fighting Z dreadnaughts, my forward observation deck is the first thing they go for; then they shift to targeting turrets. My central command with actual con and core seem to be fine. Has allowed me to limp away from every fight so far where Z momentarily got the upper hand.

Sadly, we do seem to lose a lot of redshirts who enjoy gazing out the front window.