DMC3 Lock-on: what the hell?

[TARINunit9]

I did not have a single problem with DMC1's lock-on system, and I don't remember any problems with DMC4's all those years ago. So what the heck is different with DMC3's? I'll find myself randomly Stinger-ing across the room at nothing, or High Time-ing away from the nearest enemy and toward another enemy clear across the arena. Pressing L3 barely seems to have any effect, while other times it seems to go off when I'm not pressing it. My targeting reticule only seems to exist when it wants to

DMC2 has a lot of similar problems, on top of the game just being slower, repetitive, unrewarding, and boring. After the Infested Chopper I just don't even wanna play that one

I know 3 is supposed to be the best in the series, but with all these lock-on problems (and with Enigmas being the most annoying things I have ever fought in any of the games) I just can't have fun with it yet. I hope I didn't buy this collection just have fun with DMC1 alone...

(Yes, I unlocked Easy mode while practicing on Cerberus. No, I'm not dropping down to it)

[Forgot7en]

The lock-on has no problems at all. It just sounds like you're having technical issues of some sort with your controller. When you hold down L3 for a few seconds, it turns the reticle off/on.

There is one major difference from 4 is that directional inputs take effect depending on the direction the character is facing. So if you're locked-on to an enemy that's behind the character and you want to do Stinger and point the analog stick at the enemy, you'll do High Time, because the game registers this as a back input, because the character's back is facing the enemy. As long as you're not mashing buttons, you shouldn't have problems with this.

[TARINunit9]

Originally posted by alexxshadenk777:

So if you're locked-on to an enemy that's behind the character

The fact that this can happen, should narrow down what my issue with the game is. In DMC1, THAT COULDN'T HAPPEN, and clearly that's what I'm used to

But thanks for letting me know what's going on

[Forgot7en]

Originally posted by TARINunit9:

Originally posted by alexxshadenk777:

So if you're locked-on to an enemy that's behind the character

The fact that this can happen, should narrow down what my issue with the game is. In DMC1, THAT COULDN'T HAPPEN, and clearly that's what I'm used to

That actually can happen even more frequently in DMC1 because there's no real manual lock-on whatsoever, you're always locked-on to the nearest enemy and there's always at least one second delay between switching targets. Even as if you've killed an enemy, you're still locked-on to it for at least a second, too.

So the lock-on system is more problematic in DMC1 than it could ever be in DMC3 as you can't switch targets manually and you can't really turn off lock-on either even if you're not holding R1, if there's an enemy close enough to you, Dante locks onto it automatically. No matter how you try to attack from it, you can't, except with Vortex and only via a glitch (IIRC while holding the Taunt button). In other words, you can still end up doing Stinger/High Time in the wrong direction.

[TARINunit9]

Originally posted by alexxshadenk777:

Originally posted by TARINunit9:

The fact that this can happen, should narrow down what my issue with the game is. In DMC1, THAT COULDN'T HAPPEN, and clearly that's what I'm used to

That actually can happen even more frequently in DMC1 because there's no real manual lock-on whatsoever, you're always locked-on to the nearest enemy and there's always at least one second delay between switching targets. Even as if you've killed an enemy, you're still locked-on to it for at least a second, too.

So the lock-on system is more problematic in DMC1 than it could ever be in DMC3 as you can't switch targets manually and you can't really turn off lock-on either even if you're not holding R1, if there's an enemy close enough to you, Dante locks onto it automatically. No matter how you try to attack from it, you can't, except with Vortex and only via a glitch (IIRC while holding the Taunt button). In other words, you can still end up doing Stinger/High Time in the wrong direction.

You say that, and yet I never once had those problems in DMC1. Probably because of what I wanted to do with enemies in DMC1 vs what I want to do with them in DMC3:

From what I can tell, and from what you're telling me, in DMC3 I'm running into the issue that just because I'm locked on, doesn't automatically mean Dante counts as facing the enemy. This never happened to me in DMC1; if I was locked on, I always count as facing that enemy, even if Dante's character model hasn't turned to face them yet.

Is that what's going on in DMC3?

[Forgot7en]

Yes, so I don't believe you never had those "problems" in DMC1 as the same thing can occur. Granted, it's more noticeable in DMC3, but you'll get used to it. The easiest way to correct Dante while locked-on is to point the analog stick in whatever direction so he'll start moving as early as possible. Fastest way is to shoot E&I (or even the Shotgun) first, as that will cancel recovery frames of other attacks and you can immediately follow up with whatever.
Naturally, the instant method to avoid any... issues, is to always do inputs depending on the direction he's facing.
However, it should be noted that Dante's Air Trick and Vergil's Trick Up/Down are the only moves that are entirely dependant on the location of the locked-on enemy and not the direction the character is facing. I think Grappler may also be the same as this move is used to pull enemies in (almost like Snatch from DMC4) but I'm not sure.
Also, Sky Star doesn't require a directional input but will always be done in the direction of an enemy if you're locked-on to it, unlike in DMC4.

[TARINunit9]

Originally posted by alexxshadenk777:

Yes, so I don't believe you never had those "problems" in DMC1 as the same thing can occur. Granted, it's more noticeable in DMC3, but you'll get used to it.

I'm assuming that DMC3 has input buffering while DMC1 does not. But at the moment I just want to say thank you for the E&I tip, I will definitely try to incorporate that

[TARINunit9]

Originally posted by node357:

DMC1 does have input buffering, but it's not nearly as lenient as DMC3

Yeah, if you and alex are correct, then I can totally see why I am fumbling around so much in DMC3 (I'm assuming that DMC1's stricter buffering meant I couldn't input a command into the buffer until right around the same time Dante had finished his new lock-on). Thank you both, I'll practice more now

[Forgot7en]

Yes, that's a very good point to bring up, it's part of the reason why I said you shouldn't have problems if you're not mashing buttons. As the buffering is more lenient, you want to press the buttons as little as possible so you don't end up accidentally doing the wrong thing at the wrong time or even the right thing at the wrong time. Still the more lenient buffering is in service of the player, allowing you to do otherwise strict cancels such as Stinger/Gunstinger > Wild Stomp.

[Freya]

Seeing OP's responses makes it clear that he haven't played DMC1 and DMC4 in many, MANY years and is judging DMC3 based on his nostalgia (and also with a broken controller lol)

[TARINunit9]

Originally posted by Vanilla:

Seeing OP's responses makes it clear that he haven't played DMC1 and DMC4 is many, MANY years and is judging DMC3 based on his nostalgia (and also with a broken controller lol)

Thanks for the necro
No, I played the entire DMC HD collection back to back to back in 2018. So whatever was going on between DMC1 and DMC3, it was a change in the respective game's input buffering, not some years-old DMC1 nostalgia that I didn't have. Luckily I was able to git gud and beat the game (I have no idea why anyone thinks Vergil 3 is hard, Vergil 3 was a cakewalk)

[Freya]

Originally posted by TARINunit9:

Originally posted by Vanilla:

Seeing OP's responses makes it clear that he haven't played DMC1 and DMC4 in many, MANY years and is judging DMC3 based on his nostalgia (and also with a broken controller lol)

Thanks for the necro
No, I played the entire DMC HD collection back to back to back

Originally posted by TARINunit9:

I don't remember any problems with DMC4's all those years ago.

If you are going to make a response at least tackle the things said in my post lol

[TARINunit9]

Originally posted by Vanilla:

Originally posted by TARINunit9:

Thanks for the necro
No, I played the entire DMC HD collection back to back to back

Originally posted by TARINunit9:

I don't remember any problems with DMC4's all those years ago.

If you are going to make a response at least tackle the things said in my post lol

Geeze, to you always make a point to take it out on everyone else when you wake up on the wrong side of the bed?