You are not facing XXX/spell fizzle

[ferrite]

After further thought I think it has a lot to do with mob and NPC movement changes updated recently.

When fighting mobs I notice their movement is slightly more erratic. Actually, its a LOT more erratic.. for example kobolds will zigzag toward you and dance around very erratically until they actually attack, at which point they disengage and zigag around even more. Like they're on steroids or something. All mobs are like this now. Heck I just fought the entropic giant and it was like it had ants in its pants, it couldn't stay still for a single second.

It didn't used to be like this; before, the enemy would approach, engage and the fight would commence without the zigzagging, chaotic or jerky movements added to suggest 'combat realism'.

So no, the chaotic/jerky movements idea does not add realism to the battle, instead all it does seem to add is

You are not facing...
You are not facing...
You are not facing...

I'd suggest devs adjust the movement code and roll it back to how it used to be to get rid of these annoying error messages.

[lugoman]

I wonder if it is related to the out of range error I see a lot on my sorc. I will target myself then try to cast an aoe like ice storm and I get an out of range message.

[TheDearLeader]

I have made a rather quick, crude video of me getting the "Not Facing" Error multiple times while using Necrotic Bolt and Necrotic Blast against a Portal in Shroud. So stationary target, spinning Caster.

Should be available for viewing here shortly.

[Sandpredator]

I have noticed a lot of spells not getting any animation and not making any contact mainly when the mobs are close and I am jumping backwards using an AOE spell like cone of cold. Happens all the time.

[Postumus]

I have noticed a lot of spells not getting any animation and not making any contact mainly when the mobs are close and I am jumping backwards using an AOE spell like cone of cold. Happens all the time.

Yes. I notice this a lot on my arti.

For the last couple of weeks about 25-30% of the time when there are a lot of mobs moving around the casting animation for the flame turret just doesn't occur. There's a moment where the spell goes on cool down and I can still fire or move but nothing was summoned. Then the turret suddenly 'pops' into existence at the location I was at when I hit the spell.

[bhgiant]

I agree. Happens when I'm running around in circles or otherwise moving away from mobs and trying to hit them at the same time. It's annoying as heck. Sometimes I almost have to be on the other side of the room in order to hit them.

[Saravis]

I've noticed this happens when an enemy is running past me and I follow their movement.

My guess is that this is a lag issue where the "facing" mechanic hasn't caught up to what you see on your screen or vice versa.

[Ashbinder]

I have made a rather quick, crude video of me getting the "Not Facing" Error multiple times while using Necrotic Bolt and Necrotic Blast against a Portal in Shroud. So stationary target, spinning Caster.

Should be available for viewing here shortly.

Perfect video demonstrating issue, +1.

I've been known to complain bitterly about this issue to my guidies. It's no longer possible to run, spin, cast, spin, run. It's especially annoying when it interrupts your dot chain.

I don't personally recall which update introduced this issue but hopefully the targetting code can be reviewed to correct it. Either a rollback or if not possible consideration given to allowing a spell to complete if the sp is charged and cooldown triggered.

[Arctigis]

Perfect video demonstrating issue, +1.

I've been known to complain bitterly about this issue to my guidies. It's no longer possible to run, spin, cast, spin, run. It's especially annoying when it interrupts your dot chain.

I don't personally recall which update introduced this issue but hopefully the targetting code can be reviewed to correct it. Either a rollback or if not possible consideration given to allowing a spell to complete if the sp is charged and cooldown triggered.

My recollection is that it became really noticeable in the update where the Savant PREs were added and
the spell targeting code was changed (especially for rays). U9?

Like I said in the OP, I've been on a burn out related hiatus for ~5 months and the problem now seems much worse.

[Arctigis]

I have made a rather quick, crude video of me getting the "Not Facing" Error multiple times while using Necrotic Bolt and Necrotic Blast against a Portal in Shroud. So stationary target, spinning Caster.

Should be available for viewing here shortly.

'You need to spread....'

Nice vid, thanks!

[Arctigis]

We've received reports about these particular issues before, is there any more information you (or anyone) could provide us with about the circumstances surrounding when these happen?

ie: Were you moving, were the enemies moving, what enemies have you seen this happen to, where has this happened.

Any information you can provide would be great!

Lots of great posts in here now. I'll also add that if I fire a ray spell (most commonly lbolt as it's my goto
SLA) at a mob at the same time it decides to move, the spell will most often not hit the mob. Even if the
mob moved toward me and the lbolt passed right through it.

[Bakigrth]

We've received reports about these particular issues before, is there any more information you (or anyone) could provide us with about the circumstances surrounding when these happen?

ie: Were you moving, were the enemies moving, what enemies have you seen this happen to, where has this happened.

Any information you can provide would be great!

Hi Kookie,

Not sure if you've already seen the following thread from last month as it discusses this issue a bit (among other things). Anyway, FYI..

http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=353128

B.

[KookieKobold]

Thanks for the quick responses, everyone!

I've got what i need now and it has been passed along!

[Missing_Minds]

We've received reports about these particular issues before, is there any more information you (or anyone) could provide us with about the circumstances surrounding when these happen?

ie: Were you moving, were the enemies moving, what enemies have you seen this happen to, where has this happened.

Any information you can provide would be great!

Client/server positioning arguments is what is causing the issue.

for example, rush for that kobold in a sewer. You swing. You do not even roll for attack on him even though he's just standing there. You see your blade go through him. However, out of reach of your blade, behind the kobold is a box... the box is destroyed instead.

Your character has stopped moving as kobold is solid. Next swing actually rolls against kobold AC.

Essentially if either party is moving, you will have client/server positioning arguments that will trigger this.
Turbine broke this ever since Mod 3 (not update.) years ago when they went to an AI package.

The only fix is to check to see if the target is within 6 feet in a 360 radius, if it is, lob the spell.

[Feralthyrtiaq]

All the above ^^^^ doesn't matter when/where/what quest/what mob

It seems as if the game rolls "Initiative" for mob....

Mobs wins and decides it's moving to "X"

However, you the player have no idea the mob has won this mysterious "Initiative" roll and aim your spell or your Bow or your RHXBow or your Rune Arm at the mob that is standing right in front of you but obviously since he decided to run past you in some future as yet to occur event you get the "You are not facing "Mob" "

I swear if the AI decides the mob is planning on moving or has/have/had moved you cannot hit them for S even if looking right at them.

Common Scenario to Remedy this (that still doesn't work).

1) See Mob 40 feet in front of me.

2) Someone behind me range pulls mob

3) Shoot Spell, at mob that is 20 feet RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME getting "You are not facing Such and Such"

4) Turn to face and track mob as it's running past me.

5) Spell Lands after mob has ENGAGED person who range pulled it

or

1) See mob 40 feet in front of you.

2) It starts running towards you.

3) You start running backwards shooting spells at the mob that is STILL RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU but get "You are not facing "XX" "


AUTO-TARGET using Bow, XBow or Runearm will every once in a while Track onto the moving mob in the scenarios above but none of the attacks land.

[jkm]

So I tried to run some tests on this to get a definitive scenario but it was inconsistent. One thing is for certain though, the issue lies with anything that doesn't require a target but you have one selected. This includes bows, fireballs, weapons, wands that don't need targets (like Finger of Fire wands).

My hypothesis is that when Codog put in his code that allowed you to use the reticle to aim, it uses the reticle to determine what you are aiming at and then later does a facing check based on the item selected. However, this only seems to occur on the first check and not any subsequent checks.

What this means is that your initial facing check is very tight and then subsequent ones are very liberal. It also means that any action that leaves the reticle facing the mob you are casting at doesn't necessarily get a facing error which frees up strafing (since this only turns the toon not the reticle), but anyone who uses a lot more WASD or mouse look is going to be affected quite a bit (since mouse look tends to bounce the reticle all over the place).

I also noticed that this facing check is done at the beginning of the cast, not at the moment when the cast is made. This means that facing checks on slow animations tends to fail a lot more than fast animations.

[Setin_Myways]

I think this issue and something related have become very noticable since the 'fix' for Horid wilting was implemented. It seems now, many AOE spells and effects trigger thier range from the targeted mob, and not just a static spot. for example, i used to be able to fling a aoe spell like fireball forward w/o targeting a mob and the fireball would effect them. I have noticed now that fireballs 'miss' and will fly past a mob, or blow up at thier feet, but they do not take damage (and they are not evasion mobs). i hit my tab and target, fire again and i get the desired effect.

I used to never tab target mobs, now i do it all the time and it seems ot help, but yes, you get the mob not in front of you error. I assumed this was because i was tabbing to a target that was behind me, but reading this thread leads me to believe it is something else and i think these are related.

I would be curious how many of you experiencing this use the tab to target or are more point and click? Like i said, the tab targeting seems to reduce this considerably in my experience, but i used ot not use this method before (i know what a noob) My guess is the tab method should be more accurate because it is getting the position from the game to target and not reliying on coordinating where you clicked.

[anto_capone]

I think this issue and something related have become very noticable since the 'fix' for Horid wilting was implemented. It seems now, many AOE spells and effects trigger thier range from the targeted mob, and not just a static spot. for example, i used to be able to fling a aoe spell like fireball forward w/o targeting a mob and the fireball would effect them. I have noticed now that fireballs 'miss' and will fly past a mob, or blow up at thier feet, but they do not take damage (and they are not evasion mobs). i hit my tab and target, fire again and i get the desired effect.

I used to never tab target mobs, now i do it all the time and it seems ot help, but yes, you get the mob not in front of you error. I assumed this was because i was tabbing to a target that was behind me, but reading this thread leads me to believe it is something else and i think these are related.

I would be curious how many of you experiencing this use the tab to target or are more point and click? Like i said, the tab targeting seems to reduce this considerably in my experience, but i used ot not use this method before (i know what a noob) My guess is the tab method should be more accurate because it is getting the position from the game to target and not reliying on coordinating where you clicked.

Yes, I notice this as well.
Auto-targeting does not work for the fireball SLA at all. You must hard target an enemy for the fireball to hit them. You also cannot shoot a fireball at your feet; something I believe we used to be able to.

If you are not hard targeting an enemy, the fireball will simply shoot wherever you are facing, in a straight line past any enemies; while say a finger of death spell can be thrown with auto-target and a circle of death can be thrown at a specific place....

I'm not sure if the same happens for acid blast as well, and I'm not sure if it is related to the current targeting problems.

[Malky]

I'm not sure if the same happens for acid blast as well, and I'm not sure if it is related to the current targeting problems.

It does the same thing with the acid blast SLA, but the regular acid blast spell does target foes like it should.

[anto_capone]

It does the same thing with the acid blast SLA, but the regular acid blast spell does target foes like it should.

Ah, ok; I'll have to edit my post then to make it more specific. Was speaking of the fireball SLA as well.

Thanks!