Trouble trying to drop location AOE powers?

Ok, so I had been away from the game for a while. I played for about 2.5 years prior to 2009 and I came back in 2010 some time. At some point something must have changed with the way that location AOE's are planted on the ground. I used to be able to reliably hit boost range on my archer and drop ROA in the middle of a mob with out any fuss.

Now I find my self doing the same action only finding that I am clicking on the ground like mad trying to find a spot where it will actually let me drop it. By which time most of the mob has been wiped out by my team, sometimes the circles will actually expire and I'll have to activate the power again.

Is this a known bug, a "feature", is there a fix I am unaware of?

All I know is it is incredibly frustrating and slows me down.

That's... odd. I use quite a few location based powers and I've never experienced this problem. I have binds to activate the power and I'll see the little targeting thingy, then click and the power works.

Even more notably is Teleport, which I bind to shift+click. I don't even see the targeting thingy. Shift click and I'm there.

I've noticed it with "close" targeted powers such as Shield Charge, the Ouro portal and Vet buff pets, but not with longer ranged stuff like RoF or TP.

This has happened to me a couple of times. It seems to only effect me on the BAF when I'm using powers like Shield Charge and Lightning Rod. I would try to target myself next to a group of enemies guarding a containment chamber. The reticule would just be red and I would be unable to use the power unless I cancel the targeting, move, and try again.

I can't say it happens all the time, but I can say it happens enough that I can't just blow it off. Its acts as if it thinks I am trying to place it on an enemy or something, because if I get closer and I can see an open patch of ground it will let me drop it. It just seems like a behavior that I didn't have a problem with in years past.

I know I have issues at times. I attributed it to being old, slow and somewhat senile. I think for me its lag issues (mine or server) on the trials, but sometimes just in missions, if I put the reticle on a mob, instead of open ground. I have since steered away from sets requiring ground targeting.

No, it's some sort of newish bug. I get the same problem reasonably often, but not every time, on my Scrapper's Shield Charge. I never had the problem before. Issue 20 "issue" perhaps. It's annoying. Shield Charge is the only location based power I am using now so I can't comment on others.

I have similar issues with trying to drop patch spots. I think it occurs when I'm surrounded, either by team mates, other players, or enemies. Such that there is someone who is right behind me, in a blind spot where I am essentially looking through their body. Since their body covers my entire view, anything I try to place is targeting them and is thus invalid.

Edit:
A lot of the new content include massive spawns of ambushes that try to either mob you or joust you. The bigger body types don't help either.

I've had the problem on a few new characters, since 20. A traps defender that I could not call up caltrops on, a /dark corr that I could not call up tar patch on, and a demon MM that I could not call up the demonling on. Each time I would get the target circle, but when I pressed the left mouse button it would disappear. I was running solo. I bugged this each time.

I have this problem on trying to teleport my stone tank during the gather phase of a lambda. I thought maybe the new wall/floor textures were making it impossible to get a approved targeting recticle.

Have never had the issue with my fire/traps where I spam caltrops and rof though.

I have never had a problem dropping a targeted power before. I've dropped Tar Patch right on top of myself while I was in the middle of a team melee. My newb MM lost the goto command when I made level 5. I /bug it, finished leveling up, and then got a bad thought; what if I cant call up my demonling now? Yep, I can no longer call up my demonling, and it does not mater what surface I try it on, still no joy. I /bug this as well. For my lowb MM this bug has gone from a nuisance to pretty much unplayable.

I've actually been having the problem of dropping Spectral Terror and Phantom Army from around corners. I just figured it was my computer. I ended up just re-queuing the power, and moving my toon around some.

I'm glad this thread came up because I've been suffering from this bug a ton lately (the last month or two). I've seen it with lightning rod and shield charge on my brute, plus with sleet and ice storm on my dominator.

It reminds me of the old teleport target bug from years ago when you couldn't place the target on textured objects (sides of buildings) because it would get confused where a flat surface was. So you'd get the pink No Target symbol.

This bug is similar, but aside from the No Target symbol, I experience the target getting 'stuck' on the ground and being unable to place it where I want. Then mobs start moving and I have to relocate the target and it's stuck again.

It's making certain characters very difficult to play. I suggest everyone posting here /bug this so the dev team can fix it ASAP.

Shield Charge has been un-usable in the lobby of the City Hall on the Dr. Kahn TF since I started playing about a year-ish ago... I've just gotten used to it. >.>

I use the Dr. Letharga teleport bind app for teleport, and I sometimes use it to bake a bind then change the power inside from tp to rain of fire, or tarpatch, or whatever other drop location aoe.

one of the nice things about the letharga bind is it suppresses FX so that you can see clearly where you want the power to be dropped and so that lag doesent interfere with your clicks when you try and drop the circle

do a forum search and you should find more info on how it works.

I forgot to mention another thing. The targeting box for certain enemies remain vertical after they are defeated. The targeting box doesn't go horizontal to match the fallen body. Depending on your viewing angle, that invalid target box could block quite a bit.

I've had this issue for a long time now, and started up this thread on in a bit ago:
http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showt...04#post3599804

Note that I never followed up on my CS ticket outcome because CS never followed up with me on it, twice. So, I gave up and just get frustrated when trying to drop the powers. Sigh.

I get this a lot on my MM's when calling pets. It's as if I have to search around for a valid spot. I can't remember exactly when it started happening but it was only a few weeks ago.

Have had this happen a lot with Shield Charge on my SD/SS tanker, seems to happen more often in rooms that have rounded "baseboard" floor to wall joinings like caves and the new praetorian lab maps. And occasionally while swarmed with enemies, though I have gotten so used to it happening that I kind of use it as a chance to recover some endurance these days :P

When my WS tries to use his TP powers in sewer missions I get the red reticule of doom every time a pipe blocks my view of the character (even If I can see the target clearly).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shubbie Im very good at taking a problem and making it worse.