Mechanics Question: Machinist - Rook Auto-Turret

[Miles_Maelstrom]

Is anyone familiar with how the Rook Auto-Turret's targeting system/AI work. Does anyone know the rules.

Do they target based on proximity when they are activated?
Do they try to target what the machinist is targeting?
Do they ever swap target or stay on target until it or the target is dead?

I've tried looking into it and couldn't find any info.

[Resieni]

The Rook autoturrent always targets what you are if you use a weapon skill on another target the turrent will also change target.

[Darkstride]

Rook's tooltip states that it attacks the Master's target and using a weaponskill on a new target will cause it to switch.

[Myon88]

It will always try and hit the target you are currently hitting. If you both are attacking something already and you switch targets, the turret will also switch targets on its next attack.

The latter is useful to know if you have it hypercharged and want to put the vulnerability debuff on multiple enemies (in the double faust fight in A5S for example).

[Miles_Maelstrom]

Thanks everyone. This is good info, I've been wasting precious GCDs redeploying to force a target swap.

[Ranox]

The Rook autoturrent always targets what you are if you use a weapon skill on another target the turrent will also change target.

This is quite a lie actually. In groups if you summon your auto turret and a teammate initiates the atk the turret will start attacking as well. Seen it happen so many times it is ridiculous.

A funny example: Summon turret, BLM starts his cast on the boss, turret already did a shot when I only had it targeted and haven't pressed anything else, the boss's target is my turret xD

[MagiusNecros]

Kinda wish we had pet actions for the turret.

[Darkstride]

Kinda wish we had pet actions for the turret.

Rather have a Mammet with pet actions.

[Pells]

This is quite a lie actually. In groups if you summon your auto turret and a teammate initiates the atk the turret will start attacking as well. Seen it happen so many times it is ridiculous.

A funny example: Summon turret, BLM starts his cast on the boss, turret already did a shot when I only had it targeted and haven't pressed anything else, the boss's target is my turret xD

Isn't this because you have the boss targeted when the fight is started? The turret needs a target, and takes it from you; it'll do the same if you switch targets and it's current one dies, even if you haven't attacked the new target yet.

[Rongway]

Did tests.

Solo. Sight aggro A. Sight aggro B. Turret does not attack.

Solo. Attack-claim A. Sight aggro B. Turret attacks A.
--Targeting B, no auto-attack. Turret does not attack B when A dies.
--Targeting B, AA active but still not auto-attacking because Gauss Barrel. Turret does not attack B when A dies.

Solo. Attack-claim A. Attack-claim B. Turret attacks A.
--Not targeting B, turret attacks B when A dies.
--Targeting B, turret attacks B when A dies.

Party. Not targeting A. Party member attacks A. Turret does not attack A.
Party. Targeting A. Party member attacks A. Turret does not attack A.
Party. Not targeting A. Party member attacks A. Turret does not attack A. A hits turret with AoE. Turret attacks A.
Party. Not targeting A. Party member attacks A. Turret does not attack A. A hits MCH with AoE. Turret attacks A.

Party. Not targeting A, not targeting B. Party member attacks A and B. Turret doesn't attack. A hits turret with AoE. Turret attacks A.



Conclusion
The turret will not attack anything that is not in the enemy list, no matter what you target. If you perform no actions, the turret will attack the earliest enemy on the enemy list.

This means the turret will not attack unless one of the following is true:
--you performed a hostile action on the enemy.
--you buffed or healed someone who is already engaged with the enemy. (Due to the actions available to MCH, the only way this is possible is if someone else first heals or buffs you, then you buff yourself)
--you activated Promotion, causing your turret to buff someone else who is already engaged with the enemy.
--you or your turret were hit by an AoE.
--the enemy is a raid boss.

Raid bosses are automatically added to everyone's enemy list as soon as one party member engages, but standard bosses follow the same rules as normal enemies. This is why a turret will begin attacking a raid boss without any MCH input.

However, the earlier mentioned scenario where the turret begins attacking after a BLM begins casting cannot happen; someone else must have engaged the mob before the cast finished.