Pet AI


Afro_

 

Posted

Is anyone else having problems with the ai on there pets

Ive got a lvl 12 ninja mm and when i send my 2 gennin and jounin to attack a target only 1 of them goes into close combat and the rest hang back using ranged weapons. please correct me if im wrong but i thought the ninjas were supposed to be more close combat orientated but sometimes its the jounin that hangs back. Its not until the guy ive set them upon is dead and they go and attack who they like that they normally rush into melee.

Any one else having similar exeperiences or am i making mountains out of mole hills


 

Posted

The biggest issue I have with pets is that the moment i tell them to attack my target, their pathfinding AI goes out of the window and they cant get to places they easily could when set to follow.


 

Posted

I think Ninja's are a little melee and a little ranged - but i'm probably wrong.

Re: pathing, I've had that problem too - it makes sense now you mention it. On follow they just need to follow the path YOU took, so can navigate complex areas - when attacking they just have a straight line to the target, without any references. Thats when real pathfinding code would be needed, which as you summise they may be lacking.


 

Posted

For Ninjas, the Goto Command is your friend. Set the Pets on agressive and then issue the Goto Command near the Enemies = instant Melee. When they are engaged you can micromanage them on the targets as needed.


 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
I think Ninja's are a little melee and a little ranged - but i'm probably wrong.

Re: pathing, I've had that problem too - it makes sense now you mention it. On follow they just need to follow the path YOU took, so can navigate complex areas - when attacking they just have a straight line to the target, without any references. Thats when real pathfinding code would be needed, which as you summise they may be lacking.

[/ QUOTE ]

The pathing problem is a bit weirder than that. I've seen instances where I send my zombies to attack a target and they just pace back and forth over a small area. Then I'll go stand directly next to my target, click follow and they immediately come to me, no pathing problem whatsoever (not necessarily taking the same way I did to my spot either, so they're not following my path)


Icelock - Ice/Storm Controller
Command Bot 1 - Bot/Traps MM

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I think Ninja's are a little melee and a little ranged - but i'm probably wrong.

Re: pathing, I've had that problem too - it makes sense now you mention it. On follow they just need to follow the path YOU took, so can navigate complex areas - when attacking they just have a straight line to the target, without any references. Thats when real pathfinding code would be needed, which as you summise they may be lacking.

[/ QUOTE ]

The pathing problem is a bit weirder than that. I've seen instances where I send my zombies to attack a target and they just pace back and forth over a small area. Then I'll go stand directly next to my target, click follow and they immediately come to me, no pathing problem whatsoever (not necessarily taking the same way I did to my spot either, so they're not following my path)

[/ QUOTE ]Yup, exactly same happens to my zombies.


 

Posted

yeh it happens now n then, just use the goto command as stated above. Works a treat for zombies too.


 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
For Ninjas, the Goto Command is your friend. Set the Pets on agressive and then issue the Goto Command near the Enemies = instant Melee. When they are engaged you can micromanage them on the targets as needed.

[/ QUOTE ]

Cheers ill give it a go see how it goes


 

Posted

Yup zombies are plain stupid. Worst case scenario is fighting on a platform or attacking flying targets, then all of my minions have trouble.


 

Posted

I have noticed that my zombies are thick.A straight corridor with nothing other than enemies in it. command them to attack. One stands there, one dances backwards and forwards, the other goes for the enemy. As soon as one is close enough to launch a ranged attack all three attack and move closer. my Grave knight seems to think that my commands are suggestions as to what he's supposed to do. "Attacking Mamba Blade" he says as he goes after the hellion the other side of the street. Also why do zombies not understand "come here". move to, click on a point at my feet, the zombies say moving, 2 come to me but the first one stands there fighting on.

I think the Pet AI need a little tweaking, or a bigger bat issued to masterminds.


 

Posted

AI in the beta was still slated, right up until the end as still being worked on. The dev responsible was "AlmightyFork".

The AI appears to be a coopted version of mob AI - at one time henchman still had a morale failure (would run away and ignore commands). Also, as you note the close to melee, attack at range mix is still there which probably needs overwritten too.

I hope they're still working on it.

For any map where you find the henchmen are not pathing correctly, I'd recommend sending in a /bug so the developers have more info to work on for it.


 

Posted

I found the other night that my merc medic didnt heal enough !

And i am not talking about occasional delays while he attacks something.
regularly after a battle and my troops are damaged, he will just stand there.

i suspect his heal power has a recharge time, but sometimes its as if he doesnt realise the troops or I need healing. If it carries on i will send a /bug and hope it gets sorted.


 

Posted

Make sure your medic wasn't in passive stance. If not, then /bug


 

Posted

Thanks for the tip.

Im pretty sure he wasnt, and i will.


 

Posted

Bots Post

Funny I have posted regarding this from the other way round I want my bots to stay at max range and occasionally I get one or two bots charging of to certain death most annoying.


 

Posted

until recently i loved my Bot master but now im on the verge of deleting him. my drones are fine...brave little soldiers that rush in and slaughter everything they can, but their little lives are shortlived coz my protector bot spends all its time on its mobile phone.
wot the heck is the point of a protector bot that is either to lazy or is a total amnesiac that has forgotten its supposed to heal. we have tried every tactic possible but protector bots are just screwed.
sure there may be a recharge timer on the heal but i seriously doubt its 5 mins long. i have just done 2 missions where the protector bot didnt heal once, dismissing and recalling doesnt help either. im not some one new to mastermind as i have 3 of them and i do have my individual commands all nicely programmed to my Numberpad (thanks Khaiba)
as far as im concerened the AI is just rubbish or screwed or more likely both.

thanks for letting me rant



Cool Post for easy to use henchie commands :-
http://boards.cityofvillains.com/sho...art=1&vc=1


 

Posted

Well, I don't know about ninjas or bots or mercs.. But my zombies often have trouble with straight lines or open gates... They often turn around in front of an open gate whether I ask them to attack someone on the other side or just "go to" a spot there.


 

Posted

Well battle drones don't go nuts over a corner usually, they just jump but my protector bots sometimes do (stuck in there for a while). Ex. like if i order them to attack some mob on a higher floor.

But i have mercenary mm as an alt, those guys don't seem to go into melee range. Battle drones usually seem to wander to melee range if the fight lasts longer than usual but what i dont understand that, why dont they still shoot instead of meleeing like the protector bot does.


 

Posted

I am generally not having an issue controlling my pets at all. I experienced one hole in the scenery the other day which swallowed them but other than that, no getting stuck or milling around.

I use Ninja and in combat if you just order your henchmen to attack a target without consideration of distance etc I notice that the neartest henchman will run and engage in melee sometimes throwing a midrange shuriken on the way. The other ones will hang back and shoot.

But if I take notice of what Im doing I can make my pets do just about anything. if you order to attack at long range, they will all use their bows and then one will run to melee and the rest will move to medium and....At medium range the Genin will use shuriken and then one will probably run in and melee. The Jounin uses his darts at range and at medium/close will usually throw caltrops and then melee. Sometimes I notice the jounin stops attacking after a smokebomb, I assume thats a bug like he loses his target or something.

So basically if I want them to melee and not stay at range I use goto and then once arrived order them to attack the mob, using the keypad controls from whichever genius wrote em its a simple matter to ensure all stay in melee.

My opening gambit on a single mob tends to be a volley of bow fire from all and then depending on if Im bothered about them all being in melee I 'goto' and reattack. I tend to throw a Darkest night on a mob in the group and then use defensive/passive to ensure the Ninja stay on everyone but the anchor mob.

In all honesty, I'm loving the tricksie nature of controlling the minions but I can make them do what I want in most situations. Im looking forward to see what I can do with the Oni when I get him in a few levels.