Quote:
Most of these ideas are awesome. Only some are implausible.|
Originally Posted by Atago
It's no Secret that the Pet-AI is bugged. Sometimes the Pets use their Attacks in weird Ways, the pets run in when they aren't supposed to. They spread, run too far away etc.
I think there is no easy way for the DEVs to fix the whole AI, but i got an Idea for some changes. Maybe they are easier to make and they will solve the Problems in many Situations: ATM the Stance overwrites the Follow-/Stay/-Goto-Commands. Though even if you give the Pets the Stay-Command and they are in f.E. Defensive mode they will move if their master is attacked. In Follow-Mode they break the Follow to attack NPCs etc. If there would be a Change that Follow-/Stay-/Goto >Stance most Problems will be solved. Example for Changes: 1. Stay command-the Pets stay and don't move, doesn't matter in which stance they are. In aggressivemode they will still attack things in range and in Defensive they will still attack NPCs that attack their Master, but.....THEY WILL DON'T MOVE->they stay as the Command says. This little change makes the Things for all MMs and Teams with MMs inside much easier. Now you can really command your Pets, and hold them together if you like. 2. Goto-sends them to a fixed Point where they go in Stay-mode. rest same as above. 3. Follow- give it an additional option to choose from with a right Mouseclick--> Followrange 10ft Followrange 15ft Followrange 20ft Followrange 25ft Followrange none The Pet will attack Enemys in Defensive- and Aggressive-Mode, but will stay inside the Followrange. So if they follow a running NPC and leave f.E. the 25ft Radius they will turn and run back Or if the MM moves more than 25ft away they will follow. If you choose the "none" Option the Pets will behave same way as now and will run after Targets and kill targets, even if their Master is far away or moves away. 3. Attack- Right Click Option--> Attack and Follow: They will attack the Masters Target, when the target is dead they switch to Follow-Mode. Attack and Open Fire: They attack the target and if it's killed they attack other Enemies around.(same as now) @castle Don't know if all of this is possible, but even if it would only be possible to change the Stay-Command in the describes Way it would be a big help for all MMs. I hope the One or Another of these Ideas is worth to think about it. P.S. It's would also be possible to give Goto-and Stay- some Rightclick-Options, too. Goto+Free Movement or Goto+Stay for Example or Stay two Options: Stay while you attack, Move while you attack. So each Command will have 1 Option where the Pets will behave as they behave now: Follow-Followrange None Attack-Attack and Open Fire Goto-Free Movement Stay- Move while you attack Some other Ideas for the Future: New Stance: Assistmode If you set the Henchmen to Assistmode they will assist the at this Moment targeted Player or Henchman. If no Target is selected the Pets will assist the Master. They will only attack the target the Player/Henchman/Master attacks if they assist. So you can easily assign them to you Bruiser or the Teamtanker or even to yourself if you provoke the Enemies and tank them. Henchman Powers: Turn On/Off If you rightclick one of your Henchman there will be a Option called Powers, there you have a list of the Powers. You can turn each of these Powers On or Off. Henchman-Different Powers OK, we can customize each Hero and Villain, each Weapon and each Power. Only the Pets look all the same and use all the same Powers. How would it be if the Pets will not only have their 5 Standardattacks, but 10. And in the Powermenue(see above) you can turn on only 5 of them. So you can customize your Pets and decide if your Pets will be more melee or ranged, more healer or debuffer. So maybe the Demons of MM1 will all go infight and defeat the Enemies with their Claws and the Demons of MM2 will all stay away and use ranged Attacks. |
Henchmen Different powers; Incredibly unlikely, since it would unbalance the sets as they've been designed and/or break the theme of the set.
Assist Mode; Incredibly implausible, since in "Assist Mode" the henchman would be able to use only ranged attacks when assisting ranged characters. When attempting a melee attack MM Pets use the Follow command (keybind F normally) to enter into melee range and strike the target. If they are in Assist or "Target Through" mode they target an ally, rather than an enemy, and would follow the ally to attack the target. This means they'd often be outside of melee range when assisting an MM or Blaster type character. This would be a severe detriment to several of the MM Sets and an awesome boon for others.
Just my observations. Though I'd like to note that I'd still like to see most if not all of these implemented.
-Rachel-
If all they did was suggestion 1 & 2 (they seem identical to me) I would be a VERY happy mercenary mastermind.
I don't mind if they move around within reason, say 20', after a GoTo since obviously they can't all stand on the exact pin-point spot you selected. But instead they frequently run very far away chasing stuff down or just to execute their stupid brawl power on some random enemy and nothing short of putting them on heel will get them back (and rarely not even that). My defeats are almost always caused by the pets suddenly deciding to break ranks after being given specific orders. That's when I pop PFF and abandon them assuming I have time to realize the situation has become hopeless.
When they stay together they can create a very effective killing zone, when they scatter they're just a bunch of individual low level blasters getting their butts kicked and drawing too much aggro.
The Pet-Powers and Assistmode were only some Ideas i had, it's OK for me to skip'em cause they distract only from the more important Suggestions regarding the Pet-AI/behavior. So i removed them from my Post. Maybe i start another Thread where they can be discussed. Think the important thing is the Pet-AI and to give the MMs out there real Control over their Pets, atm it feels more like babysitting:-)
Let's concentrate on that.
It's no Secret that the Pet-AI is bugged. Sometimes the Pets use their Attacks in weird Ways, the pets run in when they aren't supposed to. They spread, run too far away etc.
I think there is no easy way for the DEVs to fix the whole AI, but i got an Idea for some changes. Maybe they are easier to make and they will solve the Problems in many Situations:
ATM the Stance is much more important for the Pet-behavior than the Follow-/Stay/-Goto-Commands. Though even if you give the Pets the Stay-Command and they are in f.E. Defensive mode they will move if their master is attacked. In Follow-Mode they break the Follow to attack NPCs etc. If this would be a Change so that Follow-/Stay-/Goto > Stance most Problems will be solved.
Example for Changes:
1. Stay command-the Pets stay and don't move, doesn't matter in which stance they are. In aggressivemode they will still attack things in range and in Defensive they will still attack NPCs that attack their Master, but.....THEY WILL DON'T MOVE->they stay as the Command says.
This little change makes the Things for all MMs and Teams with MMs inside much easier. Now you can really command your Pets, and hold them together if you like.
2. Goto-sends them to a fixed Point where they go in Stay-mode. Rest same as above.
3. Attack- Right Click Option-->
Attack and Follow: They will attack the Masters Target, when the target is dead they switch to Follow-Mode.
Attack and Open Fire: They attack the target and if it's killed they attack other Enemies around.(same as now)
4. Follow- give it an additional option to choose from with a right Mouseclick(option will be active till the MM changes it)-->
Followrange 10ft
Followrange 15ft
Followrange 20ft
Followrange 25ft
Followrange none
The Pet will attack Enemys in Defensive- and Aggressive-Mode, but will stay inside the Followrange. So if they follow a running NPC and leave f.E. the 25ft Radius they will turn and run back Or if the MM moves more than 25ft away they will follow. If you choose the "none" Option the Pets will behave same way as now and will run after Targets and kill targets, even if their Master is far away or moves away. I don't know if this Change is possible, cause it needs the most Pet-AI Changes, but it would be cool:-):
@castle
Don't know if all of this is possible, but even if it would only be possible to change the Stay-Command in the describes Way it would be a big help for all MMs. I hope the One or Another of these Ideas is worth to think about it.
P.S.
It's would also be possible to give Goto-and Stay- some Rightclick-Options, too. Goto+Free Movement or Goto+Stay for Example or Stay two Options: Stay while you attack, Move while you attack.
So each Command will have 1 Option where the Pets will behave as they behave now:
Follow-Followrange None
Attack-Attack and Open Fire
Goto-Free Movement
Stay- Move while you attack