DETAILED AI addition for heroes

Controlling 4 players is very difficult, you will nhever achieve the ability to do exactly what you want them to do, as opposed to controlling one character. However, a lot of simple additions would add a whole lot of control over your handicapped helpers.

1)Priority numbers- Each skill would have the option to assign it a priority number from 1-6 to show how often the hero would use this skill. When a conflict in priority occurs, it will use the skill furthest to the left on the hero's skillbar. Obviously, manually clicking a skill will temporarily override its priority.

Priority 1: Spam Level 1

At Priority level #1, your character will use this skill every time it recharges regardless of current energy levels. If the hero does not have enough energy, it will either continue attacking (if given a bow/sword etc) or wait (if given a staff or wand) until it has enough energy to use it.

Priority 2:Spam level 2. As above, only the hero will not use this skill if a priority level 1 skill is being used or queued.

Priority 3: Controlled spam

At this priority level, your hero will spam a skill every recharge unless its energy levels are <50%. The hero will not use this skill if a priority level 2 or higher skill is being used or queued.

Priority level 4:"normal" Normal AI takes over. The hero will not use this skill if a priority level 3 or higher skill is being used or queued.

Prority level 5:Sparing usage

Your hero will only use this skill if it has 100% energy reserves. The hero will not use this skill if a priority level 4 or higher skill is being used or queued.

Prority level 6:On hold

Equivalent to holding Shift while clicking a skill

2)Targetting by class offensively-Your hero will automatically target the first class on the list, and if it doesn't see one of these classes, will run down the list of classes until it finds one. Classes left blank means it will never attack these classes unless no other class is present. "Default" may also be used.

3)Targetting allied members defensively Another priority list. Your enchanter/weaponer etc, will cast defensive spells on only the characters mentioned on this list in order of priority. Again, characters left off the list will never be targetted.

4)Formations-Your heros will move to these formations when clicked. Except for "close", fighting and casting overrides these formations.

Close-will always stay "adjacent" from you if possible.

Loose-Will never stay adjacent to another ally. Has a default position when not moving.

Scattered- Will never stay nearby to another ally. Has a default position when not moving.

Default- default

5)Chains- Your hero will Operate the designated chain of skills. Attack means it will use no skills and attack. Pause denotes a wait of 1 second of waiting. If the hero is interrupted/blocked/evaded on any of these skills or KDed ever (including pause/attack) the chain is cancelled

Ex. Chain #1. Glyph of sacrifice, Meteor shower. Pressing "chain 1" will force your hero to use glyph of sac and then meteor shower after finishing its current action.

Ex. Chain #2 Devastating blow, Attack, Hammer bash, crushing blow. Using this will cause the hero to dev blow, attack once, then hammer bash, then crushing blow.

Ex. Chain #3 Gale, pause, Glyph of sac, meteor shower. Your hero will gale, then pause, then glyph of sac, then meteor shower.

6)Non-stacking skill usage-Can be set to ovverride or wait. Wait means it will never cancel a stance or use a weapon/item on an already weaponed/stanced ally. Override means it will continue casting/stancing normally.

7)Cautioned skill use- Can be set to cautious or careless. On cautious it will not cast through backfire/arcane languour/etc or attack through empathy/ss etc. Hex removal CAN be used while cautious regardless if backfired etc. Careless means it will ignore hexes.

That's what I got Any suggestions/pats/pans appreciated.

Head... explode... micro... managing... causing... brain... meltdown...

Seriously, it's a bother enough equipping and skill applying the heroes we have now without adding all this damn complex ff12 style ai routines on top. I think they should just be smarter inherently without relying on a byzantine series of configurations. Just kill what i target and please, for the love of Bog, let monks use signets.

Well heroes won't inherently do nearly what you want in Hero vs hero, that's what this is for mainly, not general pve hero usage. Considering almost all of this would be before battle, and not required (everything has a default), I don't see a problem.

MY HERO REFUSES TO USE ELEMENTAL ATTUNAMENT!
he uses when hes running low on evergy (wtf?)

Let's make Guild Wars a single player game. The system works fine in my opinion. You can just open up that little box and say which skill the hero needs to use and when and on what target. About the targeting classes offensively: ctrl+space. Targeting allied members in a certain order would be a bad idea in my opinion. Then things would start like they only heal the one they are told to be healed, but the little elementalist can die. Formations? I don't want my henchies to be running all over the place. Also, that happens in battle already.
To conclude my opinion on this, there is a hero panel. You can give the heroes chains, targets, behaviour and skills to be used or not. Heroes are way better than henchies already, and I would want a reason to play with other people still

A) this is about hero vs hero

B) You can only have 3 heroes in pve anyways

This is nice. For all those complaining about it being too complex, you could always leave everything set to default and not worry about it. It just gives people that are so inclined an opportunity to fine tune their heroes. Can't hurt right?

One suggestion on the skill priority would be one along the lines of "Use whenever conditions are met". Skills that fit this description are interupts, Signet of Lost souls, etc. These would be elevated even above level 1 priority. I worry that a spam setting would make heroes use conditional skills inappropriately is all.

Sorry about that

No worries, I didn't make it very clear -.-

Skill Chaining is one of the best things suggested here IMO. I think a good AI update, plus priority skills, would work.

Bump. lots of hero AI threads starting, wouldn't want a zillion to get closed cause of some ancient thread I made already addressing the issue

bump. Hero battles became ranked.

um....

maybe.... for the sake of it... make just 3 priority boxes for each thing(agressive, defensive and evasive) so agressive might use distracting shot, burning arrow, and savage shot. while u can make defensive use dirt throw, crippling shot and troll erugent. and evasive can use run skills.

Well the priorities I had would be assigned to skills separately, we already have "avoid combat" etc for what you describe. With a skill by skill priority this can all be done before battle and not in the heat of it.

Last bump. If people really want hero vs hero to continue to be known as searing flames vs searing flames that's fine.