Hero AI tweak

Currently if you are a caster and u initiate your attack on a group of monsters by using a spell then your heroes will pretend nothing is happening even in attack mode, unless you space-bar mid casting or lock a hero on a foe to alert them to participate.
It would help if they interpreted your casting as a sign to commence action just like when you space-bar to use an attack skill. This would be especially helpful when you are holding an item and cannot, obviously, attack by clicking space-bar.

/Signed

Hopefully it'll come with a heroes' ability to use their bar and not have energy problems too. Hero AI - bad.

Just keep a finger on the call button.. when I'm H/H I pretty much call every target. Multiple times, until I can see that all my heroes have a target.

Often even if you lock a target and call it the hero will not move unless you are already in agro range of it.

Would be nice if you didnt have to flag a hero next to a target just to get it to attack...

Although I do understand some of the AI problems...you really do not wish to force a lock of all your heros/hench onto a single target just by calling it.

I would suggest that if your hero is set to attack and you call a target/attack then it should attack.
If the hero is on guard and you call a target/attack then it should wait for an incoming attack before responding.

Hench should always be on Guard save for the monks wich should be on Passive, I'm getting really sick of seeing Mhenlo wand some monster just to get its attention.

/signed
Really wished the heroes and henches had a bit more brain

/signed, although I suppose calling works too.

I don't agree. When playing a caster class, I often like to use that to my advantage. For instance:

• "Park Alongside" enemy mob
• Begin casting Earthquake
• 2.5 seconds into the casting time, hit the spacebar to call a target
• Begin casting spell number 2 as my loyal heroes go running in.

.

It works great, and is especially good in hard mode I find.

What if you are a monk? I can't use a sword + offhand with my monk, because I have to like call targets. Stupid.

Or you want me to like run smiting prayers? Oo

True. Otherwise you'd have to flag the heroes back, in order not to have them enter aggro range before you finish casting...

so
/notsigned

I don't get it... what does one have to do with the other? If you're concerned with leeroying to melee range when you call the target, you can just hold shift and not move...

Err... you are not actually attacking with sword/offhand, right?



Although having to do that is definitely a workaround. H/H AIs make Limp Bizkit fans look smart. /signed

Yup, shift. I've never healed before so I don't know how easy it is to call targets while healing.

I believe that calling with shift doesn't actually make them engage combat.

Just call targets, it works fine. Heroes not going after targets while you cast your spell can be advantageous, no need to take out a viable strategy just because you are too lazy to call while you cast.

i kinda like having that extra control over my heroes attacking.

if i start to cast a spell, they do nothing if on guard, or start attacking if on attack. if i need em to attack i push spacebar. maybe its just cuz ive gotten used to it, but this is more options which i like.

like beaver said, some aoe spells are nice to finish casting without getting the enemies attention. [deep freeze] and [confusing images] comes to mind

Well The Red Messenger, thats the point; if they acted as you said it would be fine, but even in ATTACK mode they do not attack when you start casting.

Lol I know that you don't get it.

I'm usually (in pugs/with guildies) using sword+offhand (caster sword -.-), because my staff doesn't have 20/20 or other useful mods.

But with h/h I MUST use staff. Shift doesn't work half the time and I end up wanding mobs I want them to attack. Which is not good on a monk.

But getting them to attack really takes very little...just call with a spacebar. If you want them to engage and attack the enemy as soon as you reach them, call with spacebar as you're running up to the enemy mob, then as you're standing on the outside casting your other heroes will run in.

I personally don't always like my heroes running in as and when...for those who do, a "/leeroy" command should be introduced.

i didnt know that...

i guess ive avoided the attack option for the most part, because its more like leeroy mode for heroes. whenever i use it, they seem to aggro as much as possible no matter what my actions

if this is the case, then yes they should start attacking if set to attack when you start to cast a spell. i still like how they currently react on guard tho.

How about a checklist for the hero's behavior?

[ ] Engage on attack
[X] Engage on called attack
[ ] Engage on skill
[X] Engage on called skill
[X] Engage on call

Check or uncheck the ones you want them to do, maybe even different settings for different heroes.

I figured it was a caster sword, but I never had the problem with shift not working. I have had the problem where they bloody IGNORE the called target and stand around drinking coffee, and I have to flag them in, but that's another story.