Concerning AoE

Cresint

Cresint

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Feb 2006

Aevum Instaurativus (AI)

Mo/

I think that when you cast and AoE spell, not all enemies should run away. I mean, think about it. If you're fighting an uncontrollable insane bersek monster and cast an AoE spell, is it going to think,"Uh-oh, area of effect spell. I'd better get away."? Of course it won't. It only has one goal-to kill you. If getting hit by weapons won't make it run away, then why should spells?

They could just make it so certain factors could contribute to weather a monster runs or stays. Monster type (size, attribute, etc.), amount of hp, sanity (for lack of a better word), and whatever else. This would help increase the effect of AoE spells without making them godly.

So....ya

mega_jamie

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Apr 2006

UK

Warlords of Ruin

A/Mo

/signed, ish

its annoying that the monsters are so predictable that my Healing Monk carries a smite just for the AoE scatter on the enemies if he gets surrounded.

It would be better if they added a random factor, even tho this would be difficult in coding wise, that could make some enemeis think Wariro style (Oh well, i have a monk, he can heal me / rez me) lol

Evilsod

Evilsod

Banned

Join Date: Mar 2006

England

Lievs Death Squad [LDS]

Hehe, you have a point i guess. Looking at Ettins or Trolls i highly doubt they have the intelligence to think they should flee from AoE.

The real question is, does hitting a mob with Cyclone Axe and Triple Chop make them flee

Terra Xin

Terra Xin

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Mar 2006

New Zealand

Me/R

That's a good point, there are a few threads around here that are trying to nerf the nerfed AoE update. But when you're considering an idiot who doesnt run from monsters AoE spells because 1) "Im an aggro warrior.... pfft, 10 hits? ill just counter that with healing sig....omg.... a f*** res me quick!!!"

and 2) "Huh.... what? where? omg! ahhhh im stuck!!"

But yeah, adding in a more detailed addition to the aggro factor will help relieve those anti-nerfers.

Cyclone axe? they get hit once, and then run? now there's a stupid monster^^

Rieselle

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: May 2005

Melbourne, Australia

E/Rt

Given that GW PvE has so many monsters to fight, and very little else to do, I think an important part ANet should be concentrating on is monster behaviour.

I think by the time Ch3 comes around, if we're seeing the same old gameplay again with new skins, a lot of people would be completely bored by then.

It would dramatically increase the fun factor in PvE if monsters had VARIABLE behaviours and intelligence.

So some would be smart, some would be cowardly (eg. normal animals), some would be mindlessly berzerk (zombies, golems etc), they have different tactics such as hit-and-run, or spreading out, or ward camping etc. And not just between species, but between individual monsters as well. (eg. a big group of Ettins... some of them are more aggressive, some of them more cowardly and hang back/run away more. Some of them get mad and try to attack people that hurt them, others prefer to find squishies to kill etc.)

It would also be great if they had different behaviours based on their skill set. Eg. If you give an Avicara Heal Sig, they will occasionally try to run away and heal etc.

One problem is that dumb/zombie enemies would presumably be incredibly easy to farm. So they should probably only be found in mixed groups with more intelligent enemies, like human necromancers or something like that.

At any rate, I think Monster AI should be less about making the monsters as intelligent as possible (although that should be part of it) but making them behave in ways that we think they would, if they really existed.

After they do that all that, they should get rid of the aggro bubble. Monsters attack you on sight, you can scare them off with a show of force, they might run away and warn their allies to stay away from you, or they might gather in numbers and then attack you from behind when you are facing a higher level monster, etc. Currently they're just boring, stupid bots.


Oh, and on the topic of AoEs, they should have varying thresholds for how much AoE they'll tough out and how much they'll run from. It's silly for them to run away from a 10 damage firestorm when they are heavily armored and full health, but also silly for them to stand in it until it ticks them to death.

Terra Xin

Terra Xin

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Mar 2006

New Zealand

Me/R

Now THERE's a great idea^^

I second Cresint's idea and Rieselle's awesome expansion of the idea

definately and hopefully implemented:

/signed^^