For the record

[krimsonrane]

I absolutely hate hirelings. Worst thing about DDo for me is these allegedly artificial intelligences.
Sometimes I pull one out just to watch it die over and over. That's how much I hate hires.
I'd be happy if they didn't exist. That's how bad they suck at what they are built to do.

Rant over. That is all.

[Memnir]

[TitusOvid]

[LeoLionxxx]

Sometimes I pull one out just to watch it die over and over. That's how much I hate hires.

If you really mean it, you'll put this as a quote in your forum signature.

[krimsonrane]

If you really mean it, you'll put this as a quote in your forum signature.

done

[fatherpirate]

With notable (class based) exceptions, like druids,
Hireling exist because of one thing, Instant-ed everything.
-------------
Groups were required, groups have to be organized...so rarely happen.
Then ... the solo players, who was most players, yelled at developers
because the game was too hard alone. (At first it was VERY hard)
------------
Dungeons were made hard (then) to encourage (force) group play.
It failed.
Subscriptions headed south, bean counters panicked.
------------
Someone said..Lets give the solo players help in the form of
....... drumroll...... hirelings.

That is how you got hirelings.

For better or worse.

[Katalissa]

I absolutely hate hirelings...I'd be happy if they didn't exist...

Well, there's a simple solution - don't use hirelings. Problem solved. It's not like the Hireling's Union is going to come after you and picket quest entrances until your party meets a minimum hireling hiring quota...

[cpw_acc]

Well, there's a simple solution - don't use hirelings. Problem solved. It's not like the Hireling's Union is going to come after you and picket quest entrances until your party meets a minimum hireling hiring quota...

You say that, but I've heard rumours...

[yfernbottom]

If there was just some way that I could set the threshold at which my healing hires decide to heal themselves, or if it could just always be set to 50% health in general, it would make them a lot less of a pain to keep up with. As it stands they tend to wait until they have ten HP left to try and get one off, and end up as a soul stone.

[SpartanKiller13]

If there was just some way that I could set the threshold at which my healing hires decide to heal themselves, or if it could just always be set to 50% health in general, it would make them a lot less of a pain to keep up with. As it stands they tend to wait until they have ten HP left to try and get one off, and end up as a soul stone.

How about 80%? So if they're taking damage they throw heals at themselves and live, instead of dying?

[Garbudo]

How about 80%? So if they're taking damage they throw heals at themselves and live, instead of dying?

I dont use hires but I believe that there is a way to customize their UI to your preference.

[cpw_acc]

I dont use hires but I believe that there is a way to customize their UI to your preference.

Only in a limited way, and the last time I tried to use it (which was admittedly a long time ago), it just didn't seem to work at all.

[yfernbottom]

How about 80%? So if they're taking damage they throw heals at themselves and live, instead of dying?

Well almost anything would be better than where it is now, which appears to be around 10%. That's very often waaay too late.

[cpw_acc]

Well almost anything would be better than where it is now, which appears to be around 10%. That's very often waaay too late.

I often find that my hireling will stand around doing nothing while I'm getting beaten to pulp and running around trying to avoid the enemy and heal myself or manually get the hireling to do something useful. Until I die, and then it'll raise me.

I just have this sneaky suspicion that it knows that constant healing is just too much effort and its just easier to kick back and wait until I die to raise me instead.

On the other hand, I'll be on full hit points and get hit by something for 1 damage and the stupid thing will waste mana doing a heal on me.

[DaviMOC]

I Like'em. They arent great but its ok. I just wanted they would update at least the premium ones(panther, bear, scarecrow). There was a time I had fun running around with 2 owlbears, a wolf pet, a summon and a contract in my druid. Some epic rogues hires had insane damage when it came. The AI is dumb sometimes but its pretty ok. TBH if I find an issue on its behaviour it means its me the one not prepared as I'm counting so much on a cheap AI cleric.

[krimsonrane]

With notable (class based) exceptions, like druids,
Hireling exist because of one thing, Instant-ed everything.
-------------
Groups were required, groups have to be organized...so rarely happen.
Then ... the solo players, who was most players, yelled at developers
because the game was too hard alone. (At first it was VERY hard)
------------
Dungeons were made hard (then) to encourage (force) group play.
It failed.
Subscriptions headed south, bean counters panicked.
------------
Someone said..Lets give the solo players help in the form of
....... drumroll...... hirelings.

That is how you got hirelings.

For better or worse.

I've been here 12 years and so have hirelings.

[krimsonrane]

I dont use hires but I believe that there is a way to customize their UI to your preference.

If you customize them to NOT ATTACK they do nothing at all.

[krimsonrane]

Well, there's a simple solution - don't use hirelings. Problem solved. It's not like the Hireling's Union is going to come after you and picket quest entrances until your party meets a minimum hireling hiring quota...

The way reaper is set up, unless you have a hire or a healer you can forget healing yourself in a fight.

[lyrecono]

With notable (class based) exceptions, like druids,
Hireling exist because of one thing, Instant-ed everything.
-------------
Groups were required, groups have to be organized...so rarely happen.
Then ... the solo players, who was most players, yelled at developers
because the game was too hard alone. (At first it was VERY hard)
------------
Dungeons were made hard (then) to encourage (force) group play.
It failed.
Subscriptions headed south, bean counters panicked.
------------
Someone said..Lets give the solo players help in the form of
....... drumroll...... hirelings.

That is how you got hirelings.

For better or worse.

Seems like the eternal merry go round.
Even if the devs controll all the tools we can use, they still have a hard time ballancing the game for all playstyles. One group shouts a playstyle is in trouble whille the rest screams it's ok (on their cookie cutter or exploit build).

I do wonder though, why are most of the permanent hirelings melee tanks? Cats, bears, scarecrows, golums and just 1 lousy lv 3 healer for a lowbie pack?

To the people using a hireling:
Hirelings have a bad ai of their own and rely on your controls.
If its about healing hires, use a setting where you can clear a room or 2, summon hire to you, heal yourself, park hire and move on.
In heroics, hirelings get caught in enemy aoe's like commetfall really easy, even on mid reaper a stray lightning blast from a kobold shaman is leathal to them.
If you can't clear a room of trash on your own, try a lower setting or ask build and play advice.

[Lence]

Yeah, they've always been bad, but eh...better than nothing if you need them I guess. Is what it is.
Although, I will admit, they do seem worse than ever after one of the recent patches, even the melee ones now just stand around 90% of the time taking it in the face without even attacking back (when set to the aggressive(r) stance. Again though, meh, it is what it is, basically a short lived distraction for trash.