Update 72 Monster AI Revamp

[Bowserkoopa]

All monster AI needs a revamp so at least their 2 basic goals work.

1. They actively want to attack the player
2. They actively take actions to reduce the players hp so that they become soulstones


Regardless of if their main target is a MELEE, RANGED or SPELLCASTER all mobs should actively attack the player when aggro'ed.

These two things are currently not always true and certain mobs including raid bosses also fall into not being able to achieve their goal of defending things like barriers that when they are defeated make cracks in them that players go through.


Sincerely,

Bowserkoopa Leader of The Bad Guys Union

 

[Bowserkoopa]

Man I really thought more people would be behind the mobs especially bosses of quests and raids actually playing the game along with us.

 

[DBZ]

APATHY is real silence speaks volumes

 

[Monkey_Archer]

You actually want a game to play instead of a shooting gallery?

Sir, this is a Wendy's.

 

[hit_fido]

It is really strange seeing Grotkin sit motionless at the end of VON 3 these days. The troll and the elf are mobile but Grotkin just pleasantly takes his beating without much more than the beholder growl sound fx.

I speculate that SSG may have added some kind of logic trigger that actually shuts down some mob AI under certain circumstances - server load maybe? Like if they think mob AI in some cases is a cause for increased load/lag? Anyway, I don't remember Grotkin ever just remaining motionless back in the day, and for me that's been the most obvious marker for something wonky happening with mobs that should have been highly aggressive although that can be seen in other quests as well.

 

[rabidfox]

Man I really thought more people would be behind the mobs especially bosses of quests and raids actually playing the game along with us.

I've got dozens of posts about mobs AI with various states of being braindead going back a while now. Recent updates made mobs do a weird spin where they'll face away from you when running up, and then turn back to you; once you notice it the first time you'll see it all over the place.

https://imgur.com/a/FmjWZdh

I assume SSG is working on mob stuff, but I doubt u72 will be the update where it's all fixed.

 

[Dunspartacus]

I just want famine reapers to actually cast their dang spells instead of rushing brain-off into melee and dying. Thats my job.

 

[hit_fido]

I've got dozens of posts about mobs AI with various states of being braindead going back a while now. Recent updates made mobs do a weird spin where they'll face away from you when running up, and then turn back to you; once you notice it the first time you'll see it all over the place.

https://imgur.com/a/FmjWZdh

I assume SSG is working on mob stuff, but I doubt u72 will be the update where it's all fixed.

Well, that guy was turning around to make sure his cohorts weren't hanging too far back just to watch him turn into a soulstone. Pretty smart, IMO.

 

[Bowserkoopa]

My current working theory is all the fixes to 'lag' lately have had to do with simplifying monster AI specifically around pathing. Where if you attack a given mob and you are too far and/or there are obstructions they simply turn off for a given amount of time and then reevaluate.

 

[drjoans]

I've got dozens of posts about mobs AI with various states of being braindead going back a while now. Recent updates made mobs do a weird spin where they'll face away from you when running up, and then turn back to you; once you notice it the first time you'll see it all over the place.

https://imgur.com/a/FmjWZdh

I assume SSG is working on mob stuff, but I doubt u72 will be the update where it's all fixed.

I'm pretty sure this has to do with pathing. As you were moving I think the mobs AI thought wait is it faster to this way than that?

 

[Rogue]

Yeah, things got weird when they tried to make mobs run behind you to sneak attack. Now when you are a melee, they just run circles around you. I feel like a turret spinning and swing weapons.

 

[Rogue]

I'm pretty sure this has to do with pathing. As you were moving I think the mobs AI thought wait is it faster to this way than that?

This is most likely the case for that clip, running backwards tends to disrupt pathing. It has been doing that for years in DDO, I've noticed it because I played a lot of ranged toons and got good at walking backwards. That behavior happens in a lot of games.

 

[rabidfox]

I'm pretty sure this has to do with pathing. As you were moving I think the mobs AI thought wait is it faster to this way than that?

Yeah. If you do the Dread intro quest, they'll do it while running up the ramp in the 1st fight. It's all over the place these days; they did something that makes it happen a ton.

This is most likely the case for that clip, running backwards tends to disrupt pathing. It has been doing that for years in DDO, I've noticed it because I played a lot of ranged toons and got good at walking backwards. That behavior happens in a lot of games.

It's generally got nothing to do with running backwards; it might effect things but I see it all the time even when I'm standing still. That was just a good example video of the behavior.

 

[Darkwolfer2002]

I even posted a short on the discord from Immortality Lessons where all the mobs just sit still. This was during the lag fix stuff, but it still happens almost every time the quest is ran. It takes like 45 seconds for the mobs to wake up and start doing stuff.

 

[drjoans]

I even posted a short on the discord from Immortality Lessons where all the mobs just sit still. This was during the lag fix stuff, but it still happens almost every time the quest is ran. It takes like 45 seconds for the mobs to wake up and start doing stuff.

yeah a lot of mobs are just standing around doing nothing. That for sure needs a fix. I made a thread on it sometime back remarking how easy the game felt because most things weren't aggro-ing you inspite of being hit, or getting close to them.

 

[Kimbere]

My current working theory is all the fixes to 'lag' lately have had to do with simplifying monster AI specifically around pathing. Where if you attack a given mob and you are too far and/or there are obstructions they simply turn off for a given amount of time and then reevaluate.

Given how bad the AI got after the devs *improved it* last year and how it's gotten worse instead of better each subsequent time they've attempted to *fix*" the improvement, my working theory is, "They have no idea what's going on."

All we got out of the deal was purple alert and mobs that stand around picking their nose instead of presenting a challenge.

On the positive side, at least the mobs are on par with the useless hirelings we've cursed for years.

 

[Bowserkoopa]

Given how bad the AI got after the devs *improved it* last year and how it's gotten worse instead of better each time they've attempted to *fix*" the improvement since, my working theory is, "They have no idea what's going on."

All we got out of the deal was purple alert and most that stand around picking their nose instead of presenting a challenge.

On the positive side, at least the mobs are on par with the useless hirelings we've cursed for years.

At the end of the day all I want is some know some work be put into making the mobs play the game correctly too

 

[Teh_Troll]

You actually want a game to play instead of a shooting gallery?

Sir, this is a Wendy's.

Isn't that why people play ranged toons?