Temporary Power/Extra Ability/Option to stop AV's Headless Chickenning

[Purrfekshawn]

Temporary power for Taunt/Taunt Aura that would work only when Soloing Content. And/Or option like Notorierty option. It would alter enemies' AI in a way that they will NEVER run away from you across the ENTIRE map like a headless chicken, and will always attack you until they (or your character) die, like in most other MMOs. That's already true for most Dev-added AV, like Battle Maiden, which are always confident and will attack until very defeat.

 

This might be done in a way it would work only when soloing or prefer soloing for that. Because curretly AV's HEADLESS CHICKENNING IS A PAIN IN THE ***. That forces using root powers or take Taunt from presence pool. All of these powers require constant activation, and none of them are toggle/automatic, so they don't solve the problem. AE's AV always DO headless chicken for instance, so lTF AV's do.

 

Additionally some Fear effects, like Caltrops fear might be made not working on Strong enemies as well, because l saw many times double caltrop puddle make most AV headless chicken out of them.

Edited November 12, 2020 by Purrfekshawn

[Black Zot]

Agree with everything except the Caltrop immunity; that mechanic keeps squishy toons alive when soloing AVs.

[Razor Cure]

God yes.

Saw this BIG time on Tarikoss SF the other day. Duoing it with a friend (thugs/rad mm and sonic sonic fender) and BOTH AVs just ran like crazy. Just from the rad and sonic toggles (even more so with teh arsonist fire patch). Makes even less sense considering both Infernal and Batty should be pretty immune to fire! Especially fire tic at a huuuge 2 damage a pop.

I'd honestly prefer their behaviour to be 'fixed,'  as opposed to needing a temp power to stop out, but I get there are SOME (crazy) people who see a marathon running AV as a challenge. Somehow.

[SeraphimKensai]

Honestly a temporary power taunt wouldn't be so bad..we have them for everything else.

[Purrfekshawn]

On 11/13/2020 at 3:16 PM, SeraphimKensai said:

Honestly a temporary power taunt wouldn't be so bad..we have them for everything else.

Taunt Aura toggle would be great. Preferable costing zero-to-few endurance, and no other effects but the taunt.

 

On my Private Server, We managed to REILLY stop AV's Headless Chickenning luckily We had CoH Source Files downloaded unknown time ago from unknown source. Within "%%\coh-server-original-master\MapServer\ai\entaiCritterActivityCombat.c" - strings:

 

225:

		if(	ai->isAfraidFromAI && !isTaunted ||
			ai->isAfraidFromPowers ||
			ai->isGriefed)

and

2910:

        else if(isAfraidFromAI && !isTaunted
                ||
                isAfraidFromPowers
                ||
                isGriefed && !isTerrorized)

Because We remembered Taunt in game works as 100% way to stop headless chickenning, so We replaced both statement (because We don't compile things on Our own yet - We used hex editor to edit code of "mapserver.exe" file). We replaced both statements to something that technically works as "if(false){}". And that stopped AV's or any other enemy from running across the map like Headless Chickens. This also reduced annoyance of powers like Caltrops. And they didn't lose functionality - adds still prefer ranged fighting when caltrop field is on their way, but throwing caltrops on top of add stacks don't make ton-weight armored combat robots hightail in panic.

 

If you've private server & look to stop Headless Chickenning this info may get handy, PM for more info. If you're working for Homecoming Team this might be handy to implement in game some way to eliminate that by far the most frustrating aspect of the game - when bosses begin Marathonning Across The Map Like Blersterd Noodleleless Chicklings.

 

Edited November 19, 2020 by Purrfekshawn

[Purrfekshawn]

Well We think We still need to share Our lmperial Discovery, since We feel it too lmportant to keep in secrecy. So, provided that you have your private server, and use SCORE i26 (latest) version of it, you need to correct "mapserver.exe" file in a following manner:

Address 0x000434B0:
bytes:

00 00 00 01 74 08 85 F6 0F 84 20 01 00 00 F7 C7
00 00 00 12 0F 85 14 01 00 00 83 B9 F8 00 00 00

replace to:

00 00 00 01 90 90 85 F6 90 90 90 90 90 90 F7 C7
00 00 00 12 90 90 90 90 90 90 83 B9 F8 00 00 00

Address 0x0004d2c8:
bytes:

                        83 7C 24 30 00 74 04 85
C9 74 1D 83 7C 24 44 00 75 16 83 7C 24 2C 00 0F
84 BE 00 00 00 83 7C 24

replace to:

                        83 7C 24 30 00 90 90 85
C9 90 90 83 7C 24 44 00 90 90 83 7C 24 2C 00 90
E9 BE 00 00 00 83 7C 24

As We can understand it - these replacement should be equal to replacement in C++ code both aforementioned statements to if(false){};. And it leads to enemies' stopping Headless Chickenning! No more such horrid annoyance! Perhaps however, these hacks have some otha effect, but it's by far not blersterd Decapitated Poulting.

 

So if you run your private server this trick will be neat for you indeed in order to significantly reduce gameplay frustration from Headlessly Chickenned Away blasted add gang or AV! Perhaps however, that still has some other unintended impact on enemy's AI... However, no matter what that impact is - it's BY FAR less terrible than Headless Chickenning ayway. We'll stick on what We have now for now. Ayway...

 

If We discover that something has some decent flaw and works poorly - well We can correct it AY-AY-AYTIME!!! And that's the funniest part of having tha Private Serva n.n.

Edited November 21, 2020 by Purrfekshawn