MM Peeves...and Living with Them

[Meknomancer]

My 2 biggest peeves have already been mentioned- the problem with forgetting to dismiss them on tinpex so you can re-summon for bob and neuron and pet speed. Pet speed can be slightly overcome with the use of group fly if you don't mind the obvious complaints from players that didn't turn it off at null the gull but this has its own problems, pets will frequently get stuck on scenery that you wouldn't ordinarily notice if they are at ground level. Moonfire cave maps/council bases, their inability to step over a rock or round a corner even though they are flying, getting stuck in the ceiling, anything that uses kb can put your best dps pets in a wall for the rest of the mission.

 

Mothership Raids, 3 of the last 4 i have been on my t3 bot has just vanished between pylons with no way to despawn and re-summon it short of relogging.

[Warlawk]

1 hour ago, Meknomancer said:

no way to despawn and re-summon it short of relogging.

You should be able to use the /releasepets command to force all your pets to despawn and then be able to resummon them as normal. This generally works even in situations where you cannot directly dismiss or TPTarget that pet. That said, I wouldn't be surprised to hear there was an issue that caused it to bug and not work in specific circumstances.

[Meknomancer]

22 hours ago, Warlawk said:

You should be able to use the /releasepets command to force all your pets to despawn and then be able to resummon them as normal. This generally works even in situations where you cannot directly dismiss or TPTarget that pet. That said, I wouldn't be surprised to hear there was an issue that caused it to bug and not work in specific circumstances.

 

 

I forgot about typing i started using macro's a few years ago and this one definitely doesnt work

 

/macro_image PetCommand_Action_Dismiss "Dismiss" Petcomall Dismiss 

 

I'll try the old /release next time t1 bugs out

[WumpusRat]

I have a macro on one of my alternate hotbars on all my MM's that I just label "GO". It's petcom_all dismiss, which makes all my pets stop what they're doing and immediately leave. I use this all the time to just abandon my pets out when I need to do something like sneak around, or don't want them trudging along aggroing everything behind as they try to catch up to me. 

[Crysis]

I have always wished the upgrades to henchmen were simply an inherent power once chosen.  If that's too much of a 'freebie' then make them toggle powers the MM has to run with a wee bit of END burn.  

 

I get so sick of having to click 5 powers to get ready, and the aforementioned delay of upgrading re-summoned pets that get killed during battle.

[biostem]

On 10/14/2023 at 4:02 PM, StrawberryWitch said:

I honestly hate how slow the henchmen are following you. Most of the time in a team, by the time my babies arrive in the fight, the bad guys are already dead. Also hate that I have to take group fly just for my minions to catch up to me or fly with me when I'm flying.

MMs really need a way to "collapse" their minions onto themselves then redeploy them as desired.  Some sort of "hard leash" whereby they get forcibly dragged along with the MM is also needed.  I really love the AT, but they are just so cumbersome to play...

[KC4800]

A pet peeve I have had forever. When you're down to the last mob, and the henchmen wont kill it, waiting for your order, even when you're not running bodyguard mode. They just stand there and stare at it.

[biostem]

27 minutes ago, KC4800 said:

A pet peeve I have had forever. When you're down to the last mob, and the henchmen wont kill it, waiting for your order, even when you're not running bodyguard mode. They just stand there and stare at it.

Are you certain said MM pet isn't in passive mode?  If they're in defensive mode, and the enemy isn't attacking them, I don't think they'll retaliate, either.  Now, if they are in aggressive mode or in defensive and have been attacked by said enemy, but aren't fighting back, then you have a point...

[KC4800]

Aggressive or defensive on follow I tell them to attack someone in the group, they fight, one will be left, I may have a debuff on it or they're held helpless with a sliver of green left, they just look him. I have to issue an attack command for the last mob. I am sure they have attacked him previously, but turned and attacked others. It's like they forget to kill that last guy. Perhaps I am just spoiled by Phantom Army not needing instruction to kill everyone. They just do their job.

[StrikerFox]

4 hours ago, biostem said:

MMs really need a way to "collapse" their minions onto themselves then redeploy them as desired.  Some sort of "hard leash" whereby they get forcibly dragged along with the MM is also needed.  I really love the AT, but they are just so cumbersome to play...

 

That would be awesome! Trash a group, all the pets hop on the MM's bicycle and they move on to the next spawn.

 

 

[tidge]

On 12/15/2023 at 4:14 PM, Crysis said:

I have always wished the upgrades to henchmen were simply an inherent power once chosen.  If that's too much of a 'freebie' then make them toggle powers the MM has to run with a wee bit of END burn.  

 

I get so sick of having to click 5 powers to get ready, and the aforementioned delay of upgrading re-summoned pets that get killed during battle.

 

I can get behind this, to the extent that the FIRST upgrade power ought to be baked into all the henchmen. Consider the primary progression for Masterminds:

 

Level 1: First henchmen summons is available

Level 6: First Upgrade Power is available

Level 12: Second Henchmen summons is available

Level 22: Third Henchman summons is available

Level 26: Second Upgrade Power is available

 

The first upgrade is available before it is even possible to summon a second hench! (not to mention: it is so low it should be available on all exemplared content!)

 

If we MUST have multiple upgrades, I can't understand why the T4 and T6 powers aren't swapped. Even in earlier times (longer recharge powers, more debt, etc.) it didn't make sense that a henchman summoned from a higher level power wouldn't already have the lower level upgrades baked in.

 

I can understand an unwillingness to chew through the code base/power progressions to make changes to the application of boosts or the default powers of henchmen. I also appreciate the changes to allow slotting of more/different sets in (some of?) the upgrade powers. I also LOVE that the power picks are available at lower levels (across the board, for all ATs)... but none of those makes the primary power progression look any less weird for me.

[TheMoncrief]

My pet peeve - the way any area based enemy attack completely erases your pet AI. Like, I cannot do any Knives of Artemis mission with a MM, because they 100% ignore my commands in favor of running halfway across the map because there's a caltrops field somewhere.

 

I guess it kind of makes sense for the MM sets that are supposed to be alive and free willed, serving you because you pay them or something. But my Robots should dang well be willing to stand in the middle of a nuclear blast if I tell them to. Heck, they *ARE* willing to do that. But god forbid I tell them to stand in a field of sharp rocks.

[TheSpiritFox]

On 1/17/2024 at 1:50 PM, TheMoncrief said:

My pet peeve - the way any area based enemy attack completely erases your pet AI. Like, I cannot do any Knives of Artemis mission with a MM, because they 100% ignore my commands in favor of running halfway across the map because there's a caltrops field somewhere.

 

I guess it kind of makes sense for the MM sets that are supposed to be alive and free willed, serving you because you pay them or something. But my Robots should dang well be willing to stand in the middle of a nuclear blast if I tell them to. Heck, they *ARE* willing to do that. But god forbid I tell them to stand in a field of sharp rocks.

The stay command fixes this. As long as you can heal them through whatever damage is done theyll sit in damage patches attacking if you just put them on stay. 

[wjrasmussen]

On 9/27/2023 at 7:13 AM, tidge said:

I'm generally very happy with MMs; I didn't feel like cluttering the Suggestions subforum with minor annoyances that could all be in my head. Besides, we've gotten very good things on Homecoming like no-collision henchmen! I simply felt like  spelling out a small number of things with MMs that grind my gears. Share your thoughts and tips for dealing with them!

 

The delay between summoning a (set of) henchmen and the ability to cast the upgrades on them.

 

This is most evident when in the heat of combat; I find it particularly annoying when an enemy AV/GM can hit a newly spawned henchman before I can get a resistance/defense upgrade/equipment on them! I used to try to mitigate this with specialty names of the henchmen and keybinds for targeting, but I gave those up as I couldn't recall them if I wasn't playing the MM regularly.

 

The near-random inability for Inspirations to 'stick' to henchmen.

 

I used to attribute this problem 100% to "not being close enough" to the henchmen, now I attribute 98% to it. Some fraction of the time when the MM clicks on an Inspiration, the insp will 'vanish' from the UI, and then re-appear (not having been used) so I think there is some server lag as well. Other times I think there is enough of a discrepancy in positioning of the henchmen between local and server that may be contributing. What is weird: I rarely have this problem with the Lore pets, it usually happens when I try to put a Red Insp on my T3.

 

Travel paths/getting stuck/not-moving.

 

This is a classic problem... but it is one that seems to be exaggerated with Group Fly. It is really annoying to be on a GM hunt and discover that one of the henchmen is somewhere else in the zone, chilling out. I usually just dismiss the henchmen, but will also use Assemble the Team.

 

The 'pop' of only one henchmen, leading to its instant defeat.

 

This one is on me, when I outrun the henchmen while traveling. Usually only one or two instantly appear by my side against a tough enemy... as a reward for their willingness to stay by the boss, they are quickly eliminated (by AoE or Bodyguard mode).

I kind of wish, at times, that those MM pet upgrade/buff powers were just a toggle on/off.

[tidge]

5 hours ago, wjrasmussen said:

I kind of wish, at times, that those MM pet upgrade/buff powers were just a toggle on/off.

 

With the Endurance costs for MM powers? No thank you!

 

I think I understand the point, but except for the delay in being able to immediately apply the upgrades I am completely satisfied with the henchmen keeping their powers as I zone, pass through doors, or send them across the map to dispatch with something. To clarify: I try to take Leadership toggles to assist my henchmen, plus toggles for the MM to reduce incoming damage (via Defenses and/or Resistances) so I don't want to think about having two more toggles!

[wjrasmussen]

2 hours ago, tidge said:

 

With the Endurance costs for MM powers? No thank you!

 

I think I understand the point, but except for the delay in being able to immediately apply the upgrades I am completely satisfied with the henchmen keeping their powers as I zone, pass through doors, or send them across the map to dispatch with something. To clarify: I try to take Leadership toggles to assist my henchmen, plus toggles for the MM to reduce incoming damage (via Defenses and/or Resistances) so I don't want to think about having two more toggles!

Wouldn't have to have endurance cost.

[tidge]

55 minutes ago, wjrasmussen said:

Wouldn't have to have endurance cost.

 

Let's agree to disagree on any potential value of changing this implementation.