A thought about runners

[Parabola]

This just occurred to me - I wonder if it would make runners slightly less annoying if they could be flagged as 'defeated for the purposes of mission objectives' when their morale breaks. So, in a defeat all you wouldn't have to worry about tracking down every last enemy that has fled from you, and any enemy guarding a hostage wouldn't count as still holding the hostage while they take to their heels (which also strikes me as more realistic).

 

I've no idea how the coding for fleeing works so this could well be a complete non-starter but it just dropped into my head (as I watched an enemy guarding a hostage run out of the room while the hostage continued to cower in place). Avoid effects and the like would need to be excluded of course, this would only apply to enemies fleeing due to low health.

[kelika2]

running enemies added nothing to the game and removal of this mechanic as a whole would be much better

 

[Techwright]

I'll settle for a hook, a long chain, and a "get over here!" third-column ability.

[Rudra]

7 minutes ago, Techwright said:

I'll settle for a hook, a long chain, and a "get over here!" third-column ability.

Teleport Target. It just lacks the requested animation and could use a new teleport enhancement set with a 4 second duration Stun proc. (Which would annoy players when you recall them to you, but it would give you what you are asking for versus mobs.)

[Techwright]

2 minutes ago, Rudra said:

Teleport Target. It just lacks the requested animation and could use a new teleport enhancement set with a 4 second duration Stun proc. (Which would annoy players when you recall them to you, but it would give you what you are asking for versus mobs.)

 

Oh, absolutely, you're quite right, but that's a hero's way.  To at least two, and probably all three other stances, a good tug on a barbed hook and chain is just so much more... satisfying. 😈  I know I would have used it on a certain villainous CEO of a corrupt company last week when she tried running back through the full maze of rooms and corridors.

[Marine X]

I really feel the love when a Crey Juggernaut Taunts me, throws up his force field, then runs out of targeting range, What was that?

[tidge]

I don't mind the critter AI that makes them flee... but it is rather common to have a single critter (including minions!) run enormous distances for a long period of time... which I can almost tolerate, except that this happens on 'defeat all' and on certain maps there is no guarantee that they'll make it back to their spawn location in a time frame shorter than the cooling of the Earth's core.

 

The two 'changes' I'd like to see (although I don't know how to implement either):

 

#1 An enemy which has 'run' ought to have a second (delayed?) timer that has them 'run' back to their spawn location, rather than the leisurely stroll they often take.

 

#2 Flying enemies should have travel suppression, or some other mechanic, that keeps them from rocketing great distances.

 

For an open-world example of just how far fliers can get, and sometimes become 'lost': The Grim Vale event demonstrates that the Cabal can (a) end up just about anywhere, even when NOT pursuing players (b) is a contributing factor as to why there is an asymmetry in outcomes favoring team pumpkin when no players are involved... since the witches will scatter wide making it easier for team punpkin's AoEs to wipe out team irons.