A few tips for leading NPCs

[KaizenSoze]

Escorting NPC is missions is a pain, but I have figured a few things out over the years.

 

• Obvious ones, make sure all stealth is off on the team. Especially, AOE stealth, people just forget they have it.
• If you are the escorter, leading NPCs is like pulling them with a delicate string. You want to keep just the right amount of tension
  • Turn off both sprint. Base NPC speed is usually right around non-sprint walking.
  • If you have an auto power that boosts your run speed, then move backwards
  • Keep them 20ish "feet" out. Too close and they stop a lot. Too far and they get hung up on corners
  • Watch the map primarily
  • Ask teammates to stay away from you, so the NPC doesn't get blocked by accident
  • Anticipate corners, slow down till the NPC makes the course correction on the map
    • This is way it's better to watch the map. You can easily see which way the NPC is facing
  • If you have got it right, NPC will follow you at a smooth constant pace

[Psyonico]

If the hostage isn't on me, I usually hit "F" to follow the hostage in case they get stuck.

 

If the hostage is on me then I usually run backwards to keep an eye on them.

[Luminara]

[Techwright]

1 hour ago, KaizenSoze said:

• Obvious ones, make sure all stealth is off on the team. Especially, AOE stealth, people just forget they have it.

 

As I think it over with this, if you know there's going to be an escort, before going in, get the teammates to check their toggle powers to see if there is something that has a stealth element.  I've been at fault a couple of times.  It's not necessarily that I forget that I have an AoE active (especially since there's visual to it), it's that I play 60 characters, and swapping between them, I don't always remember which toggle has a negative effect on a given mission. 

 

Even with all these considerations, you'll still have challenges from the NPC.  The one in the Katie Hannon Task Force for example: if she even thinks any one of you needs a buff, she stops to give it to you...all of you, one at a time... which can really mess with the team's efforts to drag her backside out of the cave.

[Xalon]

You want to go 20-30ft then stop, then 20-30ft then stop, and keep going like that. If you go too far they will stop, especially if corners. Make sure they can always see you. If lots of others around, make sure you click on the NPC when approaching, as that seems to help as well.

[Skyhawke]

Yell at them. A lot. Preferably with expletives. At least that's what works for me. 

[Luminara]

11 minutes ago, Skyhawke said:

Yell at them. A lot. Preferably with expletives. At least that's what works for me. 

 

 

Oh.  Expletives.

 

[Gerswin]

3 hours ago, KaizenSoze said:

Escorting NPC is missions is a pain, but I have figured a few things out over the years.

 

• Obvious ones, make sure all stealth is off on the team. Especially, AOE stealth, people just forget they have it.
• If you are the escorter, leading NPCs is like pulling them with a delicate string. You want to keep just the right amount of tension
  • Turn off both sprint. Base NPC speed is usually right around non-sprint walking.
  • If you have an auto power that boosts your run speed, then move backwards
  • Keep them 20ish "feet" out. Too close and they stop a lot. Too far and they get hung up on corners
  • Watch the map primarily
  • Ask teammates to stay away from you, so the NPC doesn't get blocked by accident
  • Anticipate corners, slow down till the NPC makes the course correction on the map
    • This is way it's better to watch the map. You can easily see which way the NPC is facing
  • If you have got it right, NPC will follow you at a smooth constant pace

Alternative: grind out multifaceted so you can Mark & Recall

[Jacke]

With Escorting NPCs (ugh):

• Turn off all sources of stealth (and if you have the Base Buff Grant Invisibility, delete that Temp Power).
  • This helps so much it's not funny.  You can get well ahead of the NPC(s) and they'll still find you.
• Turn off all +Run Speed Powers, including Sprint, as you'll still move faster than the NPC(s) even with them off.
• As @Psyonico mentions, running backward and looking at the minimap to guide your way is a good way to keep an eye on the NPC(s).
  • Clicking on the NPC(s) to target them, especially with Range turned on, also helps.
• If enemy show up, from any direction, use what Powers you have to (including stealth Powers that have other effects) to defeat them.
  • Then pick up the NPS(s) again and start from the top.
• Get to the Exit point, wait for the NPC(s) to catch up and exit.
  • If that ends the Mission, hurrah!  Else do whatever else needs to be done.

 

 

Edited yesterday at 12:08 AM by Jacke

[lemming]

One thing that I don't suggest unless you're doing other stuff and just want to screw around.

 

A hidden stalker using walk can bring an NPC along easily.    This of course depends on the style of ambush if any.

[Techwright]

19 hours ago, Gerswin said:

Alternative: grind out multifaceted so you can Mark & Recall

M&R brings the escorted NPC along as well?  Does it do it for any escorted character or just some like Dr. Todd?  That would indeed be marvelous if all escorted NPCs responded to the M&R teleport.

 

Also, it is more than just the Multifaceted Badge, is it not?  That's part of it, but it looks like the Between Realities Badge gives you the accolade power, and Multifaceted is just one stage in the process.

[lemming]

3 hours ago, Techwright said:

M&R brings the escorted NPC along as well?  Does it do it for any escorted character or just some like Dr. Todd?  That would indeed be marvelous if all escorted NPCs responded to the M&R teleport.

 

Also, it is more than just the Multifaceted Badge, is it not?  That's part of it, but it looks like the Between Realities Badge gives you the accolade power, and Multifaceted is just one stage in the process.

So far, pretty much any hostage being escorted by the char with M&R will go to the selected spot.     Dr Todd, Amy? (from Katie H TF), many tip hostages, etc...

 

For One Good Spider, you do need to off the two fortunatas that restrict his movement before recall.

 

On how to get:

Explore & History Badges in First Ward & Night Ward.   (I just grab them all)

While you're getting those, defeat a bunch of Carnies and Drudges.  Doesn't take long to pick up 100 points of them.

 

Most complicated is doing the Seed of Hamidon.   Doesn't take long to put together a group, a single team can do it, but at least on Everlasting, doesn't take much to put together a league.   Make sure to get Full Spectrum before taking out the Seed, but since you want to trim most of the seedlings anyway, it should be on the way.

 

Tips is the most grindy portion of the accolade.   Hero version of Some Nut on Talk Radio, Vig version of Cloud of Oderous Smoke are very quick targeted defeats.

There are some others that aren't too bad, but there are a few that you wish you had M&R for.  Mission Computer is nice for this.  If you're on a team and doing teleport teams, I do Steel instead of Atlas.  Not much larger (even the vertical), and you don't have to deal with phasing.

[Hedgefund]

I've never had mark and recall fail to bring an escort EXCEPT on a team, if when freed, the hostage attaches to another teammate that isn't able to M&R.  They can turn on stealth or run away to break the leash but that requires teammates that understand, well, any of that.  Good luck.

 

In the Guide section here I've written up a little something to rate tip missions for speed.  For level 40-50 I've come to really appreciate the rogue version of the one with Kelly Uqua in the title.  The door is in the same spot always, the Crey building in Grandville, which just so happens to be about 20 yards from the SG portal.  It's best to knock it out in the 20-40 range while you're leveling up though.  There are some real easy missions you can stock up on at once, like 30-40 rogue tips in PO.

 

To the OP topic, I have long told anyone willing to listen that I would be content to have a page update titled "escorts are no longer stupid" that has nothing else but a change to follow AI where every escort flawlessly follows you over ramps, through caves, around corners, everything.

 

If nothing else, I'd love to see Mr. Yin's follow code propagated to other non-combat NPCS.  He's the best of the bunch.

[High_Beam]

Leave the Bronx!

 

[KaizenSoze]

2 hours ago, Hedgefund said:

In the Guide section here I've written up a little something to rate tip missions for speed.  For level 40-50 I've come to really appreciate the rogue version of the one with Kelly Uqua in the title.  The door is in the same spot always, the Crey building in Grandville, which just so happens to be about 20 yards from the SG portal.  It's best to knock it out in the 20-40 range while you're leveling up though.  There are some real easy missions you can stock up on at once, like 30-40 rogue tips in PO.

Kelly Uqua is also needed for a badge in a Kallisti Wharf arc.

[Mopery]

I've noticed that if you get a ways ahead of them and turn around, they seem to run to you faster than if I hadn't stopped and turned around.

[Ukase]

8 hours ago, Techwright said:

M&R brings the escorted NPC along as well?  Does it do it for any escorted character or just some like Dr. Todd?

So, you've gotten some good answers to this, but I'll add my specific usages of it. 

1. Spelunker. Avoid the ambush, zip in, kill the mage and whatever cronies are also there - ensure she's following, then immediately, you're back at the entrance (or wherever you put the mark) Mission complete. 
2. Virgil Tarikoss SF: Mission 4, where you have to lead the tech to the portal computer. You can set the mark at the computer, go rescue the tech, and when you're sure he's following you - recall back to the computer, mission complete.
3. Silver Mantis SF: Mission 1: You have to escort the two tattoo artists to the front. Every time I do this one artist is upstairs in the back room, and the 2nd artist is immediately below the first. Rescue the first (use inspirations, cuz you're doing it solo), hop down, rescue the other, and ensure both are following you, hit your mark and back to the front. 
4. Operative Renault SF: Mission 1: Set the mark at the portal you need to escort Barracuda to. Rescue her, ensure she's on you, hit your recall to the portal. 

As mentioned, this works for KHTF, both for rescuing Amy in mission 2, and rescuing Katie in the final mission. I would imagine it would also work for those talkative twits Glacia and Infernia in LGTF if you were inclined to use it in there. Haven't tested that myself. 

It certainly works with Dr. Todd. It works with Fusionette in Jim Temblor's arc (you'll be exemped, but you'll keep the accolade thankfully) 

It is without question the best accolade in the game.