Enemy behavior is nonsensical, absurd!

[Purrfekshawn]

Well today l tried to run one of Task Forces on mah Main (thematic toon, extremely delicate princess, but due to various enhancements/incarnates still able to solo 8m +4 Council pretty safely), but set TF's difficulty to +0, because defeating bosses at +4 get too boring (especially counting its RUNAWAYS (theme of this topic)), and when We reached boss fight at long last - what would you think - the boss, the HUEG brave knight in armor began running away from Us like a headless chicken! What a goddamned shame!!! And not only running away, but also jumping like 100 ft up (and mah toon needs jetpack for that) onto various structures like a flea!

 

 

CoH is the first game with so many enemy runaways l've seen. In majority of games enemies just stand on their place and fight until they die (or you die). This CoH feature seemed for me like attempt to feature a bit of realisticity (like street thugs, encountering opponent, won't fight to death, but prefer to run for their lives, and it makes sense). But when mission's key Boss starts to run-jump around like chicken-flea hybrid, that's not even closely realistic. That's a blah.

 

l have nothing to complain if one minion, who miraclously escaped mah splashes prefer to run for its digital life, at least it's what snares and slows for. Maybe even lieutenant. Or a tougher enemy, but when affected with powers those inflict Fear status. But when a Boss, Elite Boss or AV begins to do this kind of blah, it's just cock-a-doodle-doo. All of them are literally immune to all immobilizes/slows/mezzes, and begin headless chickenning across the map. l even lost one Cyclops add this way (maybe he fell through texture while doing this).

 

l think something is wrong with the part of the code, that weights strength of enemies and makes decision - to fight or to runaway. Maybe it considers PETS like REAL PLAYERS. When l use mah Nuclear Cyborg tank enemies seem to stand and fight to death, despite they can't even land a tiniest scratch on mah Tank. Releasing 2 Lore Pets, however, seems to make enemies more cowardly, so their Lieutenants may RUNAWAY from the character when Lore Pets are out. But when a white, delicate and really soft girl approaches - they begin to tremble in terror, running away in panic and covering their head with their hands, every single add from Underling to Archvillain. Other games, perhaps, don't have any sort of engine, that causes enemies to run in overwhelming majority of cases for a reason - game stops to be fun when player is forced to chase after each single add he encounters. It becomes not matter of realisticity anymore, it's a matter of annoyance, which has to be avoided if possible.

 

Can this stuff somehow be fixed? l'll try out specific solo build with Taunt (or maybe use something else) on Private Server.

 

How build system works - can same enhancement be used in 2 different builds, or l need 2 sets of enhancements (which is not only obviously pricey, but also what's about more valuable enhancements like ATO?). Sorry for Newb question, l just had no chance to try out CoH before its "shutdown", which, however, isn't that bad, as back then l would not have had access to bunch of features, those would need real cash.

[Coyote]

Most AVs and GMs can be Immobilized.

Most will only run away when they are in a damage patch.

 

Use damage patches together with Immobilizes. Without seeing the exact powers used by the team in the fight I can't be sure what the situation is, but I wouldn't be surprised if that's causing the running.

[Shinobu]

Rommy is a world-famous track star.

 

Taunt or a taunt aura can pin him down.

 

 

[_NOPE_]

this what happened in the last game i played runners ruined it for everyone skeedattlin all ova and just anything to grief there no extened maintenance there trying to catch the Rommys and we dont pay for it so unless people don't let GM'S know of dum AI's in the game it we ruin it and there we not be a COH IT WELL BE GONE TO THE PRAETORIANS!!!!!!! 

[SlimPickens]

Doing summer blockbuster the other day my whole team was laughing at all the AVs running away during the casino portion, and jumping up into the rafters after being -rech debuffed. Maybe they couldnt attack and the logic tells them if no attack= RUN!

[Chance Jackson]

this what happened in the last game i played runners ruined it for everyone skeedattlin all ova and just anything to grief there no extened maintenance there trying to catch the Rommys and we dont pay for it so unless people don't let GM'S know of dum AI's in the game it we ruin it and there we not be a COH IT WELL BE GONE TO THE PRAETORIANS!!!!!!! 

;D

[justicebeliever]

this what happened in the last game i played runners ruined it for everyone skeedattlin all ova and just anything to grief there no extened maintenance there trying to catch the Rommys and we dont pay for it so unless people don't let GM'S know of dum AI's in the game it we ruin it and there we not be a COH IT WELL BE GONE TO THE PRAETORIANS!!!!!!! 

 

+1 Inf PK...

[Solarverse]

this what happened in the last game i played runners ruined it for everyone skeedattlin all ova and just anything to grief there no extened maintenance there trying to catch the Rommys and we dont pay for it so unless people don't let GM'S know of dum AI's in the game it we ruin it and there we not be a COH IT WELL BE GONE TO THE PRAETORIANS!!!!!!! 

 

BWAH HAHAHAHAHAROFLCOPTORSTILLMYBELLYHURTS!

[Jaguaratron]

Spec provoke

[Jeuraud]

 

CoH is the first game with so many enemy runaways l've seen. In majority of games enemies just stand on their place and fight until they die (or you die).

 

Well at least you know their not bringing back help, which sometimes was big brother. Group wipes and Trains, because of Runners, happened all the time in EQ and DAoC. In CoH runners are mostly an annoyance.  WoW of course simplified things, and in the process dumbed things down.

 

But... if your Vid is your proof, then I would say that the MOB was not a runner. A runner goes, and goes, and goes, and eventually comes strolling back to their spawn point. This MOB was playing tactically, forcing you to play tactically, and being you were a Solo MM, you did not have all the tools in your group you needed to take on this TF Purple Boss.

 

I see no reason why a CoH TF should be dumbed down, just so someone can solo what is group content.

[Seroster01]

this what happened in the last game i played runners ruined it for everyone skeedattlin all ova and just anything to grief there no extened maintenance there trying to catch the Rommys and we dont pay for it so unless people don't let GM'S know of dum AI's in the game it we ruin it and there we not be a COH IT WELL BE GONE TO THE PRAETORIANS!!!!!!! 

 

Man I know the last line is a paraphrase of something I've read before but I can't remember what.  Was this something on the original CoH forums?  It seems like it was some forums, but it makes me think of the ooooooold WoW boards so IDK.

[Hedgefund]

You have a remedy right there on your power tray,  you should have been hitting “4” much more frequently.

[_NOPE_]

this what happened in the last game i played runners ruined it for everyone skeedattlin all ova and just anything to grief there no extened maintenance there trying to catch the Rommys and we dont pay for it so unless people don't let GM'S know of dum AI's in the game it we ruin it and there we not be a COH IT WELL BE GONE TO THE PRAETORIANS!!!!!!! 

 

Man I know the last line is a paraphrase of something I've read before but I can't remember what.  Was this something on the original CoH forums?  It seems like it was some forums, but it makes me think of the ooooooold WoW boards so IDK.

 

Google "UniqueDragon".

[Without_Pause]

You have a remedy right there on your power tray,  you should have been hitting “4” much more frequently.

 

Spec provoke

 

+1. I started to read the OP and early on I was like, "I hope this isn't about a MM who hates runners."

[AkuTenshiiZero]

Maybe it's just my tinfoil hat showing, but I think mob AI basically says "I'm not DPSing enough, time to flee!"  I've noticed that if their recharges are hosed, or their End is drained, or their hit chance is trashed, mobs will default to running like mad instead of trying to stand their ground.

[Heraclea]

I find this happens when there's too much debuff and not enough taunt. 

[Oubliette_Red]

I believe that to the AI it's more like...

 

[srmalloy]

Well at least you know their not bringing back help, which sometimes was big brother. Group wipes and Trains, because of Runners, happened all the time in EQ and DAoC. In CoH runners are mostly an annoyance.  WoW of course simplified things, and in the process dumbed things down.

 

Well... unless the runner is your AoE debuff anchor, and you're tied up in the fight and don't notice your anchor's run off until the four spawns he ran through show up and want to argue. Some of those were epic in the sudden addition of aggro.

[Liam1986]

Tonight...We dine in the shade...unless there is a damage patch in that case we break ranks and pee ourselves.

[Llewellyn Blackwell]

All I am reading is that yet again someone wants to basically just stand in one spot wailing on a training dummy. There are tools to lock down a mob, and if mobs didnt react and try to evade and avoid things like patches of fire, or run out the clock on dots by breaking contact you would basically make control and taunt almost pointless. Not to mention fast combat movement like hover.

 

Once upon a time in the early days mobs did just stand around in fire patches, it was so heavily abused by players that it was made a priority to alter AI, and frankly i love the reactive dynamic nature of mob movement in this game. It makes for example having exits covered by allies while some go into clean up a large room a very viable strategy that can over all save a lot of time vs everyone running around clearing the room and in the chaos a few runners slipping away.

 

If your soloing, especially at an increased group size dif, then that is part of the increased challenge. If your trying to solo a TF, that to is part of the added challenge of running group themed content solo. AV have powerful regen, and part of any good regen players tactics is knowing when to evade and buy time to let regen do its job.

[Primantis]

All I am reading is that yet again someone wants to basically just stand in one spot wailing on a training dummy. There are tools to lock down a mob, and if mobs didnt react and try to evade and avoid things like patches of fire, or run out the clock on dots by breaking contact you would basically make control and taunt almost pointless. Not to mention fast combat movement like hover.

 

Once upon a time in the early days mobs did just stand around in fire patches, it was so heavily abused by players that it was made a priority to alter AI, and frankly i love the reactive dynamic nature of mob movement in this game. It makes for example having exits covered by allies while some go into clean up a large room a very viable strategy that can over all save a lot of time vs everyone running around clearing the room and in the chaos a few runners slipping away.

 

If your soloing, especially at an increased group size dif, then that is part of the increased challenge. If your trying to solo a TF, that to is part of the added challenge of running group themed content solo. AV have powerful regen, and part of any good regen players tactics is knowing when to evade and buy time to let regen do its job.

 

There's a difference between AI "avoiding the bad" and running a triathlon...

[KnightSoul]

Doing summer blockbuster the other day my whole team was laughing at all the AVs running away during the casino portion, and jumping up into the rafters after being -rech debuffed. Maybe they couldnt attack and the logic tells them if no attack= RUN!

It does indeed.  Which makes the running behavior especially common when they're agro'd on a flying PC.  Tack on -rech and its Usain Bolt time.  Then their attack recharges, they run back.  Chuck a rock, faff about, then flee again when the timer runs out and they can't attack.  Repeat.

Taunt shifts the AI to a  different path which ends the bad comedy.

 

Might be nice if they could add a line to have them check if they can attack a ground target, but I wouldn't hold my breath. 

Its Yakkity Sax forever, so get an Immobilize.

[Liam1986]

Old game kindly wind your neck in mate!

[RikOz]

Some of this is getting downright silly. Last night I exited a mission just one bubble shy of leveling, so I figured I'd do a bit of streetsweeping to get that last bubble.

 

Spotted two yellow Warriors. Ran up to them, and before I even landed a blow on the first guy, the second guy said, "Farewell!" and legged it out of there. I didn't see where he ran off to, so after defeating the first guy I just moved on to another small group. I finished up that group, and when I looked around I saw that the runner had come back, and was standing there by himself. So I ran over, landed one punch ... and off he went again, making no attempt at all to fight back. Seeing that he ran into a fairly large group that I didn't feel like dealing with, I again moved on to a different small group. And again, the guy came back and stood in his original spot. So I tried one more time, and he ran off again.

 

There were no -Recharge or -Endurance issues for him. He just preferred running over fighting.

[echosam]

Some of this is getting downright silly. Last night I exited a mission just one bubble shy of leveling, so I figured I'd do a bit of streetsweeping to get that last bubble.

 

Spotted two yellow Warriors. Ran up to them, and before I even landed a blow on the first guy, the second guy said, "Farewell!" and legged it out of there. I didn't see where he ran off to, so after defeating the first guy I just moved on to another small group. I finished up that group, and when I looked around I saw that the runner had come back, and was standing there by himself. So I ran over, landed one punch ... and off he went again, making no attempt at all to fight back. Seeing that he ran into a fairly large group that I didn't feel like dealing with, I again moved on to a different small group. And again, the guy came back and stood in his original spot. So I tried one more time, and he ran off again.

 

There were no -Recharge or -Endurance issues for him. He just preferred running over fighting.

 

I'm sure he's been kicked out of the Warriors by now for being such a cowardly little...