Combat Medic Archive

Look, I'm the 1st one who goes against healing agro. But lets not jump the gun. I'm seeing posts saying healers becoming tanks.. It smacks of people thinking this is a fix coming soon. It's not....

This is Cinco's 1st post: Today we started are kicking around ideas to make pet combat a lot more challenging. I see it this way: we built an AI system that reacts well to individual players and player groups... but there are no special consideration for the powerful creatures that players employ. I think that the combat behaviors (especially those of high-level NPC's) should *evolve* to compensate for combat pets by employing new strategies and special tactics. This approach feels more comfortable than looking for ways to reduce pet combat effectiveness or just making NPC's tougher. Please let me know if you agree, disagree, and why If you do agree, what sort of AI features do you think would add significant (and fair) challenges? Thanks in advance! (BTW: a side-issue the designers are discussing... should these behaviors evolve to include special recognition of players who heal / buff other players, too? When high-level NPC's see your friend healing you, what should they do?) Cinco Barnes Lead Designer

This is Cinco's 2nd post: Sorry to give the wrong impression about the importance of features vs. fixes. No one is planning to touch AI enhancements until we have addressed high priority problems in each of the professions. In the case of CH, there are many high-priority pet issues that totally preclude working on any sort of combat feature additions. I brought this issue to the boards because it takes a very long time to plan out major changes to any system (AI is no exception), and great creative ideas flow from here. Thanks for understanding Cinco Barnes Lead Designer

And if you don't like it... I would suggest bringing optional ideas to our correspondant. I don't like this idea, but it isn't bad PROVIDING they put in a system that allows for agro to be pulled off. In another MORPG- DAOC healers healing draw agro from all mobs... but here are many classes that are able to taunt or out agro the cleric due to sheer damage or a style. This game currently doesn't have that. I also don't have a problem with this providing they add mind heal in the game, i could care less what class they give it to.

Personally I don't think this is a bad thing. As the game is right now creatures are removing all need for having groups. With a few high level creatures you can take on just about anything in relative safety. Then with pet stim packs and food you don't need a medic anymore.

The random aggro away from the pet will be a huge boost to player groups. Since hiding behind a big pet will not work. It will bring back grouping to the game which will be a great thing.

Since not many players are built to handle a few shots from Rancors, Grauls, and Krayts they will be begging healers into their groups. Healers getting the aggro won't be much help to us, a area stim C will most likely be a death sentance. If it is handled properly it will still be ok, but odds are it won't.

Logically thinking most animals won't recognize a healer or what he is doing, that guy causeing him pain though is very easy to understand. NPC's though are another story, they should recognize healing and know its just as much of a problem as the guy shooting. Creatures should have a modifier that greatly reduces the chance to attack healers, where NPC's are balanced.

It also should not be based on amount of heal/damage but on number of actions. Otherwise as I said, area stim C is a death sentance and any DOT's will also greatly tip the scales. Any class that relies on DOT's (Commando and Combat Medic) will always incur the aggro by the end of the fight. The other thing on the amount of damage will set it so any characters that haven't progressed as far will be quite safe in a group with higher characters, they can't hope to match the damage of higher level characters and thus will never pull aggro.

They definately should implement this random aggro AI, but they really should think the logic through carefully or they may even further alienate grouping.

I am definately all for adding AI changes that include a change for pets and healing. I have no idea why they didn't include this in the first place, it is a method that has worked flawlessly in the other MMORPGs for balance.

Of course one issue that medics will have to come to grips with is the fact that if this change goes in they will also add some limiting factor to healing while being attacked. Otherwise this change won't mean anything. Think about it...if they add aggro to heals, but a healer can heal just as well while being attacked, then nothing has changed, instead of healing a tank he will just be healing himself. They definately need to add taunts for these changes to keep aggro off healers though.

I am sure that some won't like these changes, but for anyone who likes group play this will add much needed group strategy that other games have and this one lacks.