Changes to NPC Aggro AI

Rashere breaks the news: "Pet pulling" and "tick pulling" will be strategies of the past come September 19th. From EQLive:



Over the course of beta, we've identified and corrected a number of issues that have been around for a while but were being exacerbated by the downtime changes we are making.  There are two particular changes with the "call for help" routine that I want to draw attention to since they close loopholes that allow some questionable tactics that some of you may be using currently.  I want you to be aware that they will no longer work after our next patch to save you the potential deaths from attempting them.  These will also be in the patch notes.
  1. When most NPCs call for help, they will only call for a small, set number of NPCs to respond to keep from swarming people with dozens of NPCs at once.  There was a problem in the call for help routine that caused an NPC to not call for help again for a few seconds if it had already called for help and enough NPCs responded that they had met that maximum number the first time.  This is what was enabling the so called "tick pulling" phenomenon whereby you could aggro an entire room, drop aggro, then immediate re-aggro a single NPC and it would come alone.  This is now fixed and NPCs will now properly call for help every time they are aggro'd from a non-aggro state.
  2. With the above problem fixed, we also had to address another bug in the same area to prevent just shifting the loophole form one tactic to another.  This one had a similar effect, although for an entirely different reason.  When a player sends a pet in to attack an NPC, the NPC uses the pet's leader to determine how the NPC reacts.  In one part of the "call for help" routine, this check was missed and it was causing an NPC to not call for help if it was attacked by a green con pet of a PC.  This particular bit of code is there for NPC vs NPC combat to keep NPCs from ganging up on each other,  but the missing check for a PC leader caused it to not call for help if a PC sent a green con pet to aggro it.  This is now fixed and the NPC is properly using the pet's leader for this check as well.

Again, both of these fixes will go out with our patch next week.

Rashere

Comments

1 2 Next »
Post Comment
Changes to NPC aggro AI
# Sep 13 2006 at 8:20 AM Rating: Default
Well you guys should know by now the only thing sony is really good in is ******** people.... after ******** and nerfing druids for 7 years its about time you guys feel a bit of that yourself

rasi
Why bother playing any other class now just play necro
# Sep 13 2006 at 3:39 AM Rating: Decent
You would think as much as sony has to correct on stuff they would get some other major issues fixed as well. Many many mages spents tons of aa to perfect pet pulling its an art into itself with many rules.

The only good thing for this I see is the ever rare ench will actually be hunted for in groups again and without them or a fd class you can kiss soloing mobs good bye for rune or plat like all the necros do.
Some the things needing fixing for years and sony refuses to do anything about it.

Like for instance, mages not being able to pet nuke any summoned pets from gates up or use the turn summoned aa on said pets. Now maybe sony can fix the broken pet nuke and turn summoned aa's so the instant ikaav pets are affected by it. Got love how when necros come up with a new skill or use its not an exploit but when pet classes come up with one it's got be fixed.The only good thing for this I see is the ever rare ench will actually be hunted for in groups again and without them or a fd class you can kiss grouping or soloing mobs good bye for rune or plat, like all the necros do. Sony claims the mage class is badly broken with its abilities but hell necros get fd for pull, rezzes, pets (not to mention better pets than mages now days with wtd level 73 and higher), the best in game dueling spells and none of that is too exploitive. You trying to send us a hint Sony we should all play necros right?
Sony fixes bards and other classes with this patch so everyone should just pick up being an evil necro since thats the class most favored by Sony. I lay odds they wont touch Necros ever for anything in fact they probably already planning on building Necros up even more.Sorry if this seems like attack on the necro class, but other classes are constantly nerfed but necros are never touched ever thats just the facts.
Why bother playing any other class now just play necro
# Sep 13 2006 at 6:33 AM Rating: Good
*
223 posts
Actually, Enchanters are pretty much where we've always been...screwed. I play a Lvl 70 Enchanter with almost 600 AAs, with most of my time devoted to end-game raiding, and I gotta say...I'm about as useful as teats on a boar hog.

For pulling...? No can do. Our highest Pacify-line spell, Placate, does not work on most mobs encountered in high-end raids. Even the trash in high-end zones are completely beyond it's reach.

Crowd control? No way. Our heyday was in PoP, and we've all been made to pay (and pay, and pay, and pay...) for the handful of Enchanters that liked to pull that little trick in PoTactics. Most mobs in high-end zones (and quite a few in regular zones!) are marked immune to Wake of Felicity (our highest AE mezz), even if Euphoria (our highest single-target mezz) *can* work on them. And in some zones (Theater of Blood comes to mind, especially), even Euphoria is completely useless. You have *NO* idea how much it chaps my friggin' hide to see a Bard (who is supposed to be a "Jack-of-all-Trades, Master-of-None" type class) able to mezz creatures I'll never be able to touch.

AE stuns? Last time I was able to use them (w/o instant death following that lovely "Immune" message) was in GoD-era content. And we all know how people LOVE to raid/group in GoD zones. The PB AE mezz line is similarly extremely limited in usefulness.

Charm? Don't get me started. With the nerf to Charmed mob max damage output, Charm's risk/reward ratio is so out-of-balance as to render it suicidal behavior for even the most accomplished Enchanters. I have my CHA maxxed out, and Total Domination 3/3 as well...and Charm *still* breaks within 30 seconds of landing. If it weren't for Edict of Command, I'd never do it all; and even maxxed out, Edict only gives you a 6 minute respite from an impending butt-kicking.

And *our* Lvl 66 (highest) pet can be out-done by the Lvl 55 Cleric's Hammer pet in melee damage. Of course, our pet has fewer restrictions than the Cleric's does...but, still and yet. Sheesh.

I've found that about the only use(s) I have, as a Guilded raid Enchanter, is for pre-raid buffing, and post-wipe re-buffing. That's about it. Otherwise, I'm along for the ride. A total of 4 Enchanters, all with MGB, are the most *any* high-end raiding Guild will tolerate. Some squeak by with 2, if they have Quick Mass Group Buff AA maxxed out.

So, when you say this is good for those "ever rare Enchanters" (which I don't see us as rare at all; seems everyone and his brother has a twinky 70 ENC that's been raised on Monster Missions), I cannot agree. Our pulling abilities post Lvl 65 are negligible, and this nerf does not in *any* way increase them; it only decreases the ability of others to manage the numbers of incoming mobs.

As raids have been using Monks as pullers for ages, the only people I see this *really* hurting are groups, and soloers. I do kind of agree with your sentiments about the Necromancers; they seem to get only more and more powerful (reference the Necromancer 1.5/2.0 Epic versus the Enchanter 1.5/2.0, for example), while everyone else is repeatedly beaten into obsolescence.

I know this area was for discussion of the posted "patch", and I've tried to keep myself at least a little on-topic by giving some background regarding how it will affect my Class' ability (or lack thereof) to pull, while trying to keep my bitterness to a minimum. I *love* being an Enchanter, more than any other Class; I've been one since September 17, 1999, and can't envision myself ever switching to an alternate Class as a main...I'm just frustrated by SOE's apparent apathy regarding the marginalization of Enchanters in anything past PoP-era content.

It's kind of funny. In the first half of EverQuest's life, you never went *anywhere* significant w/o at least 1 Enchanter in tow, and Warriors sat on the side-lines and twiddled their thumbs. Guess turn-about's fair play.

(On the positive side, I'm hoping I'll no longer have to risk life and limb when grouping with Magicians. I've lived in fear of seeing a Mage say, "Hey, wanna see something cool...?" for the past 2 years. lol)

Why bother playing any other class now just play necro
# Sep 13 2006 at 8:13 AM Rating: Good
***
3,128 posts
Quote:
Charm? Don't get me started. With the nerf to Charmed mob max damage output, Charm's risk/reward ratio is so out-of-balance as to render it suicidal behavior for even the most accomplished Enchanters. I have my CHA maxxed out, and Total Domination 3/3 as well...and Charm *still* breaks within 30 seconds of landing. If it weren't for Edict of Command, I'd never do it all; and even maxxed out, Edict only gives you a 6 minute respite from an impending butt-kicking.




Edited, Sep 14th 2006 at 10:04am EDT by fhrugby
Why bother playing any other class now just play necro
# Sep 13 2006 at 9:27 AM Rating: Decent
**
285 posts
Not by enough, though.
raid mobs and soloing
# Sep 12 2006 at 11:34 PM Rating: Decent
with this i can think of atleast one raid mob that will have to come up with a new stat for pulling and thats Shyra and me makes it alot more difacult for soloing alot. Mainly cause of the mobs id go after id have to pet pull to be able to do it now they will be off the menue. I for one think theres going to be alot of POed ppl includeing me.
Pulling
# Sep 12 2006 at 11:14 PM Rating: Good
30 posts
Sounds like $OE needs to give all the classes ways of pulling singles or at least 2 at a time. I suggest a line of spells set up for each class just like in the LDoN expansion that allowed most classes ways of picking locks, deceting traps and opening items. Sounds like now the only safe place to pull is going to be East Commons and the other lowbie zones otherwise the NPC's will shout out that "a PC ( insert your name here ) just looked at me funny and now I want all you cronies to go gang up on him and his pet!" .... I play a 70 Wizzy ( try pulling with that I tell you especially in a dungeon! ) and a 67 BST. I too have performed the "questionable tactics" and it seems that $OE is pushing folks into forming groups anytime you want to do a lil exp'ing. I play in an off-peak time (cause I live out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean) when most English speaking servers are at their min. player times. Forming a group then is next to impossible due to $OE ******** everyone over the past years. Keep up the GREAT work $OE! Hats off to you and the ********!

Pogart Fizzlefingers
Prexus-
Pet Pulling
# Sep 12 2006 at 9:44 PM Rating: Decent
I must admit I have done it , I also don't see any harm in it . A caster soloing in a dundgeon needs a way to pull and not be swamped . All I can say is look out Norrath an increase in trains is sure to follow .
bye bye bear
# Sep 12 2006 at 9:35 PM Rating: Decent
*
53 posts
Actually in part 2, iis it just me or does this sound like green pets only?
... no more doing this with my little druid bear...SOB!!...

hugs
Tambora Timorous, lvl 70 druid
Thanks for nothing
# Sep 12 2006 at 9:34 PM Rating: Default
Cool, I don't have to pet pull anymore...my SK can now be even more useless to a group then ever before. I can rarely get a tank job, even though I'm 11k hp and 2100ac at 69th level. I can't solo anything good, cause either it doesn't move my bar (even on AA) or its already camped by a drood, necro or bard. I used to be able to break any room, thus getting me groups, but now that option has been taken from me. Thanks sony for ******** me yet again. I guess I go grind out like 40 AA for all the FD AA's and maybe I can pull something as well as a monk...lame.
Thanks for nothing
# Sep 13 2006 at 10:46 AM Rating: Default
Well... Monks dont get spells, or pets, or the ability to tank as well as an equally geared SK, no aggro managment as far as keeping aggro. We Pull and DPS, I think we should be able to split mobs better then any class in the game, not some shaman or necro or mage or druid or sk using an exploit to send a pet in and use a skilless exploit to single pull a mob. G/J sony. As for nerf fd split, I highly doubt it unless a mob was meant to not come single, in which case thats great if thats the way the content was designed so be it. Why would anyone want to trivialize any content.
FD
# Sep 12 2006 at 8:39 PM Rating: Decent
Will this affect FD pullers? Seems like from reading #1 that "split and tag" pulling just got the axe.

Edited, Sep 12th 2006 at 11:46pm EDT by winchester
FD
# Sep 13 2006 at 6:29 AM Rating: Default
I'm not sure split and tag will be effected. Surely the mob gives out a new call for help when tagged, as they are agroed by a new enemy. If it's fellows are in range for that call then you get the group, as you have always done. If the others have wandered far enough away, you're doing fine.
Bah
# Sep 12 2006 at 7:58 PM Rating: Decent
Bah, no problem. Just send a real puller in (sorry mage, keep your pet away lest ye be pounded).
Bah
# Sep 12 2006 at 7:59 PM Rating: Decent
Ah now why did this post here.
/wave
# Sep 12 2006 at 5:56 PM Rating: Decent
goodbye to the bards hos, fade, bellow. /sob

goodbye little Gobantik bringing a mob back to camp single. /sob

Very usefull tricks in pulling tough content gone now, hope you know a good puller everybody. :)
1 2 Next »
Post Comment

Free account required to post

You must log in or create an account to post messages.