Purging Artificial Difficulty - Making NPCs More Fair

[EdEdward]

lets break this down:

@anon82332293

If NPCs only block when an attack is imminent, their behavior might become too predictable. This could lead to players exploiting this mechanic, as they would know when to feint or attack to bait a block.

is predictability a bad thing now? is being able to use your knowledge to counter what an npc will do exploiting a mechanic?
also no, this wouldnt even do that.

@anon82332293

Constantly having NPCs sidestep and block could slow down combat, especially in chaotic or large battles (like castrum). This one is kinda just me tho I feel like it’ll take too long.

theres nothing that says they have to do it for enough time to where it slows down combat. they could sidestep and block for like 2 seconds and then get back to attacking lol

@anon82332293

Lowering NPC accuracy introduces randomness to combat, which could feel unfair. If a player loses to an NPC because they got “lucky” and hit every shot, it would feel less skill-based.

no real person thinks like this

@anon82332293

Reducing NPC accuracy might make ranged combat feel inconsistent, especially for players who rely on dodging. High-accuracy NPCs force players to move strategically, which could be lost. This makes me think of Minecraft skeletons.

i shouldnt have to make an entire movement gameplan so i dont get hit by a 600 damage rapid shot ffs

@anon82332293

A level-based accracy system might oversimplify NPC difficulty. For example, low-level NPCs could become trivial to fight, while high-level ones feel punishingly accurate. A flatter scaling curve might work better. This is already kind of true to some extent though.

let me get this straight.
you think LOW LEVEL NPCS shouldnt be trivial
in what world does this “oversimplify” things

@anon82332293

Bosses and mini bosses should not be affected by blinding

has the energy of “Bosses and minibosses shouldnt be affected by DoT”

@anon82332293

NPCs need to behave differently to create varied fights. Too much similarity can make fights feel repetitive/boring.

they already have vastly different movesets compared to eachother 80% of the time

@anon82332293

where have I seen that before…

the fuck are you talking about?

get help.

[fartman1314]

i take back what i said about optical being chill, he’s still 5 years old

[EdEdward]

no hes just a moron

[tbd]

wasnt this debate over like a week ago

[fartman1314]

its also now

[EdEdward]

no debate is safe from being revived while im around

[EdEdward]

atleast this reminded me to give the suggestion stars

[fartman1314]

did you remember to vote

[EdEdward]

yeah

[Mr_hyperspace]

I think we need a designated optie anon mod pinging topic

Ping and dm, until it’s done

[dukeshade]

coming back to this, while I love the idea, AO NPCs definitely need to be more “player-like” before we butcher their artificial difficulty.

Regardless of build, they all move in basically the same way, with almost 0 movement and the easiest targets to hit ever.

I think in trade of NPC’s being fair, they need to also be smarter. Give them air mobility like reflexes / leaps; make them prioritize being airborne sometimes; Make magic using NPCs focus on staying further back than Strength ones.

All in an effort to actually make them a FAIR CHALLENGE; NPC AI rework, their stat builds and items should be a consideration in how they move/attack; no Bow/Gun/Rifle Conjurer is going to run towards the enemy.

[flammenherz]

forgor to vote. have now

[Mr_hyperspace]

Currently the fourth most voted suggestion ever

[arericarnau]

vote twice, thrice, ninty times, create 300000 alts do it for the cause

[DukeOfUngriffia]

Yeah ok rb1

[Jared]

Yeah ok rb1

[Mr_hyperspace]

Yeah ok rb1

[SoupSnakeSal]

Yeah ok rb1

[OOFUS]

Yeah ok rb1

[arericarnau]

i am NOT an rb1 alt