AI: What should we expect?

When we the community questioned why certain AI aspects were removed from the game, we really didn't get much of a answer aside from the obvious change to the "Curious" AI monsters used to have.

We did receive this small tid-bit of information though.

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Originally Posted by Bayohne

Discussed this with monster wrangler Matsui. Firstly, as I'm sure you're all aware, the reason that aldgoats and other monsters stopped coming closer was due to the fact that they would be tagged by player AoEs (and all the frustration that brought with it); we don't have plans to bring that aspect back. However, we would like to add more liveliness to monsters as you have been suggesting.

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I could have tried to bring this up in the thread this was posted in, but as it's a old-long thread I think a fresh discussion is in order!

What do we the community expect from the development team in terms of not only monster AI, but NPCs and even enviromental interactions? I'll start this thread off with what I generally expect and if the thread gets large enough I will encorperate everyones ideas into the OP!

[SIZE=5]Monster AI[/SIZE]

• Some "Territorial" monsters who will take agressive stance towards you at a certain distance instead of attacking. Will agro if you spend too long in their territory or get too close to them.
• "Smart Linking" Has been brought up by the developers that some monsters will Call for help if you are too strong. I would love to hear more about how this will work!
• Universal linking: Some mobs that will link regardless of your level if your attacking their herd IE: Aldgoat Billies attacking you if you attack Nannies within their line of sight.
• Active Search: I feel there should be a few areas with monsters who are activly looking for players to attack, perhaps they could follow pre-defined paths to make some areas more "Tricky" to navigate but not impossible. Like why not instead of have 3 Smolenkos block a tunnle have 1-3 on patrol but have openings where a player could "Slip" through.
• Hidden Monsters: Long are the days I have waited for a Antlion to come up from the sand and try to snatch me up whole, or where I had a slight heart attack when a Chigoe's name would appear amidst thin air I thought was empty moments ago.
• Kind Monsters: While we do have the Phurbles the utter lack of them in the game world is a bit puzzling, would be nice to have a few other monsters like this roaming about.
• Kind Monsters - With a grudge: Lets say Phurbles normally heal people, but if they are murdered in mass numbers they at first, stop healing you depending on how many you killed, and eventually start to agro when you go on a mass murder spree. I'd generally say keep it individual per character as if it was a server based behaviour I'm sure they would try to comit genocide on us withing a hour.
• passive vs agressive mobs: While attacking eachother is one thing, mobs could at least avoid or scare off other monsters in the area. Lets say a squiril gets too close to a Marlboro, it should at least roar or menacingly gesture to scare the squiril off lest it become lunch.

[SIZE=5]NPC AI
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• More NPC's that react to your current class
• NPC's who run around the town on a set scheduel (They don't even have to be quest NPC's or anything just give them a small path to follow to add some movement to the cities)

[SIZE=5]Enviromental AI
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• Enviromental hazards that trigger via context sensative means: Let's say like XI where the bushes in Attowah Chasm released poison at certain intervals.
• Allow said enviromental hazard to effect all PC's and NPC's, I mean really if I get poisoned by some plants I expect the goat I dragged into these bushes to be poisoned as well! (Obviously some monsters will be immune)
• Objects that move / React when you get near them. (Plants unfolidng or folding as you aproach)
• Objects that move / React on a set scheduel (Geysers that go off at certain times of day)

Thats it for now, I'll continue filling in my opinion along with the communities as we go along. Lets hear what you guys have to say, how should the world react to the players? Should some monster flee in terror of higher level players, or actively attack based on our class?

The world should be ripe with unique situational stuff like this, make the world feel alive! Let's let the dev team know what we feel would make the world really look and feel like a real fantasy world.

On a personal note I wonder what Monster Wrangle Matsui has planned, it would be awesome if he would give us a glimpse at some of the ideas he has personally!

Reserved just in-case.

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Kind Monsters - With a grudge: Lets say Phurbles normally heal people, but if they are murdered in mass numbers they at first, stop healing you depending on how many you killed, and eventually start to agro when you go on a mass murder spree. I'd generally say keep it individual per character as if it was a server based behaviour I'm sure they would try to comit genocide on us withing a hour.

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Make it like the Pixies from XI (yes I'm readying the coffins of those who find XI a sin against god), they'll be less inclined to heal you or fade from existence (in the present in XI's example). Same with the Fomors, they're generally harmless, but if your hate spikes to max they'll aggro you and even become true sound at a point as well as enhanced abilities, e.g their defense down move will eventually drop your defense to 0.

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Hidden Monsters: Long are the days I have waited for a Antlion to come up from the sand and try to snatch me up whole, or where I had a slight heart attack when a Chigoe's name would appear amidst thin air I thought was empty moments ago.

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So much this. You're walking in a new zone, no knowledge, bam, you get amushed by an antlion and sometimes oneshotted if it critical and you're low enough level. This is what disappointed me most about antlions in XIV, because they're generally seen as..well, not so surface dwellers. Only the "workers" were ever seen above ground, but even then some were underground waiting on eat you.

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"Smart Linking" Has been brought up by the developers that some monsters will Call for help if you are too strong. I would love to hear more about how this will work!

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Yeah the way I envision this is like if you ever fought this monster in XI, Almethia I think it was? She'll call all Rams and sheep in the zone to help in the fight. So something like that would be interesting if you're suddenly swarmed by enemies (if fighting swarm type enemies, like Gnats.)

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Originally Posted by Jynx

[*]Hidden Monsters: Long are the days I have waited for a Antlion to come up from the sand and try to snatch me up whole, or where I had a slight heart attack when a Chigoe's name would appear amidst thin air I thought was empty moments ago.

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I think everything is fine except for this one. It's basically a forced battle when some player is just trying to get from point A to point B. Or it's a forced death if the player is too low rank, which translates to punishing someone for exploring. Unless there's a clear indicator as to something being below ground (like dirt kicking up or something, or cracked ground like in FFXI), I don't think it's a great idea.

That's just it, it's generally not in a 'low rank' area (as in somewhere they shouldn't be) because if you're like rank 1 and in an antlion's nest which is generally around rank 30 or so, if you explore it and die that's your punishment for not being the right level. (We can't go unpunished forever in an MMORPG.)

Also:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUqa1rI7s9I Around 1:51 cerberus type mobs let out a audible Howl (Amarok is more known to do so.) So animals acting like..animals.

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Originally Posted by RabidSquirrel

I think everything is fine except for this one. It's basically a forced battle when some player is just trying to get from point A to point B. Or it's a forced death if the player is too low rank, which translates to punishing someone for exploring. Unless there's a clear indicator as to something being below ground (like dirt kicking up or something, or cracked ground like in FFXI), I don't think it's a great idea.

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Oh I don't mean punish players unwitingly, as long as they research the areas they are going to. if your running in a area for no reason without doing research or being one of the first few to venture into that area.

You should be taken by suprise by alot of things, thats what at least I find fun about exploring.

Again, it's still a forced battle. Whether you can kill it or not. This is along the lines of a "random encounter." Which has always been a pain when you're just trying to get somewhere. Being able to kill it does not alleviate it from being an annoyance.

And also again, visual cues would be fine if you're going to have enemies like this.

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Originally Posted by RabidSquirrel

Again, it's still a forced battle. Whether you can kill it or not.

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You might as well make sure mobs never stand near corners then because it's a "Forced battle" if for the love of god I walk around a corner and there is a agressive monster in my face.

But yes the monsters would have some sort of visual que, it wouldn't be fair otherwise.

Would love to see even just half of thoose suggestions implemented, anything that can add a sense of danger and more life to Eozera is very welcome.
At least with varied monster behvaiour depending on their speciec I feel this is something that any aspiring next gen MMO should have theese days.

These are all really good ideas, I don't think that all monsters should display this. At least not in areas for low-ranked players. That way when they're higher ranked they're more ready and more familiar with this class to deal with monster linking, patrolling monsters, hidden monsters, or most territorial monsters.

I think Kind monsters would be acceptable for anyone R0-20. As I doubt they're like to kill anything that's healing them.

Of course the lower level areas should be rather standard and devoid of such dangers as mobs that jump out of the bushes to eat your soul.

I just think it's a great step towards making the world feel more alive.