Trust AI changed?

[Olinara]

I like to run new dungeons with Trust to get a handle on the mechanics before I run them with a real group, or if I don't want to wait for the DPS queue in the roulette.

This was especially true in EW, where the NPCs were integral to the story, and it made it feel more epic.

At the start of ShB, they seemed flawless in hitting the mechanics.

The AI seems to have changed so that the NPCs make more mistakes on mechanics, to the point that the group wipes. I wiped three times in one of the EW fights because the healer kept dying. I changed my party comp so that one of the DPS had a heal and completed it.

Anyone else notice this?

[Risvertasashi]

I never used trusts before EW, but I did notice the EW ones certainly do make mistakes. Never ran into anything they couldn't complete, though.

[Jojoya]

Trust was not flawless for me at start of Shadowbringers by any means. I was especially frustrated with Y'shtola, who stood in about half the AoEs.

The AI did improve over the course of the expansion, and I expect the same to happen for Endwalker Trust as the developers collect data on the most commonly seen problems.

The main thing to remember is the AI is pretty limited. The NPCs have their script they stick to for reacting to mechanics. If you pull mobs/bosses out of the expected positions, the NPCs may not react correctly. It pays to adjust to how they're doing things instead of expecting them to adjust to you. Especially important - they do not like big pulls no matter how much some players do. If you force a big pull, expect pain.

[Tlamila]

I actually noticed the opposite, that the AI seemed greatly improved. I used them lots in ShB because I wanted to avoid grouping up as much as possible (yeah I know it's an mmo and all yadda yadda), and I absolutely hated them. They didn't heal while doing mechanics, making you die lots and if you died it was a wipe. When you'd get a stack marker, they'd stack in a predefined point. And in general they did fail stuff and die a lot, too.
Now I only used them to practice the second trial more while alone, since when I did it in PF it was very messy and wipey, and they did it oh my, so smoothly, including running to me when I had the stack marker, healing while doing mechanics etc. It actually made me wanna start using them again, which I never thoguht I'd do again.

[QueenVanraen]

The AI has been terrible ever since it got introduced, EW didn't really bring an improvement.
They constantly try to evade aoes by walking into walls, preventing them from moving out & getting hit.
They all stop doing their jobs while moving for mechanics, so it's not uncommon to wipe or see one of them die because no heals went out for 5 seconds while the tank stood in the damage area.
Except for a few instances, they move to a specific point of the room if there's a stack marker mechanic (most notably seen in Holminster Switch Tesleen & Tower of Zot Sister fight),
and they'll gladly let you die if you happen to have the stack marker & are stuck at the edge of the arena, making no effort to come to you, or better yet, actively running away from you if they were close to you.

// not to mention they've been lazy w/ it - no reason we can't use Ryne for the 81-90 dungeons,
// Paglthan & Matoya's Relic are both happening in the Source & you can bring Ryne along for those...

Coupled w/ their inability to use aoe during pulls, their *extremely lackluster damage* (seriously, they're terrible), and the fact you only get half the gear drops it's a terrible system all around.
you can't even tell them to attack specific enemies like you can do with your adventurer squadron - which btw, would be really cool to use for pre-ShB dungeons & trials, considering you can hire 8 of them.

[Rongway]

The trust scripts are mostly fine; you just have to make sure you're not using Alphinaud and Alisaie together because Alphinaud will always heal Alisaie even if she's only missing 1hp and the tank is at 1hp, and Alisaie will often be missing health because she hates to interrupt her melee combo for mechanics. And even then it's not a problem with the scripts; it makes a lot of sense for their characters, and you can easily work around this by just not taking them both except for like one? two? Scenario runs where you have to take them both.

[nighttimebunny]

Hmm I thought the EW AI was better. I've only had them die to mechs in ShB trusts.

[Asari5]

it is better... now they follow you afound if you have a stack marker..... they are still doing some mechanics too stale though

[QueenVanraen]

it is better... now they follow you afound if you have a stack marker..... they are still doing some mechanics too stale though

only very specific markers :^)
Tower of Zot they still run to the middle regardless of where you are w/ the marker.

/edit: went through the trouble of recording it - trusts will gladly run farther to their designated "stack point" than to you.
https://youtu.be/yb0idT_oEYo

[Gargy]

I've noticed Urianger isn't handling the changes to Astrologian very well, lol. He stands in AOEs like he's glued to that spot just casting away till he dies. I won't level him anymore without someone else that can raise him. He wasn't that bad in SB. He's almost 90 now and then he's going back to the bench.