AI pathing, flaw or WAI?

[Hence]

Ok, I noticed this in LOTRO when I played in the beta. I bug reported it there but it was obviously ignored and now found its way into this game. Kynapse AI.

When a melee creature starts heading your way to attack you, he will maneuver himself to your back. He will actually walk into the front of you, and then slowly swivel around your character to your backside before attacking you.

In LOTRO, creatures would run at you, run right through you, turn around and attack your backside.

Is this a "Feature"? Working as Intended? Or is it just no one else really notices this?
Try and fight a few of those scorpions in the Vale. Im not talking about when they go underground, but before that when they run up to you, they will work themselves around your character until they are behind you. When they should be pathing to the front of your character.

Am I crazy? Anyone else notice this?

[Pellegro]

They're trying to get the flanking bonus.

Its not very effective.

[Arnya]

I recently built a WF AC heavy fighter

With the likes of 48AC in lvl7 quests the only way the trash mobs can hit you is to surround you and try to outflank you.

Taught me some nice soloing tactics I tell ya...

'Butts to the wall, boys!"

[lasra]

This is the same issue that has had a lot of casters annoyed for ages now. Try casting a PK or an FoD (or any spell really) with the mob targeted and if he closes and flanks you before the animation sequence it done, you lose the spell points and get the message "You must face your target." Its why a lot of caster run backwards while hasted to create the necessary line of sight to get spells off.

For the record, its very annoying. If you cast a spell while a target is in view, it should fire. If the mob moves behind an object is a valid argument for game logic, but not if you get flanked.

[GlassCannon]

This is the same issue that has had a lot of casters annoyed for ages now. Try casting a PK or an FoD (or any spell really) with the mob targeted and if he closes and flanks you before the animation sequence it done, you lose the spell points and get the message "You must face your target." Its why a lot of caster run backwards while hasted to create the necessary line of sight to get spells off.

For the record, its very annoying. If you cast a spell while a target is in view, it should fire. If the mob moves behind an object is a valid argument for game logic, but not if you get flanked.

So it's a Pathing bug then, and not a lag problem...

good to know. I'll start reporting the living hell out of it now.

Once per monster. They add up fast.

[Arnya]

You will probably find it is working as intended.

What do you do when confronted by an enemy caster?

Get behind it, of course.

My main is a caster and the only real chance enemies have of surviving is to get out of my way...

I recall there was a dev response, maybe in the old Codog thread, regarding this. They mentioned a problem with player targeting but I'm sure the dev said the AI was doing what they wanted it to...

I miss Ziggy...