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View Full Version : Hireling AI improvements.



350zguy
08-13-2012, 12:13 PM
Hirelings are here to make non-self sufficient classes/groups able to progress in this game.

I'm looking for "specific" hireling AI/gear/spell improvements to keep pure classes progressing.

Example One: They added the ability to remove curse to FVS/CLR. However, they won't remove curses on themselves! Obviously a cleric running around with a cursed wound, is silly. They can remove curse... In fact they remove it off me, instantly!!!!

Example Two: Running with two clerics, often time being the fighter. I'm the "only" person who needs a heal. Having two hirelings in the group, it would be nice if they had a 'slight' randomized delay on casting heal on me. More oft than not... I get double heals for 200+ points of healing at exactly the same moment. If they had a 2 second randomized timer, or even a 0/1/2 second delay randomly chosen, they wouldn't burn cool-downs nearly as often, and it would help survivability. (I think)

Example Three: At < 50% life, CLR/FVS get stupid. They cast a cure light/serious/critical before they throw out the heal spell. So where they could be using a cure serious to just top you off, they don't. And when you're one hit from dead, they only cast a 30 point heal. While it adds to the 'drama' that mechanic is completely opposite of what they should do. Cast the "largest heal" with the "shortest casting time possible"

Example Four: Several post 20 CLR/FVS cast mass heal... Way too much. They need to quicken it, to make sure they can't be stopped, or they just need to drop it from the bar. They get stuck in a logic loop of casting a really slow spell, when a mass cure critical would be 80%+ of the time a far better choice. The cleric, or I get the beat down far too often when heating up that spell. I just avoid clerics with mass heal because it's interrupted, and is chosen as the "right" answer when VERY rarely it is the right option for a hireling.

So, there you have it, my four examples, of simple logic that could be improved in hireling clerics so people can run multiple clerics with less wasted casts, they keep themselves alive better, us alive better, and don't burn a cool-down in the worst places.

Do you have a specific enhancement to a hireling? List it here!

Silverwren
08-13-2012, 12:33 PM
Example Two: Running with two clerics, often time being the fighter. I'm the "only" person who needs a heal. Having two hirelings in the group, it would be nice if they had a 'slight' randomized delay on casting heal on me. More oft than not... I get double heals for 200+ points of healing at exactly the same moment. If they had a 2 second randomized timer, or even a 0/1/2 second delay randomly chosen, they wouldn't burn cool-downs nearly as often, and it would help survivability. (I think)

Heh heh! This sounds like a GOOD problem, at least for the one on the receiving end.

Hirelings overall still need, and probably always will need, tweaking. Let's face it. They are really just a crude artificial intelligence. As this game progresses and more and more of us are forced to solo (due to the disappearing PuG) Turbine needs to spend a little time making those hirelings a wee bit more helpful. They're never going to be perfect, but they can always be better.

350zguy
08-13-2012, 12:56 PM
For most characters 12th or so level, double heal spells is just a total waste.

Sure my 20 PM has 500+ hps.

Sure my 20 HP machine has 1000+ hps.

Even then, it's not uncommon to get two 300+ point heals.

At lower levels, the spell points are enough of a premium that I want a slight delay to save those SP, and stop the over-healing.

macubrae
08-13-2012, 01:40 PM
...you are assuming that the "i" in "Ai" actually means intelligence.

If the "i" can't stop them from standing in lava, do you really believe that it will allow them to communicate better? And if they are communicating better, what's to stop them from conspiring to let you die on purpose? Not only did you summon them with only two minutes left on their timer, but you spent an hour and a half in the wilderness area before you even started the quest. Hirelings would work for kobolds instead of us if their "i" was improved, and who would blame them?

My record is 4 1/2 hours with the same healer, I bet his wife was ticked when he finally got home.

myliftkk
08-13-2012, 01:49 PM
For the record, having Epic Hires w/o Deathward or some form of Resurrection spell in their hot bar is about as counter-intuitive* as it gets.

I know, I know, the spell I want most to get out of that tight jam is.... Inferno!

*I see this just as a back-handed way from Turbine to make Monks buy and eat cakes.

MrkGrismer
08-13-2012, 02:32 PM
If, for some reason, you have two clerics (or a FvS and a Cleric), set one the the green 'do nothing' option until the other is low on sp. I would recommend the cleric as the FvS seem to perform better for some reason, plus they cast offensive stuff.

Hireling casters really need to be able to cast resist energy, at least on themselves. It would help mitigate some of that lava damage at the very least.

Qhualor
08-13-2012, 02:43 PM
I noticed certain cleric hires do have a specific resist. When im on my ranger or a toon than can cast reist, ill give my hire resists needed for the quest. When you hit someone with a resist you can hear a buff noise and see an animation. Certain ones i can tell have just electric or acid reist.

Aelonwy
08-13-2012, 03:24 PM
My record is 4 1/2 hours with the same healer, I bet his wife was ticked when he finally got home.

Hireling still hate you, hireling complain to union foreman!

MrkGrismer
08-13-2012, 03:33 PM
I noticed certain cleric hires do have a specific resist. When im on my ranger or a toon than can cast reist, ill give my hire resists needed for the quest. When you hit someone with a resist you can hear a buff noise and see an animation. Certain ones i can tell have just electric or acid reist.

Some of them have dragonscale armor, I believe. Not quite the same, but it does help. ER: Fire is probably the most useful in the game, with acid maybe #2 and cold #3.

I really wish they had RE on their cast bar, or a 'complete spellbook' button on their bar, as it would be really handy to be able to get them to cast it on themselves and certain npcs in some of the escort quests, as it can make a huge difference on survivability.

I've really noticed this playing different characters, some quests are much easier to solo w/ hire if you can cast RE, especially extended..

FranOhmsford
08-13-2012, 03:34 PM
I noticed certain cleric hires do have a specific resist. When im on my ranger or a toon than can cast reist, ill give my hire resists needed for the quest. When you hit someone with a resist you can hear a buff noise and see an animation. Certain ones i can tell have just electric or acid reist.

Jatrina Sartosa - Lvl 15 Cleric Hire - Is wearing Black Dragonscale Armour - Don't bother casting Resist Acid on her.

Natasha Thorston - Lvl 16, Ayron Staliya - lvl 17 and Heystack Ironhorse - Lvl 18 - Are all wearing Blue Dragonscale - Resist Leccy not really going to be an issue.