with hirelings like these, who needs enemies?

[frznvimes]

This things get requested regularly, but can we please get some finer control over our ai allies? I think this game is too complicated to make them act intelligently on their own, but with greater control over their actions their idiocy could be more manageable.

port to me command to deal with getting them past basic obstacles such as lava pits and
toggle melee on/off, because sometimes you want your FvS hireling to attack with its sword and sometimes you want it to sit back and cast rather than run through a bunch of traps.
toggle combat feat usage on/off, because manually issuing commands to use sunder+trip+stunning blow+intimidate in a pain.
toggle offensive casting on/off, because sometimes you want your hireling in offensive mode but not using offensive spells.
toggle defensive casting on/off, because no matter how many times a cleric hireling casts remove curse they're not going to get rid of sleet storm.
toggle potion use on/off, because we've all watched a hireling chug potions while telling them to shrine.

I'd also like to be able to see a hireling's complete spell list with the ability to disable some of their spells. If it was convenient to access this could make the ability to toggle casting modes unnecessary. Basically this would let us make sure they're using the right spells for the right situation.

Hirelings should carry indestructible weapons.

For player summons I would like to have at least a hold position command, a dismissal option, and/or a passive mode. Basically some way to keep them from starting fights I don't want them to.

edits:
alternatives

Players don't get indestructable weapons so Hirelings shouldn't either. HOWEVER we should be able to give a hireling a weapon to replace a broken weapon. It would of course disappear along with the hireling when you leave the dungeon\wilderness area..

additions

I would like to see a way to control the distance the hireling is from where you are.

My single biggest wish for the caster hirelings is a BUFF button that would cast all of their available buffs on the selected target.

[The_Cataclysm]

toggle defensive casting on/off, because no matter how many times a cleric hireling casts remove curse they're not going to get rid of sleet storm.

Or they could also fix the AI when it does things like that. For example, they are knowledgeable about how to deal with mummies, but think remove paralysis removes their despair effect. Another example is remove blindness for dealing with the Mephit cloud

[silvertrit]

I just give my lil brother a twinkie and he follows me around healing me for free Halloween candy.


I win

[NinjaNeed]

For summons I would like to have at least a hold position command, a dismissal option, and/or a passive mode. Basically some way to keep them from starting fights I don't want them to.

I disagree with this. Normal players do not have the option to dismiss or control summoned monsters, so either implement it for all players and hirelings or not at all.

What I would like is for the hirelings to know that standing on top of my barbarian while I have 10 mobs hitting me in a elite amrath quest is a BAD thing. These mobs attacks hit the hireling and interrupt her from healing me. I dont want to have to tell my hireling to stop and then run into the pack and kite them back to within spell range of the hireling. All she needs to do is take a cpl of steps out of the melee range of these mobs, done!

Also, please fix the lv20 FVS hirelings restoration spell so that when she casts it while I am in combat it actually works!!!

[frznvimes]

I disagree with this. Normal players do not have the option to dismiss or control summoned monsters, so either implement it for all players and hirelings or not at all.

That is what I meant. I'll edit to make it more clear.

[Kelavam]

I would like to see a way to control the distance the hireling is from where you are.

It stinks being a rogue and having to constantly stop the hireling, remember to click to make him follow, stop him again.. If you could make them stay a certain distance, they would not active the mobs when you forget to make the sit still.

[Thuldorn]

Hirelings should carry indestructible weapons.

edit: additions

Players don't get indestructable weapons so Hirelings shouldn't either. HOWEVER we should be able to give a hireling a weapon to replace a broken weapon. It would of course disappear along with the hireling when you leave the dungeon\wilderness area.

I Think this would be a great Plat sync.

[EustaceTrevelyan]

I'd also like to be able to see a hireling's complete spell list with the ability to disable some of their spells. If it was convenient to access this could make the ability to toggle casting modes unnecessary. Basically this would let us make sure they're using the right spells for the right situation.

All /signed, but if only /this, then you'd have made all the arcane hires that much more usable. Actually, I never whistle up an arcane hire because of their tendency to spam grease at the most inopportune moments (this has been covered in another post)

[TPICKRELL]

My single biggest wish for the caster hirelings is a BUFF button that would cast all of their available buffs on the selected target. Its silly have a high level cleric/bard/sorc/wizzie with only 1 buff available.

[Bernaise]

Setting range would be great, even if the options were simply Close/Range.

Being able to copy some of their actionable icons temporarily to another taskbar would be great.

If AI toggles were available, might also want spell casting on/off. This would be nice for those caster hirelings that come armed with crossbows and such