Prey on the Hunter (changed?)

**Metal_HamMaster** · 02-21-2013, 11:08 AM

Did something change with the update to this quest?

I ran it a few times right before the update with out any issues-appears after the update my group ran it and had a very difficult time getting to the Dragon before she was almost dead.

Im not sure if something was changed or if I was just having a bad day but we failed it on Normal twice. She died just as we arrived. I am pretty good with the random maze and don't usually have trouble getting to her.

**Phidius** · 02-21-2013, 11:14 AM

I haven't ran it since U17 dropped, but ran it last week on Hard with no problem.

Well, except for that stupid dragon wing-buffeting me all the way back to Kansas... gawd I hate her.

**voodoogroves** · 02-21-2013, 11:15 AM

They did tweak giant ai ... And they are now more of a threat.

Maybe too much :-)

**Battlehawke** · 02-21-2013, 11:16 AM

There was a time when they gave her more hp because this happened a lot, especially on elite. Maybe in the update it reverted back. They did just change Giant and Dragon AI. Maybe......

Are you missing a key CC or Intimitank player from your group that you normally run with?

**Metal_HamMaster** · 02-21-2013, 11:21 AM

Originally Posted by Battlehawke

There was a time when they gave her more hp because this happened a lot, especially on elite. Maybe in the update it reverted back. They did just change Giant and Dragon AI. Maybe......

Are you missing a key CC or Intimitank player from your group that you normally run with?

Nah-we have a good SD in group-really wasn't the issue-she was almost dead when we arrived-could not maintain anything long enough to pull her away from the garbage. Her health was a sliver both times.

**knockcocker** · 02-21-2013, 12:24 PM

Spellpower

**UurlockYgmeov** · 02-21-2013, 12:44 PM

Originally Posted by voodoogroves

They did tweak giant ai ... And they are now more of a threat.

Maybe too much :-)

dragon AI was also tweaked. so the combination of changed Giant and Dragon AI might also be the culprit.

**Tenolas** · 02-22-2013, 05:52 AM

Some guild mates and I ran this again to get one of us flagged. the rest of us ran it a couple days ago before U17 with not a single problem, she had enough HP for me to throw some Scorching & Necrotic rays to get aggro and kite.

After U17, In on elite no problems, got through the maze quickly (we all know it). Aaand failed. This happened twice.
And on the third try, I didn't even want to go near her with my death aura, she was that low, Couldn't even see the red in her bar.
(also Wail being bugged didn't help)

What 3 of us blasted through a couple days ago, 4 of us struggled with today, It has changed.

**parowan** · 02-22-2013, 01:23 PM

Yes, giants got too much of a buff or AI improvement. I normally have no problem with this quest. Today failed on norm right after arriving at dragon, casual for quick re-try also failed. Dragon goes down like a . . . well you can finish that sentence however you want, but the quest now seems impossible at level.

It's not a bug so I haven't filed a bug report. It's just an unintended consequence of U17.

Devs please acknowledge! Thank you!

**Feather_of_Sun** · 02-22-2013, 02:16 PM

Thanks for the heads-up, we're working on a fix for this ASAP.

**Zenako** · 02-22-2013, 03:20 PM

Interesting. It was always considered by many groups to be harder on Normal than Hard or Elite, just because the Dragon was so squishy that it was always a lot more damaged when you arrived making that last fight more difficult. With AI changes to make Giants more fearsome foes, perhaps the Dragon is now taking it on the chin.

Developers, perhaps you could just put in a timer that starts a countdown once the first character enters the maze perhaps. For example 1% HP loss for the dragon with each second and .5% HP loss on the giants for each second to reflect the battle results and coming into the middle of things. The slower rate on the giants ensures that you need to hurry your group in to get there with time to spare. Once the first character enters the chamber then autopilot damage goes off and combat ensues with normal outcomes and damages. This would end this problem in many ways.

**Spoonwelder** · 02-22-2013, 04:32 PM

That is a solution....it requires alot of new programming OR they just jam her up with another 100k HP.....which do you think they will choose?

**sirgog** · 02-22-2013, 08:25 PM

Originally Posted by Zenako

Interesting. It was always considered by many groups to be harder on Normal than Hard or Elite, just because the Dragon was so squishy that it was always a lot more damaged when you arrived making that last fight more difficult. With AI changes to make Giants more fearsome foes, perhaps the Dragon is now taking it on the chin.

Developers, perhaps you could just put in a timer that starts a countdown once the first character enters the maze perhaps. For example 1% HP loss for the dragon with each second and .5% HP loss on the giants for each second to reflect the battle results and coming into the middle of things. The slower rate on the giants ensures that you need to hurry your group in to get there with time to spare. Once the first character enters the chamber then autopilot damage goes off and combat ensues with normal outcomes and damages. This would end this problem in many ways.

This was changed AGES ago. The first Aussircaex now has almost the same HP on norm/hard/elite (easily tested by dragging her away from the giants and throwing 10000 fire damage at her, she'll lose 13/13/15 pixels of health on n/h/e if you have 4 player scaling in effect, so she has ~110k/110k/100k hp. (She has more like 80/110/145 the second time).

The giant melee attacks RIP HER UP. (She's almost immune to their spells). Like hundreds of damage a hit.

So any change that makes giants attack more often in melee or favor melee to casting spells will make the quest a LOT harder.

Suggestion to the devs: Don't mess with the giant AI. Just adjust the bonus damage they do to dragons or frost creatures or non-humans or whatever it is in melee to make the encounter have the desired time pressure.

**Phidius** · 02-22-2013, 08:32 PM

Let us heal her...

**FestusHood** · 02-22-2013, 08:34 PM

I farmed this a bunch of times solo on casual looking for a rune prior to update 17. Even on those times when i fumbled around in the maze, she always had at least 60-70% of her hit points left when i found her.

My barb had by far the harder time soloing this due to greataxe cleaving not being compatible with keeping the dragon alive. I actually had to use the toothpick to get it done.

**sirgog** · 02-22-2013, 10:49 PM

Originally Posted by Phidius

Let us heal her...

Won't make a difference. She has far too many HP to even notice healing from players (unless she's given 1200-1500% incoming positive energy healing, but even bosses usually cap out around 600%).

**DarkPhoenix888** · 02-24-2013, 08:11 AM

Yesterday I ran it twice on Elite - both runs failed miserably.

On the first run the dragon died while we were still in the maze. We were unlucky and took the wrong paths first - although in the past this scenario was allowed and your penalty was defending a dragon with less hp.

On the second try we were lucky enough to pass the maze without spending extra time on it (took the right paths only), but when we got to the dragon she had less than 10% hp and after less than one minute she died and we failed again.

Annoying!

**FranOhmsford** · 02-24-2013, 12:24 PM

Originally Posted by Phidius

Let us heal her...

This would make for a nice viable tactic!

Have Cleric/Soul/Druid/Bard spam heal Dragon while she does all the work killing the Giants.

Dragon is extremely grateful

Using this tactic removes option to Kill Dragon!

**parowan** · 02-25-2013, 11:06 AM

Originally Posted by FranOhmsford

This would make for a nice viable tactic!

Have Cleric/Soul/Druid/Bard spam heal Dragon while she does all the work killing the Giants.

Dragon is extremely grateful

Using this tactic removes option to Kill Dragon!

Well.... During my incarnations as a healer I have more than once healed a party through a fight and secured the completion, only to be left with a burning desire to then turn around and nuke those very same "allies" into an oblivion they so richly deserve. It might be therapeutic to actually have such an opportunity.

Alas, this remains true:

Originally Posted by sirgog

Won't make a difference. She has far too many HP to even notice healing from players (unless she's given 1200-1500% incoming positive energy healing, but even bosses usually cap out around 600%).

**stretchcore** · 02-25-2013, 03:53 PM

Back in around 2010 time/whenever radiant servant came out, I did notice Aussi benefiting from AoE heals, with a pretty big healing amp. I haven't been back in there with a cleric for a very long time though, and couldn't say whether the bursts still hit her, but I'm betting not.
Turning that back on (if it was turned off intentionally) still seems a bit more hit and miss than just delaying the spawn on the giants a bit longer.
"You hear a bellow of rage as giants swarm the dragon's lair" as you come to the last drop down or something like that.

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