Kobolds

[DJSDJS]

Please Fix Kobold Challenge Lava Caves in Cannith:

In the last four months there are continuous problems with the coding for the kobolds. Even though there is a clear line of sight torchway - Kobolds go off where there are no torches - and they go far off. They aren't being chased by enemies. There is literally no reason for the behavior. As a consequence - they don't get the progenitor crystals - and instead die all over the map. By the time I've even got some of their stones - more than 3/4 of my time is gone.

[Saekee]

that has been a long term issue, sadly

[FlimsyFirewood]

Can you take a screenshot or two of the hallways where this problem occurs most often? I suspect this will be hard to reproduce without knowing specifics, like your "typical" strategy and the usual places where it goes wrong and kobolds run off for no obvious reason.

Do they say anything while they run? Any direct quotes would be helpful.

[Gabrael]

I might have an idea of what you are experiencing:

a) Kobold that have collected at least 1 crystal will stop following torches and will simply use their internal map to navigate home, using the shortest route (this is prolly to avoid kobolds being stuck on torch line)
b) if they still have empty barrels and pass within sight of a shard they will grab it, same goes for a teleporter, prority being purple, green, then teleporter.


because they normally use the path from where they came, it seem like they follow torches, but they do not, my usual strategy is to buy 2 teleporters and always drop the 2nd one at the end of my line, so they go for that one. sometime if the kobold grab a few crystals far away from path and lose line of sight with that teleporter they will go back the shortest route, which can be a path you have not cleared since some paths loop around.

for Flimsy: If you want to see this behavior, the easiest at the bottom near the shrine leading to the collosal crystal stuck in lava. if you start your path from either the giant arena corridor or the lava center area, and end your torch line just at the shrine, kobolds will go back up the north corridor leading all the way to to base west corridor if no teleporter near them.
A second spot where that happen is full north near the top of the waterfall, the corridor north of the waterfall (top) has a point where kobolds will change direction, if close enough to the waterfall they will try to go back across and reach the base from the east corridor, if they are too far up north past the waterfall, they will try to go up the ramp and try to go back to base through the base north corridor.
similar thing can happen in extraplanar mining, any looping path you can do from base will have a point where crystal kobolds will start going in a different direction to go back,

[FlimsyFirewood]

because they normally use the path from where they came, it seem like they follow torches, but they do not

That's exactly it. A kobold that is full starts to ignore torches and tries to go home by the shortest known distance that is hard-coded into the level. There are "invisible return torches" that tell them where to go on the return trip. If their path gets them within sight of a teleporter, they will use it, but otherwise, as a player, you don't really get to tell them which way to take.

This means that in levels with loops they will go through unexplored areas on the way back, where they can get jumped by monsters.

[Strambotica]

Can you take a screenshot or two of the hallways where this problem occurs most often? I suspect this will be hard to reproduce without knowing specifics, like your "typical" strategy and the usual places where it goes wrong and kobolds run off for no obvious reason.

Do they say anything while they run? Any direct quotes would be helpful.

About where...

in my case usually happens near the path to scorpion... near that shrine. Its depends on where is de Circle and path of torches, etc.

Mmm, was trying to explain... but better a picture:
* Red dot Circle, red path torches, green is the path that kobolds take



Edit: Sorry for bad english and my terrible use of Paint.

[GeoffWatson]

They are taking the shortest path back.
You need an extra teleporter (or dimension door) near the end of the red line.

[Saekee]

minor note: you can plop a teleporter outside circles of power and the kobolds (only) will use it to get home

[droid327]

They are taking the shortest path back.
You need an extra teleporter (or dimension door) near the end of the red line.

Wait kobolds will use ddoors as teleporters!? Always something new to learn lol

[DYWYPI]

The normal challenge Kobolds can use standard 'Dimension Doors'. If you've ever run 'Crystal Cove' at Epic a reasonable amount; in experienced PUGs, you'll have seen Dimension Doors (if someone can cast it) being used for the benefit of the Kobolds.

Albeit the Kobolds cannot use the Shadowdancer 'Shadow Training V: Dimension Door' for some strange reason. The "Progenitor bearing" Kobolds; are simply too large to fit through Dimension Doors... My crystal is bigger than your crystal!

[gravisrs]

Do they say anything while they run? Any direct quotes would be helpful.

Kobolds just debug themselves ;D

Hope not seeing stringtable errors over their heads

[Kutalp]

The normal challenge Kobolds can use standard 'Dimension Doors'. If you've ever run 'Crystal Cove' at Epic a reasonable amount; in experienced PUGs, you'll have seen Dimension Doors (if someone can cast it) being used for the benefit of the Kobolds.

Albeit the Kobolds cannot use the Shadowdancer 'Shadow Training V: Dimension Door' for some strange reason. The "Progenitor bearing" Kobolds; are simply too large to fit through Dimension Doors... My crystal is bigger than your crystal!

Nice details and lol 'ed at the crystal statement.

Reminds me another game with 'Pylons'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5e6eG6bXAQ

[FlimsyFirewood]

The normal challenge Kobolds can use standard 'Dimension Doors'. If you've ever run 'Crystal Cove' at Epic a reasonable amount; in experienced PUGs, you'll have seen Dimension Doors (if someone can cast it) being used for the benefit of the Kobolds.

Albeit the Kobolds cannot use the Shadowdancer 'Shadow Training V: Dimension Door' for some strange reason. The "Progenitor bearing" Kobolds; are simply too large to fit through Dimension Doors... My crystal is bigger than your crystal!

Aw, ****. They made a new dimension door for Shadowdancers. I didn't get my hands on it to set it up for kobolds to use... I was on a different project by then. Good find!

[jkalten]

Aw, ****. They made a new dimension door for Shadowdancers. I didn't get my hands on it to set it up for kobolds to use... I was on a different project by then. Good find!

Wow, I always assume shadowdancer ddoor was just a subclass of regular ddoor. Interesting.

[droid327]

Aw, ****. They made a new dimension door for Shadowdancers. I didn't get my hands on it to set it up for kobolds to use... I was on a different project by then. Good find!

Does that mean "will be fixed in an upcoming patch"? Or just "dang that sucks"?

[DYWYPI]

The Crystal Cove "6-Star" PUG Pro Runners typically only use Dimension Door for a limited period; allowing Send "X" amount of Kobolds via Teleporter objectives to be achieved.

Most of the Crystal Cove PUGs over the years just assumed the "Shadowdancer Dimension Door" was purposely made that way by the DDO Developers. For example: to limit Kobold teleportation methods or prevent hostile monsters following, an escaping rogue through the portal, etc.

Aw, ****. They made a new dimension door for Shadowdancers. I didn't get my hands on it to set it up for kobolds to use... I was on a different project by then. Good find!

I Don't always teleport, but when I do. I bring friends! ;-)

I assume that means that the Shadowdancer "Dimension Door" should have ideally been "Kobold Friendly" all along LOL.