AI Change ... Deliberate or Bug?

[Merus]

Has anyone else noticed a recent change to the AI of mobs using archery? It seems they no longer attempt to chase their target, and sometimes will even run away. I first noticed it on rat archers but didn't pay it much mind, however it really stood out when I went down to kill Medussa. Once she goes agro she doesn't move. Did I miss this update in some patch notes? Was this an intended change or a bug as a result of our Covetous update?

 

[virtualhabitat]

this is also true with human archers on the Tokuno Merchant ships in the Tokuno facet. Haven't checked the ships in tram or fel yet.

 

[NBG]

Pet AI also have some issues.

I am seeing a delay in obeying commands compare to before and not only is the delay significant, but also the AI sometime would just stop working and the pet would just be standing still and do nothing.......

 

[Mr. Smither1]

I think they messed with Medusa because you could disarm her, drag her to a spot and teleport to where she couldn't get to you and/or just kill her next to the entrance and not have to kill all the statues she releases.

 

[Xalan Dementia]

it seems like archer types try to keep an "Optimum distance" when fighting something now, even though they are not throwers. at least thats how I would describe it after fighting the archer types in void pool.

 

[MalagAste]

Noticed weird stuff from the ones in Covetous level 3 and 4.

 

[Zyon Rockler]

Yes they take a few steps back also if you get to close to them...

 

[Poo]

they are growing smarter..... should we start to worry now?

 

[G.v.P]

Medussa

Wait, you saying Medusa moves around a lot now if you get close?

Could be a bug created by that new air archer mage elemental, what is it called, v something? Forget. Venom?

Hm. Tell you one thing, if you have a tamer or a mage try out all kill all stay sometime. Lot of fun vs. Rikktor to use mass Air Eles that way.

 

[Merus]

Wait, you saying Medusa moves around a lot now if you get close?

Could be a bug created by that new air archer mage elemental, what is it called, v something? Forget. Venom?

Hm. Tell you one thing, if you have a tamer or a mage try out all kill all stay sometime. Lot of fun vs. Rikktor to use mass Air Eles that way.

I dont think I have seen Medussa run away, but I have only killed her a couple times since I noticed the change. But she will not chase you.

 

[NBG]

Seems like a general AI change for monsters that shoot arrow.

Make sense that the monster will try to keep itself at certain range to shoot from their arrow. The AI seem to have the initial pattern of the monster doing an initial evade by moving away when someone runs up to it to attack and it will not follow its target.

 

[Aibal]

Yes, I noticed it on the rat spawn in the abyss, the furthest one in the corner with the clockwork scorpions. They keep distancing themselves from you as if they were looking for an optimal range like a thrower. They didn't used to do that.

 

[Warpig Inc]

Just as long as spell casting distance mobs AI don't change. Spell damage and choice along with breath weapon is not a beast best damage. Although it will be amusing to hear the gold silver farmers cry. Sending my hound pack in and some stopping to burp fire damage is not in our best interest. Notice the lizardmen archers will agro at range and not move back into range while I finnish his dexer buddy few steps over. Best AI duh huh is a pet at your keep front door inside. They will agro a spawn and run the rat maze called a keep to a corner. Say "all follow me" and they go straight into a wall and stop. Hell just running through the jungle with a pack of frenzy will have some MIA after a few screens. Going around a tree is rough for those little dino brains. We need more the old Juka Mage / Juka Lord team fighting AI from mobs. Even more the ABC mob style. Can't hurt B till C dead or A till B is dead.

 

[G.v.P]

Nipo (move away AI) is pretty annoying to fight as a dexxer, at least, I couldn't handle the weight in pack and the constant movement. The combo of always moving, necro, and bone throw summons made it so my sampire had no luck in the fight. Maybe easier as a pure or mystic, hm.

I feel like move away AI was introduced w/ frightened orcs, while I seem to recall stand-still archers as something quite older...didn't noble NPC archer guards do the same? Hm.

 

[Merus]

Well at least I am not the only one who has noticed. I guess I just wish if this was a deliberate change we might have gotten a blurb in the patch notes. Something like "updated AI for archery mobs". Would go along way to instilling a little confidience that our programs made the change on purpose rather than another of the unintended consequences of other changes.

 

[Redxpanda]

I think it is intentional and i think they didn't mention it on purpose. Unfortunately, I have had monsters flee when they are at full health and melee is their only weapon while agro'd

 

[Merus]

I think it is intentional and i think they didn't mention it on purpose.
Unfortunately, I have had monsters flee when they are at full health and melee is their only weapon while agro'd

Personally I think that assuming they did it on purpose gives them a little too much credit. When Medussa, a keyed boss that has been in game for more than two years, suddenly changes her AI without the slightest mention... it sure seems more likely that they changed her without realizing it. But hey, this is UO... stranger things have happened.

 

[Viquire]

Nipo (move away AI) is pretty annoying to fight as a dexxer, at least, I couldn't handle the weight in pack and the constant movement. The combo of always moving, necro, and bone throw summons made it so my sampire had no luck in the fight. Maybe easier as a pure or mystic, hm.

I feel like move away AI was introduced w/ frightened orcs, while I seem to recall stand-still archers as something quite older...didn't noble NPC archer guards do the same? Hm.

Orc scouts were quite the bugger all.

 

[Flutter]

Darn those archers *angry fist*
Oh wait... *most* of my characters are archers... LOL

 

[G.v.P]

Orc scouts were quite the bugger all.

I'm getting too UO-old, losing my chronological order ;P. But oh man, Delucia is my place to hang. I remember when Del was flooded with all those different orcs--bombers, choppers, scouts, etc--that was crazy. People who logged in were sometimes insta-killed, haha. Good ol' days.

Now I go to do escorts @ prison (well, I go elsewhere, too, haha) and I'm just annoyed by the scouts...I'm like, really? Haha. Savages are similar, used to be so imposing but now they're just naked people with low resists.

Darn those archers *angry fist*
Oh wait... *most* of my characters are archers... LOL

!!! Flutter is a ninja dev made all the archer changes when Mesanna wasn't looking

 

[Flutter]

I wish I was a dev....

 

[Hunters' Moon]

I hope it is a deliberate change to AI. I welcome any improvement to the game. I think it makes things more interesting. I know people will whine that the archer mobs wont stand still for them,but why should they? Would you just stand there and not move on your archer?

 

[G.v.P]

I hope it is a deliberate change to AI. I welcome any improvement to the game. I think it makes things more interesting. I know people will whine that the archer mobs wont stand still for them,but why should they? Would you just stand there and not move on your archer?

Well, it's like, they JUST stand still...they don't run. Like Orc Scouts, for example, used to shoot at you and walk towards you. Now they stand still and don't move if you go out of range, just like the Vortex Elemental (Covetous). Apparently, what the OP is saying, is all archers might operate that way. I guess a quick check at Compassion Ilsh (Rat Archers) or maybe the Underworld through Fire entrance (puzzle Gremlin) would help verify, but yeah, in killing orcs for the yeast I noticed what the OP was talking about. It's kind of an AI nerf, really.

 

[Lord Obsidian]

Was there any official statement on this new AI "feature" err... bug I missed? I can hardly believe this is an intended "upgrade" to NPC/monster archer's AI.

AI archers just stand there while I move ouf of their shooting range to take a rest, a bandie or two, rearrange my backpack, get a glass of wine, whatever, just to wait for me to return in full health to finish them off...

 

[Merus]

Was there any official statement on this new AI "feature" err... bug I missed? I can hardly believe this is an intended "upgrade" to NPC/monster archer's AI.

AI archers just stand there while I move ouf of their shooting range to take a rest, a bandie or two, rearrange my backpack, get a glass of wine, whatever, just to wait for me to return in full health to finish them off...

No official statement that I know of. It does seem a rather poorly thought out/implimented change to me whether on purpose or accident. For a dexxer template these mobs are a little more of a pain because you have to chase down each one individually... but for any mage/range template they simply become a sitting duck.

 

[MalagAste]

I don't know some of them almost seem to move away but yeah they don't give chase at all.

 

[Eärendil]

Much more of a challenge now - tumbs up!

 

[Pinco]

Finally they started to improve the AI...
The complaining about NPC archers are pretty lame, since an archer who just shoot you at melee was totally wrong from the beginning

Next step smarter mages?

 

[Merus]

Finally they started to improve the AI...
The complaining about NPC archers are pretty lame, since an archer who just shoot you at melee was totally wrong from the beginning

Next step smarter mages?

An archer that never chases you if you get out of range is not really an improvement in AI... its just different. You can stand out of range of Medussa and cast RC at it all day long and it will NOT try to chase you... she just stands there. I do not buy that as improved AI.

That said, my initial complaint has little to do with the change itself, but rather the lack of any notes that would indicate it was done on purpose. I would be content if, pass or fail with the change, they had just said hey, we changed some of the range mob AI.

 

[Pinco]

An archer that never chases you if you get out of range is not really an improvement in AI... its just different. You can stand out of range of Medussa and cast RC at it all day long and it will NOT try to chase you... she just stands there. I do not buy that as improved AI.

That said, my initial complaint has little to do with the change itself, but rather the lack of any notes that would indicate it was done on purpose. I would be content if, pass or fail with the change, they had just said hey, we changed some of the range mob AI.

they never listed all the changes, probably because they make the publish notes at last minute and they forget 3/4 of the additions
as someone once said...

Hey this is UO, what do you expect?