Mobs needs to start using battle tactics in world events.

[Alaris]

To clarify, I agree with your intentions, I just think the example you gave has some pretty big implementation flaws.

For example, people showing up at the end, when event E starts, will get bigger rewards than people who went all the way to event D. Sure you can find ways to fix those flaws, but it gets complicated. I just think you need a better scenario, e.g. one event that splits in two, and as the split happens, players who go back and forth eventually spend so much time running they're better off sticking with either event chain. Another example is if waves of foes hit all sides of a town at the same time, then there is no point to running from one side to the other, and in fact those who pick the less populated side get to have more foes to kill by themselves.

So yeah, I fully agree with your principles, I just thought you needed better examples.

[CHIPS]

To clarify, I agree with your intentions, I just think the example you gave has some pretty big implementation flaws.

For example, people showing up at the end, when event E starts, will get bigger rewards than people who went all the way to event D. Sure you can find ways to fix those flaws, but it gets complicated. I just think you need a better scenario, e.g. one event that splits in two, and as the split happens, players who go back and forth eventually spend so much time running they're better off sticking with either event chain. Another example is if waves of foes hit all sides of a town at the same time, then there is no point to running from one side to the other, and in fact those who pick the less populated side get to have more foes to kill by themselves.

So yeah, I fully agree with your principles, I just thought you needed better examples.

Those people who runs back and forth isn't really my concern though. That's directly a result of rewards, how the reward system in GW2 was designed. Not really my concern right now.

I will try to give another example. Here is a rough picture I made in 5 minutes.



Here we have a world event where the players (in blue) are asked to kill some mobs on a cliff. There is a large roundabout on the cliff. The mobs (in red) would fight the players for a while, but eventually they would be overpowered and had to retreat. The players would give chase, all the way to the edge of a cliff.

Once the players follows the mobs to a cliff at the end of the roundabout, a second group of hidden mobs (in black) will attack them. This second group consists of riflemen, who has a knockback shot. They plan to use that to push some of the players off the cliff, into the river below. And with the players' forces weakened, the red mobs now turns back, united with the black mobs, attacks the remaining players for a final victory.

So once again, the mobs planned this whole thing out. The variable would be whether the players falls into the trap or not. No one forced the players to follow the red mobs all the way to the edge of the cliff. And if they weren't so overconfident and focused only on the red mobs, they would have seen the approaching black riflemen. Being aware of your surrounding is the key to winning here.

[sorudo]

that looks soooooo wrong 0_o

[Alaris]

I would love to die (or barely survive) under that scenario, Chips. That would be awesome.

[CHIPS]

that looks soooooo wrong 0_o

Dude focus on the issue at hand! :P

I would love to die (or barely survive) under that scenario, Chips. That would be awesome.

Glad you like it. ^^

When mobs kill the players by being smart, players will learn and improve. One hit kills and gang-banging only piss players off.

So let the mobs plan their battles like Hannibal, Caesar, Napoleon and other military greats in history. Anet doesn't really need to create any new tactics. Just follow what these guys did in the past.

[Alaris]

I think even chains would be perfect for this. Instead of implementing AI, they could just implement those as events, pre-planned. Whether people win or lose will depend on whether they learn to adapt properly.

In addition, you could set up scenarios so that one of several things happen, and you need to pay attention not to get caught. That would be awesome.

[sorudo]

i would like to see a learning AI, you can use a tactic on the first wave but the AI will try to counter that when the next wave comes.
like when i see an archer centaur i normally just blind the sucker and walk next to him to cast well of corruption, the next wave with archers could shoot something to interrupt the blind making spell.
when the AI learns this way it makes DE's allot more fun, you actually need to use tactics instead of zerging your way trough.

[EnoughAlready]

This would be brilliant.
I wonder how much more work the AI would need.
They already give the appearance of calling for help/issuing commands.

[CHIPS]

i would like to see a learning AI, you can use a tactic on the first wave but the AI will try to counter that when the next wave comes.
like when i see an archer centaur i normally just blind the sucker and walk next to him to cast well of corruption, the next wave with archers could shoot something to interrupt the blind making spell.
when the AI learns this way it makes DE's allot more fun, you actually need to use tactics instead of zerging your way trough.

That will be hard because very few mobs have all 8 professions. Most mobs runs with 3 or 4 professions that's it. So its hard to counter the player that way.

What the mobs can do though is take advantage of terrain (like my last example) or take advantage of their racial abilities.

For example dredge have personnel carriers, which can be used to form a wall.



So when they siege a town, they can use those to build a wall outside of the town, to cut off the town from reinforcements. This is similar to what Caesar did during the Battle of Alesia; A wall outside of the wall.



To win, the players need to break though the dredge's line of defence and support the town before it is overrun.

[sorudo]

you're forgetting one thing, mobs have their own profession so they can easily be adjusted to evolve throughout a siege.