Dasein wrote:
These are not simple changes you are proposing, but rather a complete reworking of mob AI, encounter mechanics, zone population, and class roles.
What he said.
Also, as one of our fine programmers once said, 'No one wants AI. They want AS.' (
Artificially Stupid). We can make encounters that perform essentially as groups of players would - that is to say, kill your priests and cloth as fast as possible while ignoring the taunts of your fighters, and yell for help from 'friends' across ethereal guild channels. But that is probably not going to be 'fun'.
That being the case, PvE players in MMOs expect to win north of 95% (
number made up randomly on the spot, as are most statistics) of all their combat encounters. If we were to drastically change mob behavior (definitely not a
simple change), we could expect to see that number fall to 85%, 75%, 50%, or even worse, depending on the behavior of the specific mob and the population that previously exists in that area. Then, all of a sudden, we'd have to re-tool experience awarded (because hey, if you're losing twice the fights you used to (and that would only be a change from 95% to 90%!), you're going to expect that the rewards are more in line with that kind of behavior), the death mechanics (dying twice as much means twice as much debt, twice as much repair cost, and twice as much running back to where you were before you died), in addition to changing all of the population that becomes harder/easier/different than intended because of those changes.
However, one of the things we'd like to do with creatures is give them different feeling by strengthening and differentiating their special attacks.
LINK
(Ilucide) Re:Simple ideas to make combat more fun in EQ2
