Curse

Jlnmtz · May 13, 2006, 07:47 PM // 19:47

after 2 hours of one mission, i was about to win! Then we get trapped in miasma and we win a fight, but sadly i died =/. I wait for henchies to rez me and the don't. They just keep healing themselves. I was just a few feet away from completing the mission and over 2 hours!!!!! I'm so freaking pissed off by Anet's crappy programmers making weak @$$ programs!!!!!!

Random Scrubinator · May 13, 2006, 08:02 PM // 20:02

The game suffers more from lack of playtesting than programmer incompetence
Good AI is supposed to be extremely difficult to program, but this is more of an oversight (like the many mission-breaking bugs in this game), than an AI flaw, as normally, it's unwise to ressurect if the entire party is taking damage.

Mercury Angel · May 13, 2006, 08:28 PM // 20:28

Henchmen AI issues aside, please remember that they were, and are, an optional feature given to us by Anet to enable players to jump right in and play. The alternative is for them not to exist at all.

That's not to say they shouldn't work on them, but just a note that they don't -have- to exist at all. Most MMO's don't have such things at all, FORCING you to party with players.

The henchmen have come a long way from their initial release, when they'd repeatedly run off into the sky and burrow underground, and they'll continue to improve over time.

If they're being problematic for you, you might wish to try it with a party of human players. And if human players do worse for you than hench... then that tells you something >_> If Anet can create AI players that do better than real players, they've done a pretty darn good job <_<

sinisters chaos · May 13, 2006, 08:33 PM // 20:33

^ well done..

-Six- · May 13, 2006, 08:37 PM // 20:37

Instead of wasting effort programming henchmen to be mouthy, ANet should have given them rudimentary command processing ability. My hatred for henchmen would be reduced a lot if I could just issue a "res" command.

Quajai · May 13, 2006, 08:37 PM // 20:37

Funny you mention about not rezing, the other day my henchie was rezing in the middle of a battle when we really needed healing and then she died while trying.

Is there a game out there with a really good AI? Most tend to be lacking in some regaurds. I think it's just really hard to program a good henchie that will react as it should in all the many thousands of situations it faces. I mean think about all the different things you consider when making a decision while playing. Now write a program that will do the same. It's not an easy task.

That being said I'm still getting use to the Canthan henchies. I thought they would be better than the Prophecies ones but I don't think they are, at least not yet. Either way, I've found that when you hench you just gotta learn to play a different style of game.

Like fight, run, rez henchies. Fight, run, rez henchies. LOL

reverse_oreo · May 13, 2006, 08:42 PM // 20:42

ive tried to code AI before, it is IMO the most difficult thing to program ever. thats why AI programmers make the big bucks :P

Kerrick¹ · May 13, 2006, 08:45 PM // 20:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jlnmtz

then we get trapped in miasma...

this is where you lose all sympathy and your argument simply falls apart. Instead of blaming the computer, how about using a bit of strategy here and there and not relying on the hench to pull you through.

Wait.. there's an interesting word. Pull. I wonder if such a word could somehow help you avoid a similar situation in the future...

Opeth11 · May 13, 2006, 08:48 PM // 20:48

Pulls don't work with henchmen though. Shoot an arrow, they run towards your target. They get infected with Miasma. Party down.

magnuspete · May 13, 2006, 08:50 PM // 20:50

my excperience with henchies has on a whole been pretty good. Being that my REAL life stuff can make it hard for me too not have to be afk over and over

the henchies work very good, I just wish they could add a couple of comands like a wait here/ dont attack/ run/ stuff like that.

magnuspete · May 13, 2006, 08:52 PM // 20:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Opeth11

Pulls don't work with henchmen though. Shoot an arrow, they run towards your target. They get infected with Miasma. Party down.

Opeth rocks

Hiphen · May 13, 2006, 09:20 PM // 21:20

I have to agree on the henchie thing. I played all through prophicies with henchmen and i think they have gotten dumber. Today i sat and watched as they did the same thing over and over for 10 min before Devona finally got smart and moved to the target Aiden was shooting at. I had 2 monks up Devona and Aiden the rest of us were laying on the ground and they sat there for 10 min.. Ohh well at least after 10 min they got smart

CK0 · May 13, 2006, 09:28 PM // 21:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by -Six-

Instead of wasting effort programming henchmen to be mouthy, ANet should have given them rudimentary command processing ability. My hatred for henchmen would be reduced a lot if I could just issue a "res" command.

Rock on.

Pevil Lihatuh · May 13, 2006, 10:59 PM // 22:59

ctrl-click yourself and they'll usually come res you. Not always of course, as if you die in miasma they'll stand in it and see keeping themselves alive as more important that ressing you.

Generally though I find the henchies to be fine; they're far better than 90% of the idiots that are playing gw, hence why i hench everywhere and never group anymore (except with guildies of course)

CleverLoginName · May 13, 2006, 11:25 PM // 23:25

The henchmen are much better than the monks who follow the "your party is still 100% effective with 1 hit point" crap. They stand around and cast healing breeze once in a while and think they're Jesus. Then the entire party dies and everyone knows why except for the monks.

wilebill · May 13, 2006, 11:53 PM // 23:53

Playing since retail release of prophecies, I remember henchies often got stuck, rez'd in superfast attack mode so they could die again, hid underground, and sometimes would fly!

As programs go, these AI's are pretty good. But there are still problems, even in Prophecies.

Helping another player couple weeks ago, I went into Griffon's Mouth from Kryta with my Ranger. My pet vanished! Then two henchies got stuck in the open tunnel for no good reason. Got them loose and the healer got stuck. We both got disgusted and quit.

If you're going to play with henchies a lot, monk is a good secondary. Keep the healer hench alive and all will go well and you will probably not die. Depend on the healer hench to keep itself alive and you will be sorry.

Best way to pull with henchies is to back up with henchies in front of you until you attract the attention of the mobs you want, then run a good long way. Using a bow is really dicey.

SisterMercy · May 14, 2006, 02:12 AM // 02:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Opeth11

Pulls don't work with henchmen though. Shoot an arrow, they run towards your target. They get infected with Miasma. Party down.

If you have a distance spell, use that and they won't attack unless you hit your space bar. Either way, once you make a first hit on the closest baddie, back up so that there's an aggro-circle space between the baddie and the nearest non-aggroed mob. Then, always target the closest enemy to you and CTRL-click.

The way I see it, their rezzing behavior is exactly what everyone asked for after the FPE Beta, where everyone was complaining that they were rezzing mid-battle. Each option has its downside. They're gradually narrowing it down to a happy medium.

Pyrea · May 14, 2006, 02:33 AM // 02:33

Just wanted to say that pulling works fine with hench. I always use a longbow (with any char). Once you shoot that arrow, move back into "safe" territory so that the group follows u. Once you feel they are a nice distance away from other groups, ATTACK (lol)

But you're right, the henchmen in Factions suck, well at least just in the City areas. They are slow, get stuck behind things and do all the other stuff that has been mentioned already.

The good thing is though that in Kurzick/Luxon territory the hench AI greatly improves. They remove hexes/conditions like no business and generally do a really good job. The only thing that is lacking is their "rezzing" capability.

Also what I've noticed (and this helps in City areas like Undercity etc) is that if you just call your target but stand back and let the hench fight/heal they usually do a really good job. Then when the enemy group diminishes, go in and help them finish the rest of.

Anyway, keep cool and you'll do fine

Savio · May 14, 2006, 03:04 AM // 03:04

Henchmen are far more likely to follow you if you are running, which means pressing forward, in a direction rather than backing up or moving side to side, or not moving at all. If you want to pull with henchmen, fire one shot from your wand/bow then promptly turn around and run back a bit.

Maria The Princess · May 14, 2006, 04:50 AM // 04:50

they tried to change aleisa.... and did for worse.

remember how aleisa always tries to resurect you at the worse moment possible, during which not a single old monk with healthy brain would rez?...
i guess they were trying to fix that, but didnt get it to work properly yet.