Curse

prism2525 · Sep 21, 2006, 05:01 PM // 17:01

I'm getting my monk up the missions and I must say that yesterday i was getting slaughtered by the am fah at each group but today i totally OWNED them (full hench team). to be honest i see them better, no idea what's got into them but i manage them almost perfectly.

>> sometimes they DO like to sit about and fight rather than retreat, but as I take extra care to aggro and that they kill mobs so fast it isn't much of a prob.

I'm sorry for you guys but that's my view.

Painbringer · Sep 21, 2006, 05:05 PM // 17:05

I have seen some weird things with henchies, but the best was last weekend was the weirdest. My henchies and minions ran to the enemy instead of staggering the appropriate distances. Rangers, healers, casters, and bone fiends ran to the target then attacked. The AOE spells killed them of rather quickly. I see your screen shots you are on bridges. I only had the problems on the bridges though.

My Sweet Revenga · Sep 21, 2006, 07:04 PM // 19:04

As I would normally do when I see a thread stating problems with henchmen AI, I would praise them saying that they are far better than pugs. But after last night's experience, and I'm not sure if it has to do with the sept 20th updating the hench AI, I finally have to agree the henchmen are freaking stupid now. I've never had problems with them before. All of a sudden last night, they were doing the dumbest things and making life quite miserable for me.

First problem, the healers don't seem to be healing properly anymore. Normally I take all ranged attackers healers either Jamei and Tai, or if one of them isn't available, Professor Gai. Professor Gai DIES first every time. And it's not just because he's a healer, it's as though NOBODY is healing him. And god forbid I died a few times too where normally the area would be deathless with henchies. Now I've traversed those areas before with little to no deaths, but last night was just a healing dissaster.....

Secondly, some of them henchmen just don't know when to retreat. I see things going poorly.... so I run away to pull the henchmen out of the fight and retreat. Some of the henchmen decide to stay and duke it out. What the hell. The repeat offenders include Aiden, the other ranger hench, and sometimes even the mesmer henches. I haven't tested them all out, but I can run almost out of radar range and they're still back there duking it out while getting their butts handed to them.

Thirdly, unnecessary aggro. Now for some history, I once took the henches out to defog the crystal desert. I decided to kill Kephet while I was there and was amazed at how intelligently the hench AI responded. They actually moved to a position that kept the target between them and the next group of enemies, keeing the furthest distance away from other enemies and thereby guaranteeing that they would not accidentally aggro them. Last night I watched as I ctrl commanded my henches to attack a lone jade knight, and suddenly the green illusionist hench (lo sha?) decides to run about 20 meters past the jade knight, and plant himself exactly halfway between the jade knight we're targetting, and the next squad of enemies...... and yes he aggrod them. Was that really necessary? Couldn't he have done the same thing keeping his distance.... BUT BEHIND ME AND THE REST OF THE TEAM!!!!!1111!!! Sigh.....

So I dunno. Maybe they've always acted like this and I've been lucky up until yesterday evening because yesterday evening was a complete dissaster with henchies. On the other hand, if last night's patch had anything to do with this, oh god please ANET change it back. If your intention was was to "improve" the hench AI by making them act more human, well you have undoubtedly succeeded... in that they now play like your typical slow reacting leeroy wammo pug.........

Fossa · Sep 21, 2006, 07:05 PM // 19:05

Playing with hench is really simple now if you follow certain rules:

1) Don't bow lure, the hench will run in and attack
2) Don't try to call targets, the hench will not care
3) Don't try to retreat, the hench will not follow you
4) Be a /Mo since you'll need to res hench after every fight

Katari · Sep 21, 2006, 08:26 PM // 20:26

I'm still waiting on the henchie AI fix that makes Alesia/Menhlo/Lina run out of maelstorms before trying to heal people.

Mr_eX · Sep 21, 2006, 08:44 PM // 20:44

I created a PvE Assassin a few days ago, and even if I run/shadowstep away from danger like I'm supposed to I get killed because Sister Tai is casting Signet of Devotion on somebody else. Then the whole party dies because I can't call the target. Before you know it a group of 3 Jade Brotherhood can wipe us out and everybody has 60dp, which makes continuing the main quest impossible.

PvE assassin + henchies = ragequit

This game is getting harder and harder to play for people who aren't in big guilds. Pug groups aren't getting any smarter, and henchies are getting worse with each update (Remember when they didn't waste their Resurrection Signets like morons?) If this isn't fixed sometime after Nightfall is released I think I may give up on the new PvE content forever.

But I have faith. Hopefully it'll be fixed.

Katari · Sep 21, 2006, 08:52 PM // 20:52

That Shadow of Haste update was a *huge* boon to PvE sins. Before the update, I found myself using Return to get out of bad situations. But a disturbing amount of the time, I'd hit return on Sis Tai, and move a whole two feet.

Now with SoH+Dash, a PvE sin can safely get out of a mess (AoD isn't all that eairly in the game).

I love the ressig update on a whole, it is a huge help when they revive some guy mid-fight. My only problem is when they use ressigs after a fight, or with one monster left. In that situation a monk res would work, but no monk can beat the speed of ressig.

explodemyheart · Sep 21, 2006, 09:33 PM // 21:33

Apparently now the henchmen are controlled by the party leader?

I was doing a mission with 2 friends and 3 henchmen earlier and our party leader kept idling to eat. If my other friend and I advanced forward at all, the henchmen just stood around the party leader and wouldn't budge until he moved.

Has anybody else had this problem?

lennymon · Sep 21, 2006, 09:33 PM // 21:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Painbringer

I have seen some weird things with henchies, but the best was last weekend was the weirdest. My henchies and minions ran to the enemy instead of staggering the appropriate distances. Rangers, healers, casters, and bone fiends ran to the target then attacked. The AOE spells killed them of rather quickly. I see your screen shots you are on bridges. I only had the problems on the bridges though.

think how fast they fall to 4 shiroken elementalists using star burst/o flame....(I know...really really fast/tested) thank goodness the ai 'update' is for this weekend only....

Leighwyn · Sep 21, 2006, 09:49 PM // 21:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fossa

Playing with hench is really simple now if you follow certain rules:

1) Don't bow lure, the hench will run in and attack
2) Don't try to call targets, the hench will not care
3) Don't try to retreat, the hench will not follow you
4) Be a /Mo since you'll need to res hench after every fight

^^^ I'll vouch for this. I followed these steps and my henchmen problems disappeared!

MelechRic · Sep 21, 2006, 09:51 PM // 21:51

My favorite AI update yet!

This morning to my surprise Devona and Talon Silverwing spammed Charge! like mad. I practically sprinted everywhere I went with them in my party.

Overall, I haven't noticed much of a difference. I expect brain-dead behavior from henchies. However, it's typically an order of magnitude less than what I expect from PuGs.

EinherjarMx · Sep 21, 2006, 10:00 PM // 22:00

so... ctrl+spacebar+spacebar doesn't work anymore?
i'll try the new henchies this night ¬¬

Tozen · Sep 21, 2006, 10:03 PM // 22:03

I imagine that the henchies are currently using the "aggressive" mode AI. When the other two options are introduced ("defensive" and "passive") this problem should go away.

Tainek · Sep 21, 2006, 10:04 PM // 22:04

"Under your Compass, you'll see a set of four flags. With the first flag, you can set a common destination for all of your Heroes and henchmen. To set a destination for them, click once on the first flag, and then click on the mini-map in the center of your Compass. All of your Heroes and henchmen will then walk to that destination. The same button can remove the destination flag from your compass. When you remove a destination flag for a Hero or henchman, that NPC no longer walks to that location; instead, the NPC returns to your location."

From the Nightfall Forum, On the Gw homepage

AC10 · Sep 21, 2006, 10:33 PM // 22:33

I didn't play all that much today but I did notice the henchies refusing to retreat from a fight, meaning I couldn't pull at all. On the positive side though, Stefan and Thom were chaining "Charge!" like pros

Age · Sep 21, 2006, 10:34 PM // 22:34

The update note didn't say lastnight but on Friday however I noticed a few strange things with Alesia as she started dancing and playing air guitar as well as Orion and Stefan did a little dance to.This is suppose to be with the NightFall beta.

To what Mr eX said I has the same thought useing thier res sigs most of the time and useing them.I was thinking maybe 10 min or a 30 recharge time applied despite a morale boost.That does need a fix and with no bosses around how do you get that?

Lord Sojar · Sep 21, 2006, 10:42 PM // 22:42

Ummm...take henchies outside.... do /dance emote. they will start dancing with you and playing instruments....if no one noticed.... sry if it was mentioned already.

Y.T. · Sep 21, 2006, 10:53 PM // 22:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by DvM

Lots of problems here, they just seem unable to retreat, I can walk a whole compass away and they become out of sight and still stay and fight, not receiving helaing in battle, no good ressing, worse then the first days of prophecies imo.....

same problem, they're aggroing evrthing and NEVER retreat.....

Demesis · Sep 21, 2006, 11:01 PM // 23:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Y.T.

same problem, they're aggroing evrthing and NEVER retreat.....

So.... The henchmen AI is based on the 'intelligence' of a wammo. Lol... If only wammos had intelligence to begin with :P

MelechRic · Sep 21, 2006, 11:02 PM // 23:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rahja the Thief

Ummm...take henchies outside.... do /dance emote. they will start dancing with you and playing instruments....if no one noticed.... sry if it was mentioned already.

It was mentioned in another thread. I tried it and noticed that Talon Silverwing doesn't dance. I guess Tengu/Avicarra are above it.

C'mon ANet! Talon needs to "Do The Funky Chicken."