Althea's Ashes need better NPC AI

Has anyone finished the Althea's Ashes quest without the help of those moronic, suicidal guards you find at the entrace of the Flame Temple corridor?

It seems like you have to use them and yet the programmers decided to give them the 'let's run ahead and act like idiots' script.

These NPCs should *follow* your character (isn't your character supposed to be in charge of the quest?), they should attack whatever you attack and NOT run ahead and get themselves killed all the time.

What's really great about the lousy script is how the guards pause and start to follow your character so you think maybe they're acting reasonably now, then the 'idiot script' kicks in again and they run off in another direction while your fighting another group of Charr.

Thumbs up, devs! Nice job.

At least they put a healing shrine right next to the end point - maybe the mission is freaking ridiculous even with the NPCs? How about balancing the mission in the first place and getting rid of the number of Charr, not adding in patchwork fixes like shrines 100 feet from the end and extra NPCs that you need to finish the quest.

I've finished it plenty of times without them. In fact, I prefer that they go get themselves killed, because you don't get XP or loot for anything they kill (after recovering from the the shock of the first attempt with the first character, this area really isn't too difficult, even with henchmen - or even completely solo, depending on your skill). I usually aggro the first Charr mob in the Corridor, then run behind the guards and let them duke it out. If the first mob doesn't kill them the second usually will

I'm with Krandor on that one, I prefer to let them run on ahead, aggro the group and die because of the fact you get no loot or exp if they kill charr. I pull the same stunt to, I'll go aggro the first two groups, leave the guards to attack them and all get killed. I usually solo the flame temple corridor for the drops and for the simple fact its fun and entertaining to kill charr. I also when actually having to do the mission, take hench if my character is lower lv and can't withstand those flame charr to easily.

i finished it w/ 50g lol i bought the ashes

I didn't even notice they were there... I finished that with henchmen and didn't die once.

Oh gee, at least your mission doesn't depend on it. These guys have the same AI as King Jalis Ironhammer in Thunderhead Keep, where if he dies- you fail the mission.

EDIT: Read it wrong. Those NPCs like most others in the game just do what they want. They are not part of your party as they are not listed in your allies screen. I never even bother trying to make use of them. I just run on ahead and get the quest over with as soon as possible.

He's not talking about henchmen. He's talking about stupid people who don't even come up on the "Allies" screen.

Whats interesting is if you have done the mission and go back there, they are not usually there... its random, most times on my solo trips there looking for charr hides to trade for fur squares, those guys are never there. But if I go there helping someone with a mission or with another character of mine needing that mission, they are there.

Pun intended, but King Ironhammer dwarfs all other npc intelligence!

Quote: Originally Posted by Endowed Johnson

Kind of like those level 10 dwarf soldiers in Snake Dance.

Those are just wack, I really laughed so hard seeing a mob of lvl 10 dwarves trying to fight a mob of lvl 24 knockdowns. (no wonder the dwarves split up)

Sometime though you have stupid enemies like a bunch of Lvl 10 ice golems up in mineral springs