fear factor

[teike]

I know there is a thread about 'morale'. Tho I mean a non-leadership based fear factor, a more generic/individual behavior to NPC AI.

When a foe loose half or 70% (may be only this based on leadership) of its hit points, it should try to avoid close combat.
If it can use ranged weapons, then go for it.
If it can't, it tries to mount a horse, or try to hit someone that is weaker on melee, ex. a warrior would hunt an archer and use his shield til reach him.
Or try to find and grab an one-handed weapon and shield from battle field (when this facility be implemented).
Hide behind trees/rocks against horseman/archers, we should also be able to crouch and prone.

In short, I want more challenge!
You can say: 'more challenge from a fleeing foe?'
Remember that a fleeing foe is just waiting a good moment to strike a good hit on you and win the battle , AKA camper .

Also the number of units should be considered by the AI, I mean 10 weakened foes may be able to take down 3 full heath allies, so they dont flee.

PS.: I'd also like to say that horseman should dismount when their horses cant climb the mountain and are just almost stopped and shaking to sides while I can head shot arrows on them. Yep it is somewhat fun but only when you are almost dead .

 

[Orion]

Wellllll... yeah.

It's been asked before.

Sorry

But, the amount of things you're asking the AI to do, such as hide behind rocks, pick up weapons, etc... that's an insane amount of coding. First, they would need to find the nearest rock/tree, find the coordinates around it, find out the coordinates of an attacking foe, then find the area around the tree that is opposite the side that the attacking foe is on.

Basically... it's probably not gonna happen =/

 

[Slyloki]

Well if you want realism, the someone with an arrow sticking out of his eyesocket isn't going to be doing much fighting...
Maybe a well trained knight, but not a peasant or a bandit...

What about people not recovering from their warwounds?

Point is too much realism in a game can sometimes do more harm than good...
like having to search the entire bloody map coz some coward is hiding under a pile of rocks...

 

[teike]

having to search the entire bloody map coz some coward is hiding under a pile of rocks...

I thought someone would point it out, tho I waited to see it first.
Yep that could happen with improved AI.

Also I thought on another thing, the improved AI could slow down the game, and it wouldnt be fun to have like 10 wounded foes hiding somewhere so I thought also on a workaround.

NPC fighting units could have their AI improved, the less of them are in battle zone, ex. 10 allies against 3 foes will make those 3 behave 'smarter'. 3 x 3 will make both teams behave smarter.

It could also be like smartness levels to a same team.
20+ units behave normal (current).
15 units begins choosing ranged if wounded.
10 units look for alternate equipment on ground if needed.
5 units begins using obstacles against ranged attacks BUT do not flee!
1-2 unit flee like a coward ONLY IF it can use a ranged attack. Otherwise it fights with more caution, like 80% to parry/block 20% to attack (it seems to me that it currently is something like 40% to attack, 40% to parry/block and 20% to 'just take damage', it improves on more skilled units tho).

too much realism in a game can sometimes do more harm than good...

Agreed! The fun out of the game must come 1st, the realism must be limited on the fun. If realism can be increased and not compromise the fun then it is ok to me also .

the amount of things you're asking the AI to do, such as hide behind rocks, pick up weapons, etc... that's an insane amount of coding

Cuz of that I would suggest that players could contribute with NPC fighting units AI behavior scripts, if at least the game used the extremely fast scripting language LUA http://www.lua.org/home.html for that. LUA is used in several projects and games like Angband, Daimonin and Baldur's Gate.

Such AI scripts could come to the game in the simple way like the current MODs come already. So they wouldnt compromise the main game releases, would be just addons. I would spend some time to improve npc AI for sure .