Necromancer Minion Movement AI Idea

[Planetus]

One of the worst parts of being a necromancer is seeing your minions disintegrate just because they're only smart enough to form a congo-line behind you when you move. Even if you stop, the ones at the end of the line are rarely smart enough to step out of line in order to get back into your protective aura. I've noticed the rescued Thralls and other allies that have cause to follow you don't seem to have this problem, and consistently form a cloud of underlings around you. Could the necrotic minion AI be chanced to that one, or something like it, for the purposes of following the leader?

I know undead congo-lines are a classic image, but it just doesn't work with the current maximum aura size.

[Red]

Thought-forms actually suffer from a similar issue, consistently following behind you and letting you take the brunt of any hit while being unable to attack themselves if the terrain isn't perfect. I haven't had it happen with alchemist, but this movement is actually somewhat of an issue with any permenant summon.

[Delmuir]

This is a major problem to me… at least in terms of the Necromancer not being fun.

I've considered a few solutions:

1. Grants more of your necrotic minions a controlled teleport… and an AI that encourages them to use it.

2. Change minion AI such that they explore on their own… there's some obvious danger with this one.

3. Change the map design. This is actually my favorite. So much of the game has long, single-space corridors and I'm wondering if that can be changed such that most corridors are 2 spaces wide a la the Maze except that they usually have single-space entry points or short connection points that are two or three spaces long but only 1 wide.

Basically, create a situation in which there are significantly less situations in which this is a problem.

[Red]

Of course, how would that interact with every single other class in the game?

I think it's better to improve the minion AI, since there might well be levels where it's primarily one block corridors and there is a reason for it. It's better to have minions that do well regardless of the map than to center the levels around one class.

Whether or not maps need to be better is another discussion entirely.

[Atarlost]

Even with narrow corridors if a bit of random walking that decreases as lifetime drops would make them naturally cycle through the aura if they could swap places.

[HousePet]

Minions are meant to be discarded. They aren't a party of useful friends, just brainless tools.

[Red]

That's exactly why they need to default to in front of you-they can get hit by whatever overpowered ranged attack the rare just around the corner is firing, not you.

[Doctornull]

1. Grants more of your necrotic minions a controlled teleport… and an AI that encourages them to use it.

Hmm. Could do something like a sustain which has a chance to teleport one of your Undead into your aura (from outside your aura), but only if that specific minion can't see any enemies.

That retains your ability to use minions as decoys, but makes travel less annoying, and there's a chance they'll appear in front of you and some might even do some scouting by accident.

[Planetus]

I like that idea, Doc, but I'd also like to suggest the ability to see through your minions, if only so they can stop your auto-explore when they see an enemy (as opposed to you wandering off while they're fighting for their admittedly cheap lives).

[Doctornull]

I like that idea, Doc, but I'd also like to suggest the ability to see through your minions, if only so they can stop your auto-explore when they see an enemy (as opposed to you wandering off while they're fighting for their admittedly cheap lives).

Hmm. You've got Divinations / Arcane Eye for stuff like that. You could stick an eye on a Bone Golem, maybe.

Also, if someone finds a way to give Liches the Doomed / Shadows like NPC Liches have, then they might grant vision like the Doomed ones do.

[Planetus]

I'm mainly thinking for auto-explore, where your minions may see something around a corner that you don't go around, or may see something behind you that you don't see. At the moment, you just have to notice that they've stopped following you and exit auto-explore manually, but it'd be nice if it would stop you if they saw an enemy, even if you can't actually see it yourself. Arcane eye would work, but it'd expire before you get very far.

[Red]

Maybe just have an auto-stop whenever one or more minions stop to attack something, but no actual indication where the enemy is? You'd still need to pop an Arcane Eye or Track to figure out where the danger is, but at least you'll know when to search.

[Delmuir]

Of course, how would that interact with every single other class in the game?

If corridors were built with short, single-spacing, followed by longer two-space wide sections, I would imagine it would not be a huge change. Of course, I could also be horribly, horribly wrong.

I still think that giving your minions a controlled teleport would be an easy solution. In addition, the ghost-like summons of Dreads and one of the Wrights and whatnot could easily have the ability to move through walls, or at least on them for one space…

I also think that when you auto-search, your minions should be able to be ordered such that you can search with them in front or behind or whatever you want.

[Delmuir]

Maybe just have an auto-stop whenever one or more minions stop to attack something, but no actual indication where the enemy is? You'd still need to pop an Arcane Eye or Track to figure out where the danger is, but at least you'll know when to search.

This is a perfectly sound idea and seems like an easy one to code.

Having said that, why not have a default setting for minion location? It could remain consistent for all types of that minion and would be constrained by your Necrotic Aura until they spot an enemy which would be obvious as they'd move away from their default.

Just right-click on them and it brings up a preferred set of options:

1. Directly in front.

2. As far in front as possible, constrained by aura range.

3. Directly behind.

4. As far behind as possible.

5. In a cloud… this would cause this type to huddle around you, filling in the gaps like a swarm.

6. Randomly within your aura.

Then grant your minions the ability to move past one another to get to this default position… seems easy enough. Then make it such that whenever your minions engage, auto explore stops, and if you're not exploring, you'd just have a little note in the log that says "minion engages unknown enemy" or something like that.

[PurpleXVI]

Maybe, rather than going through the trouble of coding an AI that maintains a position relative to the player at all times(except when in combat), just maybe make an "Into Formation!"-active ability which, in exchange for mana, teleports all minions into a pre-arranged position(perhaps one of the ones you described), which would also make it a handy ability for when combat is actually occurring.

It seems like it'd be less effort for a more flexible result.