[1.0.4] Bloated Horrors talent use

[jenx]

I've been playing with my Tough dumb AI addon, and so tracking carefully talent use by npcs.

One npc makes no sense in its behaviour - bloated horrors. Unlike other enemies, it seems to miss an action regularly, so that I can have 2-3 actions and it does nothing.

But its char sheet gives no indication that it is slower than me, or I faster than it. It has Mind Sear on a cooldown of 2, so should be firing this off regularly, yet it doesn't.

Any ideas?

[jenx]

I think I"ve found the reason: bloated horror is one of the few npcs without an ai set in its definition.

Or perhaps it inherits the ai from base npc horror, in which case it would be dumb. I still think though it behaves oddly.

Code: Select all

newEntity{ base = "BASE_NPC_HORROR",
	name = "bloated horror", color=colors.WHITE,
	desc ="A bulbous humanoid form floats here. Its bald, child-like head is disproportionately large compared to its body, and its skin is pock-marked with nasty red sores.",
	level_range = {10, nil}, exp_worth = 1,
	rarity = 1,
	rank = 2,
	size_category = 4,
	autolevel = "wildcaster",
	combat_armor = 1, combat_def = 0, combat_def_ranged = resolvers.mbonus(30, 15),
	combat = {dam=resolvers.levelup(resolvers.mbonus(25, 15), 1, 1.1), apr=0, atk=resolvers.mbonus(30, 15), dammod={mag=0.6}},

	never_move = 1,
	levitation = 1,

	resists = {all = 35, [DamageType.LIGHT] = -30},

	resolvers.talents{
		[Talents.T_PHASE_DOOR]=2,
		[Talents.T_MIND_DISRUPTION]={base=2, every=6, max=7},
		[Talents.T_MIND_SEAR]={base=2, every=6, max=7},
		[Talents.T_TELEKINETIC_BLAST]={base=2, every=6, max=7},
	},

	resolvers.inscriptions(1, {"shielding rune"}),

	resolvers.sustains_at_birth(),
	ingredient_on_death = "BLOATED_HORROR_HEART",
}

[Hachem_Muche]

Bloated horrors inherit their ai settings from BASE_NPC_HORROR.

Look at the actor.ai_state.talent_in variable.

This variable, which defaults to 6 for a 1 in 6 chance (bloated horrors have this set to 3), determines the chance that the NPC will try to use a talent each turn. If the check fails, the NPC will try to move instead. Bloated horrors have the never_move flag set, so they tend to spend a lot of time doing nothing.

[Crim, The Red Thunder]

This thematically fits with the bloated lazy image we have of the horror, just sort of struggling to sit up enough to see you, much less do anything to you. Leave the hedonistic horrors as is. Alternately, they're so bloated that they are malformed and movement (even for basic things like spellcasting) is difficult for them, and this represents a 'fail chance' for them to be able to manipulate their deformed body.

[jenx]

Bloated horrors inherit their ai settings from BASE_NPC_HORROR.

Look at the actor.ai_state.talent_in variable.

This variable, which defaults to 6 for a 1 in 6 chance (bloated horrors have this set to 3), determines the chance that the NPC will try to use a talent each turn. If the check fails, the NPC will try to move instead. Bloated horrors have the never_move flag set, so they tend to spend a lot of time doing nothing.

ah - thanks for the explanation. That explains a lot of things. I've not known what the talent_in variable has been about.