I think this is something that could be relatively easy to achieve. Or if not exactly easy then at least doable at this stage of the game development, with mechanics that are already there.
Enemies should have variant AI, or "smarts". Especially with the introduction of new and improved Ai.
Its not only because of greater internal coherence of creatures in the setting and the game, but because it would also make combat gameplay more diverse and so more interesting.
Not every single enemy should have the same Ai capabilities. Because when they do it reduces the differences between them. And some of the enemies definitely should not behave as if they have human brains and tactical thinking ability.
The reason why im writing this and the main gist is in how enemies react to various elemental surfaces - which are the biggest feature in the game - and now they have been enhanced even more. Majority of combat is creating and otherwise dealing with elemental surfaces.
But if every single enemy can recognize them and avoid them - that either nullifies their usefulness or reduces it.
So... some types of enemies should be a bit dumber about it. Which would enable the player to use surfaces in better and more varied ways and so have greater use of them.
Obvious quick examples are headless zombies, skeletons and various animals. Others can be added to this group as its fitting depending on what type of creature they are.
This automatically makes some enemies tougher to deal with, actually, while it would seem very natural and easily understandable for any player if its applied depending on the type of creature as it would be logically expected.
This also does not mean that creatures i mentioned and others would need to be completely stupid and therefore easy to deal with. Nobody wants that.
No need to apply this kind of a thing in a hamfisted manner.
Diversity of the dumber enemies themselves can be achieved through adjusting basic stats and resistances and by making some a bit more smarter, depending on specific story reasons.
So, for example, if you run into a group of zombies of skeletons under the control of some crazy wizard they would be smarter, since it is the wizard controlling them.
But if you run into some random ones they could be dumber, although possibly tougher to spice things up.
Likewise, some void creatures would need to be dumber, while some stronger ones or special ones would be smarter.
This would provide a very distinct difference not just in color or simply stat (and hp) bloat of these creatures, but in the very way they behave. So more dangerous enemies would be more dangerous because they are smarter too and because they can avoid elemental surfaces better.
Instead of just having more armor and a few more spells or higher damage.
Of course, i doubt devs will read this and automatically jump to do it. I just felt like i need to say it.
-
Maybe enraged status should make enemies dumber?
Lower intelligence enemies should not be as smart as others?
Im sure other details like these can be found and used in this way.
/
not an april fools joke.
Last edited by Hiver; 01/04/17 01:46 PM.
