First of all, what im saying is that you are "a Tiefling" ... you have no forces to divert, you have one action in your turn and one arrow you can shoot, thats all you have.
My question was how would you use it.
I'd use my action to loose my arrow at a goblin that is a part of the raiding group actively trying to kill my comrades below. I would not waste it trying to hit the group that just showed up and are flanking the goblins attacking me.
Second ...
There was no time to confrim their intentions ...
As i said: They JUST, and i repeat once again to be sure, JUST appeared ...
No action were made just yet ...
And nobody who have at least a hint of self-preservation ... will (in my honest opinon) wait for another non-friendly looking character on freaking battlefield to state their intentions. xD
Based on how the game presents it the player party is immediately hostile to the goblin raiders when they approach. They aren't even in range of most of the defenders until they've moved closer to engage the raiders. And it'd be a fool who turned around to start attacking someone who just showed up and were attacking the people trying to kill them.
I'm sorry, but I can't imagine a scenario where I'd want to kill someone killing my enemies purely based on how they look. If they turn out to be hostile I'll at least have one enemy to fight at a time if they wipe out the raiders first, and if they aren't hostile I have a potential ally to work with in a desperate situation. If I turn around and attack them immediately I risk being overrun by two forces simultaneously for no reason.
As for when to confirm their intentions? The very second they make a hostile action they reveal their intentions. You don't have to stop and ask politely if someone is friend or foe, but you don't need to assume everyone is a foe on sight either. There's nuance to situations like this. The risk of being attacked can be minimized with proper positioning and keeping an eye on them when they start to get close.
And finaly third ...
Party i described ... maybe i repeat it ... is:
A Githyanki ... ugly alien being, you may (or may not, w/e) heared Zoru talking about as it kills his friend(s? ... not really sure if there was multiple of them) ...
A Elf ... if we would presume you have really high perception ... its an oddly pale elf, with bloody-red eyes, fangs, and bite-marks on his neck ...
A Half-Elf ... that is wielding armor full of Shar symbols ...
AND another Goblin ... since, as mentioned previously, all your character see in roleplay (and this is roleplay perspective question) is how do you look ... so you dont really know if its same tribe, different tribe that dont really likes them, if they are in open war, if they are looking for alies, or whatever else ... its JUST A GOBLIN ... another freaking Goblin in situation where lots of freaking Goblins is attacking your freaking camp.
If the goblin's group are attacking the raiders you can be pretty sure they aren't a part of the same tribe or, at the very least, aren't allies. Frankly if I am in the position of Zevlor I don't care too much if these people ARE an evil adventuring group. They just killed my enemies and seem willing to keep killing them. I don't have any good options left because the druids have gone crazy and the last group of adventurers I hired ended up unable to get the job done. What should I do? Attack my last chance to maybe save my people because they look suspicious?
So ...
Lets say you are not "a Tiefling" but "Zevlor" ... and you are actually comanding your troops (also something he dont really do during that defense) ...
You notice group of not really friendly-looking individuals appearing on the hill at battlefield ...
Their position gives them advantage (not mechanical one) ... if they decide to interfere, it would be a lot easier for them to kill your ground team, you are trying to save ...
They are in range for your archers tho ...
What would seem more tactical to you?
A) Wait what will they do ... aka bother with lowly goblins and hope those clearly more dangerous figures will be friendly.
B) Pre-emptively attack most dangerous target.
A is the obviously smart move. You do not make an enemy of a bystander when you're already being overrun. Option B will almost definitely get your people killed, while option A only might based on an assumption of the second group's intentions.
Not to mention that the second group is on the other side of the raiders. Your melee guys will be getting shredded without cover fire while you try to snipe across the map at people who may have no cause to attack you. That's overextension.
Plus the way the fight is set up to take the hill they need to have already started attacking a few of the raider goblins, so you immediately know they aren't on Team Absolute.
See this is exactly the problem this game have ...
You are taking Aeligances under consideration ...
No I'm not. I'm using logic. When the group first appears and have made no move to say who they are or what they intend there's no advantage in attacking them. Once they DO move they are attacking the goblin raiders so I know they are enemies of my enemies and will act accordingly.
Cute ...
So you just transformed into Aradin now? O_o
Okey ... i guess ... there is little reason to talk about his perspective tho, bcs he have only 2h mace and can attack only those who are on Meele range ... but fine, have it your way:
How do you know wich goblin on that hill wants to kill you? :P
Feel free to replay the scene if you wish, or watch soem youtube video ... there is plenty of them.
The one who did not arrive with the other goblins and is standing with a bunch of non-goblins is the one I wouldn't immediately try to kill.
If you're asking how I don't get it confused with the attacking goblins once battle is joined and things get messy that isn't relevant to the discussion of choice. Killing the goblin under that condition is an accident.
I feel like the rest of your post is just asking me the same question over and over again, which I feel I've addressed plenty already.
tl;dr: I wouldn't attack a second group that just stood there watching the battle, as that turns them into an enemy regardless of what they intended to do. I also wouldn't attack the second group if I saw them attacking my enemy, as they are killing my enemy for me and that directly benefits me. If they make a hostile move toward my guys THAT is when I'll respond in kind, because at that point they have demonstrated their intent to do me harm.
