[Suggestion] Monsters Shouldn't Be Friends

from Elemental Forums

My first suggesting post! Hazah!

Ok, one of the issues I've had in just about every game ever made that includes Wandering Monsters is that all monsters attack the player and all monsters are always friendly to eachother. Even when this does not make any sense what so ever.

I find game worlds more enaging where NPCs/Monsters that shouldn't be friends aren't. For example the NWN2 PW I helped developed (Obsidian Shore), we had 12 factions of spawned monsters: Hostile, Defender, Orc, Kobold, Nature, Undead... etc.

So yes, most of these factions of monsters would attack the players. But they also had thier own faction agendas. Orcs and Kobolds would both attack the player, but they where also at war with eachother. A player could come upon a Kobold Raiding party attacking a Orc Camp at night. Very stunning randomly generated encouters.

The Undead would attack every thing with flesh to eat.

Nature where for wild animals that might leave alone people generally but be hunted.

So in the below screen shot of Elemental: Is their any reason for the Bandits and CoastalSkath to be so friendly?

Bandit and Lizard Monster Frieends?

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Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

I believe I saw something similar with an AI Guard unit once; was noteworthy, but I didn't think to take a screenshot. Agreed, navigational menaces should menace everyone :)

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Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

Agreed!

 

Animal type monsters should attack whatever comes near it thats not of the same type (or flagged as friendly to the npc- ideally make these flags easy to change for modders). Bandits and the like should sometimes fight each other, but not always. Other creature types should have their own sets of easily changeable behaviors.

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top

Definitely.  With certain spells, you might even be able to use the factional differences to your advantage, or even just spawn a chain of undead to lure away pesky zealots (or something along those lines).  Npc menaces too close ot one another declaring war on each other would be fun to watch, too.

That PW sounds pretty interesting, too.  If I could remember where I put my copy of nwn2, I'd probably go check it out.

Reply #5 from Elemental Forums Top

I agree, itd be cool if you could somehow factor this in. Maybe "pets" and things like that could show up with the bandits.

Reply #6 from Elemental Forums Top

Warring and allied factions would probably be best handled by random events or player influence.  As individual factions they are not much of a threat but when combined together...

Also being sandwiched between two warring factions could make an interesting scenario, especially if it involves minor races.

Reply #7 from Elemental Forums Top

Oh, this seems like a messy idea.  BUT, yeah I really would like it.  To add to this and make it more complicated but yet less messy... not have the factions black and white.  I mean if there is a dragon loose I don't think it makes sense for a lvl 1 spider to jump it.

Nor do I think it makes sense for a dragon to go after every single creature it can get it's hands on all the time.

(using dragon loosely here in place of "XXX really powerful creature")

Certain racial factions would make sense to make 100% hostile, but not so much with the beasties.

 

Think I heard of or played a game with this mechanic but can't think of it now to evaluate how it was executed :/

But if all creatures have the ability to "level' this might lead to some interesting and unexpected boss monsters.

Reply #8 from Elemental Forums Top

I think I saw a Bandit attack a Wolf today. This is exactly what I was talking about. They did not do this in beta 2.

Admittedly many of the posts here got way off my original suggestion.

Reply #9 from Elemental Forums Top

I have seen the monster attacking monster (AI vs AI)  behavior a lot in .92. There may still be some anomalies like the OP screeny.

I think we level the Monsters that spawn via the Adventure Tech Tree. Some crazy stuff has shown up as of late.

One monstrous evil thing had 1400 Def. Not sure what could tackle that but I certainly didn't try it. :)

Reply #10 from Elemental Forums Top

Monsters should be split up into several different factions, with different behaviours.

At the very least, I can think of Animals, Monsters, Intelligent Monsters, Humanoid.

Out of them, only Humanoids should attack and conquer cities, for example. Animals would usually avoid combat unless provoked and stay away from cities. Stuff like that.