Fix Invis & Monster Chasing AI

Wulfric

This is a really big problem for CoA that players cannot run away from a fight. Especially it's really annoying when you play a low-hp class like a wizard.
You probably know about the problem already, but I would make it really a high priority issue because it just makes the server unplayable sometimes.

The problems are the following:

Once a monster sees you, or gets engaged in combat, it will never lose line of sight. It always knows where you are, and chases you to that point. Even if it is a completely different area. (Recent examples: zombies in Bospir, Wyvern in High Crimmond, etc.) if it happens next to an NPC occupied area and they chase you there, the server probably blows up and you die because of ICE STORM :D
If a monster chases you and you get invis, it should make a listen check or whatever to check again for your presence. Or when you run past them invis and one of them sees you, but you run away, they should check. Although even if you are invisible, the monsters exactly know where you are and will chase you to that point. And if it's not enough, most of the time, if one of a group of monsters see you (while invis), and start chasing, all others will see you as well.

This is probably one of the most important issues for "squishy" classes because they have a higher chance of having to run away.

Winterhawk99

this is not a CoA bug this is a nwn bug. I have on the regular game and on the many servers I have been on encountered the same thing throughout. I've and my various developers over the years have found no way to fix it as of yet. It may be a hardcode fixture bug.

Wulfric

In v5 of CoA I don't remember this being a bug.

But in this case, we need to come up with some solutions. It almost makes the entire exploring off the table for my PC, even when it's among the most important character traits of him. :(

Winterhawk99

the way hardcoding works we cannot access it though the toolset scripting editor (unless Beamdog changed things.) I have not personally done any scripting or CC since 2012 so have no knowledge of what Beamdog changed other than what I perceive as major malfunctions in the game. That being z-axis control and the ability to put integers, strings and floats on pcs permanently. (Warning) So I do not know if this particular bug is fixable.

the younger generation may be able to clarify this. (So speak up you young whipper snappers. We would totally like to have your input. ;) ...........)

Puffy

It's being looked into, but as Wintehawk said it is a nwn bug and takes a lot of effort to resolve :)

Wulfric

Oh. If so, I'm also a developer, so hit me with details if I can help :)

Strife and Discord

There is a way to handle it, but AI needs a major overhaul and I wouldnt just touch the legacy code for the sake of this specific behavior.
Once we prioritize AI we will tackle it. Right now there are more important things on the plate in my opinion.

Winterhawk99

What Ai are you useing? I know three major Ai's in the game as of now. Default, Tony's and Jasperre's Default will do you no good. Tony's is the most sophisticated but I personally know Tony and will not put his into any module due to...........personal issues. Jasperres is probably the best overall Ai but has a huge bug. He puts so many nestings in his ai that it produces stack overflows all the time. I have found a way to fix this but I would have to ask permission to release said fixes due to those that worked with me to fix it were in the NWN custom content wars with Cep back in 2008-10. Many of my friends do not want their content released to the public without their express permisson and I must honor their wishes.

For a reference let me link you to this: http://andarian.com/TheSanctum/?p=472

Echo

@Winterhawk99 said in Fix Invis & Monster Chasing AI:

What Ai are you useing?

90% sure it's Jasperres but has been heavily modified over the last 15-20 yrs.

Winterhawk99

if you are using Jasperres then I salute your scripting team. that Ai has tremendous loop breaking problems. I haven't seen a broken ai loop on your server. That is good scripting

Zool

@Winterhawk99 Actually... There are two separate AI types on CoA.

One is indeed Jasperres, but this isn't the default one used.
The AI can be chosen on a per area basis (so some areas can use jasperres if they are set to)

The other type of AI, is called Codi's AI, and was implemented after complaints about the AI "ruthlessly hunting down wizards and other Low AC characters" (Which I still maintain was just down to confirmation bias)

The stack overflow stuff was fixed a good while back in jasperres.

Never heard of this 'Tony"

The annoying thing with NWN creature AI, is the lack of a "Just use this damn item!!!!" function.

If such a function now exists, and works, that would allow me to actually write my own AI. The utterly batshit crazy method of using items Bioware wrote... melts my brain, and stops you from really choosing what you want the monsters to actually do regarding items in their inventories - which severely limits the situational decisions you can get them to make.