[Arianne-bugs] [ arianne-Feature Requests-3466543 ] Creature herding, effects, possible solution.

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Feature Requests item #3466543, was opened at 2011-12-28 09:42
Message generated for change (Comment added) made by oslsachem
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Category: None
Group: None
Status: Open
Resolution: None
Priority: 5
Private: No
Submitted By: Nobody/Anonymous (nobody)
Assigned to: Nobody/Anonymous (nobody)
Summary: Creature herding, effects, possible solution.

Initial Comment:
This is an information post, a request for discussion and a suggested solution. 

Recently I have seen large groups of creatures gathered together around common map entry points, like the first level of the Semos Dungeon, the south exits from Semos and other places. The types of creatures have been Gargoyles, Rats, Ogres, Leprechauns and possibly more I haven't encountered. These groups swarm new players when they enter the map, killing them very quickly, unless they think to return to the previous map in time. Not a good experience for a new player. (My wife forcefully explained this to me when it happened to her.)

These creatures' home locations have been carefully placed at safe distances away from the entry points by the map designers with careful attention to game play. But when chasing a PC, they will stop at the map boundary and remain there until another PC attracts them, however many days that takes. 

I believe a player or players have taken to 'herding' (or more accurately dragging them) the creatures to these map entry points with the intent of killing the unwary, low-level, new players. A very rude introduction to the game, I think. Perhaps others do not. A subject for discussion. 

A possible solution might be to have the creatures self-destruct after being away from their home zone and not sensing a PC for a few minutes. This would move them away from 'choke points' and map entry points while not adding much code complexity or detracting from the usual game play.


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Comment By: oslsachem (oslsachem)
Date: 2012-01-04 13:15

Message:
>>I like how creatures being 'moved' by players makes the game less
predictable. 

Then a compromise could be to disperse the creatures back to their spawning
points but stop them when the distance to their spawning point is a
fraction of the starting distance to their spawning point (e.g. 50%, 75%,
95%, ...).

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Comment By: Katie Russell (kymara)
Date: 2011-12-29 03:05

Message:
I agree that the creature should move away from the boundary rather than be
destroyed. Otherwise it might take quite some time for it to respawn if
it's a bigger creature! 

I like how creatures being 'moved' by players makes the game less
predictable. It could be boring if you always find them in their start
place. Is there a solution for that? My initial suggestion was just to move
them back from the boundary if they are left by the boundary and no players
are there. They would only need to move a few squares, as this lets the
player see what is happening when they enter the zone, so it is not instant
attack.

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Comment By: oslsachem (oslsachem)
Date: 2011-12-28 11:35

Message:
>>A possible solution might be to have the creatures self-destruct after
being away from their home zone and not sensing a PC for a few minutes. 
This could be subjected to abuse by players, especially for creatures that
are otherwise too numerous or too powerful to kill.
I think the creature behaviour when it misses its targeted player should be
returning back to its spawning point ( i.e. it should have its spawning
point as its new target for pathfinding) until it detects another player.

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