Guild Wars 2

Right now, the AI is boring when you are doing a player vs. one mob. The only way to get a real challenge is when you are fighting more than one mob at a time. Most melee mob’s AI will only chase after its enemies and will keep only attack the enemy. There is no dodging, or weaving. I want to fight another Kholer.

I suggest a new AI. I’ll just call it a “smart AI.” The current mob AI will be called the “dumb AI.”

Things to know:

• Smart AI: A stronger and more dynamic AI than the current AI.
• Dumb AI: The current AI in the game.
• Baby AI: A weaker AI than the dumb AI. It works directly in the favor for each profession.
• Pity AI: If the player reaches a certain point where he is downed a lot due to the AI. The mob will use a pity AI to make it easier. (Not applicable to jumping puzzle areas, gated areas, and dungeons.)
• Endurance: A attrition based bar that is for mobs. It lets them dodge, use range attacks, and other things.
• Mobs gain an endurance bar, weakness damages the mob’s endurance bar instead of slowing the endurance regen. If the player destroys all the mob’s endurance. The mob uses the dumb AI.
• Chill will also increase the cooldown of the smart AI skills like dodging and weaving.

The Conditions to get smart AI

• If there is less mobs in combat in the area compared to the number of players in combat, the mob will use the smart AI.
• Smart AI affects only trash mobs and not a Legendary, champion or veteran.
• Will count only the amount of players in combat instead of allies. (Necromancer’s minions, Ranger’s pets, turrets, and other NPC are not included)
• Not a dungeon mob(or let the AI be in the dungeon mobs.)
• Must be a melee mob. Strictly Ranged mobs do not apply.
• Must have enough endurance to dodge.

Event:

• Mob will kite you, randomly dodge your attacks, weave around, fight like Kholer.
• Some mobs may apply protection onto themselves if dodging or weaving around makes no sense for this particular mob. Necromancers or other professions can rip them off.
• Some Mobs will have a ranged attack with a cooldown that cost part of the endurance bar.
• Some mobs may regen themselves or heal themselves in a cost of their endurance. Poison works well here.

Baby AI:
If a zone is under level 30, the mob will use a specific Smart AI which I will call it Baby AI for each profession. It will be weaker both the smart AI and the dumb AI, it is enough to keep it fun and engaging for those just learning their profession. For example,

• Ranger’s mob baby AI will move between the ranger pet and the player. So it doesn’t just outright kill the pet. This way, a bird pet will be fun as much as a Bear pet because it won’t die as often.
• A warrior’s mob baby AI will remain unchanged from the dumb AI.
• A engineer’s mob baby AI will never attack the turrets until the engineer dies. It is not fun when after setting up turrets, just for the mobs just make them disappear.
• A Mesmer’s baby AI will only have mobs attacking the clones first.
• A Elementalist Baby AI will alternate between Range attacks and melee attacks when the elementalist is not using D/D. Kiting all the time isn’t really fun. If the elementalist uses a earth summon, then mob will attack the summon first. When the elementalist uses any other summon, then the mob will ignore the summon.
• A Necromancer remains unchanged from dumb AI or have similar baby ai as the elementalist depending on the weapon set or if necros have minions.
• A guardian remains unchanged from dumb AI.

Pity AI:

• If the player keeps downing a lot. In the next few kills, the mob will not gang up on the player but only one will go after the player while the other mobs will stay behind to watch and gloat until the player attacks them or the mob dies.

What and when to trigger a specific AI?

• One player in a under level 30 zone vs. any number of mobs = Mob uses Baby AI.
• Two players in a under level 30 zone vs. per a mob = Mob uses dumb AI .
• Three or More under level 30 players vs. per a mob = Mob uses smart AI
• One player in a over level 30 zone vs. two or more mobs = Mob uses dumb AI
• Two or more players in a over level 30 zone vs. per a more mobs = Mob uses Smart AI
• If there is an equal amount of over level 30 players that is equal amount of mobs that is more than 2 in both sides, mobs will use the dumb AI.
• Player is defeated a lot vs any number of AI = Mob uses pity AI
• More than two players = Mobs do not use pity AI ever.

Expected Results:

• More weapons will be viable.

Instead of Hundred Blades or Axe/axe warrior being efficient to all PvE mobs no matter the number, Hundred Blades GS or Axe/axe warrior will be most efficient when fighting against 2 mobs because the mobs will use the dumb AI. It makes sense because the mob will feel safer by ganging up on an enemy. When the smart AI comes in place, the GS or Axe/axe will not be as effective because the mob will kite you. Other weapons will be much more useful because you can land more hits onto the enemy or use the utility to defend yourself.

• Less steamrolling, more dynamic combat

The PvE side is really boring because there are two ways to win. 1. Use AoE and kill them all. 2. just kite kite kite your way to victory.

AI doesn’t really matter though, it’s the attacks the melee mobs use that are too kitten inconvenient.

Every time they attack, they stop to play an animation and while doing so are completely immobile and vulnerable to hammering. This makes kiting insanely easy. Ettins for instance, whenever they are going to attack you they HAVE to stop, and charge their attack for either a massive swing or a smash to the ground and you can EASILY walk out of that area. Ettins that should be rampaging trolls of destruction should function more like rampaging centaurs do, charging players and knocking them over with their club then proceed to smash their face in. If they gave NPC’s the ability to attack while on the move like players, things would become a much greater challenge and would most likely be downright harsh.

A smarter or dumber AI doesn’t matter as long as this is the case.