Guild Wars 2

One of the games I remember most fondly, Ragnarok Online, had a class with an amazing pet mechanic, the Homunculus. You had to craft them and then raise them, keep them fed. On the Homunculu’s management window, you could select a file to give your pet AI, it used the .lua proramming language. You could also control your pet manually, order it to move etc. People made and shared fun and effective scripts.

Is anything even a little close to that possible for Gw2? Maybe just an in-game programmable AI with some options, like don’t stand there dying to AoE like a dumb lettuce, use skill X on Y conditions, etc.

Mmm i would love the idea but be realistic that’s a hell of change that also would bring more problems than solutions.
The pet doesn’t need an skynet level AI only to be aware of it’s surroundings.

In my signature there is a link i point out some ways to improve the pet AI in a simple way that could make the pets actually feel helpful with their utility skills.

anduriell.6280:

Mmm i would love the idea but be realistic that’s a hell of change that also would bring more problems than solutions.

I feel the exact opposite. It’s a significant change, yes, but it could be worth it for Anet to explore and look into.

Wondrouswall.7169:

anduriell.6280:

Mmm i would love the idea but be realistic that’s a hell of change that also would bring more problems than solutions.

I feel the exact opposite. It’s a significant change, yes, but it could be worth it for Anet to explore and look into.

Then they can wash their hands completely when it comes to AI, players would make amazing scripts.

I completely support this idea, but I’d see Anet having trouble getting it going. They really seem to have a hard time coming up with ideas on their own when it doesn’t come to designing landscapes. In landscapes they are brilliant. In all else… they really need be a little less conservative to their own benchmarks. Most of the time they’re landmark improvements are things decades old they’ve doggedly ignored until they can’t anymore.

The ranger pet is pretty much broken. I usually fly raven/owl all the time just because it dies fast so I can spawn another one when the first got lost on the way to its target.

You’d have to come up with the whole design for them and post it here. Otherwise I don’t think they look up anything we say about other games.

All this would mean is that the pet AI would effectively be open sourced, with everyone downloading and using the best one available.

Actually, that would be great. The current pet AI is so many kinds of terrible, I’ll take any solution.

I have fond memories of beta testing IRO. They are making another called, Tree of Savior.

Mincsk.6028:

I have fond memories of beta testing IRO. They are making another called, Tree of Savior.

I have faith!

Cristobal.8640:

One of the games I remember most fondly, Ragnarok Online, had a class with an amazing pet mechanic, the Homunculus. You had to craft them and then raise them, keep them fed. On the Homunculu’s management window, you could select a file to give your pet AI, it used the .lua proramming language. You could also control your pet manually, order it to move etc. People made and shared fun and effective scripts.

Is anything even a little close to that possible for Gw2? Maybe just an in-game programmable AI with some options, like don’t stand there dying to AoE like a dumb lettuce, use skill X on Y conditions, etc.

Usually I do not like those korean style mmorpgs but I loved ragnorak for the time I spent as a ranger your right the pet mechanics where amazing. But anet does not need to go that much in depth for it, because this game in its classes then what ragnorak had.

I think if Anet added additional pet commands besides “attack” and “return to me” the pet AI would be less of a focus. Besides, ballancing the game around a function like that would be difficult. A “Guard” command would be useful, ground target that sends your pet to a specific location.

ZombieLeach.5862:

I think if Anet added additional pet commands besides “attack” and “return to me” the pet AI would be less of a focus.

More like, if Anet just gave additional keybinds for stuff like Attack My Target, Return to Me, and Pet Stow, it would be less of a focus. At least then, we could have all 3 pet skills on the F1-F3 bar for full control.

Did ANET ever go into the reasoning behind a Moa’d Moa being VASTELY more effective than your regular pet Moa? and why our pets dont have the same attack profile as they do when under that transform?

see the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJ4b4uvJ8tY

Wondrouswall.7169:

ZombieLeach.5862:

I think if Anet added additional pet commands besides “attack” and “return to me” the pet AI would be less of a focus.

More like, if Anet just gave additional keybinds for stuff like Attack My Target, Return to Me, and Pet Stow, it would be less of a focus. At least then, we could have all 3 pet skills on the F1-F3 bar for full control.

Even if Anet gave us those key binds it wouldn’t change the lack of control over the pet. What I propose is to add more commands to the pet UI. Subvert the AI in other words rather than improve it. “Guard” would allow you to use your pet to watch locations or hastle specific areas, or another one could be “Stay Here” causing your pet to return to your location and stay there even if you leave. You could then use “stay here” move back a little and use your pet as a sheild.

Sandzibar.5134:

Did ANET ever go into the reasoning behind a Moa’d Moa being VASTELY more effective than your regular pet Moa? and why our pets dont have the same attack profile as they do when under that transform?

see the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJ4b4uvJ8tY

I suggest you ask this question in the druid feedback thread. It’s a very interesting thing to talk about imho.

ZombieLeach.5862:

Even if Anet gave us those key binds it wouldn’t change the lack of control over the pet.

Oh, it would change the lack of control, drastically. Many Rangers would love to have control over the other pet skills, especially useful ones like Canine Pounces, Drake Tail Swipes, Porcine Charges, and the Moa Heal.

Your suggestion is a reworked “Guard!” which has it’s own advantages. Rather than one or the other, both should be implemented.

I would script the hell out of my pet if I could. I’m a professional AI programmer as it is.

Wondrouswall.7169:

Oh, it would change the lack of control, drastically. Many Rangers would love to have control over the other pet skills, especially useful ones like Canine Pounces, Drake Tail Swipes, Porcine Charges, and the Moa Heal.

Your suggestion is a reworked “Guard!” which has it’s own advantages. Rather than one or the other, both should be implemented.

What I’m referring to is specifically the pet’s positioning. I’d like more options in that regard over added pet skills. Id like to be able to tell my pet to stay still so I can use it as a shield or guard a doorway to attack anyone who tries to go through. Pet skills would be nice, but the current F2 skill works fine for me.

OGDeadHead.8326:

Sandzibar.5134:

Did ANET ever go into the reasoning behind a Moa’d Moa being VASTELY more effective than your regular pet Moa? and why our pets dont have the same attack profile as they do when under that transform?

see the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJ4b4uvJ8tY

I suggest you ask this question in the druid feedback thread. It’s a very interesting thing to talk about imho.

I would but that thread is for druid feedback specifically and i think this falls outside of its scope. I hope we can have a base ranger centric discussion with Ireneo very soon, and discuss things like this.