[MUD-Dev] Re: Less numbers, more roleplaying.

[coder at ibm.net]

On 30/11/97 at 09:36 AM, Adam Wiggins <nightfall at user2.inficad.com> said:

>A silly mud I used to play a while back put in code to have the creature
>try to switch to whoever was most wounded (as in, % of hitpoints). Very
>simple, but it made many of the creatures harder by an order of
>magnitude, as well as making them seem slightly less like lumps of clay.
>Amazing what an affect a small change like that can have - imagine some
>serious strategy programming.

I proposed the following here about 3 months ago in a discussion on how to
make NPC's more intelligent combatants:

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>Has anyone managed to implement something resembling tactical
>intellect in MUD mobs? 

That used to be a common source of threads in r.g.m.diku.  The common
approaches were things like formation combal (both for players and PC's),
selective targeting by NPCS (if a group, get your magic user to get their
magic user first, and then their healer, target your damage concentration
(ie who you attack) such that each blow has the greatest possible chance
of reducing their net damage per tick by the largest percentage, etc),
healer NPC's which stood "behind" the NPC formation, tanks, etc.

It would seem we don't have many DIKU players here...

Some of the methods that caught my eye:

  -- formations.  Either tanking of players into an almost phalanx like
brick, or frontal tanks (older style).  

  -- limited summoning.  Attack one mobile, and he'll call to others
nearby to join him.  
  
  -- scouts/sentries.  Weak, easily killed mobiles.  They keep lookout. 
If they see anything, or are atacked they scream like banshees.  Other,
stronger groups then converge to defend/attack.  Thiefs (sneak) were used
to kill them with alerts/warns.

  -- selective targeting.  Target your damage concentration (ie who you
attack) such that each blow has the greatest possible chance of reducing
their net damage per tick by the largest percentage.

  -- supply chain targeting.  As applicable target their healer to
reduce/stop their regen rate.  This factors into the above equation,
especially for groups of NPCs.

  -- one-on-one targeting.  If grouped allocate some of your attackers to
"occupy" the attention of specific attackers on the basis of maximally
reducing their damage percentage.  This allows the rest of the group to
concentrate on other attackers who are closer to death and damage the
attacker's strength more.

  -- viability targeting.  Most games don't scale attack ability by how
close to death they area.  A guy with 1hp swings a sword just as hard as a
guy with 500hp.  Target the rapidly killable one's first.

  -- divide and conquer.  Use the various above tactices to most fragment
their attack.  Attempt to occupy their strongest attackers with side-line
one on one battles while other fragments of your group concentrate on
knocking out the weak ones, while your magic users targets their magic
users, while a portion also concetrates on getting their healer, etc.  

  -- full magic use.  Full reasonable use of all game's magic
capabilities.  This encludes area spells, dragon/demon summons, fireballs,
blindness , disorientation, etc.  Casting love spells on your enemy is a
great one here.

  -- reinforcements.  If the opponent has such, or the NPC group seems
statistically unlikely to survive, send a runner for reinforcements.

  -- mage summons.  If the attacker's magic users outclass yours, summon,
send a runner for a magic user replacement.

  -- healer summons,  If the attacker's damage rate exceeds your recovery
rate and you are statisically unlikely to survive, summon a healer to tilt
the scales theother way.

  -- retreats.  If overwhelmed, retreat back to positions of strenght (ie
more defenders, positional advantage, location of healers/mages, etc).

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--
J C Lawrence                               Internet: claw at null.net
----------(*)                              Internet: coder at ibm.net
...Honourary Member of Clan McFud -- Teamer's Avenging Monolith...