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

[Matt Chatterley]

On Wed, 10 Dec 1997 coder at ibm.net wrote:

> 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:
> 
> --<cut>--
> 
> >Has anyone managed to implement something resembling tactical
> >intellect in MUD mobs? 

[Snip]
 
> Some of the methods that caught my eye:
> 
>   -- formations.  Either tanking of players into an almost phalanx like
> brick, or frontal tanks (older style).  

Since my new combat setup has 'actual positions' on a grid (using
vectors), it is now possible for me to employ tactics and formations. Thus
I DO intend to use something of this sort (weaker NPCs which are defined
as being more 'important' will be defended by stronger ones which are
'less important'). It will also be possible to set up NPCs with longer
range weapons (for instance the situation where you have a spearman
attacking over a swordsman's shoulder).
 
>   -- limited summoning.  Attack one mobile, and he'll call to others
> nearby to join him.  

This can be very useful (its the 'king calling for guards' type situation,
I suppose). It does tend to get overused, though, and it grows old rapidly
if it is not done intelligently (creator-wise).
   
>   -- 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.

Yes, I already use this in a couple of places - if you manage to
neutralize the scouts and get inside the complex (the player is set the
task of entering a fort ruled by an evil Shaolin-type sect, and retreiving
some bits and bobs) without anyone noticing, you are significantly better
off. If they notice you, the fortress is placed on 'alert' for half an
hour, with more guards roaming around, and so forth - You'd need to be a
regular Kwai Chang Caine to get in, rather than a student.C
 
>   -- 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.

This is another clever tactic - target their big guns, and take them down
first.
 
>   -- 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.

Of course to do some of this stuff you have to start cheating, or doing it
vaguely. Nothing wrong with that, though. :)
 
>   -- 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.

Yes, there are options in our NPCs to enable you to say that this is a
'loner' or a 'group' NPC - if you have four guards, defined as group NPCs,
and a bunch of PCs attack one guard, the other three guards will join in
to help defend their friend and even the score.
 
>   -- 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.

Yup.
 
>   -- 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.  

Larger scale tactics also fall into place here - using archers to weaken
their charge, a shield wall to break it, and so forth.
 
>   -- 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.

Heh! It gets difficult to handle 'intelligent' spellcasting, in NPCs,
though.
 
>   -- reinforcements.  If the opponent has such, or the NPC group seems
> statistically unlikely to survive, send a runner for reinforcements.

I've also done this (in the same place as the scout above), so that
messengers will be sent to fetch more guards if breaches in the defences
are found, and so forth. Basically as soon as an intruder is detected, the
place gets more dangerous by a considerable factor. This is also why
players are heavily advised to pack light for this particular undertaking.

[Snip]

>   -- 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.

Even having healers present among NPC groups is often unlikely..
 
>   -- retreats.  If overwhelmed, retreat back to positions of strenght (ie
> more defenders, positional advantage, location of healers/mages, etc).

Yeah. I have a number of manouvers within combat - strategic withdrawals,
retreats, and such, which I intend NPCs to use fully.

Regards,
	-Matt Chatterley
	ICQ: 5580107
"I shall never believe that God plays dice with the world." -Einstein