AI Intelligence and Invulnerable targets.
Ok first of all let me say that I am not running the latest server code, but I don't anyone ever worked on this, so its probably relevant for any build in last year or so.
You may say this is working as intended, and its not really a bug, and situation like this rarely would occur elsewhere, but under very specific conditions, it does.
Here what is happening:
if NPC got agro from a target its unable to damage, its unable to realize that and will continue to try to hit it. This results in mob B beating the crap out of mob A without taking any damage in the process.
This situation can happen for example if:
- a player have charmed an npc which requires a magic weapon to hit (or bane) and sent it vs a mob which has no ability to hit magic/bane.
Ok this is probably would never happen on LIVE (they probably solved this issue by making all mobs to bypass this requirement automatically), but given some custom handling of NPC specials (thanks to some nice options Cavedude and KLS recently put in), it is possible to create such scenario.
Ok I know a simple solution to this problem - like:
a) do not create such instances where players can get access to control such immune pets
or
b) make all mobs be able to hit magic and bane automatically
Don't get me wrong- I have BEGGED KLS to make things EXACTLY this way - so I can make certain mobs immune to non magic/non bane, WITHOUT making rest of the npcs automatically bypass this requirement.
My goal was to create more realists environment, where say a necro summons a specter pet, this pet would be immune to a weapon without Bane vs Undead, so the common mobs (regardless of level - cannot dmg your pet!). Of course I did not expected the the mob to simply stand there like an idiot and allow itself to be beaten by an invincible pet!
I have similar situation with non targetable swarm pets. I have made a custom spell which unleashes a swarm of "spirits" to attack a mob for 30 seconds, but I made their body type untargetable - so they would act more like a graphical DoT (rather than actual pets). Unfortunately they still get added to mobs hate list, and since they keep building up agro, the mob is desperately trying to hit them =)
To my actual request. I don't want to you to undo or nerf anything- everything is very fine with the current specials and options, but could we UP the AI of mobs a bit?
Would it be possible to write a code check into mobs AI, that if a enemy target cannot be damaged by this mob (needs magic or bane weapon that mob doesn't have, or not even targetable body type), the mob simply ignores it (never puts it on the hate list), and goes after next thing on the hate list - like pet's owner!
OR, all agro generated by such pets instead added to their owner personal agro.
This way both conditions can be achieved: player could get and use potential dmg immune pets (vs specific mobs) but then such pets won't be able to generate hate and tank such mobs, cause mobs would ignore them, and go straight for the owner (or next big thing on the hate list).
I hope you would consider this idea. =)
PS. And don't nerf anything please =)
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