Sensuki

I think both the Icewind Dale games proved that you can make good encounters from 'trash' enemies.

Seems to be another bug with the new suppression rules

I'm put off from doing it because it shows EVERY GOD DAMN TOOLTIP ON THE SCREEN

Powergaming.

Cool, that's handy. Shouldn't be a problem then. Do you know if those files are going to be packaged as .unity3d files eventually like items/abilities/talents etc currently are?

WE ARE TEH WIN

Not all enemies in IWD:HoW do that, I'm not 100% sure how the targeting clauses work, I am going to do some testing tomorrow, but different enemies seem to prioritize different targets, but they also have pretty snappy target re-acquisition - which is the important bit for me. If all enemies bolted straight for your backline and chose not to attack your frontline, you would come to expect it and simply use the backline characters to run around in circles while the other characters smashed them around. Here is me having a bit of fun with the AI in PE atm

Ahh right. I assume it would be done by assigning the prefab GUID to the Creature script in the Unity Inspector or something yeah? Those files haven't been packaged externally as of yet, so I haven't had a look at how it's done.

There are only 5 skills in the game (Athletics, Stealth, Survival, Lore, Mechanics) and you can have up to 6 characters. Characters can have more than one skill. You only need one character to be good at certain things (Mechanics, for instance) and you'll be able to open all the locks and disarm all of the traps you like.

Sure but it's what I would like to see in the game at a bare minimum. Encounter design can also make up for AI deficiency. The Encounter design in the beta isn't great, but at least Adra beetles have a couple of ranged attacks now.

It's a shame you don't have a system that automatically drops equipped items, that would have saved a lot of design hours probably.

Yes, I have to correct you. That is untrue. Enemy AI in Pillars of Eternity (or the Baldur's Gate games) does not attempt to get to your backline at all. This only happens when one of your backline characters is out of position and aggros nearby enemies. In the Infinity Engine games you have to correct this via positioning. It depends on which game you're playing (it's different for the BG games and the IWD games, because they have different AI) but you can usually, but not always correct your mistakes through tactical positioning and blocking. Stuff that requires actual player input. The Melee Engagement system facilitates dumb AI because most of the time, enemy melee AI targeting will be overriden by Melee Engagement. Melee Engagement consists of an AI targeting clause that makes the enemy stop and attack the first character it is engaged by. Whatever smart targeting that existed before is now nullified completely, simply because they ran next to a melee character of yours - THAT is dumb AI, but necessary because the AI is penalized if they do not do that (and so are you). However some melee enemies in Icewind Dale: Heart of Winter did try to do this, and you the player had to respond to those AI targeting clauses and try and stop the enemies from getting to your backline, by using formations, blocking and if needed, CC abilities. Some enemies in IWD:HoW are scripted to attack the party member with the highest AC (which is usually the Wizard), and thus you have to respond to that. The Melee Engagement system simplifies this process by only requiring you to position your melee members in front of your backline, and the enemy will automatically attack them if they have enough free engagement slots (which is usually always). If this is going to happen most of the time, there isn't really a need for Obsidian to develop the AI to be very smart, if it's so easy to override by the player. So no, I don't see how you can want smarter AI, but want Engagement as well. One of the whole points of the Engagement system as specified in the original Kickstarter update was to make it easy for the players who struggled to control the AI in the Infinity Engine games to do so. I didn't struggle at all, and a side effect of this system is it removes pretty much all tactical positioning and movement from combat after the initial melee has begun, as well as being ripe for abuse (incoming thread soon).

There's only 5 skills Gfted, you'll have up to six characters.

Flat checks. I've been ignoring them too.

The naked sneak attacking Rogue with an Arbalest isn't anywhere near as good now, does like half the damage. Much better off dual wielding fast weapons.

That's how you have to do the spider cave currently

I've recorded about 4-5 videos about Engagement tonight but I still need to do a few more, as there are quite a few problems with it. Might have the thread up in 36 hours or so. I'm not posting them publicly until they're all done and I figure out how to format the post, but if anyone's interested in watching a couple, feel free to send me a PM. Some of them are pretty funny.

This is what I had to say regarding the changes anyway

No, not really. I need to record some videos of Icewind Dale:HoW, because the targeting in that game is really good. I'll do it tomorrow. If you make a mistake and your Mage is in front and is being targeted, you can just swap formations manually around and usually that will fix it. I'll do some examples where I do it properly and never let the enemy target my squishes, and I'll do some where I deliberately make a mistake, and show how to correct it simply by moving units around a little bit.

I did not say copy how Baldur's Gate did it. I said (at least) copy how Icewind Dale: Heart of Winter did it. People were complaining that they couldn't force enemies in BG1 or BG2 to attack certain characters - there's a video for them to demonstrate how to do it.

Why would 10 goblins storm past your Fighter to your Wizard? AI targeting never did that in the Infinity Engine games and it does not do it in Pillars of Eternity either. Here's how BG1 and BG2 Targeting clauses worked for Melee Enemies. It was very simple. Will record an IWD video tomorrow or something, IWD:HoW has much more robust targeting and target re-acquisition and if anything, should be the model for PE's system.

I'll bet he costs BiK DollARBILLZ now

control or shift click to equip would be better.

Icewind Dale Heart of Winter did not have dumb AI. The Pillars of Eternity AI is simpler than all of the Infinity Engine game AI currently, I am merely asking for at least on par, if the AI ends up being better - then great, but I asked Josh Sawyer about this topic in an interview and he said that since they have to build the AI from the ground up, the PE AI will probably be more on the simple side for the first installment.

You don't have to have dumb AI, If you position melee characters at the front at the beginning of combat and assign them to attack enemies, that should pretty much handle who is being attacked by who in melee. That is exactly what happens in the Infinity Engine games too. I keep my Warriors at the front, enemies in front of them end up attacking the Warriors. The times when I don't have my Warriors in the front and my Mage is out of position, I can move my Mage behind my Warriors and intercede, and pretty much every time I am able to control the AI so that my Mage doesn't get hit.