Is there a threat or aggro system?

[Vizjerie]

Ive noticed on certain fights that the mob or the boss will suddenly change target. what determines a targets aggro? i understand they attack the first person to engage them but ive also noticed enemies just randomly disengage and start chasing a party member at the back. 

 

anyone got any advice on this?

 

cheers!

[Wulfburk]

I also noticed that whenever i have 1 of my party members with 1 health and 1 endurance, so basically the next hit he will be perma death, even if i attack a group with that party member way back in the rear, the ranged enemies always aim at him and kills the poor guy. I got the impression it isnt just that random.

[Vizjerie]

hm, i havent paid attention to that before. usually if i party member is near 1 endurance i restart the fight cause its a boss fight that didnt go well. stil, its weird they just change target. so tanks are really there to be a wall to block as long as possible until they teleport...

[Langy]

That's exactly what tanks are for; 'holding aggro' isn't a thing in this game, just as it wasn't in the IE engine games.

[eastc]

I've only seen them behave this way...

 

a) mob the closest person (unless they can't get to him). Mobbing closest person will fill empty slots clockwise before trying counter clockwise.

b) If "closest person" loses the ability to engage then mobs may choose new targets.

c) If trying to engage "closest person" causes them to get closer to a different person they'll switch targets.

 

Other than that, my tank has been pretty sticky. I do try to keep him attacking the red circle closest to anyone else so they stay engaged. So far (only up to Raedric's castle) most mobs don't wander around (except Shadows... I hate those guys).

[Emerwyn]

I don't think there is an aggro system per se, but the engagement rules can and must be manipulated to keep enemies pinned to the toughest members of your party. It generally works well if you use bottlenecks and your tanky characters are equipped with the appropriate feats and gear that allow them to increase their engagement limit and soak damage.

 

Some enemies like phantoms/shades are frustrating to deal with as they keep jumping around to kill off your weakest members, but I'm pretty sure that's designed to be so, and taken into account as part of the challenge and balance of that specific type of creature.

Edited March 31, 2015 by Emerwyn

[PrimeJunta]

There isn't a transparent aggro system in the mechanics ("do this to create threat"). Insetad, the AI does whatever it "thinks" is most effective, and different enemies have different scripts. Phantoms, shades, and such target your casters first, for example, and there's simply no way you can "make" them target your tank.

 

The AI has improved a lot over the course of the beta BTW.

[eastc]

Phantoms switch because they can stun. Stunned characters can't engage.

 

Shadows with "instant teleport up" will teleport to the person who damages them... I think. I've been more careful about that and been having the tank spank them to get it to go away and been having better luck (or I'm wrong and it's just chance). Need to fight more Shadows now... ::shudder::

[SeekDWay]

The Pillars of Eternity team was inspired by recent Bioware games and introduced an unisex combat mechanic called Marriage. Usually this mechanic works along these lines "Till Death Do Us Part".

[drunetovich]

There is a priority list at work here, enemy will try to engage closest target, if route blocked, it will look for next closest target, it will also reevaluate target priority every few seconds, new closest target, low hp enemy or someone who recently damaged them will also get on their priority list.

[SuperNose]

These Shadows are destroying Aloth for me. I'll get my tanks into melee range, start wacking on them, and then boom, teleport to Aloth and he's dead not long after. It's kind of annoying.

[Mungri]

There isn't a transparent aggro system in the mechanics ("do this to create threat"). Insetad, the AI does whatever it "thinks" is most effective, and different enemies have different scripts. Phantoms, shades, and such target your casters first, for example, and there's simply no way you can "make" them target your tank.The AI has improved a lot over the course of the beta BTW.

Incorrect. Just hide your casters far away. Send in the tanks. Run in a caster and cast chill fog. Run the **** away and pray to me that the caster doesn't get followed.

[Peanuckle]

Way to deal with shadows, as I've read here, is to put the squishy person in the center of your formation and circle around him like a wagon so they can't reach him.

 

Doesn't help with those icicles, but it makes dropping buffs easier.

[BG4eva]

There isn't a transparent aggro system in the mechanics ("do this to create threat"). Insetad, the AI does whatever it "thinks" is most effective, and different enemies have different scripts. Phantoms, shades, and such target your casters first, for example, and there's simply no way you can "make" them target your tank.

 

The AI has improved a lot over the course of the beta BTW.

If you make an enemy pass by your tank, who engages them, wont the enemy then engage him? I understand the enemy could still break free after ur tank forces an engage, but that would still hinder its movement and make it suffer a disengagement attack?

 

I like the engagement-system but it is abit tricky.

[brionkj]

If you have a cipher, use charm/confusion/paralyze powers on the phantoms and shades when they 'port over to Aloth. And spam them again when duration runs out.

 

Or be proactive and get the Slicken spell for Aloth - spam it in front of the team before the shade/phantom teleports (I think the 'port range is pretty short). They are apparently not immune to slipping.

[SuperNose]

If you have a cipher, use charm/confusion/paralyze powers on the phantoms and shades when they 'port over to Aloth. And spam them again when duration runs out.

 

Or be proactive and get the Slicken spell for Aloth - spam it in front of the team before the shade/phantom teleports (I think the 'port range is pretty short). They are apparently not immune to slipping.

 

This will help a bunch, I haven't been using it cause...well, they're ghosts. And levitating ghosts at that! It didn't make sense to me, but hey, I'll take it! THanks :-D

[Emptiness]

The Pillars of Eternity team was inspired by recent Bioware games and introduced an unisex combat mechanic called Marriage. Usually this mechanic works along these lines "Till Death Do Us Part".

 

If so, then: knockdown = divorce.

[brionkj]

Just remember that slicken will keep it occupied for a short while, but I think it is enough so that your group can kill it at range, preferably with a DR penetration weapon like the blunderbuss.

 

But whatever the case is, always have an off-tank near Aloth to be on the safe side.

Edited April 1, 2015 by brionkj

[PrimeJunta]

If you make an enemy pass by your tank, who engages them, wont the enemy then engage him? I understand the enemy could still break free after ur tank forces an engage, but that would still hinder its movement and make it suffer a disengagement attack?

 

I like the engagement-system but it is abit tricky.

Incorporeal undead teleport, which breaks engagement.

[ISC]

 

There isn't a transparent aggro system in the mechanics ("do this to create threat"). Insetad, the AI does whatever it "thinks" is most effective, and different enemies have different scripts. Phantoms, shades, and such target your casters first, for example, and there's simply no way you can "make" them target your tank.The AI has improved a lot over the course of the beta BTW.

Incorrect. Just hide your casters far away. Send in the tanks. Run in a caster and cast chill fog. Run the **** away and pray to me that the caster doesn't get followed.

 

 

+ just use paralyze/stuck and have some melee character attack them.