Pathfinding issues in and out of combat

[eLPuSHeR]

Hello.

 

Running build 1.03.530 under Windows 8.1 x64

 

I have experienced several pathfinding issues, specially while moving around in combat which are pretty annoying. Your chars bumping endlessly into each other; some char pursuing an enemy moving in circles....

 

Trying to set an ambush in a doorway with enough room, just to find out it seems there isn't enough room for two player tanks (for blocking passage) but all enemies can seemingly cross without issues.

 

What gives?

[Althernai]

Pathfinding was, is and, barring a dramatic advance in computer science, will be a weak point of all such games. It's really, really hard to do with 6 player controlled characters and of order 10 enemies. I haven't seen an instance of enemies passing through small gaps, but everything else is more or less expected. Try giving pausing and giving orders to move in straight lines without any obstructions.

[kryadan]

Pathfinding was, is and, barring a dramatic advance in computer science, will be a weak point of all such games. It's really, really hard to do with 6 player controlled characters and of order 10 enemies. I haven't seen an instance of enemies passing through small gaps, but everything else is more or less expected. Try giving pausing and giving orders to move in straight lines without any obstructions.

No I have seen this and you have to *click click click* to direct them all the way around the furniture or group of people.

[VioNectro]

Pathfinding was, is and, barring a dramatic advance in computer science, will be a weak point of all such games. It's really, really hard to do with 6 player controlled characters and of order 10 enemies.

 

I don't buy this. Strategy games units have far better path finding that what we are seeing in pillars. I think the space calculated to move past another character in tight spaces right now is more than it should be causing the stuff to go crazy. Baldur's Gate 1 right now has superior path finding... which is kinda sad.

[KingNee]

Yeah, had this discussion elsewhere, but it's their collision boxes. Walkable area not properly represented by graphics and overly big collision boxes on characters. Size of collision boxes seems to change when in and out of combat as well. 

 

On top of that the general poor AI handling when it comes to orders and being "blocked". Sometimes they forget the order and go on to do other stuff, other times they'll wait an entire fight to cast that useless AOE that won't hit anyone anymore. Ranged attackers randomly decide to attack when in range or not to attack, based on the weather and what they had for lunch. 

Ranged attackers will switch to a melee weapon set if they have one and charge in 'cause Leeroy Jenkins. Sometimes your blocked attackers will traverse the map to reach their target, aggroing other mobs in the process. 

 

Yeah, all this stuff needs a real effort put into it. 

[kozzy]

This is honestly my only issue I have had in 130 hours so far on the game. I havn't had any fps issues, havn't had any crashes,etc...
Main thing I want fixed is the pathfinding! Loving the game though!

Edited April 10, 2015 by kozzy

[FalloutBoy]

I would encourage anyone complaining about bad pathfinding in this game to go play one of the old IE games and see what bad pathfinding is really like.

[Ink Blot]

I would encourage anyone complaining about bad pathfinding in this game to go play one of the old IE games and see what bad pathfinding is really like.

Doesn't excuse the bad pathfinding in this game. I find it's far, far worse in combat. Many times, for example, I've directed a melee attacker to attack a monster that needs my character to simply move a step to the right, yet he decides to circle all the way around to the left. Then he ends up in engagement with a totally different mob. I've also experienced the 'slip through the blocked doorway' phenomenon on a regular basis. I've yet to find the magic doorblocking formula that many people talk about (not that this is a big deal as it just means I have to use better tactics and think on the fly, but it's still annoying because my characters seem to be unable to figure out how to perform the same feat of doorway legerdemain).

[KingNee]

This is honestly my only issue I have had in 130 hours so far on the game. I havn't had any fps issues, havn't had any crashes,etc...

Main thing I want fixed is the pathfinding! Loving the game though!

 

I put in maybe 70-80 hours on my single run and there's a lot to love here but I have lost several fights purely due to poor AI/pathfinding and that's just not ok in my book.

Not in 2015, at least. 

[VioNectro]

I would encourage anyone complaining about bad pathfinding in this game to go play one of the old IE games and see what bad pathfinding is really like.

I have been playing BG1 EE in parallel and I can say with certainty that BG1 EE does it better.

[LadyCrimson]

Yeah, had this discussion elsewhere, but it's their collision boxes. Walkable area not properly represented by graphics and overly big collision boxes on characters. Size of collision boxes seems to change when in and out of combat as well. 

This, so much this.

[Malovane]

Yeah - walkable area sometimes gets on my nerves. The Endless Paths "Pit", for one particular example, has a fairly wide walkway on screen, but for some reason only 1 character could actually get into combat around it in a number of places.

 

Giant spiders all bunching up in a conga-line in a wide open area is kind of funny too. It's like they all took a number to get served their can of whoopass.

 

Well, whatever the problem, hope they get to put in some enhancements.

[GoldRidley]

This is an enormous problem in Triple Crown runs, particularly.  My characters stopping to do the pathfinding dance is not so amusing when it can wipe out some thirty hours of play.

[Corivar]

I would encourage anyone complaining about bad pathfinding in this game to go play one of the old IE games and see what bad pathfinding is really like.

For me at least, the IE games pathing was never as wonky as it is in this game. Party members getting stuck on not just objects, but each other, and running in place. Running in circles. Taking off mid combat and attempting to run halfway across the map in exactly the opposite direction from the assigned target. Killing their assigned target, then running to the nearest door and immediately closing/opening it. Killing their current target, then walking over to the middle of nowhere to swing their weapon several times at nothing but air.

 

I'm starting to think lead poisoning is more of an issue in their world than this hollowborn nonsense.

Edited April 11, 2015 by Corivar

[Luckmann]

I can tell you that in the IE games, I never encountered situations where my characters are trying to run in the opposite direction of where I wanted them to go in combat, running around entire structures, or being murdered due to Engagement attacks.

 

 

Temple of Woedica. Such broken. Much pathing. Wow.

 

[eLPuSHeR]

Well. I hope these issues get patched later, at least ironed out if not fixed altogether.

[FalloutBoy]

I can tell you that in the IE games, I never encountered situations where my characters are trying to run in the opposite direction of where I wanted them to go in combat, running around entire structures, or being murdered due to Engagement attacks.

 

 

Look I'm not excusing the pathing in this game, which could be greatly improved, but this comment makes me doubt that you ever actually played BG or you are exaggerating. Go into the Nashkel Mines (or any dungeon really), click on the opposite side of the map, and watch every character take a different route to get there, often stumbling into monsters and getting slaughtered since they are alone.

 

This rarely happens while outside of combat in PoE because they allow characters to overlap collision boxes so there is far less bumping into each other. The problem in PoE shows up in combat where they go back to hard BG-style collision where 6 guys all try to walk through the doorway at the same time, bumping into each other and causing them all to get confused and/or stuck.

 

I think the other frustration is that if a guy takes a bad path in combat, they may get engaged by the wrong enemy, so the system is very unforgiving. 

Edited April 11, 2015 by FalloutBoy