Best Party AI Auto-attack settings?

[TrueMenace]

So like, I don't really feel a difference between Defensive and Aggressive for the party AI auto-attack settings. Which is the optimal set up for each companion? I currently have it off for my personal rogue since he's micro-manage heavy. I'm clueless for my companions though. Currently have Eder as tank, Palegina off-tank/DPS w/ Flames of Devotion, Aloth+GM+Hiravias for ranged AoE CC/DPS. 

 

Any tips? I'm on POTD btw.

Edited February 22, 2016 by TrueMenace

[Raz415]

I dunno, man. I would suggest you simply disable that and keep them on Defensive. This will allow them to get new targets to attack without moving around too much, which I think fixed a lot of the boredom you had to endure while micromanaging autoattacks every time a target died. You should know that if you pick any of the minor skills when leveling up (like the minor Ranger hobble on your rogue), the AI will never use those (I guess they're not recognized).

 

I keep my tanks (Eder and Pallegina) on Aggressive behaviour, because otherwise they do not use knockdown / Flames of Devotion. With that behaviour, they don't use Vigorous Defense / Lay on Hand though. So either way you have to use one skill or another.

 

Kana is too dumb, I really suggest just keeping him Defensive. He will summon things (he really prefers Skeletons even though you have better options) behind the party, where they can't reach the fight.

 

I tried putting Aloth on Aggressive (with per rest disabled) so he would use Arcane Assault all by himself, but he's too bad at aiming it. He just uses it as soon as he's in combat, so usually the enemies will just move away and it will hit nothing. I absolutely do not recommend letting your mages / druids cast things on their own, they are awful at it.

 

Durance is pretty bad with any AI settings. He really has no clue when / what he needs to cast. If you wait for the AI to cast heals, your party will be dead in no time. He casts Prayer against... reliably but that's pretty much it. I wouldn't allow him to use per rest abilities though.

 

Ranged Rogues are the best at giving them AI behavior, they can't really screw up. Do NOT use it as melee though, they want to use Escape to engage enemies and it tends to get them killed.

Edited February 22, 2016 by Raz415

[falchen]

I use defensive with everything else disabled, all I want is characters to start hitting something else in range when their current target dies and this seems to work for that.

[MonkeyLungs]

The game could really benefit from a detailed tactics system that let you specify EXACTLY which abilities to use and when.

[Raz415]

The game could really benefit from a detailed tactics system that let you specify EXACTLY which abilities to use and when.

Yeah, for all the flaws of Dragon Age Origins, I thought their AI command system was pretty good. Choose what skill / item to use in relation to enemy HP / ally or self HP. I wonder, is that a hard thing to implement? I see it in very few games and I think it's quite a good system.

[MonkeyLungs]

The tactics system for DA1is lightyears ahead of anything I have ever seen any other developers create in terms of companion AI systems. I guess Final Fantasy came out later with like a gambit system or something and people say it is somewhat similar but I haven't played Final Fantasy since 1997.

 

I have no idea how hard it would be to implement but it probably differs from engine to engine. It seems like the most intelligent way to design your AI combat scripting systems though because you could just sit and test them out on the fly while being in game.

[Doppelschwert]

The tactics system for DA1is lightyears ahead of anything I have ever seen any other developers create in terms of companion AI systems. I guess Final Fantasy came out later with like a gambit system or something and people say it is somewhat similar but I haven't played Final Fantasy since 1997.

 

Sorry to burst your bubble but Final Fantasy 12 was released in 2006 (Japan/US/Canada) and 2007 (Europe) with such a system while it took Dragon Age Origins another 3 years to a release of 2009 with a similiar system.

 

That's even enough time to insinuate that DA:O could have copied the system from FF12 instead of coming up with that on their own.

[MonkeyLungs]

 

The tactics system for DA1is lightyears ahead of anything I have ever seen any other developers create in terms of companion AI systems. I guess Final Fantasy came out later with like a gambit system or something and people say it is somewhat similar but I haven't played Final Fantasy since 1997.

 

Sorry to burst your bubble but Final Fantasy 12 was released in 2006 (Japan/US/Canada) and 2007 (Europe) with such a system while it took Dragon Age Origins another 3 years to a release of 2009 with a similiar system.

 

That's even enough time to insinuate that DA:O could have copied the system from FF12 instead of coming up with that on their own.

 

Good to know, thanks for the correction. I was under the incorrect impression that ff didn't introduce that system until ff13.

 

It doesn't really change my opinion that DA:O has the best party ai tactics system ever though, even if they did copy it from final fantasy. FF system is in a FF game, so I'll never play it.

[Doppelschwert]

Good to know, thanks for the correction. I was under the incorrect impression that ff didn't introduce that system until ff13.

 

It doesn't really change my opinion that DA:O has the best party ai tactics system ever though, even if they did copy it from final fantasy. FF system is in a FF game, so I'll never play it.

 

You're welcome. I agree that this system works best for setting up AI how the user wants it to be and I would be very happy if they used it in a possible PoE2.