NPC's, Guards and others

[Guaran]

Now that Vitrium has completed a hardware upgrade to the servers, can you set the npc's back to being able to fight/defend themselves? Guards, etc. All the Dragons in Dralk. If a monster follows someone in to town, they should attack it. Guards, in Guard posts no less, should not just stand there when a monster comes close.

No NPC should have 20 health either, it should be a normal amount, likely even be buffed a few thousand.

Thanks,

[AmonGwareth]

I would rather not, to be honest. It wasn't disabled for server performance, it was disabled because it doesn't really serve much purpose. Its wasted cycles, they don't help players, they fight when players aren't around, etc.

I could see it being nice to have in areas where the undead are close for "flavor" but not for player survivability. And only if they turned themselves off if no players were around.

We could have "Guards" near player towns have Auras that improved player healing. That might be a nice feature.

[Guaran]

Well the only place I know of that they attacked each other when no one was around, was the nature tower. That could be pretty easily remedied by slightly changing the patrol of that wraith. But, should the wraith chase someone to the tower, they could put it down. Was fun watching them unleash Dark Cyclone on that wraith

But it is much more immersive and fun when the npc's could fight. Didn't really matter if they were any good or not (they mostly weren't), although that could be tweaked pretty easily with a health buff to npc's, and allowing them to buff themselves like the monsters do.

Once activated to fight, we could keep any eye on them for a couple months. If we should find spots where they can attack each other when no one is there, shouldn't be too tough to remedy. But the guards at Kion, and nature tower, and only places I can think of where the mobs patrol close to guards, and maybe the guards outside Harro, if Avatar of Pain even comes closeby to them. In those cases AoP will just easily and quickly smite them, and move on... =) And that scenario happening in just a few places like Kion and Harro, isn't really a big deal is it?

[Racktor]

I agree with Guaran here. I miss the guards being able to save my butt when I was desperately running from mobs as a new player. It's just plain irritating to run past a so-called "guard" and have them just stare at me as I die. (Sadistic buggers )

I can't think of any other places to add onto the list there. Kion and the ToN were the only places I remember them idly fighting. Maybe rarely Chiconis if the spiders got too close to that blue guard out the entrance? I remember him fighting once but I think that was because I led spiders to him.

Also Amon, what do you mean by "they don't help players"? They saved my life multiple times when I was new to the game. The guards attacking a mob would get its aggro so I could run away from the guard dealt with it or died. It saved me a lot of death points. Also when I fought Fafnir back in about 2010 or 2011, we brought him to the guard outside of Harro. I don't know if that was just for giggles or to have something else doing damage/keeping his attention, though.

[AmonGwareth]

Also Amon, what do you mean by "they don't help players"? They saved my life multiple times when I was new to the game. The guards attacking a mob would get its aggro so I could run away from the guard dealt with it or died. It saved me a lot of death points. Also when I fought Fafnir back in about 2010 or 2011, we brought him to the guard outside of Harro. I don't know if that was just for giggles or to have something else doing damage/keeping his attention, though.

What I mean is that they don't assist you, they don't heal you or attack your target necessarily, they just attack the first thing in range that is a monster. Could be useful, might not be.

Guards only work if the monsters are far enough away from the guards that they can't engage each other.

[Pryzm]

Some of the guards outside a town even say that they offer their help to you if you need it but don`t do anything when you lead a mob to them. I would change their chats if you don`t intend to make them fight. Might irritate new players. Sadly i wasn`t here in those time sth npc`s fought back but i`d love to see it. Even when it`s only at the ToN and Kion.

[Smaug]

Ah the good old days, guards outside Kion saved my butt more then once.

[Azath]

Just syaing but what if a guard kills your mob so you don't get the loot or exp ?

[Racktor]

I can't remember what happened. I think you still got EXP, but might not be able to loot it.

I'd rather they give no exp or loot, though, so you can't just sit around and have the guard help you level up.

[Guaran]

If they do more damage than you do, you don't get to loot and receive reduced exp. Which is how it should be. I didn't ask for them to fight because it somehow helps players level or get exp... it wouldn't do that and never has, though they can save you by simply pulling aggro off while you run off or heal.

But it's just much more realistic that they DO fight. All npc's. I was hoping to get at least the guards to fight. But IMHO all npc's should have the capability. And all the dragons in both Chiconis and Dralk should fight if a mob gets in range.

[Drakarius Shadows]

Once Apon a Time (many years ago) npc's would fight monsters if they came in a small range from them,
and if they did more damage than you you did not get exp or loot.
I did not know that this was changed, but I'm not near a town much any more.