Tethering Behaviour.

[Terrell [BT]]

Is it intended that mob's tethering behaviour be used against them, when seeking to separate them? I noticed that while using fold-kiting tactics against 56, 58, and 60 drones in BBW with my JT, that this behaviour can be used to get 1 on 1 fights.

Generally fold-kiting, separation works, by taking your Jenquai toon, targeting a straggler, turning your engines towards them and using the L3 fold space skill to teleport them away from their buddies in the direction you're facing, and while fighting them, continue to teleport them away from potiential allies. When doing this, I notice after I get them away from their buddies they'll make an effort to run back to their spawn point, moving faster than normal, and often going towards the boundries (top/bottom) of the sector.

Here's what I've done, pick one, of the three, attack from maximum beam range, and fly in reverse (have a NOS and a Crystalline Dynamo engine, so I can fly backwards fast enough). If more than one comes along, continue backing off, and recharge shields if necessary, after backing off a while, target the buddy, shoot him once, then teleport him away. He then engages in tethering behaviour and runs back to the spawn point, leaving one's original target in a one on one fight, where the buddy no longer attempts to help. Just don't teleport the target mob, because he'll also run back to the spawn point.

Here's a screenie of a mob I took down with my JT doing this.

[img]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p73/Terrell_072/ScreenShot98.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p73/Terrell_072/ScreenShot99.jpg[/img]

[Tienbau]

first off - 4:3 aspect ratio is good on the eye

Secondly - _whatever_ we do with the AI will be exploitable in some way. Recently I played a bit of Empire:Total War, now these guys have been doing some of the best AI's in the in industry for quite some time, but after a few games the AI becomes exploitable in certain ways. We'll never be on the same level as these guys (yes I know their job with mixed units, terrain and thousands of troops is much, much harder), and yet their AI is still exploitable in some way.

This is just the way it is I guess. There are behavioural changes on the way, which will make things a bit better (certainly looks better anyway ) but I'm sure within hours there will be new tactics that effectively do the same thing. Besides the 'summon' and 'fold' skills always were always intended in some way to separate mobs out for 1 on 1. That's how most of us JE's had to level up in combat anyway.

[Terrell [BT]]

[quote name='Tienbau' timestamp='1330292514' post='54421']
first off - 4:3 aspect ratio is good on the eye

Secondly - _whatever_ we do with the AI will be exploitable in some way. Recently I played a bit of Empire:Total War, now these guys have been doing some of the best AI's in the in industry for quite some time, but after a few games the AI becomes exploitable in certain ways. We'll never be on the same level as these guys (yes I know their job with mixed units, terrain and thousands of troops is much, much harder), and yet their AI is still exploitable in some way.

This is just the way it is I guess. There are behavioural changes on the way, which will make things a bit better (certainly looks better anyway ) but I'm sure within hours there will be new tactics that effectively do the same thing. Besides the 'summon' and 'fold' skills always were always intended in some way to separate mobs out for 1 on 1. That's how most of us JE's had to level up in combat anyway.
[/quote]

I agree about Summon & Fold, I just found that this way was more effective than straight fold kiting, when dealing with those drones, than using the skills the way I used them in Live. Was concerned that using the mob's tethering behaviour against them was an exploit, rather than using the Fold Space skill as designed.

Edit: essentially I'm using the mob's tethering behaviour to make him drop aggro and leave, so I can solo his buddy.

[Tienbau]

well yeah that's the current AI exploit.

With Rome total war there was one that was essentially the same - get archers to creep forward until they're in range, then they start firing; the enemy run forward to deal with them, so I have the archers start running back to my heavy infantry while another line of archers come in range - eventually the enemy run back to their lines having taken quite a few losses.

Rinse and repeat until the enemy AI gets tired of it and charges into the fresh heavy infantry, all tired and thinned out. Guess what happens ...

I'm still testing the new AI stuff based on potentials (which is a very crude form of what CA use for the Total war franchise), you will have to adapt new tactics, but there will be a lot more variance of behaviours which ought to keep things a lot more interesting. Currently the new AI is only in use during the 'drift' behaviour of mobs, but gradually it'll come into play during combat once I've ironed out all the kinks.

I'll set up a demo of it with the scuttlebugs in Saturn so you can all have a play with it. The mobs interact with your ships, so you can 'herd' them if you want.