No other class but a fighter!
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I've never seen a key drop on Orc Springs in about 4 years of playing Moloch.
So if theres a key i'm guessing its bugged
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Same thing that is up with players being smart enough to target NPC mages.
There are plenty of spells wizards can use to stay alive, but rarely do they use them all.
most of the time I try and use the spells that would keep me alive, I get players yelling at me not to cast those spells and that I should be a support caster not a damage caster. the spells I cast are Area of Effect spells but the fighter's always engage before I cast.
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never seen a key drop in 8 years.
Onimisho.
Make sure you tell them your throwing a fireball or web or stinking cloud that way your not slaughtering your own party,also don't try casting from the back of the group as an offensive caster your going to have to take a few risks go towards the front then hurl your fireball into the group and run behind the fighters.
Failing this you should switch to single target or enemy only targeted spells missile storms flame arrow firebrand etc.that way you can still hurl effective magic while not killing your party.
If you work with the same character for abit they get used to how you fight/cast and are ready for it and the odd misplaced fireball becomes less of an issue. -
@verkosh:
I've never seen a key drop on Orc Springs in about 4 years of playing Moloch.
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"every time I play a rogue and try and help out by making my lock pick and disable trap my best skills, there is a fighter that is triggering the traps and taking the damage as well as bashing in all the locked doors. it feels like the only class arabel ever needs is a fighter."
I played a Scout long ago on this server. What you describe is not new.
When this happened to me i learned to adapt my actions to suit the pace of whatever party i was working with. Some traveled slowly and some rushed ahead in a reckless fashion.
We often used a two scout team to speed the progress of the party. One scout out in front searching and removing traps and the second to support with covering fire in the event the first scout was detected and to relay messages from the lead scout to the main party. The second scout would often collect loot to alow the lead scout to keep advancing. Wilderness areas we would spread out to clear a wider path.
We adapted to suit the situation.
Probably the fastest and most competent rouge ive seen on CoA was Perin Swampleaf, with Dillon Ross a very close second. Yet even with the fastest of scouting methods you cannot always keep pace.
We then went into what we called "Scouting from behind mode". Which was simply following along behind, using wands and kits, collecting loots and flanking things from stealth. Not as glorious but still usefull.
At least untill the front ranks stepped into something really nasty. Then they would suddenly remember you were there and even what your name was.
Be patient and adaptable Oni, scouts are one of the most versatile of classes. You can use stealth at will, you can use wands and flanking sneak attacks rule.
amirlach
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Scouting is really simple. A scout should be way ahead and keep going till they find trouble and only then report back. I have seen many scouts that just make people wait - sweep a room only to tell them its clear and.
People dont like waiting for scouts to "slowpoke" their way ahead especially when duration of enchantments comes into play.Take the initiative and head to the front before someone tells you to and be some steps before the group.
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Most people have missed the point of the OP
Its not that scouts should be in front, but rather that fighters run forward at full sprint, meaning you can't not only sneak, but cant even active search -
most of the time I try and use the spells that would keep me alive, I get players yelling at me not to cast those spells and that I should be a support caster not a damage caster. the spells I cast are Area of Effect spells but the fighter's always engage before I cast.
I feel your pain. Play how you want to play, warn the fighters you are casting spells and do what you feel is best for the situation.
If those fighters are in such a hurry, they can get hit with your negative energy burst or fear spell. You warned them after all.
CoA culture is "Send in the hard hitters first and casters are made to heal and buff." Every quest is done like that, regardless of level.
Either get used to it, or work hard to change the perceptions. :|
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The culture exists because its almost universally the best way to handle most quests. It is possible to play effective characters that dont roll like that, but it requires thinking outside the box, generally results in less profit, and higher risk. But its possible.
There are players that are more talented then me mechanically though, that may be able to give you better advice. But to sum up what I ment to say. People do what works, and is rewarded. Hard hitters moving in supported by casters works. And is rewarded. Very, very, very well in terms of success on quests.
Also, its worth noting that playing support, and playing offensive caster are not mutually exclusive. The most effective mages manage to mix a bit off buffing, counterspelling, tossing in some offensive spells at key moments, and making generous use of wands, and other consumables to support party.
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About the AI and how it treat mages.
Case: Recently after finishing a quest and the party disbanded, our fighter ran ahead to reach city for some ic reasons, few seconds later he ran back nearly dead warning us of a halforc bandit more than warning he wanted help. The other joined to help him, Myself being a wizard was many many feet away and not doing anything. Even after getting engaged by others, the halforc bandit left others and just charged for me nearly leaving me dead.
Question: How does the Bandit know I am a wizard ? Is it the way I dress or is it that I reek of magic, should I just change my appearance and start wearing full plate ? Unless the character is casting, I do not think there is any reason for the AI to target a Wizard unless you have the script “Target high priority when class = wizard, irrespective of any casting”
No I don’t need a lesson on surviving or a certain approved way of playing, I am doing just fine, but how the AI treats Wizard is plain screwed.
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You aren't wearing fifty pounds of metal for clothes. That's a pretty good tip that you're squishy.
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Yes, so it does make sense that you are being attacked with drawn weapons by three more or more but still you will run many feet to kill that plain clothed man who is doing nothing but witnessing it ?
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The AI is flawed and at the same time isn't. The AI now plays smarter, harder, but I think a little too much personally. There's no such thing as "tanking" anymore when the enemies purposely provoke AoO from you and go after the squishies. And yes, they do this ALL the time, so don't anyone try to tell me that they don't. They will chase the squishy down until he is dead, or you kill the chaser.
This is, the new AI makes it, I guess…"more challenging"? But it completely destroys the roles of such things like fighters, tanks, etc. This isn't d&d 4.0 where the tanks have abilities to stop enemy movements in their tracks, so there is almost absolutely nothing in this game where you can actually protect a squishy, and it's annoying that the entire battle stops as 4 PC's are chasing one goblin around, not getting AoO because of how the chasing system works.
Goblins, Orcs, etc, they're all too stupid to prioritize like that and should just attack the nearest thing. A freaking ooze should not be bypassing the fighters and going after the casters, they can't think!
When you're in this game, the characters should treat it like real life, not a freaking LoL game where you always target the squishiest character. You freaking target the person who's trying to kill you with a huge-ass sword! If you can't, you run away, not provoke free attacks on you and go after the mage.
Ever see an instance where 2 armies are fighting, then one decides to break off melee and go straight for the archers? I haven't. The AI, and player characters should fight with survival instincts, as if they were on hardcore mode, not "Oh, I'm gunna die anyways, best if I go after the squishy! :D"
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to stop a monster targeting your squishy you can taunt it, knock it down, tanglefoot bag it or call shot its arms to make its attacks ineffectual.
as a squishy mage you can iron horn it on its ass. blind it. hold monster it. grease it. web it. charm it. enfeeble it. fear it. ghoul touch it. You can buff yourself to the point where you can handle it or maybe use your emergency polymorph self scroll and smash it to bits.
a squishy rogue can use a combination of the above with his umd, parry the monster until help arives or use his high tumble to run and run and never get hit.
the ai has changed, change your playing styles and use what's available to you to continue to crush quests.
pro tips and spoilers brought to you by stunt
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I have to agree with Swifty here seeing as it is verry unrealistic and if this is how you want to keep the AI then it might as well be a straight grind with no Role Play at all.
I am just asking for a DM to change the AI, and that would make it better to play casters and rogues. some of you said that if I can't do anything in the party then I should just sit back? well I can't if the AI is always like "fuck the fighters, go for the squshie" and the AI does that. I have been in a fight where I havn't done a dam thing Like I didn't even fire an arrow and the monsters started going for me when we had fighters in the front.
as for what you just said Cunning Stunt, ok so I should fuck Role Play and just play arabel as a grind? cause I can do what you ask and be that exact spells and fighters can do all that but in the end it would all be out of game and it would be for the sake of the fight not the role play expereience.
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Let me hit you with some facts.
1. Unless you are playing a "squishy" thats behaving like an idiot, your not going to get targetted and killed by spawns on a regular basis. You are however going to have to live with the reality that as a squishy, you are going to occationally be singled out. Much like every group of adventurers goes after mages first. Sneak attacking enemy rogues are also very often high on list of targets to get hit.
2. Its not hard to play, and level a "squishy" if you accept the fact that you need to pay attention to whats going on. Intelligent "squishies" squash quests with ease.
3. Roleplay, and mechanical competance are not mutually exclusive. There is nothing about playing a decent build, in an inteligent way that rules out roleplaying.
4. Being passive agressive does nothing to help your argument.
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You missed my point. With different tactics the AI is just as manageable as it used to be. Players do not need to hammer through quests at breakneck speeds, and I'd even say that most do not.
I am currently playing a front lining Rogue with a quarterstaff and am not experiencing any of this squishy targeting. I flank just fine, and take over the line if needed with a few choice potions. I'm only doomed if I get a few unlucky crits. I do not often take on the role of scout, but if I do I usually range in front of the party to the point where I do not even see them, I disable traps, I set my own at choke points and then I roll back towards the main party and resume my flanking/sneak attacking role. With a stick.
Not sure how giving you a dozen varied methods of thriving with the new AI turns quests into a grind?
Its not "out of game" for a monster to target the creature that can do it the most harm, its what players do on every quest.
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I feel like all of you miss what I am saying here so I am not going to try any more because you miss what I am saying.
I just want to point out that it is not the right kind of AI. I know I am not the only one that gets mad at it and would like it changed.
nothing you can say will change that thought, and I just want you to look at the AI from my point of view for a moment and tell me that it doesn't feal wrong to you?
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I am not asking survival techniques here, infact I have managed my mage without even one death to lvl 7 even going with a party into the south filled with rift creatures thrice even without any spell to buff me. So the question is not about surviving, if you are careful, you can live the day.
What irks me though is case where you find a warrior fighting some monster and you are standing many feet away just watching it, the monster leaves the fight and charges at the poor bystander mage, which I feel is ridiculous. Switching your target without any reason does not make sense
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Err, PCs do it all the time. Kill the mage NPC, charge. Frankly I have played both ends of the new AI. I played a heavily armored character and I am now playing as a somewhat squishy character. The AI seems fine to myself. It is providing a challenge true and I realize some people might not like it. If I could make a recommendation. Carry invisibility potions and use them in those situations. They arent that horrible expensive and are a real life saviors.