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Please, please improve companion AI


Putok

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I do most of my leveling as a duo with a good friend of mine, and we do everything, including flashpoints and 4 man heroics.

 

I cannot even begin to tell you how frustrating it is to set up CC, pull, and have a companion immediately pick an elite that will two shot them that ISN'T your target. Companions need to follow the first rule of grouping 101: ASSIST THE TANK. Having them break CC is frustrating, but they usually aren't TERRIBLE with it if you turn off their AE abilities, though sometimes they'll go and randomly stand next to a CC target, waiting to attack it, when other targets are still up and functional.

 

My request: When combat begins, your companion will default to attacking either your target, or your target's target if your target is friendly. If you tell your companion to attack a target, it should continue attacking it until it is dead or CCed.

 

Companion responsiveness also needs some major improvement. There's often a significant delay between you telling them to do something, and them actually doing it. If I tell my companion to attack something, it should do so instantly, not three seconds later.

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I haven't had a problem with CC and my companion. I put Sleep Dart (Operative) on a target and my companion IMMEDIATELY changes to another target. The companion won't even attack regardless of just sitting there idle till I break CC or instruct them to attack.

 

Target selection is a much bigger issue. It's rare for them to break CC.

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Target selection is a much bigger issue. It's rare for them to break CC.

 

I'll give you that, it's kind of annoying when you tell your companion to attack one enemy and then a few seconds later they randomly go off to attack another.

 

A minor annoyance though that can easily be lived with.

Edited by pursang
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I felt compelled to reply to this thread simply because I do not agree. I think companion AI is fantastic.

 

I use a Jedi sage (healer) questing and doing group missions as a duo with a buddy also. My follower, Qyzen Fess, is a GREAT tank.

 

If get agro, he'll turn and taunt that mob off me in an instant. If his taunt is on cooldown, he'll jump in with other abilities until I no longer have agro. (There are players that can't handle this!)

 

I'll agree some pulls can be tricky. But the only time I have trouble is when I forget to turn his AoE abilities off when we're forced to fight mobs in close proximity to each other, near a CC'd target. This is MY fault though.

 

When the last mob is down and only the CC'd target remains, he will not attack it until I break the CC, or tell him to attack it manually. He will however, use his taunt on it, which doesn't break CC. He will just stand there, stoic and ready to lay the smack down. :cool:

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I felt compelled to reply to this thread simply because I do not agree. I think companion AI is fantastic.

 

I use a Jedi sage (healer) questing and doing group missions as a duo with a buddy also. My follower, Qyzen Fess, is a GREAT tank.

 

If get agro, he'll turn and taunt that mob off me in an instant. If his taunt is on cooldown, he'll jump in with other abilities until I no longer have agro. (There are players that can't handle this!)

 

I'll agree some pulls can be tricky. But the only time I have trouble is when I forget to turn his AoE abilities off when we're forced to fight mobs in close proximity to each other, near a CC'd target. This is MY fault though.

 

When the last mob is down and only the CC'd target remains, he will not attack it until I break the CC, or tell him to attack it manually. He will however, use his taunt on it, which doesn't break CC. He will just stand there, stoic and ready to lay the smack down. :cool:

 

Fantastic? You must be joking. I just tried the Ancient Probe on Hoth at level 49 as a Merc. I'm Arsenal spec so I use Mako mostly. However, Mako's AI is so terrible that when the Ancient Probe does his aerial strike, she just stands in a red circle of death trying to outheal the damage while I get down to 50% before she starts healing me again. This is poor AI. The AI should be smart enough to know "hey I'm standing in a red circle of death, maybe I should MOVE OUT OF IT".

 

The AI needs many improvements for companions IMO.

 

-Darth Creech

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I'm quite happy with companions except for two things:

 

1. Pathfinding

The way they get stuck sometimes is rather ridiculous.

 

2. Turning off abilities

It's rather annoying to turn off Khem Vals AoE everytime I want to attack some one manually...

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I felt compelled to reply to this thread simply because I do not agree. I think companion AI is fantastic.

 

I use a Jedi sage (healer) questing and doing group missions as a duo with a buddy also. My follower, Qyzen Fess, is a GREAT tank.

 

If get agro, he'll turn and taunt that mob off me in an instant. If his taunt is on cooldown, he'll jump in with other abilities until I no longer have agro. (There are players that can't handle this!)

 

I'll agree some pulls can be tricky. But the only time I have trouble is when I forget to turn his AoE abilities off when we're forced to fight mobs in close proximity to each other, near a CC'd target. This is MY fault though.

 

When the last mob is down and only the CC'd target remains, he will not attack it until I break the CC, or tell him to attack it manually. He will however, use his taunt on it, which doesn't break CC. He will just stand there, stoic and ready to lay the smack down. :cool:

 

You think it's fantastic because Qyzen is a Tank, nothing wrong there.

I can understand where you're coming from.

Let me explain further on the companion AI issue.

I play Marauder and Guardian so here goes..

 

In simple terms, Kira/Jaesa are my favourite companions they are basically

DPS Light armor characters.

 

When I get the ball rolling, they enjoy hitting 1 mob, then jumping to another,

basically trying to act like a GODDAMNED tank, when they are wearing light

and have BARELY any survivalbility. Sometimes they bug and hit CC, sometimes

they attack ANOTHER mob patrolling by. (Rare cases but that happens.)

 

In simple terms, they act like a tank, can't survive the damage. <--- I'm annoyed most by this.

 

As for Qyzen I tried that too and of course it works fantastically,

he was built to be a tank, he can take hits and wears heavy too.

Occasional CC breaking still happens but livable.

 

No do not tell me to use another companion because Bioware can't get

the AI fixed.

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Companion AIs are easy to figure out and once you do, they're easy to control. You'll need to keybind the attack and passive order at the very least but I have some other binds.

Need to do a large pull... passive the comp, pull what you need then tell the comp to attack your target. Had to CC in a tight area? Disable AoE on comp till you're ready.

They gave you full control over the comp... I suggest you learn how to use it.

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I honestly don't mind the AI for companions in most regards, except one instance mentioned a bit earleir in the topic. That being I would just love if the AI would move the companion out of the big glowie damage areas.

I know I can manually turn them to passive and they may make a leisurly stroll back to me (run dang it!) or they may not, then after the attack expires, send them back - but would be hecka' easier if they would move the 3 feet on their own. :)

 

Edit: On the note I made of companions (especially troublesome for your melee type comps) strolling back leisurly after combat - anyone else been stuck fighting that wandering patrol you were hoping to avoid/rest up to fight because it aggros your comp while they walk back, when there would have been no issue if they had oh, run like they usually do? :cool:

Edited by Speedwash
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