NPC Movement?

LookToWindward

Hi,

I'm a bit confused over a how party moves over a large distance. For instance if I am at the top edge of a map and click somewhere at the bottom of the map, if there are obstacles in the way, some of the characters seem to wander off and either never arrive (because they get trapped in the map and can't seem to figure out how to get out if it) or arrive ages after the other party members? Does this depend on if the AI is on or off? Or it is affected by an NPCs intelligence or something? Or is it just a quirk of the game?

If I click again on the destination again shortly after the party has started moving, the NPCs that were going off track, seems to find their way again?

Thanks a lot
Dave

Musigny

Let's say the path finding mechanism is suboptimal.
Setting 'Game Options', 'Enhanced Path Finding', '1', in the baldur.ini file seems to force the engine to reevaluate the path more often. Your group moves more consistently.

Metalloman

LookToWindward said:

[...] Or it is affected by an NPCs intelligence or something? [...]

I admit that I've laughed a lot after this one, but not because of you, just because I would really like to have a mod that sets AI pathfinding based upon INT scores of CHARNAME and NPCs.
Imagine a party where everyone has to wait the half-orc dumb barbarian (or similar stereotype) because he keeps losing himself in woods or cities. XD

"Me no like mazes. >:c "

LookToWindward

Thanks a lot, I will give this a try and see if it helps.

LookToWindward

I set the option but it doesn't seem to make much difference.

From testing it, I don't think it's actually the path finding itself that's at fault. If you ask any one character to move it works find e.g. it finds the best path. It's when you select a number of characters and have them move together that it goes wrong.

I think that depending of what formation you have you selected, when you ask for the group to move, the lead character plots it path and starts to move, then then is a slight delay and the others start to move, early on in the movement, if one of the other character blocks their path, the immediately use an alternative route, whereas if they just waited a while, and then tried again with the original path it would work.

Then can be seen by moving one character at a time with a slight interval in between. I think there needs to be a test added, if the path blocked by a non-enemy, and the non-enemy is moving then, wait for a while and then try again, with a timeout of (say) 2 seconds.

IMO, in this situation it would be MUCH better for the character to say "my way is blocked" before wandering off into a trap or whatever!

This seriously lets the game down IMO because movement is SO fundamental and if you can't reply on NPCs or even the protagonist moving a few feet without them throwing their hands in the air and wandering half way around the dungeon oblivious to all around it, then what's the point.

The problem is really pronounced in dungeons where it's cramped! It makes things so much more stressful!

Just my moan for the day!

Cheers
Dave

SCARY_WIZARD

Metalloman said:

LookToWindward said:

[...] Or it is affected by an NPCs intelligence or something? [...]

I admit that I've laughed a lot after this one, but not because of you, just because I would really like to have a mod that sets AI pathfinding based upon INT scores of CHARNAME and NPCs.
Imagine a party where everyone has to wait the half-orc dumb barbarian (or similar stereotype) because he keeps losing himself in woods or cities. XD

"Me no like mazes. >:c "

But that would imply that Quayle is functional.
YESLICK STOP BUMPING INTO WALLS