Rescue Ai

[Firetempest]

Who has ever liked a escort mission in any game when you are at the mercy of the AI.

Just get rid of AI for the prisoner following you. Just make it mirror every step behind the one who unlocks the door. And Make it detatch from a player if it gets staggered in an attack or if you perform wall manuvers. Basicly a (hold X to hold prisoners hand). When detatched, he or she can just sit there and cower because thats how useful they will ever be: A data card pick-up.

 

Slows the pacing of the game by moving too slowly and getting tied up in objects like boxes.

Frustration from the AI being unable to intelligently defend themselves (being never) or move intelligently.

Pigeonholes what environments can be used.

In the great history of games, when was escorting AI ever looked forward too as a game mission?

There are no good escort missions. If it was done well at all, like RE4, ICO... thats all I can think of really. You have some direct control over this useless mound of flesh.

Edited April 17, 2013 by Firetempest

[LoRDxDeMoN]

I love escort missions, even with crummy AI. Why, do you ask?

 

I'll tell you why:

 

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/78260818/Hostage.png

 

That's why.

Edited April 17, 2013 by LoRDxDeMoN

[Firetempest]

Also that gun? Must only have one round chambered. They save it for themselves on infection levels.

Edited April 17, 2013 by Firetempest

[LoRDxDeMoN]

Also that gun? Must only have one round chambered. They save it for themselves on infection levels.

 

Aw, that's depressing.

[Shaftronics]

To be honest, the prisoner AI in this game is pretty good, considering it does take cover and all.

[Oz270]

Ai seems bit slow but not great on pathing, specially when it comes to elevators, where your whole team plays musical chairs to try get the prisoner in the elevator not out there with the infested horde.

Semi off topic idea:

How about the player has to sacrifice a weapon to give to the prisoner? Like a choice pops up to either give them your long gun vs pistol. (always wanted to give the prisoner my gorgon)

I always wondered how the heck do they get a gun if they were in a cell block.

[Engelheim]

AI should be able to be revived like players. This would add much more gameplay value for rescue missions.

[Firetempest]

I've never witnessed it take cover other than squating in bad locations. It half follows where you have been, if it actually stays behind cover it was lovely happenstance. While I would be taking cover, 9 out of 10 it will be standing in the middle of the hallway. Its also fantasic when it gets caught in objects (not just stairs). Or when the AI completely breaks and just sits there unresponsive http://i.imgur.com/yzRnMoH.jpg

I think relying on AI though the length of the map is not worth the effort to someday get it marginally right. If it can mirror sprint, basic jump, and activations like ziplines in step of a player the devs dont have to worry as much about confining it to the gentle downward slope map tile sets like the spaceship to get the AI home.

[ReiganCross]

I love escort missions, even with crummy AI. Why, do you ask?

 

I'll tell you why:

 

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/78260818/Hostage.png

 

That's why.

 

That's a very good reason to enjoy escort missions, my friend. I hope DE takes that sexyness in a new level on designing warframes =P. After all, i do think she's a Tenno.

[SFkenny]

Ugh. Escort missions are such a pain in the butt. These hostages love to run into the bottoms of stairs, get stuck in walls, and can't defend themselves for S#&$. About the only thing I can utter in a positive context about them is that they are pretty hard to kill, at least for escort mission NPCs. Personally I would cut the whole mode from the game because of how much I hate escort missions, but if the AI is better about moving around the environment, or even adding some of the wallrun library to let the hostages follow players better, then I could tolerate it. Once in a while. At least more often than defense missions, which are the bane of my existence and totally impossible to survive.

[Runzu]

I think it's good idea, especially if they don't improve the AI for the prisoner. Nothing's worse than getting overwhelmed by enemies and the prisoner is taking cover underneath the feet of the mobs attacking you both. Or derping around in circles. I don't really care what they look like since I have little time to usually get a good look at them. I think being able to give them a gun or ammo or something would go a long way in making the missions better. I mean, if I were escorting someone off an enemy ship, I'd give them a weapon probably just in case they needed to use it.

[TgSid2001]

This may sound dumb, but I didn't actually realize that the prisoner/rescued person could die. LOL

 

I've played several levels where I just ditched them and they materialize right on top of me later. I've actually only ever had one instance where they got stuck a few rooms back. 

 

My main complaint with them is their tendency to step in front of you - blocking your attacks and your ability to interact with objects in the environments (doors, lockers, alarm panels, etc). 

 

Since it's clear that I have no idea how the escort NPC *actually* works, I'll just speak to what I think it ought to be. I would honestly like to see them be insubstantial, unkillable and travel either on your person, or be able to spawn next to you as you progress through a level (similar to the capture missions). The trade off would be you'd face either harder enemies, or swarms of weaker ones, since the only real way to fail the escort mission is to TPK. 

[Yikitama]

They definitely need some better Ai, but i'd love to see a feature where they actually fend for themself, but with limited ammo that you must resupply every once in a while.

[PapaKicks]

Merhaps you guys are over thinking it?

 

When I do rescue missions I kill everything in sight, and just keep sprinting towards the goal. The only time I've ever had him die was when someone ran waaay ahead without killing.

 

But if you always kill everything on enemy radar, you can leave him behind over and over and he'll nearly always be fine. I never wait for him on elevators etc.

 

Just be sure to kill everything. ;)

[Carcharias]

I don't know why we cant transport the hostage the same way we transport the captured corpus crewman with vital intelligence. That's pretty convenient.

[PapaKicks]

I don't know why we cant transport the hostage the same way we transport the captured corpus crewman with vital intelligence. That's pretty convenient.

 

I thought of that, my only answer is it sounds pretty painful the way the corpus crewman screams as you do it.