Changing Hostage Npcs To Sentinels/ Enemy Variety Thoughts

[CitizenFresh]

Well, I can not count how many times I have had AI hostages stand in fire until they die, get hung up and refuse to follow only to be later cut down by respawning baddies, and myriad other AI/pathing issues.  Its just a plain bad design currently. 

 

DE made sentinels they way they are for these exact reasons.  I propose changing the hostages to a similar character/ AI style for the same reasons.  I am all for a good challenge, but excercises in futility and patience are the wrong way about it in game meant for fun.

 

 

Here is something else that has been on my mind.  As Tenno we get to use a variety of elements to effect enemies in different ways.  Enemies get a few very specific cases of different attack methods (a few toxic baddies, Fusion Moa setting you on fire). 

 

I am not gonna complain too much about the enemy designs like the grineer rollers and runners stunning you from very far away because you shot them while retreating.  But I will say this, instead of enemies relying so much on stuns/knockdowns, why not go with more variety along the lines of what the Tenno can do.  I love Shockwave MOAs because there is a good counter mechanic to their knockdown and a mod now.  Where is that for toxic and other elements that the enemies could be hitting us with?

 

Why isn't there a grineer enemy to fill the roller's role that has freezing attacks to slow you down instead of outright stunning you.  It could be an area of effect on the ground from a cryo grenade that you have to walk into/can walk out off instead of just being slowed for a simple duration like enemies currently are. 

 

Why aren't there infested types doing the same, it still allows player movement, albeit slowed, but doesn't simply remove control from the player. 

 

Why aren't there dangerous enemies, like heavies, that have puncture/AP to hit your health and shields at the same time? 

 

I want to be chased down by a flameblade and actually be set on fire for DOT. 

 

Electricity damage from some enemies could do DOT to your energy and/or shields (not allowing regen for the duration of electricity, but no stun to it).

 

This opens up the possibilty for new Warframe mods that reduces duration of said elemental effects (specific higher reduction ones, and/or a general use less effective elemental effect reduction mod), toxic damage, etc...  Steel Fiber would be useful (sorta, frames might require armor/health tweaks if more enemies could bypass shields somehow), if enemies could do some more slight shield bypassing instead of straight up health munching like toxics.

 

Just brainstorming here.  I love me some enemy variety.

 

TLDR:

- Change hostages to be rescued into sentinels so they don't die for odd reasons. 

- Make enemies do interesting elemental attacks instead of just doing regular damage, toxic damage, or stunning the Lotus out of you.

- Add Warframe mods to counteract said elemental attacks (specific anti-element mods, and/or an anti-all elements mod).

[Kripnex]

No thanks, there is no point to risk your life for a stupid sentinel, toxic damage is even worse than replacing all grineer with rollerballs, and I despise useless mods.

[CitizenFresh]

There is also no point in risking your life for a humanoid AI hostage that is already stupid and can't properly follow you.  Would toxic damage be so bad with a mod that usefully countered it as well as the other elemental attack variety I suggested?

[SynthReBorn]

I'm in agreement with the hostages being quite stupid for an A.I. character.  I think if DE made it so that the hostages reacted similar to the defensive sentinel, at the very least giving them something similar to the revenge mod(only attacking in response to actually being hit).  This in turn would also give the gun that they're wielding some use outside of just being cosmetic.

[Churpy]

I have never had THOSE problems with the hostage AI (getting stuck and being derpy with pathfinding). It's pretty derpy and takes some time to follow you sure, but if you focus on the objective of defending it and pay attention to where enemies are and what they are doing, you will always be fine, or at least I have been.

Not saying I haven't failed hostage missions TERRIBLY though. I do have a few other problems..usually the hostage autofollows the furthest team-mate, so the hostage just runs through all the enemies and draws a ton of fire if you have a stupid kid rushing past all the enemies. THAT is annoying. Fixable? Maybe not, but still annoying.

[CitizenFresh]

My desire to post this idea was due to high level hostage rescue alert missions on Pluto or the like that resulted in two hostages, one (or both) of which would die in the fire from the exploding ship level mutator. 

 

I could care less about their viability in combat as that is the player's job.  It is the pathfinding that I take issue with.  I suggest the Sentinel idea as a stop gap measure since they can stick to the player like glue.  I am not suggesting any further skills or abilities to make them better combatants.