[DEVELOPERS] Is there an attempt to reduce, or get rid of the RANGING CATTLE type mob

[Visions]

I've played Everquest I, Dark Age of Camelot, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Everquest II, and finally Aion. I've Beta tested Dark Age of Camelot, Everquest II expansions, and Fallen Earth.

The ONE thing that has grown quite boring, and monotonous are the numerous mobs that just stand around, all over the place, basically like grazing cattle. They really provide little substance, and litter the terrain. The only purpose they generally serve is to provide the player with a boring option to grind, grind, grind to gain their levels.

Quite honestly it would be a breather to finally get a game that lessens the grazing, creating camps of monsters, or opposing factions. Another option is to create random spawning areas, which trigger through out the world like; "ambushes" or "assaults, which are announced via criers (The enemies are coming [from], towards [location]!"

I love your ideas on World Events, and wan't to know how far you plan on taking these events, and how often will the occur? Can the developement team shed some light, and grant us their sages wisdom?

[Fozzik]

I loved the neat little AI that Ryzom added to their mobs...they moved in herds, would interact with each other as predator / prey, sometimes would migrate, and would even eat and sleep when the time was right. If nothing else, it definitely added to the feeling of a cohesive and living world.

[Alrrok]

I kinda agree with you however, this is a touchy subject mainly cause if they don't set up enough stuff to kill and such then you get people saying that the lands are barran. My idea would be ok litter the place but, have them 1) walk around as if on patrol or 2) dont aggro everything that passes by (this is just annoying! --- sometimes)

[Cutter]

I have to disagree OP. Running around through lifeless woods/plains/etc. is terrible. It makes everything feel stagnant and unchanging. You need scattered wildlife if for no other reason to add ambiance.

[Reiter]

I had a concern somewhat similar to this.. I think immersion is somewhat ruined by actually seeing these mobs spawn.
I would like it if mobs only spawned somewhat out of sight, or at least didn't just fade into being from air.

[Visions]

I have to disagree OP. Running around through lifeless woods/plains/etc. is terrible. It makes everything feel stagnant and unchanging. You need scattered wildlife if for no other reason to add ambiance.

That is the beauty of it, it wouldn't be lifeless. Imagine having a quest to hunt a deer, and you're in the process of attacking a deer and out of no where, a lion jumps you, that you didn't see. [In game sense the lion spawns behind you, out of clipping range, when you reach a point going towards where the deer graze, and roams towards you, ready to agro when it finds you.]

I had a concern somewhat similar to this.. I think immersion is somewhat ruined by actually seeing these mobs spawn.
I would like it if mobs only spawned somewhat out of sight, or at least didn't just fade into being from air.

I agree. Spawns can happen out of clipping range, and so forth.

[Angelor]

The player should have the option to grind grind grind AND/OR do quest/event bases progression. Vanguard had a good model for this, you can quest your way up the ranks or sit and grind and get exp the traditional way. The game should have both options. Running through "zones" that have no roaming NPC's would be terrible as it would not add any additional AI or options to a zone except a run through or fly over zone. Roaming spiders, bears, beasts, rabbits, rabid dogs, etc..etc..etc.. make it so :-) It's fun running through a KOS zone and training stuff, its exciting :-)

[Europe]

I believe there will be a greater emphasis on melee-based cattle mobs.

[Shepherd]

Are you talking about the AI of enemy mobs? How in most games, your standard mob be it an orc, troll, or other monster just stands around grazing like cattle and really does nothing else? Or are you talking about actual cow mobs, like animal wildlife?

[lolababehs]

I had a concern somewhat similar to this.. I think immersion is somewhat ruined by actually seeing these mobs spawn.
I would like it if mobs only spawned somewhat out of sight, or at least didn't just fade into being from air.

Out of clipping range (as said above) or have camps and burrows for ground animals, fly from the sky for birds etc.

[Visions]

Are you talking about the AI of enemy mobs? How in most games, your standard mob be it an orc, troll, or other monster just stands around grazing like cattle and really does nothing else?

Yes. The enormous amount of creatures that appear to have been thrown out onto the terrain like a handful of pebbles.

[Visions]

Out of clipping range (as said above) or have camps and burrows for ground animals, fly from the sky for birds etc.

Exactly, this would be a great start. Triggered events would be awesome. For example, you near a camp you don't see yet, and a scout comes out of stealth, running away from you. If you linger too long, or continue forward eventually a group of his buddies roam into your area, and agro you if you do not leave. Of course you could always root/snare him, killing him before he gets away allowing you to find the camp on your own, unhindered.

[Haasth]

That would be a lot better yes, anyway to battle grinding is mostly good. Those lifeless groups of enemies that seem to just wait there until some random hero comes along and bashes their skulls in is just silly, breaks immersion and is frankly boring.
Sadly most MMORPGs use that system and I can see why - it is probably the easiest way to program them after all. I was quite happy the first time I played Tabula Rasa and found that enemies seemed to at least... be there for a reason. Sometimes they would even assault bases and such, though there were definitely 'cattle mobs' going on too.

[Shepherd]

I imagine any significant level of mob AI would dramatically increase server CPU cycles. Imagine all the extra work the server CPUs have to perform on world-wide advanced AI mobs. Not saying it can't be done of course it can, it would require smart programming and good hardware.

[irongamer]

I loved the neat little AI that Ryzom added to their mobs...they moved in herds, would interact with each other as predator / prey, sometimes would migrate, and would even eat and sleep when the time was right. If nothing else, it definitely added to the feeling of a cohesive and living world.

That sounds great. I would like to see more systems like this in these types of games.