Thread: Skirmish Soldier overhaul please

This is simply a request or suggestion (throwing idea out there) regarding the current state (mess) of Skirmish Soldiers.

The skirmish soldier AI is absolutely horrible, and I usually spend my time in solo skirmishes irritated and constantly watching to see if the brain-dead idiot is stuck or simply not helping (or has run off somewhere in a random direction).

It would be nice if they had a control bar (like Lore-master pets have), and on this bar were maybe 8 buttons that you can toggle. I don't view this as micro-management... I view it as "set-and-forget" configuration of the soldier.

Here are a few possible suggestions for the command bar buttons (wording is obviously done for clarity of function right now):

Position:
- Front of Me
- Beside/behind Me

Combat:
- Aggressive stance
- Guard Me stance
- Passive stance

Movement:
- Stay Here
- Follow Me
- Summon to Me

Again, if we had these settings on a command bar (like a Lore-master pet), we could configure it once for the most part and leave it.

I would be happy if my Lore-master's Protector had: "Front of Me", and "Aggressive Stance" always enabled, and they actually performed as requested.

I almost never do skirmishes any more because they drive me nuts.

*sigh* I couldn't agree more... I also don't understand why a Skirmish Warrior hacks away at the first adversary in sight only to stand bored next to me after he is done with his enemy and another one is slashing me to bits (ok, I survive, but that's not the point). I think I also noticed this in a healer, at the beginning she is happily casting heals but as the fight proceeds she seldom does more than search her nose for hidden ore...

They should really take care of the skirmish soldiers and their bad behaviour, I expect help from them not a comment from time to time saying "well, we've beaten the #### out of that one, didn't we?".

Just saying....

Good idea. But let add to this. A skermish Soldier Task bar. Basicly it has the same controls as LM.

Engaged at will
Do not attack
Attack my Target
Stay
Follow

Originally Posted by Garonduil

*sigh* I couldn't agree more... I also don't understand why a Skirmish Warrior hacks away at the first adversary in sight only to stand bored next to me after he is done with his enemy and another one is slashing me to bits (ok, I survive, but that's not the point). I think I also noticed this in a healer, at the beginning she is happily casting heals but as the fight proceeds she seldom does more than search her nose for hidden ore...

They should really take care of the skirmish soldiers and their bad behaviour, I expect help from them not a comment from time to time saying "well, we've beaten the #### out of that one, didn't we?".

Just saying....

------------------------------

Hahah, yep... exactly. And, thanks for the way you worded that. It made me laugh.

I'd welcome this as it'd be cool to have a pet I could control. I don't have toons that have this now and it would be fun.

But you live and die by the sword. I read a few threads complaining that this change would make the soldier too complex for people that weren't used to the interface. The "If I wanted to play an LM i'da rolled an LM" comment. Turbine has resisted the temptation to fix the AI to this point. And honestly with most soldiers being herbalists these days(I suspect anyway, I haven't polled everyone on my server) its not that important. Thou telling your herbalist who to heal in what order would rock. Probably be in the area of OP thou.

Overall good suggestion thou.

Turbine stated they would never make soldiers into commandable pets because a significant portion of the customer base does not want to play a pet class. Turbine wants soldiers to be fully autonomous. They difficulty is that the AI running a soldier is pathetic. The only thing that makes me grind about them is that I have some in game friends that play their character the same was as the soldier AI.

Cara (my soldier) would be more enjoyable if she had a cranky personality that vocalized her lack of helpfulness

Cara "I am not going over there. I could get hurt".

Tantalus - Cara??
Cara -Yes.
Tantalus - Are you going to help me?
Cara - You have the situation well under control. I going to watch and learn.
Cara - <grin> - You said I wasn't doing a good job. Now it is watch and learn time
Tantalus - Sigh

Would you be willing to give up 20% of your soldier's health, power, armor, and damage/healing efficacy? Because the more micro-manageable they are, the more useful (ie powerful) they are. Any additional management tools would mean a nerf somewhere else. Their current efficacy is balanced to the fact that they do what they want, you cant manually focus them to their maximum potential.

Also, the "i dont want a pet/i dont want to have to manage another pet" argument is still valid.

The only additional command I'd want to see for Soldiers is the Recall command from cap/LM pets, exactly how it works for them. That way you could recall a soldier, OOC, if they get stuck on the landscape, without a 1m cooldown, and without having to rebuff them.

Originally Posted by xadoor

I'd welcome this as it'd be cool to have a pet I could control. I don't have toons that have this now and it would be fun.

Roll and LM and find out if you still think it's fun after running with a fully controlled pet.

--W. H. Heydt

Old Used Programmer

Originally Posted by whheydt

Roll and LM and find out if you still think it's fun after running with a fully controlled pet.

--W. H. Heydt

Old Used Programmer

I always thought the point of the soldier was to let non-pet using classes have the experience of using a pet. Regardless, as long as you get one I don't think it's too much to ask that they at minimum allow an 'aggressive' vs 'protective' stance.

Originally Posted by Rokendor

I always thought the point of the soldier was to let non-pet using classes have the experience of using a pet. Regardless, as long as you get one I don't think it's too much to ask that they at minimum allow an 'aggressive' vs 'protective' stance.

The point of skirmish soldiers is to provide assistance *without* having to control a pet. You get two--and only two--commands. Summon and attack. Summon works out of combat. Attack has a 1 minute cool down.

--W. H. Heydt

Old Used Programmer

I already have a pet with my cappy and my LM. I do not really wish to control more pets while fighting. Yes the soldiers are not the smartest but that is fine since the idea is these are average joes that have been impressed by our work to save the land and came out to help us.

It might be nice to add a new set of legendary type skills that can be purchased for your soldier. Maybe one slot with options for the personality. More of a focus for how your soldier would act during battle. Such as:

Protective - Is very protective of you and always attacks mobs attacking you first and maybe not a great help to the rest of the fellow / raid.

Leader - Gets out in front of you and charges everything it detects. Very aggressive.

Follower - More or less follows you around and performs support functions.

Unselfish - helps everyone in the fellow raid, maybe even ignoring you when you really need help.

etc

Skirmish soldiers should be left as Turbine have implemented them.

Originally Posted by Maxal

It might be nice to add a new set of legendary type skills that can be purchased for your soldier. Maybe one slot with options for the personality. More of a focus for how your soldier would act during battle. Such as:

Protective - Is very protective of you and always attacks mobs attacking you first and maybe not a great help to the rest of the fellow / raid.

Leader - Gets out in front of you and charges everything it detects. Very aggressive.

Follower - More or less follows you around and performs support functions.

Unselfish - helps everyone in the fellow raid, maybe even ignoring you when you really need help.

etc

I like this idea...

Each different soldier should get an option of a few different personalities.

Warrior would not get follower for instance, only a character that fits in with his role.