LE Solving Dragon ADHD by making them SCARE things

[chocolatenoodle]

This is a mod request/brainstorm. I might even be able to construct it myself, with help, though I'm inexperienced with creating. I would rather contribute with ideas and critique/testing.

 

We all hate Dragon ADHD, when your epic battle has to go on pause for five minutes while the Dragon needs to pick a fight with some bears a mile away. With mods that add more outdoor targets, such as Immersive Creatures, this can get pretty annoying. DCO does help some (and is amazing on its own) but doesn't solve the fundamental problem that every hostile unit can distract your dragon (even the mudcrabs).

 

I believe there needs to be a mod that alters the interaction between dragons and most creatures. Creatures should usually flee from dragons, and mid-combat dragons should usually ignore fleeing targets. Guards and other brave things should be less likely to flee.This would alleviate the problem and improve immersion! Dragons should be F***CKING SCARY and things should run FROM them, not towards.

 

Run for your Lives does something similar in cities, but depending on how it's written the same method might be too tedious for exteriors (and may not affect creatures added by mods).

 

If there's not a way to modify global AI to avoid editing every creature in the game, maybe one could add an animation-less spell to every dragon that has a chance to make something flee? You'd only have to write for dragons and things that should be willing to fight dragons. Most Forsworn, for example, should probably go hide. And damn wolves. What kind of a stupid, rabies-infested wolf wants to fight a dragon??

 

My (inexperienced) thoughts are that a spell might be a great starting place. Imagine a spell with no animations and max projectile speed. The dragon would have to turn towards the target, which has already drawn its weapon and started towards him. The dragon sets his sights right on that Bandit Outlaw. What do you think is the most realistic response from a dirt-poor Redguard in leather armor? He should flee and attempt to exit combat. Such an invisible spell would, in action, produce a very realistic interaction. Things might still consider attacking it, sure, but chances are he's going to run for dear sweet life as soon as he realizes A DRAGON IS GOING TO MURDER HIM.

 

To make it most compatible with mods that add creatures, the default chance to cause fleeing should be something like 90%. Then the spell can include a list of "brave" targets or creature types and characteristics with a lower chance to flee (and higher chances depending on the level of the Dragon). Dragons should then be likely to ignore fleeing targets, BUT to solve the potential issue of a dragon chasing high-hp targets forever, dragons should gain a massive damage buff against fleeing targets (which would look so awesome, dragons chasing down and murdering things as they run in terror). Isn't that what we all want to see :devil:

 

This could produce some interesting results that only serve to further improve immersion. Let's say a group of Forsworn decide life is more important than dragonslaying, so they flee the scene and later come across an Imperial patrol. Dragon fights could result in a host of small side effects that add a new level of realism.

 

 

I really, really want this mod to exist, but I'm just not experienced enough to make it on my own and guarantee its compatibility and function. It would be best if a more skilled modder could take authorship, and my role would be just creative input.

 

btw I made a sister post on Reddit: http://www.reddit.com/r/skyrimmods/comments/28k7ns/solving_dragon_adhd_by_making_them_scare_things/

 

TL;DR: Most creatures and NPCs flee from dragons, dragons either ignore or quickly kill fleeing things, result: more consistent and realistic dragon battles

Edited June 20, 2014 by chocolatenoodle