New idea for a mod!

[Ferryt]

The odd thing is that you see just such behavior from the AI in other games like Half Life/HL2 and even Borderlands. OK, we've already established that Oblivion is a terribly dumbed-down game, but, it shouldn't have been that difficult to make the AI scatter its forces rather than converging on one point. That's why companions and other NPCs get between the PC and the PC's target at inopportune times. Generally, you lead these people into battle, so they're behind you. As a result, they crowd you as they rush past to attack and they almost always seem to try to attack the target frontally.

 

For awhile I started to just attack from the flank or even the rear. The rear was the worst of the options because the target would frequently dodge out of the way of an attack by one of my allies and guess who is now the new target? Yep. The companion/ally. Flanking isn't a whole lot better because the AI will sometimes make the target retreat a few steps, or it gets knocked back, usually just as I'm about to unleash my attack. The result? You guessed it, again. My companion/ally steps up to follow and I wind up hitting him, instead. It almost seems like Bethesda has choreographed this situation into the game engine, just to make the players keep killing the people they need to be keeping alive.

 

Ostensibly, the PC is in charge in situations like this. The NPCs need to take their cues from the PC. If the PC is in sneak mode, then the NPCs shouldn't be running out to engage the enemy until their cover is blown. That would seem to be something that could be easily incorporated into the AI. To be fair, Bethesda never intended Oblivion to have to deal with "companions", but even in those situations where NPC allies are forced upon us by a quest, they almost never act in a way that is in the PCs (or their) best interests. After playing in HL2 and Borderlands, which actually have very good combat AIs (at least most of the time) the Oblivion combat AI seems almost non-existent. It goes like this:

 

1. See target
   
2. Rush target
   
3. Pound on target
   
4. Jump in front of PC's attacks
   
5. Die

I think we deserve better. Anyone up to at least implementing what ziitch suggested?

[ziitch]

Well, that's where my understanding of AI packages begin and end - I know enough where you can set up daily, weekly, and monthly routines for NPCs, but not enough to specify what packages to use through scripts.

[documn]

Hmmm, ok. I'll see if I can cook up a quick flanking mod tonight after work.

[The_Vyper]

I don't have a problem with mod added companions jumping in front of me. Of course, that's because they're archers who are too busy shooting me in the back. :wacko:

[documn]

Well I gave it a shot. You can try it here: http://tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=35131