Guide to using Advanced Tactics?

[balthazar9086]

Hi guys,

 

I just downloaded the Advanced Tactics mod and I have a basic idea of what to do with it. However, I'm wondering if there's a guide out there that teaches me how to set the tactics in order to get my party to do what I want them to do. For example, right now I'd like my rogue to rely mostly on her bow, but to switch to her daggers if the enemy gets to close. To do this, I've set the first tactic as "enemy --> medium to long range --> switch to bow", and then the second tactic as "enemy --> any --> attack", and then , "enemy --> short range --> switch to melee weapon", and then finally again, "enemy --> any --> attack".

 

I'm not sure what I've set up here is correct or maybe there is a better way of doing this.

 

Any help would be appreciated!

 

Thanks!

[JMarso]

Hi guys,

 

I just downloaded the Advanced Tactics mod and I have a basic idea of what to do with it. However, I'm wondering if there's a guide out there that teaches me how to set the tactics in order to get my party to do what I want them to do. For example, right now I'd like my rogue to rely mostly on her bow, but to switch to her daggers if the enemy gets to close. To do this, I've set the first tactic as "enemy --> medium to long range --> switch to bow", and then the second tactic as "enemy --> any --> attack", and then , "enemy --> short range --> switch to melee weapon", and then finally again, "enemy --> any --> attack".

 

I'm not sure what I've set up here is correct or maybe there is a better way of doing this.

 

Any help would be appreciated!

 

Thanks!

 

Sounds like you are on the right track. Typically I've had problems getting my characters to switch between ranged and melee weapons- often times they seem to go into a 'perpetual reset mode' where they keep switching back and forth and never do anything else. That means I'm probably not setting it up quite right. What works well for me (using my main character) is I set the tactics to 'aggressive'. They'll start out using their range weapon, then switch to melee automatically when attacked. I simply watch, and then when the nearest melee range attacker goes down I just hit the key to switch them manually back to ranged, and they will resume ranged attacks until attacked at melee range, at which point they'll autoswitch back to melee weapons, rinse and repeat. (For an archer-style build. Knights/Fighters I'll usually leave in melee mode after the first time they switch and let them go to town!)

 

For my NPC's, it depends. If you set ranged tactics they will attempt to disengage and move back to range if attacked by a melee attacker, but this can result in one of those 'running fights' in which an archer or mage is constantly running from a persistent attacker and not really contributing to the fight. Aggressive tactics will allow the archer to stand their ground, but if they have melee weapons equipped they will switch to them and then try to proceed using melee weapons after that. Sometimes I'm okay with that, sometimes not. If not I usually take control momentarily and switch them back, instead of trying to have tactics set to do it for reasons listed in the first paragraph.

 

Another advantage of the tactics mod is mutual support. I usually pick one character (Dog works GREAT for this, especially with overwhelm, charge, and the mod which includes frighten) to engage an attacker going after my mage or a designated archer. For example, Dog's primary responsibility in my party is to overwhelm the nearest magic user. After that, his primary responsibility is to either overwhelm, knock down, frighten, or otherwise attack anyone going after Morrigan/Wynne, then Leliana/Zev if I have them specialized as archers. You can also use the 'shatter' talent for an archer to knock down an enemy targetting a mage, or charging the archer themself at short range.

 

Really, the best advice I can give you is to play with the tactics a bit and figure out which works best for you. This is an extremely versatile mod in what you can set it up to do. Another example of the modding community taking a great game and making it both epic and infinitely replayable. Enjoy!

Edited January 14, 2011 by JMarso