Okay, So I figured I would start a new thread that I have not seen.. Try to break up some of the monotony here. When you are detected and being chased by a creature or NPC how far do you think you should be chased? Do you think that the other Elder Scrolls did it right? I remember in Fallout 3 I got irritated on occasion because I wanted to rest or fast travel but could not because it said I was in combat even though I knew it was going to go back to hidden eventually. That also being said, how far should Monsters and humanoid enemies follow you? Through doors and load zones? Should an enemy continue to follow you through city doors if the confrontation started close to town or should they run with their tail between their legs when they see the city? Do you think that creatures who cannot open doors should be able to follow you through doors or just humanoids?

I was playing Solstheim and it was literally 2 years before this one Bear caught up with me......Just so he could die on the spot.

I think it all depends on the circumstances. If it's a bandit, he should not chase me into the town but rather wait for me later to get revenge. If it's an assassin, I would expect the person to disappear and ambush me somewhere within the town. If it's a massive troll, I would expect the town to be under siege.

That's all I got for now.

IMO a couple miles. (to scale of course) Most things just want you out of their territory. Unless you killed someone's entire family or something, then I'd expect a chase that never ends until blood is shed.

Spot-on. Animals should (ideally, I don't delude myself into thinking it'll actually happen) vary- territorial ones would chase you out of their territory. Particularly agressive (rabid perhaps?) ones would chase "to the death." Some wouldn't chase at all unless attacked, females with children might chase you away from their young and then back off when they would ordinarily be a "to the death" type.

Creatures...same, more or less but with additional factors like semi-intelligent ones liking/not liking you over things like faction (for rough example- maybe giants hating Legion/Guard types over having been hunted or run out of territory) or race- say, some ancient creature with a long-standing enmity to Mer.

NPCs- what would or wouldn't motivate a person? That's a whole thread's worth right there. Maybe some would or wouldn't chase at all...some might chase normally but give up if you get far enough away ("I'm losing him, why wear myself out?") while some bandit-types might not chase at all beyond a few steps. ("It's a road, someone else will be along for me to get my money from.")

As long as he can chase you, or until you reach a town. If you wanna out run him, work on your stamina.

This, and the person who he quoted as well. I think it should be situational. I would like to see some enemies give up but some continue to chase you. Remember going to Aldruhn or however you spell it in Morrowind and the Cliff Racers would attack you while in town? Remember how fun i was to watch the gaurds all come running? I would like more of that, sadly the cities will be closed off.. but this does not mean that an enemy cannot open the city door and run in after you.

I think any hostile npc that ever sees you should chase you unto the ends of the earth!
Kidding, actually, as some have said in other threads, I would like the opossite. I would like enemies to run from you, if you are outclassing them (unless they are berserking, or suicidal).

Definitly some kind of zones. Bandits won't chase you into towns, while the city guard won't chase you into spider caves and such.

Fixed.

well deffinitly not as long as they chased you in oblivion i once had a leyawinn guard chase me all the way to the valus mountains

Until you can break LOS.

This of course means guards that don't run equally as fast as the player.

I've never had problems breaking line-of-sight but that's what happens when you give a HUD radar to an AI in a FANTASY game.

I remember in Oblivion, i went into a dungeon and ran past everyone... Then a few game weeks later i decided that id just get rid of my bounty by going jail... After serving my sentence, the loading screen disappeared and there was every single monster i had bypassed in the dungeon waiting for me... Hopefully they fix this as it was funny but still kinda annoying

I remember in oblivion that guards would chase me until I either got them close to an oblivion gate, or when I killed them. it was really annoying. I am hoping that you can be able to lose them, but that also wouldn't be very realistic. it might be annoying, but it is a little more realistic. If someone has a guy with a bounty on his head in their sites, and the guy is running away, then the guard will probably chase after him to get the money.

Yeah it depends on the enemy, if it's something dull like a bandit or wild creature... Not far. But if it's say.. A guard or soldier then yeah pretty far

How Far Should You be Chased by an Attacker? I think it should be like in Morrowind. Monsters attack you after a second or a few seconds (depending on your luck) and it`s easy to simply walk away from the fight with your boots of blinding speed.

I don't think they should chase you to the end of the Earth like in Oblivion... make it be realistic.
Another thing that annoyed me was chasing me through doors. I can see bandits doing this, but why would a wolf open up the Iron gate to chase after me. That was confusing...

Make it depend on type of npc. wolves will chase you x distance bandits y, undead will chase you until you die.

Well we have such parameters to describe AI behavior Aggression Confidence Disposition Energy Level Responsibility they can be used as well AI behavior can be enhanced by additional scripting

I'd like to see some improvements similar to

Territorial aggression for creatures
so they will not chase you to end of world and stop chasing after some time limit so no need make actual borders for this, enemy will return to first place or go into Wander, but dire animals and animals what was harmed will have increased aggression so will continue pursuit unless damage is not critical to flee from combat.
Intelligent enemies will not chase you in public places in such way as beast do, such NPC like bandits can stay Wander at borders of public place if it guarded, as additional feature nice to see assassins thats will disturb %PCname when he goes sleep or wake up.

Damage depend aggression
so creature will try attack mostly enemy thats do most damage for them at last in close combat, intelligent beings can have additional tactic by chasing marksman or mage, so intelligent enemy will ignore summoned scamps and skeletons and chase conjurer or try kill support healer first, unless there is something thats will provoke to attack other target then marksman or mage.

Reduce chasing time if target is out of range
If target flee too fast or have powerful protection AI must stop chase and flee out of combat or use tactic take out such hard target,

Switch to ranged attacks on certain distance,
Its logically to use ranged weapon if target not in close distance, enemies thats have only ranged must flee and then attack again with ranged,

Try flee and hide from player and then come from flank or rearward
Work well with feature above, NPC with flee package detect LOS of player character and try avoid it, if NPC avoid it enough time thats depend on NPC Sneak skill check versus intelligence and sneak and marksman skill NPC will receive chameleon spell effect thats dispel self on attack and magnitude of such effect depend on Sneak skill and lights around so become partially invisible from player, then it uses poisons or curses or backstab player for critical damage, turn around more often, use your detect life spell (magnitude based on skill level versus skill level of sneak) and torches to negate shadows and darkness to deal with assassins.

use shields to block incoming ranged attacks and fast decrees distance between ranged attacker and self, use power attack and shield bash at end
fighters with shields must have better protection from ranged attacks arrows must not got trough shield if have less damage then shield have protection rating, shields must have actual hit-boxes no just increase armor overall, damage is not negated without consequences its subtract from durability and stamina so it balanced as well different shields will have different hit-boxes depend on havok collision around mesh so large shields will actual protect more in combination with shield draw speed (just like for weapons) thats create different shield by using shields even without of need of special shield groups like before.
Sprint with active block will result in shield trample strike similar to this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-d6eS4159c

Flee from combat if target is invincible to attacks
If Actor cannot make damage to target he must flee and regroup or switch to ranged, if nothing help actor will flee.

Use group tactical actions
Thats will be awesome if AI will capable use group tactics ranged stay back warriors take damage mages uses spells for support, previously AI was too egoistic and don't work in group well, archers shoot at backs of warriors as well as mages use AOE spells and dont support warriors well, warriors not try to circle enemy or protect ranged and support.

Use environment as advantage,
Previously environment work against NPC they was incapable to use it for advantages in combat, will be really good if AI will capable overcome obstacles by climbing, hiding behind obstacles, corner target with obstacles.

Check suspicious behavior and different levels of alarm
Suspicious things must be detected



Well FT must have consequences disabling it in combat is one of good ways to do this, but this can be improved for example by adding timer in combat thats ensure you will stay for long enough to be detected unless you run and hide to be undetected and then activate FT, or FT can be disabled you are in combat and there is alarmed enemies around, as well you can be paralyzed for fumbling in menu mode during combat, duration of paralyze can depend on agility and speed versus time used in menu mode.
If you want fast transportation in combat better to have some mark and recall scrolls or spell, to magically teleport out of combat certain enemies can also use it for faster flee out of combat by teleporting to different place in this cell, as well mages can use it for blinking around in combat as alternative to warrior sprint and rogue dodge, blink will uncontrollable change of position at certain distance around target with collision detection and on surface only so no blinking into void between meshes or under earth or high into sky.


Thats depend on intelligence of enemy, heavy aggressive enemy will continue chase even in city when guard will try to stop it, more intelligent enemy will wait at border of public area at certain distance, there is can be also chase time dependency thats model territorial aggression for cell owner so enemies thats tied to certain cell will not chase forever and return in dependency to chase time value, if you are criminal guards will continue chase trough doors unless you are run far enough to reset their chase timer they will return to post but not forget about crime and will chase you again on sight next time, if bash able door will be done (which is not hard its just some scripting and additional animation for door mesh thats open door) certain creatures can continue chase trough doors or stay and wait when target will out, as well there is can be allowed more actors to follow the player through a loading door in combat, and reduces the time they take to do so, preventing a big group of enemies from splitting up just because of those scary doorknobs, enemies thats can use lockpicks actually can open doors, mages can use dispel or unlock also.

Well baring the whole fast travel arguement here I will say that Fast Travel while there are enemies nearby should never be allowed.

I think it should be based on distance. If you can outrun the enemy then given a set distance they should give up. Leading them into heavily guarded forts so the guards can kill them should never be allowed either. While this was a whole lot of fun in MW I really doubt an enemy is really stupid enough to do that.