GameAmp: Poor-acting GWF Henchmen

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wesley_765

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Poor-acting GWF Henchmen

I am really pissed of by the fact that ANet has programmed such a poor level of AI characters, and definitely the henchmen. These are my reasons:

1. They get stuck frequently enough behind NPC's or obstacles out in the open, which severely increases the duration of certain quests.

2. The AI healers heal too late or too few, which results in a high amount DP. (certainly when playing Assassin or as a caster)

3. AI healers mostly "care" only about themselves by healing only each other and leaving you out in the cold.

-You can/may consider this as the 1000st complaint of the AI of henchmen in game, but this shouldn't have been if ANet did something about it.-

***THIS POST HAS BEEN EDITED***

06/10/06 11:13

SycX

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RE: Poor-acting GWF Henchmen

Yeah, I had tons of situations were the healer henchies stood just next to me and let me die, just healed themselves or - even worse - jsut attacked the enemies. And after a fight they stood there for a few minutes before they started resurrecting me or the other players/henchies.

But somehow I think, the healer henchies in Guild Wars a bit better than the ones in factions (although the faction healers look better ;-)).

Anyway, I hope they'll update the AI sometime (soon!!!).

06/10/06 11:17

w0utje15

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RE: Poor-acting GWF Henchmen

And you have to wait ours to be rezzed when dead(atleast when i play).

Conclusion: Hench S**K

06/10/06 11:26

Lunarman

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RE: Poor-acting GWF Henchmen

Personally I've never had a problem with hencemen. I use the same guys every time and die the team doesn't die any more than a human team does. If the healers arn't healing you it means they're busy, either with a long cast or healing other henchies, no one ever goes into battle without a self heal anyway so if they don't heal you, heal yourself. I've henched most of both games and would always choose henchies over people becuase they follow my orders and play better than humans I've met.

Anyway, once I was messing around the marketplace and I started to run, like through mobs, to get to a quest destination. As I ran through a mob most of my henchmen died but panaku stayed alive. I entered an area filled with monsters and I was spiked to death very quickly, almost the same time I died panaku shadow steps next to me, uses his res signet on me and then proceeds to soak up enemy damage and heal himself while I run off. I was so perfectly timed I don;t think a human could do it.

HENCHIES FTW!!!

06/10/06 11:41

maddog199

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RE: Poor-acting GWF Henchmen

i disagree,
you first gotta find a good combo in them:
alot off range dudes + you also range take kai yeng for ward against melee, you warrior = take fighter with you for fast kills. also its NOT bin IMPROVED or CRACKED down. compaire how many npc's are in open area in Tyria and Cantha get the picture. And to conclude have you seen what some enemy npc's are taking for elite its bin easy to be monk or healing ritualist: read the enemy's elite and skills some more you'll see quiet a few mindblowers.

06/10/06 12:15

Allanon6666

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RE: Poor-acting GWF Henchmen

henchies blow! I once was dead, and they went back to rez another henchie that was farther back then I was, and ftw i was next to the healer henchie!

IGN: Allanon of Avalon - My time is -6hrs GMT

06/10/06 12:37

Rohar_Dragontamer

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RE: Poor-acting GWF Henchmen

I presume that you are using henchie groups in the first place is because every PUG group you've joined has REALLY sucked?

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06/11/06 15:56

Allanon6666

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RE: Poor-acting GWF Henchmen

Not always, it's just easier to use henchies for some quests because it really is hard to find groups for the try out a proffession quest.

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06/11/06 17:13

SycX

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RE: Poor-acting GWF Henchmen

Sometimes I wonder why people spend sooo much time waiting for other players to join their group for simple quests (like go there and deliver item X to person Y etc...). I mean, some quests can be done in some minutes, even with henchies.

06/12/06 16:58

Turma

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RE: Poor-acting GWF Henchmen

YEah, they can be irritating...

But you have to remember that even the henchie has to regain energy, that's why they stand by you for ages before rezzing you.

I only realized it a few weeks ago

06/12/06 17:05

Allanon6666

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RE: Poor-acting GWF Henchmen

QUOTE

YEah, they can be irritating...

But you have to remember that even the henchie has to regain energy, that's why they stand by you for ages before rezzing you.

I only realized it a few weeks ago

huh, never thought of that

IGN: Allanon of Avalon - My time is -6hrs GMT

06/12/06 17:41

hockeyman12599

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RE: Poor-acting GWF Henchmen

I was actually in a group recently where I would've rather had a henchie healer then the one we had. We were farming in unwaking waters hoping for some greens and our stupid healer decided she would go agro everything. So she comes running back towards me with two groups of guys chasing her so I decided fine I will take the agro so she could just heal us and let me live. Instead she decides to heal herself and watch me die, then while I'm laying dead and the rest of my team is fighting she decides to just run away instead of healing anyone. I know the AI for the henchmen is bad but sometimes people are a lot worse.

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06/12/06 18:29

The Hobbesinator

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RE: Poor-acting GWF Henchmen

i was doing the seconds 15attribute point quest earlier (on my W/Mo) they never healed me once.... or healed the shock henchie.... or them selves..... or the mesmer.....

i ended up in giving up (because they were taking my agro and then dieing... while stealing xp and drops) and goiing back to do it again solo.... and i got all the way to the last group.... when my mum came home and kicked me off the computer

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06/12/06 20:45

imnotstupid

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RE: Poor-acting GWF Henchmen

the old saying, the apple doesnt fall far from the tree...

ai= apple
programmers= tree

see where im going with this?

06/12/06 20:49

maddog199

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RE: Poor-acting GWF Henchmen

QUOTE

the old saying, the apple doesnt fall far from the tree...

ai= apple
programmers= tree

see where im going with this?

I find that rather offensive vs Anet and NCsoft.
they put alot off work into it. Hench aren't stupid or anything off that find. A good combo can make lots off difference, you go explore and find out a group that suits you. Then you also gotta consider things like: energy, morale, death penalty AND the fact that ENEMY'S are smarter!! The warriors will not go for a W/* or R/* they'll charge at the casters while those casters are gone try and get you with heavy spells, also they've become charging at the hench/person with the most DP -aint that reconisable.

06/13/06 06:30

Masterful Gaze

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RE: Poor-acting GWF Henchmen

You kinda have to think of henchies as a weapon when you play with them. It takes alittle to get used to working with them but once you figure it out it seems to go easier.

My only problem is that when I die they quickly do the same thing.

06/13/06 06:47

Albino Monktress

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RE: Poor-acting GWF Henchmen

I also have done almost every mission w/ the heches (I say almost cause i havent beat factions yet) but in profices i is literally 100% possible to beat every mission and quests in the game w/ a group full of heches, yes i have even done The Villany of Galrath (tolk very very long and 60 dp)

My only time i have to complane about them is whenn they take unnecicary agro, and he 1 time the got stuck in theperfect spot of being attacked my 1 enemy and not close enog to attack themselves, so the healer kept healing the party and not resing me and 2 other people

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06/13/06 07:31

The labmonkey

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RE: Poor-acting GWF Henchmen

On the positive side they are reliable. They *will* attack what you call, won't rush in or abuse you, and stick together. There are far worse player out there. Human healer and tank are preferred for me, but I'm happy to fill the other slots with hench.

Yes, they suck, but at least they coordinate attacking.

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06/14/06 18:15

Allanon6666

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RE: Poor-acting GWF Henchmen

Yeah, I guess you can say that.

/mumble"stupid labmonkey"

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06/14/06 22:27

NecroRebel

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RE: Poor-acting GWF Henchmen

QUOTE

I don't know which henchmen YOU have been going around with, but in Factions, this often hasn't been the case for me. The henchmen rush unneccessarily, they DON'T attack what I attack, and they use their skills badly.

Consider this situation that's happened to me several times. I gather a team of henchmen that consists of both the monk and the spirit henchmen from that town (GIVE US PROT MONKS!). Engage in combat with a group of 5 enemies. All the enemies attack me since OBVIOUSLY they can tell that I'm both the human character and that the henchmen are worthless so they don't have to worry about them. So, all the enemies are attacking me. I'm attacking one of the casters because, well, that's an intelligent thing to do. The healer henchman is ALSO attacking the caster. So is the spirit henchman. So, I have 5 monsters all attacking me, which unfortunately I can't deal with on my own. So, since the henchmen who COULD have healed me are attacking, I die.

Once I'm dead, the henchmen all PROMPTLY decide, oh, hey, there's a spellcaster near me! (NOT the one I had been attacking and had reduced to 10% Health, by the way). So, since that spellcaster OBVIOUSLY is easy prey, they attack it. Meanwhile, the enemy warriors are just slaughtering the healer henchmen since the henchmen are morons, and once they're down the other henchmen start getting attacked too. So, they break off from attacking the caster (who they've reduced to about 10% Health by now) and attack the warriors who are attacking them. And more of them die.

I have lost an entire team of henchmen to a group of 5 enemies before without killing a single one when we're fresh out of town. And there was nothing at all I could do about it because I simply can't selfheal that well no matter what I try. That's why I've decided that I hate Factions; I've simply ignored it for the past week or so and done Prophecies and I've been having a great time. I encourage you to do the same. You'll have a much better time back home in Tyria instead of in Cantha, where everything is just stupid.

*Sigh* Oh well... At least the team that designed Tyria is working on Chapter 3, so it SHOULD be good again. I just hope team 2 gets replaced before Chapter 4 comes out so we don't have this sort of crap again.

06/14/06 22:53

Khwaj the Fire God

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RE: Poor-acting GWF Henchmen

Noy only have I had problems with healer henchies not healin me or anything other then themselves. I have also had trouble pulling. Every time i try to pull them away the henchies think they should attack them instead of following me and I have died many times from that also

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06/14/06 23:32

fudtone

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RE: Poor-acting GWF Henchmen

I would love to have a few simple commands (buttons please!) for my henchies... Stand ground, Aggresive, and Defensive... to much to ask?

06/15/06 13:49

Deathsby Myside

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RE: Poor-acting GWF Henchmen

I have the say the healer henchies in Factions are terrible. When we come up on an enemy group, they seem to attack me first and ignore the henchies. I can watch my health go down with no bumps up until I die. They then start healing when the henchies get attacked. The only good I have found out of them is when I bring my necro to Cantha and play as MM, I can spam BotM and they will keep me at full health.

I also think the Tyria henchies have been hit in the head too many times and their brains are rattled or the stupidity of their Canthan cousins is contagious. I was capping in Mineral Springs and aggro'd too many avairca fierce. The henchies started going down so I took off so I could rez them once the avarica cooled off. They chased us til the dead henchies were at the edge of the map circle and I went down. The Avarica then broke aggro and started back to where they started. Aleshia then proceeded to run back and forth for a little while like she was unsure what to do. When the Avarica moved far enough way so they were no longer on the map circle, she decides to leave me dead and run down to rez Lina. She aggros the remaining Avarica and dies mid rez. I don't every remember seeing anything like that before Factions came out.

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06/15/06 14:20

The labmonkey

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RE: Poor-acting GWF Henchmen

I've had far fewer problems on some areas with an all-hench team. The reason is that I know exactly *how* they are rubbish. You can't do that for a bad player.
If you take a hench team, you have to command it. Whenever I take hench as my Assassin, I go with a ranged Critical strikes build, and call the target. As a rit, I place Shadowsong or Pain in front of a mob to lure without me being exposed.

Yes, they are stupid. All computer programs are. But if you know how that stupidity works, you can deal with it. They suck, but not impossibly so.

That said, would it kill Anet to have healers heal your target ally if you call it?

***THIS POST HAS BEEN EDITED***

Egon The Inscribed- Factions lvl 20 Rt/?

06/25/06 10:37

Duke Terrien

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RE: Poor-acting GWF Henchmen

IMO, hench own, they're better than PUGs...... I've done Nahpui Quarter with hench and got Master's, but when i went with PUGs, I got the Standard Reward. DON'T BLAME THE HEALER HENCH..... it's your own fault. Imo, hench are good, you just have to play correctly and choose the right hench.(For example, 3 assassin, 2 tanks, and 2 archers is a bad way of picking henchmen)

1. She is low on energy. Healer's don't have infinite energy like you expect them too.

2. She is busy healing the whole group. If you die, it might be because the mesmer is low on health and the healer is concentrating on her for awhile. (tip: try to get as many healer monks and ritualists because ritualists have some protective spells.)

3. You are away from her healing range. You decide to have a head start on killing that boss.... Oh wait, WTF, I'm not getting healed! Damn f***ing healer hench, omfg! I'm dead! And the second later, you see her reach your range.

Also, ALWAYS BRING YOUR OWN SELF HEALING SKILL!

***THIS POST HAS BEEN EDITED***

My AB Shock Warrior build

06/25/06 10:45

Living__god

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RE: Poor-acting GWF Henchmen

Well think about it this way, If you wanted to do a quest and cant be pissed to find a group you take henchies and also at least with the healer henchies you know what your getting not some 55 monk who cant heal or a smiter monk. I just saying its much easier having henchies then it is not having them.

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06/25/06 10:52

Duke Terrien

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RE: Poor-acting GWF Henchmen

QUOTE

I'll give you the reasons why this is happening.

1. lol, this never happened to me, you got to be careful, also REAL players get stuck too, don't just blame hench, avoid mountains, the corners of stairs or any obstacle that is likely to get someone stuck. PAY ATTENTION!

2. This is totally not true. DON'T GO OUT OF THE HEALING RANGE. THEY DON'T HAVE INFINITE ENERGY like you expect them too. They can't only concentrate on healing on you, they're healing someone else injured, if this is a problem, I suggest you get ritualists and all the healers possible, ritualists have protective spirits and protective spells as well.

3. Again, this is like the same problem as number two. Don't go out of the healing range. They'll likely heal the other hench first. They don't have infinite energy. Or, they're healing someone else...

Like I said above, always bring your own self healing skill, it's the most important thing.

The other henchies, ( Lukas, Devona, Cynn, etc.) I have NEVER had a problem with them. They function perfect to me.

Okay, so please! Don't make any more of these threads, they make me sick.... It's not the hench's problem....

***THIS POST HAS BEEN EDITED***

My AB Shock Warrior build

06/25/06 10:57

maddog199

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RE: Poor-acting GWF Henchmen

i agree with duke. i had never a problem with hench. allready in the beta i could form a good combo with the henchs i am still using the same. you are also forgetting other things: obstacles: i'm thinking your talking about Centrum-Cantha, it is a fact that Cantha is overwelmed with refugee/crappy houses/ and fancy ministers thats why they get stuck. they are not stupid i've made it quiet a while with hench, most of the quests are thanks to them completed and done a few i have done with persons becose i needed someone that thoughed like a person. casters and assasin are very delicaid becose off the pontential shadowstepping/standing still you are a easy target iff you dont watch out that you stray off to far or get to be the aim of the foes next attack.

06/25/06 11:59

UCCat

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RE: Poor-acting GWF Henchmen

QUOTE

alot off range dudes + you also range take kai yeng for ward against melee, you warrior = take fighter with you for fast kills. also its NOT bin IMPROVED or CRACKED down. compaire how many npc's are in open area in Tyria and Cantha get the picture.

i have no idea what that says

QUOTE

i had never a problem with hench

no offense, but i find that extremely difficult to believe you have never ever absolutely not had a problem with hench. cough*bs*cough

QUOTE

Okay, so please! Don't make any more of these threads, they make me sick.... It's not the hench's problem....

sorry, open forum, folks can post whatever they want, as long as it doesnt violate site rules or common ethics
take rolaids if it makes you sick.

QUOTE

2. This is totally not true. DON'T GO OUT OF THE HEALING RANGE. THEY DON'T HAVE INFINITE ENERGY like you expect them too. They can't only concentrate on healing on you, they're healing someone else injured, if this is a problem, I suggest you get ritualists and all the healers possible, ritualists have protective spirits and protective spells as well.

3. Again, this is like the same problem as number two. Don't go out of the healing range. They'll likely heal the other hench first. They don't have infinite energy. Or, they're healing someone else...

wrong... at times, if you watch the hench, they are using thier staff attacking, while team members/hench are dying. It's visable, it happens, it's a fact.

I agree, hench AI are only so good, and you got to live with the fact they are not human. I also do a lot of the game with hench. And i mean a lot. So I know how they react, and i try to know what they will do. But this doesnt stop me from dying and becoming aggravated occasionally, but its just a fact of gameplay. Hench are hard to control when you are trying to rez... Sister tai ALWAYS runs in to use healing touch and frequently dies herself (stupid skill to give a AI) and gries to rez a dead fallen member in the middle of a mob, AFTER you have retreated and are trying to regroup.
There have been times where i have been spiked and die rather quickly, the rest of the team reamains and eventually dies without rezzing.

bottom line, s**t happens, you cant have perfect AI, and you cant program in every possible circumstance

JMHO

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06/27/06 08:37

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