Author Topic: Erroneous and ineffective creatures.  (Read 137608 times)

Soren / Zarathustra217

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Erroneous and ineffective creatures.
« on: October 31, 2006, 05:01:36 AM »
An important part of assuring balance throughout the mod is that the creatures we've set up actually work as intended. There's no better witness to this, however, than you, the players. And likely, there's no one who knows better when something isn't living up to the challenge it suggests. So I put forward this thread to encourage you all to post what lackings you encounter here, as well as suggestions to how we could make things better and the challenges more balances and interesting.

This could be things like creatures using spells redundantly or inefficiently, spells that even harm themselves - like undeads using healing - but also inefficient behavior or tactics.

It might seem as a bit of a paradox that you should help us making things harder for yourself, but in the end, it'll make the entire experience more balanced and even for all - and make the impact we want to give with this server stand clearer. So please post away... :)
« Last Edit: October 31, 2006, 06:21:38 AM by Zarathustra217 »

Cloaked_Fury

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Re: Erroneous and ineffective creatures.
« Reply #1 on: November 02, 2006, 02:28:33 PM »
From the Summit to the Ice Palace, the Jack Frosts and the Mistinus (sp) fight amongst themselves when you encounter them.  I believe the reason for this is the Jack Frosts' cone of cold.  The Mistinus don't seem to have a resistance to it so it hurts them when Jacks fire their spells off at the players.  In return you have a Mistinu that's very angry at the Jack.  My suggestion is take out the Mistinus (not sure why they're even there, understand though elements play a big part of the ravenloft setting, but maybe an air map for the air folk and keep the cold folk on the cold map) or give them resistance to cold above the weather damage.

The Golems in the ice palace, not sure about this one, but we had someone with a +2 sword and they couldn't damage them. Something we're missing about these guys?

The areas designed for mid-levels (or rather the creatures in certain areas) are not giving xp to the mid levels.  So there is a gap between high level creatures and low level creatures.  One of my characters is level 10 and I can't find anything that's worth a damn xp wise (obviously not my motivation for being here but something I've noted) that's intended for his level.  I instead visit the areas meant for 15+ characters when PVM'ing.  And come to mention it, all his xp from level 8 to level 10 was rp/dm xp.  So areas in the Spider Cave, Werewolf Den, Sullen Forest, Abandoned Farmhouse, and various road encounters should have their xp gain reviewed for their difficulty.  Sensitive suggestion, I know, but low level and post 15 characters seem to have the right mix of difficulty and award setting - even if high level areas are currently scarce.

Maybe on purpose, and certainly funny as hell, but every monster enjoys attacking the local wildlife.  Can't tell you how many times I've seen players running from werewolves to see the creature instead make a sharp right and chase after a poor little mink.   :lol:
« Last Edit: November 02, 2006, 02:32:18 PM by Cloaked_Fury »

Thestral

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Re: Erroneous and ineffective creatures.
« Reply #2 on: November 02, 2006, 03:12:08 PM »
Mink taste good. That's why. Actually I have noticed this problem, as well as the mid level xp problem. I still make decent progress due to RP and DM bonks but when I spend 30 minutes organizing a player event of some sort and taking care of a problem as an interactive RP group.. sometimes PVM xp is nice too  :twisted:


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Heretic

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Re: Erroneous and ineffective creatures.
« Reply #3 on: November 02, 2006, 03:17:29 PM »
..I got no real reason to dislike these creatures other than the fact they annoy the crap out of me (as player) and those are the:

 :arrow:Skeletons that spam fireballs with spears (Village of Barovia crypts). I think there could be a better combination of monsters there, some ''mind'' bugging monster coupled with those Warrior skeletons to WHACK you when dizzy or stunned. Add in some skeletal devourers and other ''death'' gazers in there.


EO

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Re: Erroneous and ineffective creatures.
« Reply #4 on: November 02, 2006, 05:11:38 PM »
-The Golems in the Ice Palace will attack each other if one is caught in the other's Cone of Cold.
-Barovia Crypts: In one of the rooms, can't pinpoint which, there is a spawn of Argarats/Ghasts that spawn by traps and everytime I've been there, they triggered them and it killed most of them.
-Lich Tower: The big middle room lags the area a lot. Either remove some VFX from there or remove some monsters and add some tougher ones instead.

Dreaderick

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Re: Erroneous and ineffective creatures.
« Reply #5 on: November 03, 2006, 10:22:47 AM »
The Bakna Rahan (or however you write it) in the cave next to the Vistani camp actually teleport next to a pc before opening fire with their bows. So every attack by them gives the player an attack of opportunity, making them very easy to kill.

In the Barovia crypt:
Sometimes a grave ooze appears when you pass a corpse. This ooze is promtly attacked by ghouls/wights.
Cornugons sometimes keep casting animate dead, summoning a skeleton warrior and unsummoning the previous one.
Also, Cornugons seem to have no discipline since they go down at every knockdown that hits them.
The Eyires (with the flaming whips) first cast detect invisibility when attacked or spotting an intruder. This makes no sense since they already detect a target.



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jimkaf

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Re: Erroneous and ineffective creatures.
« Reply #6 on: November 07, 2006, 05:00:20 PM »
Sometimes Gilos requires +3 weapon to hit. I don't know if this is a bug or just the highest spawn...
The issue also with the bakhna rakhna is that they have fancy arrows and instead of using them at a range they stupidly teleport :p
Zombies and skellies fight oozes all the time, and it's fun :p
The room EO mentioned is the first on your right, when you enter the Barovian crypts via the door in front and right at cemetary.
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Nefensis

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Re: Erroneous and ineffective creatures.
« Reply #7 on: November 07, 2006, 06:52:46 PM »
There is a room in the crypt of barovia where the monsters will explode on the trap, first floor

Some of the skeletons that are suppposed to spawn in the kitchen of the abandonned farm house get stuck behind placables and are hard to get at in parties.

Stela Cojocaru - barovian snake
Crina Ovidiu - barovian guard

Aldarris

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Re: Erroneous and ineffective creatures.
« Reply #8 on: November 21, 2006, 09:52:44 PM »
There's always one tiny little dire spiderling that gets stuck between three webs in the spider cave...poor little guy.  He deserves a mention too.
Figures, Soren's too busy to do something positive.  He thinks putting a smiling face in every message is positivity.

Heretic is a terrible player, always has been.  No wonder PoTM numbers are dwindling *sigh*

Cloaked_Fury

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Re: Erroneous and ineffective creatures.
« Reply #9 on: November 22, 2006, 03:30:10 AM »
Few beetle grubs get stuck in a similar way when they spawn, I think their smaller size let's them spawn in between objects or between objects and walls, etc.

Soren / Zarathustra217

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Re: Erroneous and ineffective creatures.
« Reply #10 on: November 22, 2006, 06:40:25 AM »
Thanks for all the great feedback, I'll try to get around most things.

And keep it coming... :)

Ravenous

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Re: Erroneous and ineffective creatures.
« Reply #11 on: November 22, 2006, 10:53:00 AM »
I will second difficulty and monsters..
Werewolves, especially Lowland and Mountain types are extremely dangerous but hardly gives any xp at all. I would place these in the mid-lvl ranges so up their CR a bit ;)
The mummy priest uses healing on himself...(Might be fixed)
The Broken Ones can cast spells while shapechanged(Wild Shape), actually all monsters that can shapechange and cast can do this. But the Broken Ones are the ones i´ve seen do it.

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Mordred

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Re: Erroneous and ineffective creatures.
« Reply #12 on: November 22, 2006, 04:10:24 PM »
The weak spawn of the nerul cultists in the Grove north of Vallaki, the skeleton guardian (the small one) there drinks potions when badly injured.  Kills himself in the process.

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Re: Erroneous and ineffective creatures.
« Reply #13 on: November 22, 2006, 08:33:05 PM »
The weak spawn of the nerul cultists in the Grove north of Vallaki, the skeleton guardian (the small one) there drinks potions when badly injured.  Kills himself in the process.

HAHAHAHA

Stela Cojocaru - barovian snake
Crina Ovidiu - barovian guard

Ryltar/ Robert Archer

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Re: Erroneous and ineffective creatures.
« Reply #14 on: November 28, 2006, 01:51:28 PM »
the ooze below the valiki temple are still invisble and a few mainly the ones in the back corner where children zombies spawn do not move to attack and just sit there till you do attack them...must be lazy.. :shock:


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Re: Erroneous and ineffective creatures.
« Reply #15 on: November 30, 2006, 05:36:18 PM »
Those are actually stuck there.. Try to move close to that wall and it might happen to you to. Same in all those rooms that look alike :(

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Re: Erroneous and ineffective creatures.
« Reply #16 on: November 30, 2006, 08:47:44 PM »
Those are actually stuck there.. Try to move close to that wall and it might happen to you to. Same in all those rooms that look alike :(


ahhh ok...


well uh what about them all being invisible?...is that new for CEP2?...cause its been like that since we changed over

EO

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Re: Erroneous and ineffective creatures.
« Reply #17 on: November 30, 2006, 09:40:21 PM »
It's likely a bug on your end, I see everything down there just fine.

Catacomb

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Re: Erroneous and ineffective creatures.
« Reply #18 on: December 01, 2006, 03:09:47 AM »
The oozes are also invisible to me... in addition cloaks, robes, and dresses occasionally go invisible too as well as half of the giant spider's legs.  :?

Edit: While they're invis,(Actually, see though would be a better term) I can still target them normally, so It's just a graphical thing I've grown accustome to.

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Nefensis

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Re: Erroneous and ineffective creatures.
« Reply #19 on: December 01, 2006, 07:57:44 AM »
dunno if others get that too but cloak bought at the store look all metalic, so does the head of the thouls?

Stela Cojocaru - barovian snake
Crina Ovidiu - barovian guard

Catacomb

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Re: Erroneous and ineffective creatures.
« Reply #20 on: December 01, 2006, 02:39:38 PM »
dunno if others get that too but cloak bought at the store look all metalic, so does the head of the thouls?

Not here... Thoulls and cloaks (when they're not invisibile) look normal.

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Bluebomber4evr

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Re: Erroneous and ineffective creatures.
« Reply #21 on: December 01, 2006, 03:50:31 PM »
Those are CEP texture bugs. Only way I know of to fix it is to quit the game and reload.  :?

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Nightmare

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Re: Erroneous and ineffective creatures.
« Reply #22 on: February 15, 2007, 07:14:46 PM »
Meh, oozes all have the 'Transparent' special ability, meaning you can run into them and get engulfed if they are larger than you... Gelatinous cubes anyone?

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Re: Erroneous and ineffective creatures.
« Reply #23 on: February 15, 2007, 07:28:53 PM »
Meh, oozes all have the 'Transparent' special ability, meaning you can run into them and get engulfed if they are larger than you... Gelatinous cubes anyone?

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I don't understand, is this not working, or do they not have it? I only recall giving gelatinous cubes an engulfing ability (requires a special script).

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Nefensis

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Re: Erroneous and ineffective creatures.
« Reply #24 on: February 15, 2007, 11:35:35 PM »
the cubes DO have the engluf function not the oozes

Stela Cojocaru - barovian snake
Crina Ovidiu - barovian guard