Shattered Kingdoms

Is this a good idea? If so, how should it work?

Two different groups, where I'm labelling one group with numbers and the other group with letters. Player 1 attacks Player A. Player 2 doesn't auto assist. Does he have to type 'kill A' or should there be an 'assist 1' command? Seems like there's less thought involved if there is an assist command, which is contradictory to the point of the change.

Also NPC pet of Player 1. Does it still get auto assist? I was thinking auto assist would just not work if both parties were PCs but pets would work the same way for assisting that they do now.

Discuss.

If possible, I'd say remove it when it comes to attacking PC's and NPCs that have the "Charmed" flag(pets/charms/undead). I'd say screw the assist command, make them have to choose who they want to attack. Though this would be a completely overpowered buff to Hellions, and a massive wimp to sanctuary.

And yes, let pets and stuff have auto-assist.

If auto assist is being taken out, here's a good question:

Player B is behind Player A (who has sanctuary). Player B attacks Player 1 (sitting in the front row with a non-reach weapon), this automatically puts Player A into the fight right? I would assume so since Player 1 is attacking Player A, but I don't like to go by assumptions.


Also, I think an assist command already is implemented in the game. Its called 'hit'. You then don't lose the mode you're in.

This idea would effectively ban me from joining the pk wars, only because I'm a bottom-feeder and depend on auto assist in those instances.

A damn good question.

In situations like she has described, you should be made to assist if you are Player A.

Additionally, pets should maintain current auto assist coding. Ordering them to fight would be ridiculous, anti-fundamental and detrimental.

I mean, if you're getting hit, don't you automatically hit back no matter what???

Yeah, at that point. It isn't auto assist. It is auto defend. Just take it away from uncharmed PC's. Leave it to all charmies.

Of course, I voted yes on the poll.

I'd prefer not to see an assist command. However, it really depends on what changes would be made in concert with removing auto assist, if that indeed happens. If the current system remains intact where you can still attack party members because they share an adjective with an enemy, even though you have them greeted, an assist command might be necessary. Even with an assist command, it'd be better than the current system where only the leader and caster classes need to pay attention.

And I don't think pets should continue to auto assist against other players. Of course, if someone behind your position is attacked, it should engage you in combat. That's common sense. So if Merc A at position F2 of his group attacks Priest B at position in M1 in the enemy group, Merc B at position F1 would engage Merc A.

So, yes, I am wildly in favor of this change. I do think it will require a couple of other changes to make it viable. Specifically, if you have another character greeted, you should no longer be able to target them by adjective - you know their name. It'd also be nice to have all targeting default outside of the group, but I know that'd be a lot more complicated. I think making it so you can't target greeted players by adjective would be enough.

removing auto assist from pk makes the whole same adjective problem a far bigger issue than it already is.

If you could target people by name without having them greeted this might have been a good idea, but that in itself is going to create more problems than what it's going to solve.

One idea would be for auto assist to work in the sense that you start attacking, but only the person who is in the same vertical 'row' in the opposite group.

So the warrior in group1's F1 position would fight the warrior in group2's F3 position (since the other group will be inverted)

The char in f2 will fight the char in f2, and the char in f3 will fight the char in F1.

From that point on, you can switch targets as you like, but this way you can keep sanc, and not risk attacking your own people.


That idea aside, one thing that does need fixing is the 2nd round of melee , where auto assist kicks in and all melee character attacks are doubled to reflect the first round of combat they've 'missed'. That's where the whole thing breaks down, I think.

That's why when auto assist is removed from pkill, a second smaller change would also be necessary that prevents you from being able to target characters you have greeted by adjective.

If you have a player greeted, you target by name. That way when your group meets up with another group in pkill, you can safely target gangly, lanky, dark-skinned, etc. without hitting someone else in your party that has the same adjective (because they will be greeted). Problem solved.