NPCs and line of sight

[hynch]

It seems that NPCs disregard LOS in this game. I have had numerous casters just sit inside of a wall casting spells, unable to be killed. It is rather annoying. Is there anything that can be done to fix this?

 

[Tarutao]

You've generalized to the point that your statement is untrue. You're going to need to be more specific about your issues with LoS before an intelligent response can be made.

 

[hynch]

My statement is rather specific and most certainly true. I have died many times because npcs sit inside of a wall casting on me and I am unable to get to them and kill them. Pretty easy to discern what the problem is. I have even had melee only npcs go under the world and start tearing me a new one. Luckily that is easier to fix because they tend to chase you closely. Casters, however, do not.

There are no specific instances, as it has happened in nearly every dungeon I have been to. Only recently have I begun dying, but that is because npcs are nuking much harder than at lower levels. I understand pathing is something that will not be implemented, but I don't think LOS should be disregarded.

 

[Volkier]

You've generalized to the point that your statement is untrue. You're going to need to be more specific about your issues with LoS before an intelligent response can be made.

Any caster in any zone almost any zone that you try to pull / move from the spawn location. Good examples would be Red Sun Mines or Keep of Mielech where the extremely squashed up tunnels remind you of clawing through the bowels of a severely anorexic hampster. Basically trying to pull casters from their spawn point, to where you would not get adds (as well as adds through walls and closed doors) would almost always guarantee this problem. Admittedly, I do have a pet for tank, who always seems to TRY and get mobs stuck in wall regardless of where I try to back him to (thank god for mage summons who still work and summon even if the mob is in wall) - and a player tank should handle the positioning a bit better, but if you are in a small group and pull one or two casters, who decide to fire off 2 or 3 spells each before emerging from the wall - the tables do turn a fair bit.

Having said that - this problem was the same on Live (ie. it's 'hard coded into the engine). The newer zones had better and somewhat decent pathing - but SOE never bothered fix the old zones. I remember cursing and swearing at half-hour fights in Cazic Thule on live with my beastlord, because mobs where casting CH'es on their friends through walls.

If the issue is something as simple as giving mobs a LoS for casting spells (as that would be a lot easier than re-pathing half the zones) it would be really really awesome. However, I suspect that may not be as 'easy', or implementing the LoS may not be as easy, so we may just have to get used to it.

 

[Cyzaine]

Some zones just don't have LOS or even walls that function (Thaz comes to mind, as do parts of dreadlands), so such a change still wouldn't fix things in many cases.