SUGGESTION: improve minion AI

[Coda]

Ok, so I will not do the normal rant about minions, such as they

• are barely suitable as meat shields
• die easily, then their aura is gone (BH major advantage to respawn them with SS. Give this to other classes: if nothing else put it on a timer)
• have nearly zero DPS
• have only two half-way decent spells (Eileen=Vortex, Xagan=Chain Shock) <--- maybe "half-way" decent is being too kind
• and have only one sort-of decent "auto-attack" (Robin/Endar=Disengage)

No, I will not. This particular rant is about how stupid they are. Examples:

• If I move on to a new target before the old one is completely dead, they run back & forth and do nothing. Either disengage & follow me, or stay there until it's dead or you are.
• Skeleton minions, if they spawn during Frost Beam they just stand there doing nothing.
• Once they start attacking a target it appears they "latch on" -- sometimes changing targets before one is dead is better
• ETC.

Suggestions:

• Fix obvious stupidity.
• How about a user setting per each minion for [a] offense/aggressive/attack vs. [b] defense/hide behind or to the side? I would rather certain ones stay behind me, especially Eileen who seems to get herself killed very easily.
• Balance them so that something besides 3 Robins (or maybe 1 Xagan or 1 Eileen) is useful. Example suggestions
  • Marcus / Norgrim armor aura should be a percentage like Robin/Endar AS - - so it's not as much of a diminishing benefit
  • Xagan cool down aura should also be a percentage
  • Eileen / Maggie aura should be LOH not LR
• You have 7 minions, but really there are only 4 (3 except that Eileen & Maggie are slightly different.). Change them so each one has its own specialty. You have covered
  • LR (should be LOH)
  • Armor (should be a %)
  • AR (should be Cool Down %)
  • AS (only one currently decent)
  • ...there are lots of stats left that could get a boost from a minion, like CR+CD for one.

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Add more ideas in your replies !!

[Xusia]

I don't know if the stupidity aspect will ever get fixed...but I'm in favor of your suggestion to have each minion enhance a different stat

[giecomo]

[*]die easily, then their aura is gone (BH major advantage to respawn them with SS. Give this to other classes: if nothing else put it on a timer)

I agree with mostly everything except for this. This can be considered as one unique property/trait of BH. I think there is no need to give this to other classes. That's like asking for BH to get improved Power with every level too but that is a characteristic unique to Mage. And BH can't clear mobs like Mage can etc etc.
Basically it's just one of BH's strengths, no need to give a class' advantage to other classes.

[RiseOfAbyss]

I agree with mostly everything except for this. This can be considered as one unique property/trait of BH. I think there is no need to give this to other classes. That's like asking for BH to get improved Power with every level too but that is a characteristic unique to Mage. And BH can't clear mobs like Mage can etc etc.
Basically it's just one of BH's strengths, no need to give a class' advantage to other classes.

I don't know why but I am quite sure that this was unintended.

[Coda]

I agree with mostly everything except for this. This can be considered as one unique property/trait of BH. I think there is no need to give this to other classes. That's like asking for BH to get improved Power with every level too but that is a characteristic unique to Mage. And BH can't clear mobs like Mage can etc etc.
Basically it's just one of BH's strengths, no need to give a class' advantage to other classes.

I suppose a "Smoke Screen" causes a "respawn" because combat gets "turned off" temporarily. It was purposeful for it to occur when the hero finishes killing everything within range, or the monsters flee and/or forget you if you get too far away. Even the boss will forget you if you run far enough. But then it was unintended with SS?

It is understandable that now, BH class is used to this unintended benefit and wants to hoard it. Anyone can play any class, so I guess one could do that (play BH) instead of rant about it.

[osoviejo]

Does SS also reset Stalker's snipe proc? Empirically, it looks like it may (and game play-wise, feels like it should), but I'm never certain if its cooldown just expired instead.

[strut v 900]

I say you make minions immune to damage, boost their damage, and make them so they can't soak damage, but have skeletons be able to soak damage and die. but your followers should never die.. feels stupid if they die, or at least make them substantially tankier..

[Humus]

Does SS also reset Stalker's snipe proc?

No