The game checks the first entry on the list to evaluate whether that condition is true/false. If it is true, then it executes the action you set up. If the condition is false, it moves to the next item on the list, and evaluates it. If condition 2 is met, it executes the action associated with it, and restarts the process beginning with the first item on the list. It is important to note that:
1) It will only restart the evaluation after the action is completed. If your logic instructs your warrior/tank to attack the archer on the other side of the battlefield, the system will not evaluate any conditions until he actually performs the attack.
2) If the condition is true, but the action is in cooldown, the logic will move on the next condition on the list
Typically, the action performed takes very little time, so that the conditions are checked frequently. In fact, the logic usually moves faster than the game, which especially can have an impact on your spellcasters.
If none of the conditions on the list are met, the character will perform the default attack routine on the nearest enemy, assuming behavior is set to default or aggressive.
For example:
1) Self: Health < 50% >>> Take health poultice least powerful
2) Enemy: Nearest Visible >>> Shield Bash
3) Enemy: Attacking main character >>> Shield Pummel
At the start of combat, check condition 1. Health is at 100%, so not true. Check condition 2, true, perform the Shield Bash action. After the bashing is done, check condition 1, say health is a 90%, so not true. Evaluate 2, true, but cannot perform the action as it is in cooldown. Evaluate 3, true, perform the shield pummel action on the enemy that is attacking the main character. After that enemy is pummeled, restart at condition 1.
Before I move on , I should point out that I have the Advanced Tactics mod installed, which provides more tactic slots and more options. I highly recommend it for anyone that plans on using the tactics system.
It is important to try to control which enemies are being targeted by your party members. If they are constantly switching targets, you’ll end up with a bunch of bad guys with 50% health, but none of them dead. In many cases, it is best to try to take the highest potential damage off the field as soon as possible, without wasting spells/abilities. In other cases, you might want to take out an elite mage first, or take out an elite enemies’ buddies first. You can set up 3 different custom lists and switch as needed before each battle. In any case, it is important to understand how the Enemy, and Target conditions function.
The Enemy condition attempts to find the nearest enemy that matches the condition and targets that enemy if the condition is met. It will switch targets if another enemy meets the criteria. So, Enemy: Nearest Visible will target the nearest bad guy. Simple enough, but realize that if for example your warrior is attacking the nearest enemy and that enemy decides to move away and attack your spellcaster, the warrior will switch targets to the nearest enemy when this condition is evaluated. Multiple Enemy statements, like in the example above, can also cause the AI to switch targets. Also, the Self: Being attacked by… statement may cause a switch to the enemy that is attacking.
The Target condition only evaluates the current target, and performs the action if the condition is met. It will not cause the AI to switch to a new target.
Unfortunately, some of the conditions listed on the Target check do not appear to work intuitively.
1) Target: Health – Doesn’t appear to work at all on enemy units, not sure about allies
2) Target: Being attacked by – Same as #1
With Advanced Tactics mod, you may be able to get around #2 by using the Target: Not being attacked by… statement, which does appear to work.
The Jump To… action can be a handy tool to avoid potentially bad outcomes. Use it to skip the outcomes that you do not want to occur, rather than jumping to the action that you do want to occur, thinking you can set up an action with multiple conditions. The reason for this is that the second condition will still be evaluated regardless of whether or not the first condition is true. Typically, I use this to try to avoid hurting party members with AOE spells. It is not foolproof by any means, but it can help.
An example of what not to do:
1) Target: not being attacked by a melee attack >>> Jump to 2
2) Target: between medium and long range >>> Fireball
It appears that you are setting up a multiple condition set up for Fireball. But what happens is that, if #1 is not true, the logic will still check #2, and your poor melee guys are toast if they are between medium and long range.
Use the Jump to… action to skip actions you do not want performed, for example:
1) Enemy: Being attacked by a melee attack: >>> Jump To 4
2) Target: between medium and long range: >>> Fireball
3) Target: between short and medium range: >>> Flame Blast
4) Enemy: Nearest Visible: >>> Arcane Bolt
Condition #1 targets any enemy being attacked by a melee attack. If true, then it jumps to condition 4, which targets the nearest enemy and casts Arcane Bolt. If false, then condition 2 is evaluated on the current target, which will not be the enemy from #1 (because there is no enemy being attacked by melee). An attempted target switch is implemented in #4, since the logic will restart at #1 after arcane bolt is performed. There are serious limitations on this set up, but it can reduce friendly fire damage.
Another example of use of the Jump To… action:
1) Self: Health >= 70% >>> Jump To 3
2) Enemy: Affected by Vulnerability Hex or Affliction Hex >>> Drain Life
3) Self: Being attacked >>> Vulnerability Hex
This is something I set up for Morrigan in Lothering. If her health falls below 70%, then condition 2 is performed, which targets the enemy affected by V-Hex and casts Drain Life for the extra damage and healing. If her health never falls below 70%, or if she’s never attacked, she’ll never cast Drain Life.
Tips and useful info:
A) Use the Behavior switch action to attempt to keep you melee units from be affected by AOE spells at the beginning of combat.
1) Self: Exploration >>> Behavior: Defensive
2) Enemy: at short range >>> Behavior: Default
3) Enemy: nearest visible >>> Shield Bash
Another good use of the Behavior switch is for Shapeshifting, although it does use up a lot of slots. Another Morrigan example:
1) Self: Mana or stamina level < 10% >>> Activate: Spider Shape
2) Self: Shapeshifted >>> Behavior: Default
3) Enemy: nearest visible >>> Web
4) Self: Mana or stamina level > 20% >>> Deactivate: Spider Shape
5) Self: Mana or stamina level > 20% >>> Behavior: Ranged
So, when she is a spellcaster, her behavior is set to ranged and as a spider, it is set to default. This is to prevent her as a spider from attacking, then running away over and over. Also note that you need to pause the game while she is in spider shape and go into the tactics screen in order for the Web ability to show up on the list.
The Being attacked by… logic only works when the condition actually happens. So in the example above for avoiding AOE spells, when the Enemy: being attacked by a melee attack condition is evaluated, it is only true when the enemy is actually being attacked. If your warrior is on the way to the enemy, stunned/knocked down, or petrified/frozen by the enemy, the condition is not true. Same for Enemy: being attacked by a magic attack. The condition is not true until the spell reaches the target.The logic moves faster than the game. So, if, for whatever reason, you wanted
to switch to a target not being attacked by magic after a certain spell was cast, the switch may not happen until another spell or two is cast at the current target.
C) If you want to use the attack action, put it towards the bottom of the list. This is because it is an action that can always be performed. If placed at the top of the list, the items on the bottom will most likely never be evaluated because the process will restart at condition #1.
D) If you’re not sure a set up is working properly, save the game prior to combat, and use the pause action for the condition you are trying to set up. This will pause the game if/when that condition is met.
Hope this helps!
Modifié par loderunner30, 30 octobre 2010 - 08:32 .
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