Poll: Animals in your squad

[xeoneex]

Hmm, this is a tough one. Why not just combine the 2?

1. When an animal is in your squad, it works the same as a human character in that you have direct control, you can select it and give orders.


2. Animals are AI controlled, they permanently follow and guard their master and you don't have much direct control over them.


So more like this:

When an animal is in your squad you can right click on its portrait, or on the main screen, and have either a box come up, or a list of commands you can give it. Or how about an entire pet window, with different options you can set so that it can be used for specific tasks, or set a group to do specific set of tasks. You should also still be able to click and have them move to an area, and while in that area, like say have an option to guard, and it will stay either in that spot or "patrol" around the spot so, to guard whatever you set it to guard. And what I like about this idea even further is you can load say a pack on it and send it to a character.

I would hate to limit the functionality of the animal, but cater to both types of players. That way both would get their style and everyone is happy .

[Potocobe]

AI Control all the way. If an animal was smart enough to be a member of your squad wouldn't it be a person? Smarter animals have more commands maybe? Aggressive animals would be more likely to ignore commands? Dumber animals as well I suppose.

I just think that if I (as the player) am telling the animals what to do, then what is the point of having a character skilled in dealing with animals. I think the animals bound to a trainer should behave as though that trainer and all his animals are their own squad. As in, I tell the trainer what to do. She tells the animals what to do to help accomplish their task. Say I need something massive moved. I get the trainer with the giant animal bound to her to do the task and the trainer automatically uses the animal to get the job done whether by pulling, pushing or carrying the object. Give that same trainer the architect job and they use the animal as scaffolding or materials storage that follows them around. If I need a location guarded my trainer might just have their spiky dog do it instead of standing around themselves...could there be a way to give multiple orders to a character?

Maybe the thing to do would be to limit each trainer to one kind of animal or limit the number that can be tamed. A beast master type person with a pack of dogs at their command makes sense. A pack of giant beak things make less sense.

I only want to give orders to people. Even if I have one character that has many animals tamed the UI should be the same. I order the character to do a thing. If they have animals that can assist then they use them.

[Senua]

I would like to see a trained animal with some sort of healing, lick my wounds so I would not die as a solo character. Not as effective as a med kit but just help me to survive.

[albie]

I think AI controlled would be best, but with commands, such as guard, stay and follow. Although I think you should be able to equip various equipment to the animal in question. Whether it is saddlebags to aid in trading, or armor/offensive options. Nothing too ridiculous or over the top. But whether all that would be possible I have no idea.

[bianor]

AI would be better, alot, but its diffcult to make good AI

[argonautis22]

Voting for AI Control!
Rikter's idea is nice!

[BloodyNex]

I think it would be cool to have multiple stages of trained animals, where you first train them to not attack friendlies, then to carry out some simple commands, and eventually get them to be about as controllable as human squad members (but with different commands, as applicable). Add in restraints and even untrained animals could be useful (if somewhat dangerous) for base defense.