Poll: Animals in your squad

[Captain Deathbeard]

Ok, I want to hear some peoples ideas on this because I'm not sure which is better:

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.


Number 1 gives you more control, but number 2 gives more variety to the game and feels more animal-like.

FAQ:
-Yes there will be pack animals
-Probably you will be able to ride a lot of them eventually
-Animals will be in the next update, but won't be "recruitable" yet.
-Animal taming and egg/pup poaching will be a new skill and profession.

[Kulverstukass]

AI controlled with an option for "Call back", so they don't run away chasing enemy.

Option to "Hunt down and bring enemy to master", as reversed rescue-dog for hunter-type animals would be great. For that retreating fast ninjas running from full-plated desert knights.

[a1elgazzar]

^ I like that idea and also the ability for the animal to change masters either permanently or temporarily so you could send the animal/dog with a caravan to protect it without having to send every member in your squad who owns a animal with the caravan. Additionally, (if it's not already planned) characters should be able to have more then one animal( I imagine playing solo with 20 dogs would be really cool)

[Butta]

For those not reading the steam forums, let me copypaste:

How about both?
If the animal is unselected it does the things described in number 2, but when being selected it follows the commands of it's master like attacking a specific target or waiting in some place. To keep it quite realistic, the "Wait" command (as an example) could be only revoked when being close to the animal / in a specific area around it.

In case that it is impossible I would choose number 2.. The animals are some kind of "pets" (yea.. who doesn't own a beak-thing today?!) thus they wouldn't be something special anymore when you have full control respectively you treat them like normal squad members.
Also it would make the game more immersive in my opinion and as you already mentioned it gives more variety to the game.

[Hatsune_Neko]

I voted for #2

[Rikter]

I think having the animals being AI controlled would be best. Although, in order to manage them the player should be able to have command parameters for the animals to follow on an individual scale. You simply wouldn't be able to "control" them as if they were a human player. In this way I think it would also be best to have a separate panel to organize them instead of the squad panel.


For Example:

Pet 1: Defending Player
(-) Wait Here
(-) Follow me (simply follows, doesn't do anything in or out of combat other than movement)
(x) Stay at my side (defend me)
(-) aggressively attack (assaults enemies on sight)
(-) Defend Squad Member (Shift-Click on squad member with this selected or something)

Pet 2: Assault Enemies on Sight
(-) Wait Here
(-) Follow me (simply follows, doesn't do anything in or out of combat other than movement)
(-) Stay at my side (defend me)
(x) aggressively attack (assaults enemies on sight, otherwise stays by player)
(-) Defend Squad Member (Shift-Click on squad member with this selected or something)

--EDIT--

Will we be able to make a farm of animals to butcher for food or obtain produce from? For example, a herd of cows to breed for meat and milk/butter.

[Tolwrath]

I'm voting on #2. I like Rikter's idea, but to expand on it, I think we should have the option of telling animals to move to a location or attack an enemy by holding eight click with their owner selectecld, and choosing "move animals here" or "attack with animals", with a chance that they will disobey based on animal handling skill.

[Mattk50]

Gotta go with number 2, will be tougher to implement properly but ultimatley more interesting and then you can give animals their own behaviors. Like, pack animals probably arent too loyal and may flee if their master is knocked unconscious. Besides, if animals just act like more squad members whats the point?

[PnzrNorm]

AI controlled just seems to lend more to the simulation/RPG experience, in my opinion.

Plus, Chris already has some really awesome AI ideas (procedurally-generated... insults?!? /rainbowvomit), and I would ride into battle for him on the back of a beak thing to see him make some AI-controlled pack animals turning on a terrible animal handler.

[Marilous]

I like the idea of the AI controlling the animals for the most part but I think it could get frustrating to deal with pack mules on trade runs if they are exclusively AI controlled. Pack mule type things would be more domestic though I would think as where maybe the dogs would be slightly more wild. Any idea on if they would be taking up the spot of a human being in your squad or part of a separate group if they are under our direct control?

Edit: You are planning for them to be ride-able? I thought no mounts?

[Guy]

AI controlled with simple parameters the player can change would be best.

For instance, if my tamer and his pet get knocked out by cannibals, then the tamer gets hefted off to the camp and imprisoned. I do not want his hard to acquire scaled wolf to run after him once it wakes up just to get stuck in the cannibal camp because it gets stuck there in a loop of unconsciousness -> follow state -> fighting (inevitably lose) -> unconscious.

Meanwhile his tamer picks a lock and is able to hoof it the hell out of there if I plan the course right and he gets a bit lucky.

I also may not want it to stay put in the middle of nowhere once separated, I'd probably just want it to run to a player set safe point like a nest/animal housing structure.

[McDerp]

I think direct control would be a bit harder to make so it doesn't feel too weird controlling creatures instead of the human characters you're used to. I mean it in a sense that it will change gameplay quite a bit, imho i don't know if it's for the best.

Not having direct control over the creatures would be best, but giving them orders/training them to do stuff (maybe with a combo of tracking/survival skills) would be a nice compromise between not controlling and controlling creatures.

[killerx243]

I'm all for AI controlled but in terms of training can their masters train them to follow commands based on their skill, the animals intelligence and stress level (injuries or if they are in danger), and skill of the person directly commanding them?

Like as an example squadmate McAnimalTrainer trains a few beak-thing to be caravan pack animals and guards. Two Beak-things are fitted with packs of goods and handed off to squadmate McCaravenMaster who is not an expert in animal training but knows enough to follow instructions from the animal trainer. Beak-things don't run off when the caravan is attacked but squadmate McCaravenMaster forgets what the animal trainer said to command the beasts to attack a certain target. One Beak-thing is fairly intelligent and was trained to protect a person and able to distinguish friend from foe. The other was also trained but was spooked after getting injured and attacks anything close by. Wounding a couple of your guards and runs back to your base.

[Zekeen]

I agree with many of the other ideas here. AI controlled with simple commands and some sort of discipline stat. Something like calling a wolf off a bounty before the kill him so you get full reward. Have it so animals are very wild and ignore commands during combat, ect. Not too many or complex commands though, keep the animals wild and unpredictable.

[HalbesEi]

I'm all for AI controlled

some indirect commands via the animal handler aren't a bad idea though
-attack
-follow
-guard (wouldn't you like to have guard animals in your camp?)
etc.

I totally agree with the opinions of the posts before mine

[CookieEatingHuskarl]

Also, with addition with chances of animals ignoring the commands of an unskilled tamer/animal user, the unskilled animal user should also have a time delay in between the issuing of the command and the animal complying. High level animal users can get an animal to change command near instantaneously.

[killerx243]

Also, with addition with chances of animals ignoring the commands of an unskilled tamer/animal user, the unskilled animal user should also have a time delay in between the issuing of the command and the animal complying. High level animal users can get an animal to change command near instantaneously.

This is a great idea

[engineer]

Trained Animal! (Like Dog)
Two new skill (One for animal training level / One for human animal teaching)
If a human player in Radius X (X is a distance depending animal training / human skill / animal type) You can command animals. Max X should be realistic, Animal sight or hear or another communication ability (max one) will give us one coeff. and maybe simply sum of animal training and human teaching skill for another coeff.

An animal cant go too far like a human while alone (how it can know roads towns etc... its not possible) But it can move a little long distance maybe a few km when it took command (Sure if it leaves command Radius, will not take new commands). Again depending on skills. (human animal teaching skill / Animal training / Animal Type) In here animal size / height / brain etc can be Animal Type coeff. Also we can send them too long distances. Animal will move its max distance then it will lose road and maybe a little move wrong ways / wait / will try return etc... Anyway this situation will req a human sending.

If no one commanding animal, it will act last order / stance like.

It can refuse your order depending again training levels (animal & human) and animal type. Also if it injured, again it can refuse command, or maybe flee from damage etc. Sure you can give order multiple times. Then maybe it can accept etc...

And one animal can be commandable from one human. Sure another human can take command. (Select human click animal like) If it leaves command radius, we need to click again.

And Animal Type coeffs (it will be secret) can vary a bit too. Two same type animal not equally controllable.

Some commands can req higher trainings. etc...

I think all will be happy with training system instead of direct or AI.

I am voting for training. 3rd option

[EternalAmbiguity]

For me personally, AI seems more realistic, though maybe with an option to say, "go after that one!" with them making a choice or something.

I'm not sure how in-depth you're planning combat to be, if there are abilities and such.

[Enkar]

I'd say AI control, but with some advanced options in training, such as training the animal to target a particular part of the body of an enemy, as his right arm to dissarm him, or his leg, so the master of your pet wearing plate have a way to slow his enemies down, etc...