I read the dev blog and while I’m happy that the bots are getting attention, I’m surprised that certain issues aren’t even mentioned. I’m absolutely on-board with the concept that the players are the stars, but outside of ability there are certain behaviors that drive my circle crazy. For reference, I play with a couple of friends (1-3 humans depending upon availability), and am slowly getting up to speed on legend.
1) Goodbye! When there are 2 players, both bots inevitably follow 1, often leaving the other player at inexplicable moments. Please add something to the algorithm that causes the bots to split their favors.
2) The untouched mob. I’m fighting, clear the mobs, move ahead to tag that ahead, and take a whack to the head. My 3 bots are standing there, doing nothing, and I have to kill that one lone snotling that they ignored.
3) Firing lanes. This one causes more cursing then anything - I move ahead, draw a bead, and one of the bots get in my line of sight, whether on top of me, or some distance ahead. They predictably draw a line between me and the special, and then move first to intersect that line, then move along that line to the special. If they can figure out that line with such exactitude, they can figure out how to stand to one side.
4) CHARGE! There’s a special, they have a gun, and they refuse to use it! Instead they valiantly run ahead to melee. I understand that there’s a short range grey area where switching might be more of a problem, but they go way past that to charge across the map (and invoke note 3, above). Please tweak their ranged choices so they fire at specials, sometimes taking a hit in the process (just like players).
5) Tag, you’re it! Simple request, have them tag specials, then elites, picking the closest untagged special/elite, in case of ties.
Please consider the above. It’s infuriating to die because the bots ran across the map, leaving you alone, or favored the player who checked the crate for a health rather than the one who continued ahead, or decided now’s the time to blind you as you shoot the gas rat (rather than fire themselves).
-Jeff