Adding Helpful NPC's to LFR?

[Artemol]

I heard a rumor on my realm that Devs were designing Role-Assigned NPC's to LFR, just as they've done in Proving Grounds to "help" the raid.
They would automatically fill out the remaining raidspots as soon as the queue-timer had been going for approx 10 minutes.


Is this rumor a blown out torch or does it still have a flame?

[Saffa]

Will they be called mummies and have spare nappies and wet wipes?

[Frozenbeef]

sure would speed things up...players should always get priority though the second a tank/ healer is available the npc should go back to the abyss. Also they shouldn't be as neally as good as players. Should just be minimum ileve lreq to enter stats...

[Krommm]

Too good to be true.

[Deleted]

This is a huge step beyond the already crazy addons showing the buttons to press. The game would litterly be playing itself.

[Lucetia]

I would say a rumor. They would have to nerf LFR even more than it already is for the NPC's to be useful. Tank/Healer NPC's would just be a nightmare with how it is right now since an NPC could never be smart enough as a human on who to heal or when to taunt, etc.

[Lesane]

I would say a rumor. They would have to nerf LFR even more than it already is for the NPC's to be useful. Tank/Healer NPC's would just be a nightmare with how it is right now since an NPC could never be smart enough as a human on who to heal or when to taunt, etc.

I'd say they have to buff LFR seeing how most players in LFR tend to be more retarded than a programmed NPC in a 9 year old PC game.

[Artemol]

I would say a rumor. They would have to nerf LFR even more than it already is for the NPC's to be useful. Tank/Healer NPC's would just be a nightmare with how it is right now since an NPC could never be smart enough as a human on who to heal or when to taunt, etc.

This is very easy to code.

[MoanaLisa]

This is very easy to code.

When you know the script for the boss and adds it should be relatively straightforward to script an NPC role. I agree. Perhaps not trivial but not earth-shattering difficult either. LFR is relatively uncomplicated in this regard.

[Deja Thoris]

I'm not sure I like the idea of npc's filling player spots but one screaming "stop dps" on nazgrim and oneshotting repeat offenders could be handy.

[Forgettable]

This might stop all the DPS QQ about long queue times I guess. I'm not sure how I feel about this. Without experiencing it, it seems like it would feel... Fake. And hollow.

[Rucati]

Sounds like a good change to me, simply because it would lower DPS queue times. And I really can't imagine it being hard to make tank/healer NPCs that are capable of doing LFR, it's pretty fool proof already.

[mstieler]

It could also be a way to experience older LFR content with a toon that's at-level, though that could border on playing a FPS deathmatch that's just you and a buncha bots.

[MoanaLisa]

I'm not sure I like the idea of npc's filling player spots but one screaming "stop dps" on nazgrim and oneshotting repeat offenders could be handy.

They should use their internal raid alert text more on LFR. It would be truly useful although that old saying about leading a horse to water but you can't make him think would still apply.

I like the idea of one-shotting those that don't get the message right away though although I always sort of imagined a hole opening up in the ceiling of the raid and a giant hand reaching down to pluck the offender up and taking him out through the roof. Or a tendril. A tendril would be good.

Anyway, no idea if this is true or even remotely based on anything real.

[Viradiance]

What happens when the bots leave LFR and go to flex because they get tired of carrying the bads?

Strongly considered for my new signature.

[Deleted]

Will never happen. Anyone who gets outperformed by an NPC will officially realize they suck (which would be at least 20% of the current LFR population) and blizzard doesn't want that. Same reason. Same reason you don't get any reasonable feedback when you fail in LFR.

- - - Updated - - -

What happens when the bots leave LFR and go to flex because they get tired of carrying the bads?

Thank you for making my day

[Kalmah]

Will never happen. Anyone who gets outperformed by an NPC will officially realize they suck (which would be at least 20% of the current LFR population) and blizzard doesn't want that. Same reason. Same reason you don't get any reasonable feedback when you fail in LFR.

How would they realize they're getting outperformed? If they had recount/skada installed, they'd already notice that they suck tremendously.

[Lucetia]

This is very easy to code.

In theory yes, but the problem is the NPC wouldn't know that the other tank is taunting, why's he's taunting or anything and either auto taunts back or something. Then there is the issue of will the NPC output enough threat to keep aggro? Sure you could give him a modifier but what happens when he pulls off the other tank?

Healing isn't as ideal as there's no way to program a heal routine with everyone's gear in mind. Some people take more damage from things, other's not. When is AoE healing not enough and they need to hit a big heal? Things like that.

[Deleted]

How would they realize they're getting outperformed? If they had recount/skada installed, they'd already notice that they suck tremendously.

I'm sure the rest of the kind LFR population would be kind enough to inform them. After all, people knowing they'd get a guaranteed competent replacement (makes sense to replace people with bots since people complain about joining runs mid-way) would be much more likely to kick/harass them into leaving.

[Deleted]

What happens when the bots leave LFR and go to flex because they get tired of carrying the bads?

This just makes me rofl. I don't think it will ever happen, it would kinda be like admitting that there's a huge issue with the lack of tanks in LFR and WHY there's a lack. And then Blizz would actually have to think about the whole design.