You do comment on the number of varied mechanics each mob has which leads me to another update I'd like to make. We have recently booted up a new team called the "Creature Combat" team. This group of developers will be focusing exclusively on creature abilities from now until the end of time. Their job is to take each creature model we have and build a variety of creature combat kits that are then supplied to the Encounters team for placement in the game.
For example, right now we have one Dagun Kit. Anytime you see a Dagun in the world, it will do the same abilities as every other Dagun in the world. Usually the abilities are gated by difficulty, so it may seem like we have a few Dagun kits, but in reality, there is only one. This leads players and developers experiencing what we are calling "Telegraph Fatigue". This is where you get tired of seeing the same telegraph over and over. You go to a new area, see a new Dagun, but you already know what it's going to do before you fight it. This is all "Telegraph Fatigue".
The creature combat team got ahold of the Dagun and now we have a wide range of Dagun kits that the encounters team will start sprinkling throughout the world. Populating a snow filled area like Whitevale? We have a kit for that. It even has ice themed attacks and buffs! Maybe you're creating a pack of Dagun. I'd advise you to grab the Dagun Packleader kit and group it with a few of the Bloodseeker Dagun kits, they really work well together. The Packleader will do things to improve his pack's fighting capabilities such as channeling an interruptable spell called "Frenzied Howl". While the Packleader is howling, all of his cluster mates will get a very noticeable Critical Hit chance buff. Meanwhile the Bloodseekers are are trying to take chunks of your flesh and if they are successful, they will happily eat this chunk of flesh and heal themselves.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. Soon, you will be experiencing mechanics that we call SRE's internally. (Special Random Event) These happen very infrequently. They are designed to keep you on your toes. We usually like to use these along with our Crowd Control system we call "Breakout Gameplay"
For example, you may be fighting a Dagun Bloodseeker kit one day, going through your normal rotation when suddenly the Dagun leaps into the air and knocks you flat on your back. The next thing you know is that Dagun is powering up a telegraph that is going to hit right where you are laying. Good thing we have Breakout Gameplay -- just roll out of the telegraph and back to your feet and get out of that telegraph decal.
Fun stuff, right?
Going forward the Creature Combat Team has several goals:
Expand the variety of abilities our creatures have to prevent Telegraph Fatigue
Example: Instead of the one Dagun kit, we now have dagun for all kinds of situations and environments. No longer will that boss Dagun have the same abilities as the field of Dagun outside. Heck, that field of dagun will probably have multiple kits now too!
Keep our overworld PVE experience fresh and exciting
Example: Special Random Events (SRE's) that create infrequent "oh crap" moments that the player has to respond to and changes up their play pattern.
Give players reasons to use the tools their chosen class gives them
Example: Bloodseeker Dagun heals itself when certain flesh eating abilities - abilities that reduce healing become really useful for fighting these.
Example: Dagun Packleader is channeling a crit buff like Frenzied Howl - abilities that reduce the amount of damage you take become useful, or you could stun the packleader and trigger a MOO.