I enjoy thinking about game design, particularly ways the devs can encourage strategic depth via designing challenging and interesting mobs. Thought it would be a fun excercise as a community to think about different possible mob dispositions and how they can be used to encourage players to think a bit more strategicially. If you have ideas post them, as well as your thoughts as to why your design increases strategic depth. I'll start with a few I've been thinking about:
1. Vindictive
What is it? - Mobs with the vindictive disposition become enraged when one of their friends is killed in battle. When this happens they will immediately aggro whoever landed the killing blow on their friend and the mob can no longer be CC'd/breaks any current CC on the mob.
Why this encourages strategic depth? - Encourages players to be mindful of who lands the killing blow in fights, also groups may decide to kill vindictive mobs first. CC'ers need to be mindful of when the enrage is on.
2. Sniper
What is it? - A ranged mob that tries to position itself in a way to avoid being hit by melee dps, tries to target the back line of the group.
Why this encourages strategic depth? - I'm assuming here the devs can implement some line of sight mechanics. I think it would be super cool if healers/casters can seek cover when a sniper engages which would prevent the ranged damage from hitting them. Exhistence of snipers would encourage groups to set up camp in areas with good cover. The goal is make players think about positioning more, if the ranged constantly moves away from the tank/melee dps this has the potential to really change how fights play out, gives value to spells which hold the mob in place.
3. Autorezzing groups.
What is it? - Don't have a good name for this, but this is inspired by the Slay the Spire ooze mobs that come back to life (with 50% hp) some time after being killed. Only when the entire group is killed do the mobs stop resurrecting.
Why this encourages strategic depth? - In Slay the Spire when you engage a group of 3 oozes you usually want to bring all of them down to low hp then kill them all at once. This breaks the traditional default strategy of killing mobs one by one, and rewards groups which are able to coordinate well.
Looking forward to reading what creative ideas others have regarding this!
Loose change:
Every time a mob melees a character that character loses some coin.
Face hugger:
A mob runs to a random player and hugs it, stopping any character action until removed.
Riddle me this:
Combat engagement involves only riddles until either that mob is half-health due to correct responses or a party member fails at riddling and falls to half-health, at which point normal combat ensues.
2. Sniper
- This is cool, would be a nice dynamic to discover like midway through an average battle, like if multiple NPC's and one changed disposition to this. Like: pull, attack, add, mezz add, mezz breaks, add mob becomes sniper and moves to sniper position and take sniper actions.
Face hugger:
- This could also be Charm mechanic already avaiable. Alien reference aside. (Anyone getting charmed in sebs while watching their group die- deep in- will sympathise)
I would add:
Angry: "normal" MoB instantly rampages when attacked and stays rampagiung until dead (could be too unbalanced)
Caster: Summons Player characters (you heard me. oh, poor drood can't kite? suck it up)
F you and you in particular: MoB of particular type. MoB's will disregard aggro attempts and concentrate on one member of group based on faction or stat. low cha? F you. Low high elf faction? F you. Low alchohol tolerance? F YOU! low fishing skill? F the F out of you and the horse you rode in on.
Jobeson said: Leader to override mob group dispositions and have them all follow the leaders disposition. A harder fight when every npc wants to focus fire the enchanter. Double tap to kill near death players. Ambusher stealthed NPCs don't just attack solo, they stalk the party and attack when the party is in a fight.
I'd say something vicious like :
"Crazed : Wipes threat table constantly and / or is even out of threat table, jumping from character to character randomly" but that would be unmanageable for hard hitting ennemies".
I think there is a low to be done to surprise us here, with smart coding you can have mobs split attacking both the tank and healer to interrupt heals, some can rush for the enchanter as soon as you start casting a mez. There can be a lot of mayhem and surprises forcing players to remain awake and keep some control, even short ones, under the sleeve to make other's job easier.