[Dolalin]

I've been looking into whether mobs would flee if their friends were still around, since social flee-prevention always did seem very OP on P99.

This post implies frogs in Guk would flee even if their friends were nearby:

7/26/99

Richard Cortese <rico...@netmagic.net> wrote:
> Have you tried hitting them with a DOT before they
> get out of range?
Well, they get out of range SO quickly... i mean - Kaboom! And they're
around the corner... and they are fast runners... soooo... I find it's
better to root and DD. It usually works. I mean - we probably killed a
hundred frogs, and had 2 get away.

However, i have that upgrade to Flame Lick now (Immolate, I think it's
called) ... so maybe I will try that next time. [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

The problem is, though, that I can't watch ALL the frogs' health... and
when there is more than one tank beating on more than one frog, it's hard
to tell which one is going to flee first.

KJ.

https://groups.google.com/d/msg/alt....Y/tkqTSV5YLgoJ

Same with this one:

1/24/00

Roadkill <roadkill@aroma.com.REMOVEME> wrote in message
news:8EC556A28roadkillaromacom@207.126.101.100...

> If he KNOWS he can't run (because of root), then why do you consider it
> smart of him to try and run?

I don't, I consider it smart for him to go on the defensive.

> And when it wears off he runs... But UNTIL then, why do you consider it
> SMART to just sit there and take the beating without fighting back?

In a real life situation, you are much more likely to survive someone
beating on
your back, rather than your chest and stomach. But since this game is
hardly
*real* I would settle for a greatly reduced Atk value, and an increase AC
value when the monster can't run in "flee" mode. I just don't think giving
a
panicking monster no penalty whatsoever is ludicrous.

> If he can't move at all, and he knows it (which he does in the current EQ
> setup), WHY would fighting back be considered the act of an idiot over
just
> standing there and taking the beating?

Best offense is a good defense... Why wouldn't he devote more effort into
parrying
the blows untill the root wears off and he can run? and in some situations,
where
my party was fighting more than one mob, if one went into "flee" mode and
was low enough
that he wasn;t moving, or not moving fast, we ignore him and beat another to
minimize
damage taken... in this situation, is is very much more intelligent to NOT
attack, and
hop the rot wears off while everyone is busy. And EQ's AI can NOT do
that...
I'm just saying there are better options available... take the warrior's
berserk ability,
and modify it to reflect a defensive posture, and apply. Seems easy enough.

https://groups.google.com/d/msg/alt....0/zn4_I69MgEIJ

Another that's even more explicit:

1/6/00

The runner problem usually comes from a little guy in a group spawn. They run
quickly, nobody is really concentrating on them, they get out without anyone
noticing and they come back with friends. IMHO that's the problem with
"runners".

A big mob that runs can be a problem, of course, but he's going to have the
group's attention (assuming that the group is targeting properly and you don't
have six group members fighting four mob).

https://groups.google.com/d/msg/alt....0/BfXRHbiq8JQJ

Corroboration of the above:

1/6/00

On 06 Jan 2000 16:49:14 GMT, masonbarge@aol.comnospam (Mason Barge) wrote:
>
>The runner problem usually comes from a little guy in a group spawn. They run
>quickly, nobody is really concentrating on them, they get out without anyone
>noticing and they come back with friends. IMHO that's the problem with
>"runners".

<snip>

I have often seen these "little guys" beat on a damage shield for a bit
and work themselves to the running point when no one expects it. Gotta
snare the little guys right away if there is potential for this to happen.

Kethos

https://groups.google.com/d/msg/alt....0/jIzMQtjV1nsJ

This guy was fighting two gnolls and one ran before the other:

4/3/99

You know how a lot of runners will dash off a little bit, maybe out of
range, maybe to the next room? Then they come barrelling back?
Well, this one time we managed to end up fighting two different
gnolls, one of which conned even to me ... and I couldn't kill him,
and Cristos was busy ensnaring the other one ... so he got away. And
stayed away. For a looooooong time. Like, a couple of minutes.

https://groups.google.com/d/msg/alt....U/-2ECpwAvk2YJ

This one is very explicit: "SNARE EVERY MOB"

8/18/99

>On Tue, 17 Aug 1999 18:04:17 GMT, lok...@enteract.com (Lokari) wrote:

[snip]

>How about:
>Level 30 Paladin
>Level 26 Druid
>Level 26 Cleric
>Level 31 Shaman
>Against 1 cyclops (roughly level 32) in Rathe Mountains?
>
>In this situation, Cleric should heal, and the Paladin should tank. But what
>does the Druid do? Cyclops don't run and collect their friends, so you don't
>need a druid as a "get away nuker".

Just prior to engagement the druid should damage shield the paladin.
The druid should pull with a snare. Druids should always be snaring.

There and additional benefit to this since snare really annoys
mobs...so with a snare or two and maybe a DD the druid can make the
homer chase him around while the paladin hits it from behind.

Maybe a DoT if you don't care much about the DoT bug for this mob.

>How about the same party, again, but this time in Mistmoore, or Permafrost,
>battling 3 level 29 opponents? At this point, all except the paladin need to
>be on guard for "escapees". In this case the Druid needs to secondary nuke
>escapees, and assist with heals, and can keep the non-primary targets rooted
>away from the melee. Cleric also can help keep opponents rooted/stunned, so
>they don't call their friends AND do "get away" nukes, because if a dozen NPC
>friends get called healing and medding for mana ain't gonna mean squat.
>Shaman needs to nuke stuff off the cleric if they latch onto the cleric for
>healing, keep the paladin "quicked" and backup heal.

No. Druid should be damage shielding the paladin. Then snaring every
single mob. It may take a while since the mobs are red.

NO ROOTS.

Everyone else should hopefully use /assist to try to beat one mob to a
pulp as quickly as possible.

With snare and /assist you should get no runners. Besides, you don't
have a big enough nuke to consistently drop a runner in this party.

In any case, a lot of areas are twisty enough (or on a grade) that
you'll lose line of sight too quickly anyway.

[snip]

But this is with players who can work together. If you're a druid and
you find yourself grouped with a battle cleric then you should stop
nuking and drop back to healing...unless you can convince the cleric
to heal rather than wrath.

An unlikely probability in a pick up group.

Nigel

https://groups.google.com/d/msg/alt....E/cJp4VIKDfScJ