NPC behavior: not always suicidal, if you please...

[Cetric de Cornusiac]

I know devs are dealing with NPC behavior and intend to teach them "new tricks".

I applaud to anything on that field, if even present NPC act very convincingly at times. We are used to call AI "dumb" in the tradition of three decades full of examples given by  game industry history, but the NPC in Naval Action are quite an exception which makes hope for the future. Still, we can shape their behavior for more human likeliness.

Fleeing is a reasonable human reaction when things go wrong and the opponent is stronger.

We have traders fleeing per definition, which seems right. But what about war ships which are apparently outgunned and outclassed? Why do they always fight till death when any sane mind as captain would disengage and retreat?

So what I ask for is:

(1) Diversity.

There would be warship captains always willing to fight, even larger vessels (of players), like now. But there would be a percentage which would turn and attempt to run. The bigger the difference in class to player ship, the higher the percentage of a random decision taken in favor of flight.

(2) Situation-related switches.

A NPC captain who was bold enough to fight us, even if he commands only a frigate and we have a 3-decker, would realize the odds are strongly against him, after receiving 2 - 3 broadsides and realizing his hull armor is done for. So introduce a (still random) decision by AI to break off the fight when it becomes pointless and threatening for their ship. They will turn away and attempt to flee.

(3) Numbers matter.

The strength in numbers in a NPC fleet could be of significance. People who see themselves as part of a group act more courageous than when being alone. Obvious why - chances are simply higher for a crowd, every wolfpack knows this. So larger NPC fleets should show more courage than little flotillas or solo ships when facing players. Means, the decision to switch to flight attempt is less likely to happen among bigger groups, except when odds are really hopeless (fleet of 7th rates against bunch of lineships). NPC are also proud captains, they fear being called cowards by their colleagues. But after you sank half of them, their assessment of the situation should somehow change and a retreat being ordered.

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Now players will most likely whine they want easy targets and no more NPC  running away, as it is harder to sink them then. On the other side, the challenge is higher and the fight more enjoyable if you don't face suicidal squads but more appropriate human-like behavior. Also human player fleets need then new compositions. Not only heavy-weight brawlers hitting suicide applicants, but a mix of tanks and fast chasers (like it is done on the PvP side of heaven), where the accompanying hunter frigates chase the fleeing opponents and try to keep them in battle (shooting sails, tagging, maybe destroying them by themselves when they are strong enough). So more versatile NPC behavior including decisions to retreat creates more tactical fleet composition, other than the usual group of x L'Oceans, and  decisions in battle on players' side. Like registering when a NPC decides to run away and what to do as response.

In the sum, more interesting fights than just "sealclubbing" small fry NPC.

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Like most of my late proposals, this suggestion mainly is directed to PvE Peace Server environment. I leave it to others to think about how this would work out on PvP War Server.