Horse auto-run AI

Gidorick

I rather enjoy the mechanic of auto-run while I’m on a horse. I set the run and I’ll open inventory, my map, or my journal and use that time wisely, but I have to frequently go back to the game for a moment to correct the direction of the horse so I don’t end up stuck on a wall, a tree, or a large rock. I would like it if the horse had its own AI to where I could set a general direction and the horse would work its way around obstacles.

Additionally, we could have a road-following mode so the horse will follow a road forward and the horse should be able to follow the road if it curves around. If the road forks, the horse would randomly decide which way it wants to go. Maybe it’s the way you want to go, maybe it’s not.

While I do think it would be cool to be able to go to the map, set a destination, and the horse would find its way there, I think it would be a bit too much for the horse to know and head toward a specific destination. The horse should act more naturally and should be at a happy medium between a mindless forward motion machine and an auto-driving vehicle.

Thoughts?

Hypertionb14_ESO

reminds me of the horse AI in Red Dead Redemption.

Gidorick

Hypertionb14_ESO wrote: »

reminds me of the horse AI in Red Dead Redemption.

Yea, and we could really use that sort of horse in ESO. Hell, I'd even like the whole bit where the horse runs toward you from a distance when you call on it instead of the horse materializing at your side.

Roechacca

LOTRO has that ability to run auto in between stables . Sort of like Our Wayshrines .

Gidorick

roechacca wrote: »

LOTRO has that ability to run auto in between stables . Sort of like Our Wayshrines .

Do they actually RUN between stables or do they just sort of teleport?

Roechacca

Gidorick wrote: »

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roechacca wrote: »

LOTRO has that ability to run auto in between stables . Sort of like Our Wayshrines .

Do they actually RUN between stables or do they just sort of teleport?

You can choose to watch horse butt for 10 minutes or quick travel

driosketch

Gidorick wrote: »

I rather enjoy the mechanic of auto-run while I’m on a horse. I set the run and I’ll open inventory, my map, or my journal and use that time wisely, but I have to frequently go back to the game for a moment to correct the direction of the horse so I don’t end up stuck on a wall, a tree, or a large rock. I would like it if the horse had its own AI to where I could set a general direction and the horse would work its way around obstacles.

What I do is press and hold down W, never taking finger off. Open my map or journal, and use A or D to divert around obstacles while keeping my finger on W.

Senet

In LOTRO they run or walk depending on what mode you are in when you hire them at the stable. They are not your horse though, but rather a horse rented from the stable. Each stable has "routes" so in some cases you have to ride to a particular stable to change routes and get where you are going.

Marthenil

Senet wrote: »

In LOTRO they run or walk depending on what mode you are in when you hire them at the stable. They are not your horse though, but rather a horse rented from the stable. Each stable has "routes" so in some cases you have to ride to a particular stable to change routes and get where you are going.

So like the flight paths in WoW. No thanks.



OT: I don't know, the few times I've ridden a horse IRL, it was not following the path. It went straight where I led it. So if I didn't steer into the path it kept going forward. Now, I doubt it would run off a cliff, but the in game function just about does it imo.

Gidorick

driosketch wrote: »

show previous quotes

Gidorick wrote: »

I rather enjoy the mechanic of auto-run while I’m on a horse. I set the run and I’ll open inventory, my map, or my journal and use that time wisely, but I have to frequently go back to the game for a moment to correct the direction of the horse so I don’t end up stuck on a wall, a tree, or a large rock. I would like it if the horse had its own AI to where I could set a general direction and the horse would work its way around obstacles.

What I do is press and hold down W, never taking finger off. Open my map or journal, and use A or D to divert around obstacles while keeping my finger on W.

I've done this exact thing! I do enjoy watching the arrow move around while I'm looking at the map I just think that there's a better way.

Gidorick

Marthenil wrote: »

show previous quotes

Senet wrote: »

In LOTRO they run or walk depending on what mode you are in when you hire them at the stable. They are not your horse though, but rather a horse rented from the stable. Each stable has "routes" so in some cases you have to ride to a particular stable to change routes and get where you are going.

So like the flight paths in WoW. No thanks.



OT: I don't know, the few times I've ridden a horse IRL, it was not following the path. It went straight where I led it. So if I didn't steer into the path it kept going forward. Now, I doubt it would run off a cliff, but the in game function just about does it imo.

This is a fair point. Mostly I want the horse to avoid obstacles, just thought the path-following mechanic would be a useful one too.

Moonshadow66

Actually, the idea is not even bad (the OP), but somehow I think it'd feel like taking a bus instead of riding a horse, after all it's still Tamriel

Jitterbug

The idea is good, and solid - I've seen it work well in some eastern MMOs. Also, it takes away all that pesky "playing a game" from playing a game. :-P

Gidorick

Well, I try to always suggest things that are additions to the game, not changes. With this idea, the horse control without auto-run should remain exactly the same, and auto-run movement can still be directed by the player but if the player doesn't give input, the horse will find its way around trees, rocks, buildings, etc.

With the path following, I'd imagine that would be something you would direct your horse to do, it wouldn't be the automatic default of the horse.

I'm all for expanding the game and giving the player more options to play. Unfortunately, right now, ZOS seems to have their hands full with fixing the game, so these sorts of additions will have to wait until later.