NPC Stealth Detection Anomaly? Staff answer?

purplederpy · July 2015

We're all pretty attuned to the Stealth Detection of NPC's in ESO. If you get kinda close, they'll start to detect you and maybe look in your direction, but if you get far away or hide quick enough, they won't detect you and they'll turn back to their normal position.

But one time, and I KNOW this happened, I was in Glenumbra in the area Northwest of Cath Bedraud - Where the bandits or cultists or whatever are.
I was sneaking around killing bandits. At one point, there were two bandits standing next to each other inside a little square of ruined walls.

I started to sneak toward them but almost got detected, so I backed away. But instead of them just turning to look and then looking back, one of them MOVED. And not like normal pathing "I'm gonna do my scripted patrol in this place." He looked in my direction, I was hiding on the other side of a ruined wall, and he started walking toward my position. The sneak eye was half open and the bandit had the red blinky signal above his head, meaning I was being looked for, right? Anyway, he walked to RIGHT where I was standing (of course I moved because I saw him coming) and he stood looking at the spot for about a second or two, then walked right back to his post next to the other bandit.

Is the stealth system capable of this? This was the only time I've seen an NPC actually walk around and look for a target they almost detected. I keep trying to replicate this with the same bandit but I simply can't. He isn't patrolling or anything in the same fashion either, in fact he's pretty static.

Is this possible in the system? If so, why doesn't it happen more often? Is this a bug, or maybe some kind of coincidence? Or is the NPC stealth detection in ESO similar to that of previous Elder Scrolls games?

idk · July 2015

If your sneak eye is part open I believe that means you are detectable. Sometimes you cannot go back into hiding easily if they caught a glimpse of you. Sneaking is not true stealth.

MangoSsk · July 2015

purplederpy wrote: »

We're all pretty attuned to the Stealth Detection of NPC's in ESO. If you get kinda close, they'll start to detect you and maybe look in your direction, but if you get far away or hide quick enough, they won't detect you and they'll turn back to their normal position.

But one time, and I KNOW this happened, I was in Glenumbra in the area Northwest of Cath Bedraud - Where the bandits or cultists or whatever are.
I was sneaking around killing bandits. At one point, there were two bandits standing next to each other inside a little square of ruined walls.

I started to sneak toward them but almost got detected, so I backed away. But instead of them just turning to look and then looking back, one of them MOVED. And not like normal pathing "I'm gonna do my scripted patrol in this place." He looked in my direction, I was hiding on the other side of a ruined wall, and he started walking toward my position. The sneak eye was half open and the bandit had the red blinky signal above his head, meaning I was being looked for, right? Anyway, he walked to RIGHT where I was standing (of course I moved because I saw him coming) and he stood looking at the spot for about a second or two, then walked right back to his post next to the other bandit.

Is the stealth system capable of this? This was the only time I've seen an NPC actually walk around and look for a target they almost detected. I keep trying to replicate this with the same bandit but I simply can't. He isn't patrolling or anything in the same fashion either, in fact he's pretty static.

Is this possible in the system? If so, why doesn't it happen more often? Is this a bug, or maybe some kind of coincidence? Or is the NPC stealth detection in ESO similar to that of previous Elder Scrolls games?

Put it this way.. If sneaking was OP people would abuse it to get through dungeons.

Nestor · July 2015

There could be so many reasons for this. Also, I have seen NPCs "looking" for me when I am sneaking.

Most NPCs have a Patrol Path to follow and are on a timer to start walking the path. If you watch any mob long enough you will see the pattern. Of course, some NPCs basically have a real small patrol path, or don't have one defined. Their AI can also make them move towards stimulus, usually this is being attacked even if they don't have a patrol path. External Stimulus can also make an NPC do a Patrol or an Alert script. Sometimes it is just the AI putting the NPC back to home position.

Then there is the line of sight issue. Yes, your supposed to be undetectable if your not in the line of site of an NPC, but if there is a small gap in the textures then they can see through that object or wall. This is why some people get caught from time to time when stealing something upstairs from NPCs. Which is why I always go into Sneak Mode if the building has NPCs say on the ground floor and I am up on upper floor stealing. The detection radius is not a donut, but a sphere.

The Sneak Eye goes partially open when the NPC is close to you, or rather, getting near the detection radius, even if there is something blocking LOS, this can occur if the NPC is alerted or not. Sometimes even if they are not alerted but just looking in your direction. If you get the Nightshade gear or the Medium Armor passive that increases stealth detection radius, you can see this effect, or rather the distance change at which it occurs when sneaking.

Merlin13KAGL · July 2015

Sometimes they will step out (alternate script) and do the hand-over-eyes scan the horizon 'looking' for you, but it's nothing more than an alternate path/script.

The AI in this game is severely lack in 'I.'

jeanbulinckxub17_ESO · July 2015

Sometimes LAG ill trick you.
Since I cannot get less than 200ms lag meaning that happens a lot.

Also Sometimes a lost TCP:IP packet ill make it more noticeable (in general ill cause you lag bar indicator to go red).

The problem is: you moved but you comand to move (and new position) don't reached server in time. Also the updated position and direction of that mob (from server) don't reached you client in time to you to notice.

in resume: You got the aggro but was not updated in time to notice it before it was too late.

purplederpy · July 2015

jeanbulinckxub17_ESO wrote: »

Sometimes LAG ill trick you.
Since I cannot get less than 200ms lag meaning that happens a lot.

Also Sometimes a lost TCP:IP packet ill make it more noticeable (in general ill cause you lag bar indicator to go red).

The problem is: you moved but you comand to move (and new position) don't reached server in time. Also the updated position and direction of that mob (from server) don't reached you client in time to you to notice.

in resume: You got the aggro but was not updated in time to notice it before it was too late.

Yeah I don't think it was this at all. I would have noticed if my latency dipped.

whiteshadow711jppreub18_ESO · July 2015

This one has seen this happen plenty of times, sometimes you get too close and the enemy NPC will see something and investigate where they saw you, if you quickly move out of the area they will just reset, if not and they see you it will bring you into combat.