A question about archviles

[WhateverComic07]

I was replaying Sunder map 2 and creating a giant infight party in the main chamber. I had it mostly cleared out and got an archie attacking a cyber. That got me thinking, mostly because it stopped targeting the cyber and killed me, why do monsters sometimes stop targeting other monsters in an infight? I understand it has to do with the step count, but the archvile couldn't have moved more than like 5 steps before targeting me. Any ideas as to what happened?

 

Also as a bonus, how long would it take an archvile to kill a cyber, if it even could, due to them being immune to blast damage?

Edited August 22, 2023 by WhateverComic07
typo

[baja blast rd.]

Archies would take 200 attacks to kill a full-health cyb since they still do the 20 base damage against enemies that are splash-immune.

 

Doing the math here, 200 attacks + some wandering time between each attack, carry the one, carry the two -- that adds up to a pretty long time!

 

Usually when both the archie and cybie can roam freely, the archvile will take itself out with its own splash long before it takes out the cyber because the archie will do many of its attacks while "touching" the cyb. And with a pack of viles against one cyb the splash adds up even faster. If there's something keeping them apart, like the cyb is turreted, you can leave and do other parts of the map if you're not worried about possible resurrection, but that is rare.

 

In the Sunder scenario you described are you sure the archie spontaneously stopped? Not a source code expert so idk if that can happen. What I've seen happen is that the vile might get tagged by a hitscanner or other enemy in a way you didn't notice, and that enemy can get killed shortly after, and then the vile would be aggro'd on you. 

[WhateverComic07]

maybe. I'm pretty sure all the chaingunners were dead, but I did kill them in through infighting, so I guess one might have lived through the swarm of pinkies. 

 

Admittedly I was dodging the cyber turret at the time while trying to keep an eye on the roaming cyber since he wouldn't target an archvile for obvious reasons.

[Lucius Wooding]

Which port/complevel? I understand MBF in particular can cause strange and non-vanilla infighting behavior so it's possible it might have something to do with it. I do think the hitscanner theory is more likely though if you couldn't rule that out. 

[WhateverComic07]

it was just prboom+. I don't think I did anything to mess with the actual comp level but it is pretty custom settings. (I use Boom and GZDoom for personal play and when I want to record demo's I use DSDADoom)

[Dark Pulse]

12 hours ago, WhateverComic07 said:

I was replaying Sunder map 2 and creating a giant infight party in the main chamber. I had it mostly cleared out and got an archie attacking a cyber. That got me thinking, mostly because it stopped targeting the cyber and killed me, why do monsters sometimes stop targeting other monsters in an infight? I understand it has to do with the step count, but the archvile couldn't have moved more than like 5 steps before targeting me. Any ideas as to what happened?

The basic gist of the targeting rules are as follows:

• When a monster is activated (whether by player or monster), for 100 tics (a hair over 3 seconds), even if something else hits the monster, it will keep pursuing whatever awakened or hurt it.
• Once threshold is zero, if something else hits them, and it's not an Arch-vile or Pain Elemental (the former can't be targeted by a monster, the latter can't be targeted directly, but the Lost Souls it spits can be), pursue THEM instead for at least 100 tics. If nothing else hits them after the switch, they will keep pursuing the new target. If something else hits them again, change target accordingly. If whatever second thing hit them dies, they will resume targeting their original enemy, unless that enemy is also dead (if so, it will return to idle).
• Exception: Arch-vile. If the Arch-vile is hit by anything at any time, target switches immediately. For that reason, if an Arch-vile is pissed at something else, and it's not too risky, let it kill whatever it was. If you're lucky, it won't resurrect it as it resumes its hunt for (usually) you, and even if it does, if it managed to spark off more infighting, that's less shots you have to take. Of course, if waiting would be seriously bad, you should just rush to kill it all the same.

Edited August 22, 2023 by Dark Pulse

[Shepardus]

In PrBoom+'s default compatibility level, monsters can get bored of chasing their target and go after you instead. This is tied to the item in the Doom Compatibility options menu named "monsters don't give up pursuit of targets," and is applicable to complevels 11 (MBF) or higher.