VGOEmulator.net

In Everquest, if you had autoattack turned on with no target, and then you were hit by something, the attack would give you a target, and you would start attacking whatever hit you. My tanks used to use this as a safeguard if I went AFK in a (not too dangerous) area in case something wandered by and started attacking (of course, you had to be facing the right way, so I used to back up to a wall or something).

However, I don't think that ever worked in Vanguard (can't remember why, but I do remember trying it and giving up). I can't think of any benefit to it, if it didn't work as it did in EQ. I think it would be fine if autoattack would turn off any time you had no living, valid target.

[quote="zippyzee"]Why shouldn't you be able to attack her?[/quote]

In VG, direct attacks against quest/vendor type NPCs simply didn't work ("invalid target" error). Vanguard had a number of failsafes against griefers, and that was one of them. I remember frequently not being able to work on quests in EQ because some high level had come through and wiped out all the quest givers. It was a pain, and the Vanguard's anti-grief mechanisms were much appreciated by me.

However, at least some indirect (e.g. AE) attacks would agro quest/vendor NPCs in Vanguard. I occasionally had to hot foot it out of town on my psi after accidentally hitting my AE stun around someone I was trying to talk to.

NPCs and crafting stations can no longer be attacked or have any skills used on them. A side effect now being that skills that affect self or defensive target will not cast if these NPCs are targeted ("Invalid Target")

[quote="shargash"][quote="zippyzee"]Why shouldn't you be able to attack her?[/quote]

In VG, direct attacks against quest/vendor type NPCs simply didn't work ("invalid target" error). Vanguard had a number of failsafes against griefers, and that was one of them. I remember frequently not being able to work on quests in EQ because some high level had come through and wiped out all the quest givers. It was a pain, and the Vanguard's anti-grief mechanisms were much appreciated by me.

However, at least some indirect (e.g. AE) attacks would agro quest/vendor NPCs in Vanguard. I occasionally had to hot foot it out of town on my psi after accidentally hitting my AE stun around someone I was trying to talk to.[/quote]

I'm speaking somewhat facetiously. I know they limited it in Vanguard, but they didn't in Everquest. My point is more or less how do we want to set it up to be the most fun?

Don't forget that "recreating Vanguard 1:1" is out the door. We want to make the game as fun as possible for the people who join in, while keeping in the spirit of the game. Since there's just a few of us developing code we can take some liberties.

I'd make it so players can't attack NPCs unless they're KOS to them already. Or don't let players kill them at all.

I think at sunset, you could kill guards, who were the only NPCs that would actively chase down your KOS character. But others were 'invalid targets' and you'd have to get a lot closer to them to make them aggro you.

Though keep in mind my characters were all 55's by sunset, so that could be the reason for the reduced aggro range. I know you could diplo KOS characters if you stood at max distance.

I don't remember any reason for autoattack w/o having a target. You could do it, not sure why...