The Witch Doctor Sucks!!!!

Nope, I am just another player, who before the update had a hard time keeping PR in the low 700's. My base and trainings were maxed, doesn't make me God. I am simply trying to help others, but I will shut up about it and keep to myself as I am about at my limit for sarcastic insults. Anyone who wants to learn more knows where to find me.

I have proposed adding a toggle for the WD in the Tavern to control his behavior. Other troops could benefit from toggles too, much like PH9 has adjustable range toggle. Different strokes for different folks.

 

Nobody call you liar and nothing personal. I said "your false statement" that WD's AI is fine. There are true and false. "Current WD's logic is nice and usable" is damn freakin' false! And you alone here with it - take a look around.
Enough proofs here left and I can easily cube it with screenshots and videos. I can't even nearly imagine how this sick WD's AI past Midoki's QA! Thats absolute absurd. I'd rather believe its intentional for our faster gemming!
Tens of players here on forum are in shock of WD AI but you keep singing about some "adaptation".
I win every my battle now (if only I don't lose in resource-attacks by pair of gunners) even with this ill-minded WD but that doesn't mean he is ok!

 

Yep I've just had my worst experience yet with the WD, he literally spent the whole battle running around like a headless chicken, he runs past my big group of 17 Gunners & "tried" to follow Juggs, but because they were following traps he spent the whole battle going outside walls & all around the base. It was so bad all I could do was laugh, because really it is noting but a joke, a bad joke.
Midoki just revert back to the old AI ASAP.

 

I didn't mean to sound sarcastic or to insult you, sorry if I did. I was just trying to point out that anyone who gets into the 700's is a good player and knows the game well. Much unlike the rest of us who are in the 500's and below we just can't easily change to a new strategy. Again sorry to come off as insulting.

 

You misunderstood what I said. Maybe you missed the previous posts about this, so I'll clarify.

The idea of having the WDs follow the strongest group is good. However as it's implemented, it doesn't work. So, Instead of reverting or completely starting over, they simply need to tweak it so that Juggs and other high-HP pirates aren't given such high priority. The reason this Jugg-following is happening is because a Jugg has 1800 toughness, and a Gunner has 111. Assuming there isn't currently any weighting going on, you would have to drop 17 gunners in a cluster before the AI would see that pack as being as strong as one Jugg. So, great idea, but needs some work.

As others have said, you can work around it, and while it's not foolproof, when you consider the other AI fixes they added that help with resurrecting, and it works decently enough that reverting to the old behavior (where WDs repel each other and wander off for no reason) IMO is much worse. Neither is a great solution, but with the new AI, at least there are workarounds. I've never seen anyone post a workaround to prevent a WD from wandering off under the old AI.

 

^^ This where we differ in opinion, it isn't decent enough in its current state. i feel the WD is near useless with the current AI. The workarounds I have tried just get him more confused and I end up loosing the battle. What's even worse is when you use two WD's with the new AI, it's a freak show on how they move about.

At least the old AI I could use him to actually WIN battles, I could use him to reserect skellys, I could use him to cover gunners/heavy gunners, I had no trouble using two or more of them. What I have now is a useless lump of staff waving poo.

I understand he's supposed to follow the strongest group but how is that ever going to work with juggs being so strong? How can they tweak it other than totally changing the AI?

 

WD protecting a jugg or brute is a great thing. They're the highest hp, and it about doubles their lifespan, which is their main goal as a unit - to soak up damage. A jugg or brute is a tanking class. If your other troops are getting attacked/need protection, you're using them wrong. None of your gunners should be getting hit until you're down to 2 juggs, and with a wd there, those juggs will last much longer.

Sure it might save your gunners from a couple bullets, but in most situations, if your gunner is taking any bullets to begin with, you did it wrong.

I'd much rather my bullet sponge last twice as long (which is tens of seconds) versus my gunners last twice as long (which is a couple seconds). So I'm glad he's prioritizing juggs. I don't want my gunners under a shield, because if my gunners are getting shot to begin with, my juggs aren't doing their job.

 

^^^ Uhhh what about splash damage??? My WD gets taken out waaaay before the jugg is done bashing things with this new AI.

 

Get a brute to distract the mortars. One brute can take both mortars for about a considerable amount of time. Bring a second one on your GS to double the bring it on duration (separate cooldowns). Two brutes could easily distract a gp and both mortars for most of the fight.

Or send one jugg on one side, wait for the mortars to target him (they do almost nothing to juggs), and then send your other juggs in with the WD once the mortars are properly distracted.

A mortar should never ever be landing near your main force, close enough to damage the wd to begin with.

 

^^ Except that the WD is sitting right next to that brute and or jugg taking the heat. He does not sit back out of harms way he's right there in it (and getting killed within seconds because he's so weak. There is no distracting the WD away from any jugg or brute as he races away from any group to protect them.

 

You shouldn't release a WD next to the brute/jugg you're using to distract mortars. You drop one jugg or one brute to do that, without a WD, and maybe your second gs brute if you want to double your bring it on. WD doesn't do anything really against mortars, so there's no point in releasing a WD with the single jugg/brute you dropped to distract them.

Other than that, all the rest of your juggs/brutes should be away from wherever any splash damage will ever hit, distracting cannons and gun towers. Never near splash damage. With your WD protecting them.

If the WD is hit by a mortar, you didn't distract the mortars properly. That mortar shouldn't have hit your main group of brutes/juggs either. It barely phases them, but it still shouldn't, precisely because of the WD. But thats why you bring a spare. And even if the WD does die early to a bad mortar shot, it still did more by extending the jugg lifespan than it would have if it was on the gunners, as it just made them take zero damage for more seconds, as opposed to reduced damage sooner, where that mortar you complained about would have bypassed the shield and shredded them anyways.

 

I have not posted here in months. I'm doing so now because Bad Piggies is exploding with players angry about the newly-broken WD.

Please revert the WD to its AI behavior prior to the latest update.

 

But if hes protecting the jugg or brute you also loose the ability to resurrect skeletons which are great at distracting defenses. Protecting the gunners is key in getting them to destroy things, you can't have them always free from all incoming fire.

Also you are completely forgetting that where ever you release the WD he will find the brute or jugg even if its clear across the map leaving any group hes with. Ok, drop two WD's you say, they both go running like chickens with their head cut off trying to find a brute or jugg, its play insanity.

Clearly you have a different style of playing but it seems to me that you haven't used the new WD yet or you'd be singing a different tune. The only people actually liking this nonsense are the ones who never use juggs or brutes or very few of them. I have tried this method and its better but still not even close to acceptable for the majority of players

 

Group 1: 1/2 brutes, or 1 jugg, to distract mortars, released at the start. This needs to absorb every single mortar shot for at least thirty seconds. A single jugg can absorb both mortars by himself for the duration of the fight. Two brutes with staggered bring-it-ons can absorb both mortars for a bit over 2 minutes, which should be plenty.

Group 2: the rest of your juggs (or brutes), and a wd, released after the mortars are distracted, from a location where the mortar won't ever hit that WD. It won't run off to protect that 1 jugg, because your group of several juggs has more hp. They will never get hit with a single mortar, as all mortars will be hitting group 1.

Group 2.5: Bombers to destroy walls, if necessary. They might get hit when they get inside, but the juggs should already have everything that can hit at wall range distracted so it shouldn't matter much.

Group 3: dps, released after group 2 has successfully engaged cannons/GT/bunkers. they will never get hit with a single bullet, as all bullets will be hitting group 2. It doesn't matter what dps you release, because if the defenses are already targetting group 2, and the mortars are firing off to the side at group 1, they will never become a target. If you're super concerned, drop a spare wd with them - it won't run off after group 2, because group 2 already is under protection; and it won't run after group 1, because group 1 is a single unit, and 8+dps have more hp than 1 unit, regardless of their type.

 

I love how you always find a way to make good of what we have. One of the reasons I find your comments informative and enjoyable to read.

TiGeR

 

that sounds like the perfect plan.

 

Have to say, I don't like the new AI. I hope it is not here to stay, but if it is @Skye explanation of how to use this seems like one worth adopting.

 

his plan would work in a perfect world but knowing a little bit about how this game works, I bet half the time that plan will fall short. Having a more dependable WD AI seems like the better path in my book.

 

I've been trying it somewhat this morning. I can't get it and I'm no novice. Just have the WD follow the troops you deploy it with and stop all this mathematical HP nonsense. I admire the intellect behind it, but I'm not interested in that level of detail. I want simplicity with my troop deployment and would like the wd returned to its previous state. I know I'm not alone!! Come on midoki for the love of all that is holy!!!

Like someone said previously, adopt a toggle WD for those who want the WD protecting their strongest pirates and a normal WD for the rest of humanity.

 

I am all for change. I love the idea that we have a level playing field and it is way more fun to have to adopt a new strategy as opposed to making the same attacks over and over. I love that bases are now more varied and I love that analysis such as Skye's above can make me adopt a new way of attacking...

...but seriously, my WD's are playing FarmVille or something that is definitely not plunder pirates!!
If the new AI is true than I can adapt but it's like No-one has told my WD what the new AI is supposed to be. I don't blame them if they don't know but if they do....make your mind up and stick with that jugg!!
Stop all the running around and indecisiveness please!!