If you're working on PvE, why not focus on combat variety/AI?

[tobbiusness]

From my recent comment on the Testlive:

@tobbiusness

Some examples of more complex difficultly increases I’ve thought of;

• Human AI (and appropriate animals) reactively blocking/dodging/kicking us during chained attacks, and blocking arrows if they actually can. Reactive block, dodge & kick chance would scale with NPC tiers (similarly to their ability to do attack chains) and this chance obviously needs to be finely tuned so it doesn’t feel frustrating.

• Human AI disengaging at low health to use bandages/potions while with allies present (i.e not alone, as it’d be pointless), or momentarily going berserk.
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  NPC’s capacity to heal would be based on their area type/culture, Exiles on noob river for example having pretty much no chance to have those types of supplies unless they’re high tier, and even still very little of poor quality and potency (no potions, only bandages). Again, finely tuned, so majority could only heal once during an encounter. I’d imaging alchemists might carry an extra potion for example.
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  Berserking would be limited to high tier NPC’s of certain races. Dafari, Cimmerians and Nordheimer Berserkers for example.

• NPC’s having limited counters to player mobility options. Appropriate creatures swimming (crocs, shaleback), jumping/climbing (canines/felines jumping up and nipping/swiping, spiders climbing )
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  Human AI without ranged attacks could throw rocks to deal stamina damage to climbers (speaking of, why can’t we throw rocks yet?)