If funcom continues to add features to this game Thrall enhancements and immersion should be at the top of their list. The thrall system is really one of the biggest features that Conan Exiles has that really sets it apart from it’s competitors, but their is so much more that needs to be done to make them truely useful on PvP servers and immersive on PvE and RP servers.
Basic level: More thrall commands and stances-
Follow- In game
Stop following -In game
Place- In game (but make it much more intiuitive as to which way the thrall will be facing when placed)
Guard- Similar to place currently, the thrall will stay in the same spot unless triggered by combat
Patrol (close/medium/far)- The thrall will patrol around a range of his placement based on the parameters set.
Free- The thrall will wander around the players base interacting with objects in a relatively intelligent manner (sitting at a campfire/sitting in a chair/interacting with talking animations with other thralls in free mode, etc.)
Stance (passive, defensive, aggressive)
Passive- A passive thrall will not attack anything unless they are specifically attacked and targeted. They will ignore all fighting going on around them. A good stance in RP servers to add the feeling of a living breathing world without everyone not in the same clan being immediately set upon by window dressing thralls. Also a good stance for PvP servers for when you have a thrall follower and want them to stop attacking so that you can knock out a thrall for the wheel.
Defensive- A thrall set to defensive posture will not attack unless another thrall, player, clan member, or clan structure is attacked. A good setting for all servers for when you don’t want thralls to waste arrows or charge out to attack every single Hyena that passes by, but if someone or something attacks the clans property in some manner all the defensive thralls will aggro.
Aggressive- An aggressive thrall will attack anything not belonging to the clan within it’s detection range.
Intermediate level: -Greater thrall usability
Thrall AI- Improve pathfinding, imporove their attack AI to be more useful, in conjuction with this how about a T2 crenulated wall so that thralls can fire arrows off structures other than T3.
Thrall Bind Commands- Bind a key that brings up a radial menu of thrall commands that affect the thrall following you so that in the middle of a thrall raid you can change that thralls stance on the fly without having to walk up to them and press and hold E. Thralls not in follow mode would still need to have their commands set the original way.
New Thrall Type:
Commander Thralls- Come in T1-T4 variants, some spawns like the Black Hand Captain, and Sepermuru Captain would be switched over to be a commander thrall type. Other spawn points could be added in major NPC areas.
Commanders have a special inventory slot to place a thrall in, much like work stations, when placed this thrall will follow the commander. T1 commanders have one space, T2 have two spaces, T3 have three spaces, and T4 have 4 spaces.
When accessing the thrall command radial menu (as discussed in Thrall Bind Commands) The player has an additional option if a commander thrall is following you- Orders. For T1 and T2 Commander thralls the only options under orders is “Hold” and “Charge”. The player would hopefully voice these commands, maybe even with a short emote when giving them.
Hold- Giving a hold command will keep the commander and his retinue in one spot, but they will attack anything that comes within weapon range. This works especially well for a commander with a group of archers as they will stay put, but fire their arrows at enemies at range.
Charge- Giving a charge command will send the commander and his retinue off at a flat run in the direction the player is facing attacking anything they come accross. Giving a hold command will stop the charge.
At T3 and T4 an additional order will open up- Formation, and an additional order- Advance
Formation- Formation will let you set your group of thralls into either Line or Wedge
Advance- Advance will set your thralls to walk, while keeping their formation, in the direction the player is facing. They will stop advancing to fight anything that is within weapon range, but will not break their formation. Giving a hold command will stop their advance and a charge command will lead them to break formation and attack. Using the advance and charge in conjunction would be a good way to ensure your thralls converge in mass in the same spot with a charge instead of being too spread out.
Additionally at the T3 and T4 levels commander thralls could have ethnic oriented commands. A Shemite commander might have the option to Volley Fire (all archer thralls fire at the same time), a Nordhiemer commander might have a Shield Wall command (a line formation but with shields up allowing for a steady advance under archer fire. A Cimmerian commander might have a Frenzied Charge command a charge where damage is increased for a brief period of time. A Stygian commander might have a “Blossom” formation where they form a tight circle facing outward and attack anything that comes within weapon range and would be effective will an all pike group. A Kush*** might have a Skirmisher order where they only will use javelins, throwing axes, and bows, unless they are cornered and they try to keep their distance from enemies. etc.
The game itself has so much potential, but I really think the greatest potential can be achieved through the thrall system.
I may be missing something but why does the forum filter block one of the ethnic groups that are present in the game?