Thralls not using equipped weapons, still not attacking enemies

Conan Exiles [PC] Updates and Bugs
#1

Game mode: Single-player
Type of issue: Bug
Server type: Local
Region: NA

When giving a fighter or archer thrall a new weapon, they sometimes decide that instead of using that powerful upgraded weapon I lovingly crafted for them, it would be a wiser choice to engage foes with their fists instead (this problem may occur with dancers but I have not noticed the behaviour).

I am not alone in experiencing this… https://steamcommunity.com/app/440900/discussions/0/2561864094353625446/

Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t. It appears completely random, whether they’ll use their equipped weapon or even attack at all.

Despite the Issues Status List claiming that thralls not attacking enemies has been patched, it has not been fixed. This is a regular occurrence in my game. Something tells me I’m not the only one.

It is sad, a unique and brilliant feature (the thrall system) that should be a highlight of the game (and key selling point) is enfeebled by malfunctioning AI.

Please provide a step-by-step process of how the bug can be reproduced. The more details you provide us with the easier it will be for us to find and fix the bug:

  1. Equip a thrall with a weapon of your choice.
  2. Lead an enemy into the thrall’s proximity.
  3. (If the thrall attacks) Observe the thrall trying to punch the heavily armored foe in the face.
5 Likes
#2

Lmao. A check and un-check list!

#3

Yes, you’re not the only one. I also watch this from time to time. And also I can not reveal any pattern - when my tralls take weapons, and when - they run to fight with their fists.

#4

Do you have more then one weapon in the thrall inventory?

Do you give a archer a sword and a fighter a bow or throwing axe?

How many thralls do you command at the same rendered place when it happen?

Just asking as id like to know, i usually remove all the inventory of my thralls, equip weapon(only 1) and armor.

But of course, it happes sometimes to me also, but most of them attack and pull weapon as they should.

If it is rare then i`d say its normal, you cant have this dynamic feature to work 100% of the time with no mistakes, wether it be weird pathing or one of them hitting with fists.
There are many variables in this feature, like how many thralls you have at the same spot, or if its a major attack or only 1 hostile mob attacking etc.
At least i find it to be better to not have the thrall have to make a choice of weapon and just give them 1.

It`s code, and even if they where human they would still do mistakes sometimes, like bring your fists to a gunfight, that happens too:)

#5

I have the exact same problem with archers for a long time. they dont pick up the weapon you put in their inventory. and yes i have tryed only one weapon. and its not working even you force the weapon into their hands it keeps coming back to inventory. but i have given up makin threads about problem on this game because nothing is happening and they dont care at all. many fixes they said its one but the problems are still there.

#6

ALL of my fighters have only one weapon in the inventory (or weapons and shield). Archers have a bow with arrows and one weapon for melee combat.

#9

I do the same as F_Constantine. Fighters only one melee weapon (sometimes a shield), archers have a bow with arrow, & melee weapon as backup. I simply replace what they already have with a better weapon basically.

At present, I have about 50 thralls in my relatively modest base (I’m level 46, first-time player), including all craft-station thralls. Not sure how rare the phenomena is, I’ve only been playing a few weeks, will keep an eye on it. Though not sure it’s the sort of mistake a human would make in a sword-fight lol.

Thanks for suggestions peeps. Ideally Funcom will improve thrall functionality (& expand the whole thrall system hopefully) so it’s at least working as intended. Until that happy day, I’ll try removing archers’ melee weapons, and try giving fighters only two-handed weapons.

Really, though… I shouldn’t have to.

Today I watched three fighter thralls draw their weapons in response to a hostile croc, then proceed to circle around adjacent to it without bothering to actually swing any attacks for the longest time, then one thrall hit it once, then decided to rejoin its fellows with the passive-aggressive circling as the croc gradually took bites out of them. Eventually I got sick of it and just went in and killed the croc myself…

#10
  1. Equip a thrall with a weapon similar but of better quality than what they came with.
    Example A: Archer comes with Ancient Bow equip with a Star Metal bow and dragon bone arrows.
    Don’t forget to drag the dragon bone arrows on to the bow to choose ammunition.
    Example B: Sword and Shield replace with a higher level sword and shield.

Moral: Do not try and change a spear thrall into a sword thrall.

To make sure they know to use the weapon put it in their hand.
I noticed it takes a couple drag and drops to get some of the weapons into the proper hand.

#11

Sorry, but this is only your imagination. First, any weapon is more effective than the hands, so what kind of weapon would not be equipped with a trall - he should apply it, and not fists. Secondly, the game simply does not have “swordsmen”, “spearmen”, etc., “starting” weapons are appropriated to the tralls absolutely randomly, so it does not matter what kind of melee weapon you will later give the fighter.

#12

you should have a look a this thread, Here is some feedback about thralls mechanics
because you are assuming things that many players do assume too, but these things are actually only rumors. And this thread main purpose was to bring light upon those rumors.
Constantine is right.

5 Likes
#13

Thanks for this.
It is kind of you, bringing light.

1 Like
#14

From the summary of the thread by the OP who was the one performing the actual testing (non-anecdotal)…

“The type of the weapon your thrall will acquire by default when he comes out of the wheel of pain will not make him specialized in this very type of weapon. You can give him whatever you like as long as it is a melee weapon for a fighter or a ranged weapon for an archer” [Emphasis mine]

Also, relevant to my passive-aggressive circling thrall problem, another poster in that thread claimed…

"… I tested how reactive the thralls were to an opponent with different weapons.

To smaller or shorter enemies, such as crocodiles, the thralls reacted way slower and spent a lot of time positioning around with one hand weapons or daggers .

With long reach weapons or slow weapons that can be delayed, like Spear, Two handed sword or warhammer the thrall dispatched opponents very quick as it did not waste time positioning itself around. [Emphasis mine]

To humanoids its less noticeable but still noticeable. They seem to spazz out less with Spear, warhammer and two handed weapons against real players as well and more effective too as they dont have to be glued to the human player to start swinging."

Yet, an interesting reply…

"It’s very difficult to generalize i think, like for 5 hours my thralls fight every mob like a charm and 10 min later they got stuck in every single battle they are involved.
the size of the mob DOES matter in their buggyness, i’m convinced by that but only once this size has reached a certain proportion. for exemple 1 category of animals has hitboxes which are beyond the reach of fighters thralls. it will be extremely rare that you see them landing a hit to these ennemies

  1. the undead dragon and other dragons in general as well
  2. mammoths. here you may see 1-2 hits landed sometimes, definitely not as bad as dragons but still very bad
  3. elephants. With elephants i have seen a lot of different things, but thralls do struggle to find the hitbox of these ennemies.

To be honnest i don’t think the type of melee weapon you give them will have an impact on their buggyness."

One thing I think is definitely safe to assume is that the thrall AI needs work.

2 Likes
#15

Needs Work, that seems to be the theme here.

2 Likes
#16

Almost like we need an AI Overhaul for NPC's…

2 Likes
#17

Most definitely. If I had my way (and a magic wand) we’d get mounts, sorcery, an overhaul of the thrall system & AI, and general bugfixing/polish. Anything else would be gravy but those are the things I think the game cries out for.

2 Likes
#18

they need a thrall key binding command list so we can tell them to attack fallback and follow in real time along with quick commands for changing to a blunt vs damage weapon vs bow

1 Like
#19

You’re lucky if your thralls hit the enemy in the face. In my case, they simply remove the shield and sword and stand in the stance of a fistfighter, without even trying to defend themselves.

1 Like
#20

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