Better minion control?

[Rhizo.5089]

I'm playing around with a minion build after throwing it in the trash pile of garbage years ago.One thing I can see that can be added as pet control that would not add an imbalance is some toggle buttons.There is a definite need for an active / passive toggle as well as a tight / dispersed attack pattern toggle.One thing that would have cause to test would be that minions share buffs that a necro receives.

[Obtena.7952]

I think we have to remember minions are not intended to act like pets. If Anet wanted them to be so, they wouldn't have gone out of their way to make them as minions in the first place.

I have to pretty much disagree with all the suggestions. Minions fit the theme; it doesn't make sense if they are 'pet' smart ... they are undead whatevers raised by the Necro.

[Rhizo.5089]

But yet they take commands already and that does not make them smart.

[Obtena.7952]

@Rhizo.5089 said:But yet they take commands already and that does not make them smart.

That doesn't make sense ... they are a skill and those skills have effects but you can't issue minions commands like you can pets. In otherwords, labelling those skills as commands doesn't make your point.

If Anet wanted them to act like pets, they wouldn't have gone out of their way to create a whole new mechanic and skill designation of minions for them to begin with. Clearly, what you are asking for is the opposite of what Anet wants for them.

[Rhizo.5089]

So you are stating that minion masters are perfectly ok? If you are ok with their state then evidently you have never played one because they are seriously lacking in performance and have been this way since the beginning. Like I said originally, I dumped minion master long ago because I consider it a total trashfest from ANET.

[Mad Queen Malafide.7512]

It annoys me how one minion can keep you in combat, despite you having left combat ages ago, with no way to call the minions back. It affects your movement speed and ability to use objects that require being out of combat. I've been a strong opponent of the in-combat slowdown mechanic for as long as the game exists, but at least gives minion masters a way to leave combat quickly. It also annoys me how the Flesh Golem often aggroes on things that are not being attacked by their owner, nor are anywhere near the owner. At a certain distance, maybe the Flesh Golem should simply disengage and return to its master.

[Josiah.2967]

Any good necromancer should be able to get their undead to submit or go passive through magic. Any good necromancers should be able to use a spell that forces all the minions to attack that target.

Imagine the shadow minion teleporting all mobs and forcing them to attack that target. That would be epic. Your the one who activates it. They are dumb you command them like chess pieces.

[Nubarus.9268]

@Rhizo.5089 said:So you are stating that minion masters are perfectly ok? If you are ok with their state then evidently you have never played one because they are seriously lacking in performance and have been this way since the beginning. Like I said originally, I dumped minion master long ago because I consider it a total trashfest from ANET.

I play a partial minion based reaper and have zero issues with it. The minions are just a meat shield. I find it hilarious that you call it a total trashfest and say you dumped the build since the beginning but at the same time declare yourself an expert on minion builds...............sounds a bit like a paradox to me.

[Dadnir.5038]

Honestly the minion experience used to be worse, I don't think there is a need for "better" minion control.

What truly need work is the fact that all 4 minions traits are all focused toward a passive use of minions while minion's active skills have serverly imbalanced performances (while taste of death, necrotic traversal and haunt are playable in regard of performance, this is not true for putrid explosion and rigor mortis).

[Obtena.7952]

@Rhizo.5089 said:So you are stating that minion masters are perfectly ok?

No, but more control doesn't fix what is wrong with them.

If you are ok with their state then evidently you have never played one ...

Evidently you are OK with making unfound assumptions as well. What I said is still relevant and true though. If Anet wanted us to have more control over minions like pets, they would have simply borrowed from existing mechanics for pets. They didn't. They went out of their way to purposefully make them NOT pets or pet-like in how they are controlled. You think the solution to their state is to throw out their concept and make them pets? Interesting ... What problem are you trying to solve here? How does that fix it? Why is the the BEST way to do that? Let's cut right to the point here ... you aren't trying to fix anything except your desire to make Necro's a pet class.

And here is some more truth for you ... I've played MM EXTENSIVELY and soloed most of HoT using one. You threw it on the trash pile while I was rocking some of the hardest content Anet put in the game with it.

[WorldofBay.8160]

@"Obtena.7952" said:I have to pretty much disagree with all the suggestions. Minions fit the theme; it doesn't make sense if they are 'pet' smart ... they are undead whatevers raised by the Necro.

actually i do think that minions joining a fight on their own is already too smart for actual necromancer minions. it would make sense to have a command like "all attack this guy" and a command like "be aggressive" that makes them spread out and attack any target in sight (even yellows and whites, minions are supposed to be dumb). those can be toggled then with a passive state like OP wants.

[Sobx.1758]

@"Rhizo.5089" said:So you are stating that minion masters are perfectly ok? If you are ok with their state then evidently you have never played one because they are seriously lacking in performance and have been this way since the beginning. Like I said originally, I dumped minion master long ago because I consider it a total trashfest from ANET.

How exactly are they "lacking in performance"? I'd like you to specifically explain what you mean by that.

@Josiah.2967 said:Any good necromancer should be able to get their undead to submit or go passive through magic. Any good necromancers should be able to use a spell that forces all the minions to attack that target.

They're literally attacking what you're attacking.

[Obtena.7952]

@WorldofBay.8160 said:

@"Obtena.7952" said:I have to pretty much disagree with all the suggestions. Minions fit the theme; it doesn't make sense if they are 'pet' smart ... they are undead whatevers raised by the Necro.

actually i do think that minions joining a fight

on their own

is already too smart for actual necromancer minions. it would make sense to have a command like "all attack this guy" and a command like "be aggressive" that makes them spread out and attack any target in sight (even yellows and whites, minions are supposed to be dumb). those can be toggled then with a passive state like OP wants.

Except they aren't intended to act like that, otherwise Anet would have DONE that in the first place. So no, it doesn't make sense. Just because it's something some people want doesn't mean it's sensible. We can't ignore the intent of the game design when making suggestions.

[necromaniac.7629]

I hate minions ?

[Galmac.4680]

Well, I like Minions (ok, the movie). But would not run with them. :p