Getting to the bottom of Dryad summon AI

[BingBongHallo 31]

Over the past few weeks, I've been meticulously crafting a new Dryad build and pushing the limits of summoning AI, which, to put it mildly, hasn't been the smoothest ride. So, in an effort to enhance our collective gameplay, I dove deep into the mechanics of two summons deemed most potent and reliable, hoping to uncover which one truly stands the test of time.

The Objective: My journey was primarily fueled by the desire to circumvent a common nuisance - our summoned allies diving headfirst into a state of utter confusion, either halting their assault mid-battle or completely withdrawing from the fray.

Methodology: Armed with a stopwatch app, I embarked on a series of tests. The moment our summoned creature leaped into action marked the start, pausing only when it decided to take an unscheduled break or retreat. Imagine orchestrating this setup... yeah, it was as cumbersome as it sounds.

I conducted 100 trials - 50 amidst the sprawling expanse of the outdoors and another 50 within the confining walls of dungeons. Each session spanned 15 minutes, a testament to my need for a good freaking summon (or insanity, perhaps).

Before diving deeper, it's crucial to note that my findings pertain exclusively to the Xbox version of Sacred 2.

Two Star Scorpion Head Analysis:

This summon is a DPS beast. Its unparalleled attack speed, combined with devastating damage at higher levels, is something to behold.

- Outdoor Performance: On average, our scorpion friend took a breather every 14.4 seconds, with each pause lingering for about 5.3 seconds. Attempts at re-summoning yielded a mixed bag of outcomes.
  
- Dungeon Performance: Here, the scorpion's breaks occurred roughly every 11.4 seconds, extending to 7.1 seconds on average.

Observations: The cramped confines of dungeons seem to exacerbate the scorpion's tendency to halt its assault. Despite this, it faces challenges across all environments, unaffected by level, gear, or strategic build considerations.

Two Star Dragon Head Analysis:

Though it may lag slightly behind the scorpion in sheer power, the dragon compensates with agility, a cute face, and the ability to keep pace without constant teleportation - a significant factor since teleporting often results in a brief, but critical, pause in action.

- Outdoor Performance: Our dragon ally disengaged every 19.1 seconds on average, with pauses lasting about 3.4 seconds.
  
- Dungeon Performance: In dungeons, the average time between engagements dropped to 15.4 seconds, with each pause extending to approximately 5.2 seconds.

Observations: Compared to the scorpion, the dragon maintains a more consistent presence in battle. It's noteworthy, though, that re-summoning either creature only rectified behavioral quirks half of the time.

A peculiar find was that both summons tended to remain more engaged when I stood still (yet continued attacking), though the difference was marginal.

In conclusion, for those venturing forth with a Dryad build on console, the dragon emerges as a slightly more reliable companion, especially for players seeking to avoid frequent summoning hiccups. However, if you're armed with patience and a desire for unmatched DPS, the scorpion remains a formidable ally.

Happy summoning,

- Jay

Edited March 18 by BingBongHallo

[gogoblender 3,070]

On 3/18/2024 at 4:14 AM, BingBongHallo said:

Over the past few weeks, I've been meticulously crafting a new Dryad build and pushing the limits of summoning AI, which, to put it mildly, hasn't been the smoothest ride. So, in an effort to enhance our collective gameplay, I dove deep into the mechanics of two summons deemed most potent and reliable, hoping to uncover which one truly stands the test of time.

The Objective: My journey was primarily fueled by the desire to circumvent a common nuisance - our summoned allies diving headfirst into a state of utter confusion, either halting their assault mid-battle or completely withdrawing from the fray.

Methodology: Armed with a stopwatch app, I embarked on a series of tests. The moment our summoned creature leaped into action marked the start, pausing only when it decided to take an unscheduled break or retreat. Imagine orchestrating this setup... yeah, it was as cumbersome as it sounds.

I conducted 100 trials - 50 amidst the sprawling expanse of the outdoors and another 50 within the confining walls of dungeons. Each session spanned 15 minutes, a testament to my need for a good freaking summon (or insanity, perhaps).

Before diving deeper, it's crucial to note that my findings pertain exclusively to the Xbox version of Sacred 2.

Two Star Scorpion Head Analysis:

This summon is a DPS beast. Its unparalleled attack speed, combined with devastating damage at higher levels, is something to behold.

- Outdoor Performance: On average, our scorpion friend took a breather every 14.4 seconds, with each pause lingering for about 5.3 seconds. Attempts at re-summoning yielded a mixed bag of outcomes.
  
- Dungeon Performance: Here, the scorpion's breaks occurred roughly every 11.4 seconds, extending to 7.1 seconds on average.

Observations: The cramped confines of dungeons seem to exacerbate the scorpion's tendency to halt its assault. Despite this, it faces challenges across all environments, unaffected by level, gear, or strategic build considerations.

Two Star Dragon Head Analysis:

Though it may lag slightly behind the scorpion in sheer power, the dragon compensates with agility, a cute face, and the ability to keep pace without constant teleportation - a significant factor since teleporting often results in a brief, but critical, pause in action.

- Outdoor Performance: Our dragon ally disengaged every 19.1 seconds on average, with pauses lasting about 3.4 seconds.
  
- Dungeon Performance: In dungeons, the average time between engagements dropped to 15.4 seconds, with each pause extending to approximately 5.2 seconds.

Observations: Compared to the scorpion, the dragon maintains a more consistent presence in battle. It's noteworthy, though, that re-summoning either creature only rectified behavioral quirks half of the time.

A peculiar find was that both summons tended to remain more engaged when I stood still (yet continued attacking), though the difference was marginal.

In conclusion, for those venturing forth with a Dryad build on console, the dragon emerges as a slightly more reliable companion, especially for players seeking to avoid frequent summoning hiccups. However, if you're armed with patience and a desire for unmatched DPS, the scorpion remains a formidable ally.

Happy summoning,

- Jay

Love the methodology , exactness and ...science! this insight is the kind of thing the Wiki needs!  Have you had a look at the Sacred 2 wiki page? Is there a place upon it where you thinkin your rating of the different summons could be of use to future players? Why and *by how much* are big drivers for players.  I can register you as a wiki contributor and you can write info in there, ooooooor... I can still register you as a wiki member and you yourself can add a lnk in the wiki to your guide here so that people reading the wiki and wanting more info can follow the web of intelligent playing and conquering to your prose here!!

gogo

[BingBongHallo 31]

1 hour ago, gogoblender said:

Love the methodology , exactness and ...science! this insight is the kind of thing the Wiki needs!  Have you had a look at the Sacred 2 wiki page? Is there a place upon it where you thinkin your rating of the different summons could be of use to future players? Why and *by how much* are big drivers for players.  I can register you as a wiki contributor and you can write info in there, ooooooor... I can still register you as a wiki member and you yourself can add a lnk in the wiki to your guide here so that people reading the wiki and wanting more info can follow the web of intelligent playing and conquering to your prose here!!

gogo

That sounds great, man. I'd be happy to contribute! I'm actually working on a guide like this for all major summons, so once that's done, I'll incorporate that into the wiki if you'd like? 

[gogoblender 3,070]

35 minutes ago, BingBongHallo said:

That sounds great, man. I'd be happy to contribute! I'm actually working on a guide like this for all major summons, so once that's done, I'll incorporate that into the wiki if you'd like? 

awesomeon!

gogo