Aggro System Fixes and Changes

Hello Paxians,

Here’s a summary of how aggro will work in the next content patch. This update will be deployed to the Public Test Server in the coming days.

The aggro changes were previously discussed in an earlier devblog on Discord. Rather than reposting the full breakdown here, you can read the original thread for additional context and detailed explanations.

Below is a quick visual guide showing what you can expect from the updated aggro behavior.

1. Core Aggro Ranges

Starting with the basics: NPCs use different ranges for vision, hearing, and assist behavior. Vision and hearing require a line of sight to the target. Assist requires line of sight to the NPC ally calling for help.

Notable changes and bug fixes:

• Hearing now needs line of sight. An NPC hearing a noise on the other side of a wall used to be enough to pull it, in some cases, causing them to route through the entire dungeon to get to you. The NPC has to actually be able to see who made the noise now, or else they won’t pay it any attention.
• Bystander NPCs no longer block detection. If a guard is standing in front of an archer, the archer can now see and hear past their ally instead of being shielded by their hitbox.

2. Direct Aggro from damage or harmful effects

If a player damages an NPC or applies another aggro-generating effect, that NPC gains Direct Aggro against that player. This does not require line of sight.

3. Direct Aggro from vision and hearing

If an NPC is not already engaged in combat, it can gain Direct Aggro against the first player it notices through vision or hearing.

4. Direct Aggro from support actions

Healing or applying beneficial effects to a player who already has Direct Aggro can also cause the NPC to gain Direct Aggro against the support player.

5. Assist Aggro

NPCs with Direct Aggro can call nearby allies to assist them. An NPC only responds if it is social with the caller, within Assist Range, and has line of sight to the calling NPC.

Notable changes and bug fixes:

• No more accidental dungeon-floor chain pulls. Pulling one NPC used to be able to ripple across an entire floor.
• Allies leave the assist network the moment their friend disengages. When an NPC starts walking home, it stops being part of its buddies' "available helpers" list straight away. You won't be dragged back into a fight you've already won by a late call from a leashing NPC.

6. Assist Aggro can become Direct Aggro

An NPC that joined through Assist Aggro can be promoted to Direct Aggro if the player damages it, enters its vision range, or enters its hearing range. Once promoted, that NPC can also call for an assist.

7. Passing near an ongoing fight

NPCs already engaged in combat do not generate new vision or hearing aggro. A player can pass near an ongoing fight without being pulled in, as long as they do not damage enemies or support players already in combat.

8. Aggro decay

If a player stops generating aggro toward an NPC, aggro starts to decay after a short time. Decay happens faster based on how far the NPC is from home and how far the player is from the NPC. If aggro decays all the way down to zero, the NPC disengages and proceeds to walk back to their home location.

Notable changes and bug fixes:

• After disengaging, NPCs won’t re-aggro immediately based on vision, hearing or assist for a couple of seconds. While they’re walking home, they can still be aggroed through any normal means.
• Once disengaged, NPCs don't silently "remember" you at extreme range. Once an NPC gives up on a target, its aggro is completely reset.
• NPCs that genuinely can't reach you will give up. If an NPC spends a sustained period unable to reach a player who is dealing it damage, it will disengage and walk home, with a longer cooldown before it can re-engage.

9. Active combat pauses aggro decay

Aggro decay pauses while the NPC is actively fighting, either when the player generates aggro against the NPC or when the NPC successfully attacks the player.

Notable changes and bug fixes:

• Aggro no longer drops while the NPC is attacking you. Previously, the decay timer only paused when *you* hit *them*. Now, any outgoing attack from the NPC, including ranged shots and casts, keeps the fight active.

10. Assist calls example

In this example, the player shoots NPC A. NPC A gains Direct Aggro and calls for assist. NPC B responds because it is within Assist Range and has line of sight to NPC A. Other nearby NPCs do not respond if they are out of range or do not meet the assist requirements.

11. Example continued

As the fight develops, NPC B can be promoted from Assist Aggro to Direct Aggro once the player enters its vision range. Once promoted, NPC B can begin calling for assist as well.

12. Other notable changes and bug fixes

• Taunts interrupt the NPC on the next swing. Taunted NPCs used to be able to finish their current attack cycle before turning, so you'd eat one "free" hit on the previous target. They now turn to the taunter immediately.
• Mez and stun actually stop casters. Some caster NPCs (most visibly Zebian Overseers and Zebian Doctors) could keep selecting and starting spells right through a mez. Mez now cancels whatever the NPC is doing the moment it lands and blocks new abilities for its full duration.
• Ambush properly clears hate. Going invisible drops you from every NPC currently fighting you, not just the one or two you damaged. Whatever was about to happen is canceled along with it, so an archer mid-draw won't release on you after you vanish, and a caster mid-cast won't finish the spell.
• Patrolling NPCs would sometimes teleport home at the smallest complication in pathing. They path forth more smartly and bravely than before.

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These changes are intended to make PvE aggro more predictable, readable, and fair. The goal is not to make encounters trivial, but to make it clearer why enemies engage, assist, drop aggro, or stay in combat.

When testing on PTS, please let us know if anything still feels confusing, inconsistent, or unfair, especially around walls, stairs, ramps, ledges, balconies, adjacent rooms, vertical spaces, or unusual NPC pathing.

Thank you again to everyone who contributed feedback in the original thread. Your examples helped shape this work.

The Mainframe Team.