The Problem with HN2's Stealth.

[sly dock]

This is going to be a meaty one.
HN2's stealth suffers from a rather large problem - it's too easy to escape a chase. As such, stealthing becomes rather inconsequential due to how easy it is to avoid AIs by simply running in circles. This is primarily due to the AI's lack of defensive measures against the player, as well as the AI's strange freezing behavior, and the unfriendly level designs.

This is a change that would require essentially a large rework of both the level design and AI, things I've already talked about in previous posts - but I bring it up again because it's NEEDED in order to improve the stealth-focused gameplay. Better house layouts with more choke points and shortcuts, AI traps and defensive actions, the works.

As it stands, HN2 isn't a game about outsmarting an AI, it's a game about running in circles until the AI looses track of you. It works in the off chance, but its flawed to its core, and needs to be worked on.

[bitter tartan]

True

[empty snow]

Ok

[sly dock]

good critique guys 10/10

[brittle mirage]

Honestly, a lot of times the AI loses me even when I'm trying to get them to chase me. One time neilson literally ran in the opposite direction of where I was when chasing me for no apparent reason. Also, the AI needs to do a better job at predicting where a player is going.

Also, I feel like the AI just gets dumber the further in the game you get. Neilson at the beginning is the best at actually providing a good experience, and Gerda isn't that bad either. Then the neighbor and Otto suck. The mayor is slightly better. In the boss fight, the neighbor starts becoming extra dumb, and so does the free roam ai.

[small rune]

YES, (maybe not the level redesign but we NEED AI pathfinding improvements, andlearning)

[mental hedge]

Now Stealth is great, and works really well, but yeah your right, there’s no point in stealth or trying to outsmart the AI when you can run around the Levels the entire Game and don’t have to worry.

[cursive monolith]

Mayor ai is 💩

Can't even go upstairs

[balmy path]

Yes, I really hope they redo this so that it actually becomes as difficult as they promised it would be