Crowd AI Improvement
The crowd seems a little too similar with each other in terms of motion, dialogue, behavior, appearance, and reaction. Technically, there are variations of different behaviors on an event set in an array. Additional sets may be very useful, because the crowd’s similarity it is really noticeable especially when the player has been in the game for more than 8 hours. Certain behaviors like a crowd doing something else (cleaning the front of their house, plowing the fields, petting a horse, hammering something, sitting in the roof, riding a pony, feeding animals, carrying babies, etc.) instead of just walking, sitting, or standing may be a good view. These crowd set has a different pattern of motions and complicates the gameplay a little because whatever would have happened when Altair tries to tackle a woman carrying a baby. Instead, these crowds may be placed on an area where the player cannot enter or has limited motions like (inside a window or a balcony, inside a prison cell or inside a house, sitting on an isolated area with huge walls, inside a counter (just like in the assassin’s bureau).
Enemy AI Improvement
Most gamers have noticed that the enemy AI is very robotic or stupid. Yes, they are sometimes too agile and wise to have followed you even if you run, climb or ride a horse. However, there are certain flaws on yet another scripted behavior that seems to become a common action for the enemies. Whenever you successfully ditched the enemies and turned your status back to anonymous, and you walk back to that same soldier, he wouldn’t even recognize you. It’s like the enemies have brain deficiency or short-term memory loss. It might be reasonable to add a memory for these enemies’ AI that saves a memory of you hitting him and make him remember you even if you are anonymous. This way, there can be a more realistic touch with the enemies’ AI. Also, there are more words to use than just ‘infidel’. It is so annoying and ear itching hearing that every time you encounter an enemy. Anyway, since that was the most popular word back then, it’s ok for now.
Animals
The world seems to be really lonely without animals. There are only few obvious animals existing in these lands: eagles, birds, and horses. Where are the camels? This is supposed to be a deserted land but I don’t remember seeing camels. Also, there can be snakes, rabbits on grassy parts, some fawn or deer on woodlands, wolves, dogs inside the town, or fish in the water. These animals may not have too many complicated behavior, like there can only be an instinct-like action for them. Example: every time you try to get close to a rabbit, it runs away; or dogs simply walks the streets of the cities; camels behave a little like horses but you cannot ride them; fawns seldom appear in the forested area and you can also hunt it. The wolves appear mostly on deserted areas, grassy areas, or the mountains. The wolves also behaves a little like the dog where it simply walks around (on areas without the crowd or enemies) and they will either run or attack you when you are close. Wolves can also be hunted. Wolves can also kill the horses.
Hunting
Since there are animals like the fawn and the rabbit, there can be a feature like ‘hunting’. Even with just a plain sword, Altair can hunt them, only if he can get close to them. The animals also behaves like what they do in their natural habitat, if they think you are a threat, they will run or fight back. The wolves however, the come in packs of 2 or 3. Just like enemy AI’s, they attack as a team if you either hit one of them, and if there’s only one wolf left, it will either keep on attacking, or flee.
Different combos
The combo system is good, but there a only few or less combinations being done. There can be a brutal combo where Altair stabs the enemy repeatedly for eight times with his dagger. Another brutal combo would be where Altair slashes the enemy once in the chest with the sword and finishes him off with a backward stab (Altair faces backwards against the enemy and the sword was struck against the enemy’s gut). More variations of combos should be added in the game.
Object interaction in combat
There should be some objects in the game where Altair can interact with them during combat or anytime to launch an assault or provoke a crowd. Small crates (small enough to be hand carried) can be thrown to the enemy. Loose spears: These spears may appear leaning on walls or camps. When Altair uses a spear, he will be able to carry it and throw it on the target-locked enemies. Loose rocks: same as the spear and crate, the loose rocks can be thrown to the enemy causing them to lose their defense and balance. These objects can be used by pressing the action button (attack button) during a hand-combat mode (hands only, without weapons equipped). These objects can either distract, or knock an enemy down and also kill them.
Additional free Missions
It seems that the only free mission is to rescue a civilian being harassed by a group of soldiers. There are some other free missions like the pick-pocketing but it doesn’t always happen. There can be other sorts of free missions like: retrieval mission (a civilian marked with an exclamation point in the head will ask you if you can help him/her retrieve something taken by the soldier. The soldier’s location will be marked in the GPS and you will do the pick-pocketing as you get close to him. After getting the item, return it to the civilian to finish the mission). Another free mission would be a slaying quest or an assassination. A civilian who was harassed or hurt by a soldier will ask you to avenge him by slaying a specific soldier marked in the GPS. After the killing is done, Altair will wipe a feather on the neck of that soldier and you will have to return and show it to the civilian.
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