Baldur's Gate 3 Enemies Get Even Tougher Thanks To New Combat Mod

Summary The Smarter AI mod for Baldur's Gate 3 offers enemies improved strategies and tactics in battles, making fights more challenging and engaging.

Specific NPC behaviors, like goblins targeting one character or dragons being aggressive, create unique combat experiences for players.

Player-created mods continue to expand the game, with upcoming official mod support allowing for even more creative content in the future.

Baldur's Gate 3 is already filled with challenging enemy encounters to make players think about their strategies but with the help of this new mod, fights can become even more tactical. While the AI governing many of the battles in Larian Studios' RPG is remarkably solid at creating encounters that feel both organic and tethered to the Dungeons & Dragons system, enemies sometimes have a tendency to act against their own interests. Having different strategies that fit the various foes goes a long way to making each fight feel different and unique.

Over on Nexus Mods, creator Mithras666 shared their "Smarter AI" mod which does what it says on the tin by providing enemies and bosses with improved strategies and tactics in the heat of battle. Per the add-on's description, it grants NPCs a better understanding of their resistances, immunities, and hit chances while also providing them with a better way of prioritizing fights to ensure their survival. Specific classes also have unique traits, such as Rangers opting to put as much distance as possible between them and their targets and melee brawlers getting as close as they can.

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What Else Is Included In Smarter AI?

Species Also Function Differently

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When it comes to specific NPC behavior, Mithras666 went above and beyond in creating some believable strategies for the various enemies found in the Forgotten Realms. As an example, goblins are "stupid" and are more likely to single out one character in a massive dogpile. Bosses are much more brutal than in the vanilla game, preferring to isolate summoners and magic users while also purposefully attacking downed party members to ensure they don't get back up.

Dragons are extremely aggressive to the point where they don't mind taking damage from their own attacks if it means inflicting some on the enemy while Dragon Riders are described as "selfish" and will often use powerful spells to finish off characters. Not only do these extra behaviors help to make each enemy NPC mechanically distinct, but they should also alter how players engage in combat. Given that enemy magic users will now prioritize control spells if the party is clustered, positioning becomes much more important.

Baldur's Gate 3 may be nearly a year old but that's not stopping the community from continually expanding upon Larian Studios' foundation. The looming launch of official mod support should ensure that creative players have a means of building their own content for the game on top of all the already-existing mods. Larian may have no plans to return to Baldur's Gate, but the player base has made no such promise.

Source: Mithras666