YES! Finally somebody notices. I am really annoyed about this as well.
IT EVEN WORKS IN PVP!
So, why does this happen? Hmm. I don't know. Because they're too smart? Probably just because they're bosses, and supposed to be noticably harder than normal or elite. This is probably why taunt/distract only works sometimes (and I haven't tried it on enemies past Krokotopia), and why Pacify/Soothe/Tranquilize/Subdue (Did I miss any?) and Beguile doesn't work on bosses either.
You know, I know they want the bosses to be harder and more difficult, and they are making them easier all the time. Taking thier cheats away, giving them less health then they were first created. ETC!
But honestly, why give players the ability to stun, if we can only stun eachother, or MOBs?
I mean, I am Legendary, I am defeating these bosses, yet, I am not immune to resist a stun, but they are? Does this make any sense?
An official response would be nice, but I wont hold my breath!
Best answer this question by asking another ... perhaps even a few others ;)
"Why can't bosses stun you? ...
Actually, they do have bosses that stun us, thank you very much!
or beguile you? ...
Nope, don't think I have see a boss cast beguile yet, but, in my opinion, I think any Boss should be able to use any spell in their school of choice. It would be nice to have a challenge, that is, if the spells work right. Like in Stormriven, when the Boss uses feint, it does not work properly and messes up his feint and your feint and does not combine the percentages, like it is supposed to!
or taunt, or use any of the other attack re-direction tactics on you?"
I would love for a boss to taunt me or pacify me, that would be too funny! Well, actually I am happy they don't, that would make them even easier than they are now!
Would you be as happy about being able to stun bosses under THOSE terms?
Hey, what is good for the goose is good for the gander, right?
... and ...
why on earth am I having Sonny and Cher flashbacks all of a sudden?
LOL!!!!!
That, I have no idea, but don't worry, they are coming to take you away!
Actually bosses CAN stun you. Once you get to a certain point of the game they will start using frost and storm lord and it DOES stun players. I think it would only be fair if bosses could stun taunt ect.
But yes I have also noticed that we cannot stun the bosses and it's a little frustrating :p good question.
I had NOT noticed being stunned by bosses ... but I have to assume from these posts that I have been ... thanks for pointing out my oversight ... guess the spell animations have lost their luster for me and I am not paying attention as I should ... THAT I can fix ... lol.
I would LOVE to see the AI use more of the "trickier" spells ...
As long as it played the same "both ways".
I think it would be VERY interesting to have that spell you expected to cast on a fire NPC re-directed to an ice mob who successfully taunted you, or finding that 7 pipper re-directed at yourself and your team because you got beguiled ... but ...
I am thinking the NPC's in this game are using "scripts" rather than a bonafide "AI" procedure to cast their spells. This makes it pretty hard to dynamically change NPC performance based upon the situation at hand.
Anybody see a mob run out of spells? I have not. (But then again, I DID NOT SEE I was being stunned either;) ) They do not appear to be using "spell decks" like we do. With real AI coding, NPC's would not have to "cheat" to be competitive. For example; ...
A vastly over-simplified Aggressive NPC's AI might look like this:
1. Can a spell be cast that kills a player? 2. If so, cast it, else 3. Blade if possible, else 4. Trap if possible, else 5. Shield if possible, else 6. RESTORE health if possible, else 7. Pass.
Different AI routines would be used for different modes of NPC play, stressing defense, or buffs, or health restoration above attack depending on the role of that particular NPC in the game.
Restoring health alone would drastically change how most NPC's fare in PvE battles ... for the better I think. Repeatedly casting shields and buffs, especially when they are already being used, often in triples, makes "battling" with most NPC's ... unfullfilling.
I am concerned the game is being over-simplified too far.
Yes. I would like to stun bosses. But I am hoping for a LOT more in return.
I would like to see the entire spell repertoire put to USE.
I check the FAQ on the message board and didn't see this question so I guess it's safe to ask:
Why can't we stun bosses?
It is only fair that a stun works on everything and everyone. But i noticed that no stun works on any boss, not even the ones in wizard city!
Not even medusa can stun a boss, why is this KI?
Also since they are not stunned, why are the stun shields being activated anyways? This doesn't seem realistic to me....
Actually, as someone who grew up playing RPGs, I can tell you that this is a very common, if not universal, aspect to boss battles. Why? Because the boss is supposed to be superior to his minions. So, while you can mess with the minion's mind (stun, beguile, etc.), the boss is immune to these tricks. Similarly, we well-trained, strong-minded, and strong-willed wizards are also above these tricks meant to mess with our minds. The only effect we can be hit with is stun, and that only comes into effect with the enemies found in Celestia (or the warehouse in MB that has the key you needed in the test realm to get to Celestia). Just be happy that, unlike some other quest games I've played, our wizards are immune to other status-altering spells.
