Vortigaunt brave/scared AI can make goofy decisions

From patch 1.0: Vorts AI now behave differently depending on how brave or scared they are feeling, which is based on damage taken / done to the enemy.

This is really cool, and watching the vorts run away is great and really makes them feel like real characters in a world instead of enemies to be killed - but if the player is very close, a low morale will have the vort ponderously turn about and turn their very vulnerable back to the player in which time I have already blasted them. This makes them feel a little goofy, ineffectual, and it breaks the immersion because it feels “off”, something only a weird video game AI would do, since in a real combat situation the last thing you would do is slowly turn around and show your back to the enemy.

Short of implementing a much faster “turn on your heels and run away” animation, I feel that in order to reflect a real “fight/flight” situation, the scared AI should run away UNLESS the player is very close by, in which case they should fight desperately, either closing in for melee or instantly using the “dispel” attack. This would make them feel more formidable and less awkward.

Really minor, but just something I found quite noticeable and immersion-breaking on my last playthrough.

Or, they could fling their arms up to shield their heads and perhaps plea for mercy. That would be cool too. I could see an “achievement” for sparing a Vort too!

They could also backpedal while still facing towards the player.

Founded in 2004, Leakfree.org became one of the first online communities dedicated to Valve’s Source engine development. It is more famously known for the formation of Black Mesa: Source under the 'Leakfree Modification Team' handle in September 2004.