Aggressiveness
Aggressiveness (or hostility) refers to whether monsters in RuneScape will attack nearby players without being provoked. Aggressive monsters may attack players without being attacked first; some are aggressive based on players' combat levels, and others are aggressive regardless of level such as various bosses and most monsters in the Wilderness. Aggressive monsters can be particularly dangerous in a multi-combat area with multiple monsters. Non-aggressive, or passive, monsters will not attack players unless they are attacked first.
Some monsters, such as chompies and jubblies, will not attack a player even if engaged in combat. Yet, others, most notably dark beasts and bosses, remain hostile no matter how long the player remains in the vicinity.
When aggressiveness is based on combat level, an aggressive monster will attack a player whose combat level is less than or equal to twice the monster's level. If the player's combat level is more than twice the monster's level, it won't attack (i.e. double the monster's combat level plus one). Since the maximum combat level for players is 126, this means aggressive monsters level 63 or greater will always attack players.
For example, a level 51 player enters an area with a level 28 hobgoblin. Since the player's level is less than twice the monster's level (28 × 2 = 56, which is more than 51), the hobgoblin will attack the player. Conversely, if a level 57 player enters an area with a level 28 hobgoblin, the monster will not attack because the player's level is more than twice the monster's. In this case, the hobgoblin will ignore the player (unless, of course, the player decides to attack the monster). Thus, the player would need to be level 57 or higher to avoid being attacked by the hobgoblin.
Different monsters seem to have different levels of aggression; some, such as jungle horrors, will seek you out from many game squares away, whereas others, such as mountain trolls, are aggressive on a smaller range.
Mechanics
There are several types of ranges that influence a monster's aggression and how far it can attack.
Attack range
The attack range of an NPC is the extent of combat attacks performed by the NPC. The tile underneath the NPC itself is not part of the attack range, and the origin of the attack range is the current location of the NPC, which will dynamically change as the NPC is moving around. The attack range accounts for the size of the NPC, meaning that the origin of the attack range consists of all the tiles the NPC is occupying and not just the south-west tile. See the aggression range illustration for an example of a standard melee attack range.
The shape of the attack range depends on the attack type the NPC is using. If the NPC is attacking with standard melee, the attack range has a radius of 1 that excludes diagonals/corner tiles, resulting in a "plus" shape. If the NPC is attacking with halberds or projectiles, the attack range ends up as a square shaped area where diagonals/corner tiles are included.
The weapon the NPC is wielding is not necessarily an indicator of the attack type of the NPC. Prifddinas guards have a halberd melee attack range of 1 instead of the standard attack range of 2. The Fortress Guard with a halberd by the Black Knights' Fortress also has a standard melee attack range.
Aggression range
The aggression range, also known as "aggro" range, is the combination of the max range and the attack range of an NPC. It defines the outer limit of where the player can stand and still be attacked by the NPC. However, the NPC can (if forced by the player, such as through the use of the dragon spear special attack) attack the player from outside the aggression range as long as the player is standing inside.
The shape of the aggression range depends on the attack type of the NPC and thus the attack range. The origin of the aggression range is always the static spawn point of the NPC. The aggression range accounts for the size of the NPC in the same way as the attack range does.
Hunt range
The hunt range is the area in which an aggressive NPC will search for nearby targets and initiate combat. The target is usually a player, but can also be another NPC, such as for the Khazard troopers and gnome troops attacking each other at the Khazard Battlefield. The hunt range is also in use for actions such as when the player is attempting to steal from a thieving stall and ends up alerting a nearby NPC.
The origin of the hunt range is the south-west tile of the NPC, which will dynamically change as the NPC is moving around. Unlike the other ranges, the size of the NPC is not accounted for in the hunt range, meaning that players will not be attacked by an NPC with a hunt range that is smaller than the its size when standing next to it on its northern or eastern side (e.g. green dragon).
Notes
- After a player spends 10 minutes in the vicinity of aggressive monsters, the monsters will become tolerant of the player and become passive. However, if the player leaves the area and then returns, the monsters there become aggressive again. Note that logging out is not classed as leaving the area, so if a player logs out and logs back in again, the monsters will still be tolerant. This includes swapping worlds.
- Most monsters in the Wilderness are aggressive regardless of level. Nearly all monsters on Ape Atoll exhibit this quality as well to players not holding a Greegree, but they will also cease being aggressive once the Monkey Madness II quest has been completed. In addition, guards will attack players whom they catch Thieving from stalls anywhere on RuneScape regardless of the player's combat level.
- Most Slayer creatures are passive, despite the player's combat level. This does not apply to all, however, as kurasks, gargoyles, dark beasts, skeletal wyverns, terror dogs, and aberrant spectres are aggressive.
- Desert bandits south of Bedabin Camp will always be aggressive to players wearing god items.
- Desert bandits (to players not wearing Saradomin or Zamorak items) and Al Kharid Warriors are both passive until a player attacks one. All of the other warriors or bandits in the vicinity will then attack that player because both areas are multi-combat.
- Monsters that never become tolerant provide excellent AFK training opportunities, desert bandits and warped terrorbirds, as well as all monsters within the Nightmare Zone minigame.
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