The buildings of Valheim are semi-safe once again, thanks to a new update for the game. Developer Iron Gate announced that the AI for the game’s enemies has been tweaked to reduce the amount of structural damage they do and to place more focus on attacking players. So, buildings have a better chance of surviving a run-in with a troll – but players, not so much.
This new patch is the result of the previous update that made monsters focus more attention on buildings and structures. However, many players started to complain that the monsters were a bit too focused on destroying property, with enemies ignoring players completely to smash a house. Of course, not all the monsters were doing this, some were getting “confused” about whether they should attack a player or a building and freezing in place.
This led to Iron Gate adjusting the AI and, hopefully, correcting the issue. In the patch notes for the update, which has monsters always prioritizing a creature over a building, Iron Gate addressed the many complaints it was receiving. The developer also tweeted out the good news, adding that the chaos the monsters caused should be settling down.
Not only will monsters focus on creatures first, if they have a clear path to them, but monsters should only attack low priority structures, like walls, when trying to get a player. This is good news as building structures in Valheim can be a long and difficult task, especially if you want something more than just a simple Viking longhouse. There are a bunch of players that have spent a lot of time and effort into constructing all kinds of buildings, dwellings, and even a port or two. Seeing monsters rip these structures down to the ground is tough, so a low-priority focus is a wonderful addition to the game.
The good news is the patch appears to have worked. According to EuroGamer, there is a significant improvement in enemies focusing on players rather than buildings, even when the player is hidden amongst several structures. Now, whether you would actually want a troll to swing at you over a building is the real question.