There was a recent thread in the Operator forum that got onto the subject of pet and enemy AI, and it got me thinking about things that cause aggro. Traditionally, aggro comes from dealing damage, taunting, and being near the enemy. This fosters an environment where attracting aggro is a fundamental means of mitigation.

What if enemies had a better sense of combat priorities? Consider enemies that would have priorities closer to that of players. Take for instance certain kinds of mobs in CoH and how players chose targets.

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[*] When fighting Sky Raiders, what did you go after first? Force Field Generators. Their defensive buff made the rest of the mob very hard to overcome.
[*] When fighting Circle of Thorns, what did you go after first? Ruin Mages and Spectral Demon Lords. Their debuffs could neutralize the entire team.
[*] When fighting Malta, what did you go after first? Sappers. Their endurance drain could shut down even the mightiest heroes.
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Targets gained priority based on their usefulness to the enemy group. I would like to see enemies act along the same lines. Let them choose player targets based on their perceived benefit to the team. For instance:

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[*][b]Healing, buffs, debuffs, and controls[/b] - These abilities give teams a great deal of leverage. The heavy application of support should be a red flag for enemies.
[*][b]Low HP[/b] - When you see a target on the brink of defeat, it's usually worth your time to finish them off to completely eliminate their benefit to their allies. Being in critical condition should cause additional aggro.
[*][b]AoE[/b] - Being able to attack or subdue entire mobs at a time is powerful. Dealing widespread damage and other effects should draw enemies' attention.
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This obviously has the potential to make life very difficult for squishies. It also means that players need to be more aware of enemy priorities and do their part to protect one another. If a team wants to maintain the benefits that their more fragile allies are providing, they would need to pay more attention and make a greater effort to protect them.

I personally think that the added challenge would make combat more interesting and would promote better teamwork.