Cruel AI

[poopypoo]

I love a challenging AI. Perhaps the greatest flaw we keep seeing repeated over and over in crafting games is that the AI is balanced so that any idiot can win regardless of whether they really experiment with the crafting system. So I hope the difficulty makes crafting feel rewarding for once -- more rewarding than loot drops! That's what makes a crafting game go round.

[Bearhug67]

I find nothing more annoying when people see a monster and then can list out of memory all stats:
"Hey, look, an arc. He should be easy, HP 8, AC 2, damage 1D8, etc."

I surprised in my paper games with stat variants to keep encounters fresh by making them less predictable. At the start the death rate climbed but they quickly liked the idea as they charged less blindly into fights being way too over confident.

So another option besides self healing enemies (which I like as well) might be using a stat pool which can vary as not all enemies might have healing magic or healing potions.
If the enemy is a particular strong version (e.g. a chieftain or champion) then it can be shown by better gear on the enemy.
At least players would then take a closer look at an enemy and evaluate if they want to risk an attack instead of chopping EVERYthing down blindly which crosses their path.
Adds more excitement through variation and a little uncertainty

Some variations in the AI code might be some additional spice in the soup. Some enemies might fight more fiercely, others might run or beg for mercy quicker.
Some people love their enemies VERY predictable but I find it not just boring but making the game more interesting for a much longer time. After all, players should not forget that in the worst case they still have other options as to fight to the death, developing a fleet foot skill for a tactical retreat, tossing coins and run, begging for mercy or praying