USSs should bd dropped. NPCs should be harder and hunt in packs

[Defacto]

Definitively. I'm not saying just remove the USS's. I think the things we do in USS's should be supported dynamically in the game.

 

[KillaWabbit]

You misunderstood me, I probably wasn't clear. You don't fly around looking for events, they happen during your journey to wherever you are going. Mission objectives should be found out by asking at the local station for information about where the 'thing' is. Then you go to that location where you will find it or something will happen that directs you onwards to somewhere else.

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Ahhh I see. That would be ok BUT A big problem with it. It would require positioning in in 6 dimensions A full dimensional grid. And FD has already stated that They aren't up for it. Hell they were Really hard pressed to even say that they "MIGHT" put in some type of marker so you can mark a meeting location or something like that but it was only going to be a very basic almost not worth it thing. Maybe they FD could ask CE (Cloud Emporium) how to do it LOL.

 

[[VR] Mad Mike]

Maybe I am deluding myself, but personally I am hoping that once the mission generation has been fleshed out, and the game is a little more finished then maybe the USSes will be dialed back a bit, and also when one does show up it will offer something more meaningful and genuinely exciting.

 

[Matnik]

I want to go to random events. I don't want random events to come to me. If you were just trying to get somewhere, between interdictions and random events dropping you out of supercruise, you'd go insane.

As for pirates hunting in packs, I've come across USS's where they do. I've got into a fight between a hauler, and two pirate eagles and a cobra before now. They don't all attack you at once, but if they did, again where's the fun in that?

Additionally what you're suggesting would mean that players would have to spend a lot of money on a decent ship before engaging in combat. I don't think having to mine or trade should be a right of passage to combat, this also works well as it is.

Not saying you're wrong - entitled to an opinion and all, but I disagree ;-)

 

[Alpha November]

Ahhh I see. That would be ok BUT A big problem with it. It would require positioning in in 6 dimensions A full dimensional grid. And FD has already stated that They aren't up for it. Hell they were Really hard pressed to even say that they "MIGHT" put in some type of marker so you can mark a meeting location or something like that but it was only going to be a very basic almost not worth it thing. Maybe they FD could ask CE (Cloud Emporium) how to do it LOL.

OK, thanks for the info. I think any mission location data would have to be something like go to the moon orbiting planet A and you go there wherein you come across the thing or person you're looking for or an event happens to send you onwards. That way they don't have to record any further info up on the server (getting bit techy, I'm sure FD could organise the techy bits).

 

[Alpha November]

I want to go to random events. I don't want random events to come to me. If you were just trying to get somewhere, between interdictions and random events dropping you out of supercruise, you'd go insane.

As for pirates hunting in packs, I've come across USS's where they do. I've got into a fight between a hauler, and two pirate eagles and a cobra before now. They don't all attack you at once, but if they did, again where's the fun in that?

Additionally what you're suggesting would mean that players would have to spend a lot of money on a decent ship before engaging in combat. I don't think having to mine or trade should be a right of passage to combat, this also works well as it is.

Not saying you're wrong - entitled to an opinion and all, but I disagree ;-)

Fair enough Matnik, I appreciate your opinion. I want to add though that I'm not trying to make life more tedious. Toughness of NPCs and their numbers would flow from how dangerous the host system was. Weak players wouldn't go there but would gather experience and kit before trying it. I'm not suggesting either that you have to go in with a fleet of condas (though you could and you'd perhaps be met by hordes of bandits - or maybe they'd all just run away) but if you're a combat orientated player then it would offer a stiff challenge - where a trader/combateer would fight to the station a fighter would just kill pirates in-system for bounty. The opponents could be weighted by whatever you are flying (and whether you have friends with you with the new coming gameplay).

 

[Shaamaan]

Uss's aren't bad because they aren't dangerous they are bad because unless you have to go to one, why the heck would you.

The problem is they don't SCALE.

Once you start making millions of credits a USS is a waste of time. Before that they are OKish, as you can make some quick bucks (compared to 1000cr you start the game with).

 

[Evil]

The problem I have with USS's is atm they are a generated mechanism that has to be re- entered to find random generated objects that match the mission description. This imo is quite naff, I feel that it would be much better if they were removed and replaced with something that the player needs to find in space and act upon that.

For instance if we are doing an assassination mission then we need to hunt the SC areas listed and then interdict the target. If we are looking for cargo then we can use a scanner to search for USS's, or if we need to kill bountyhunters/pirates/traders etc.. we should be able to locate them in super cruise, any mission branches should be dealt with after the initial interdiction.

 

[[VR] Mad Mike]

I do not mind the idea of the odd USS, ideally as something we can lock onto and scan, and pick up a message

(ie mayday mayday, out of fuel, please help, I will pay
or mayday mayday under attack
or an interception between 2 people talking about a juicy cache of loot around a deralict vessel)

that way we have an idea of what to expect, and we can ignore weddings and funerals if we want.

also of course with the small print of the potental for these to be traps and ambushes.

but as already said, the way they work now is a little weak, with you just sitting at minimum speed waiting for one to pop up next to you, and also they should be rare, so they are actually a "thing" when we see them.

edit... also below poster is right, those alternative missions are also not great. ideally we should (have the chance to) get "offered" those by the 1st pirate/trader/copper we see before we attack them.... so that way, we still get the chance to change our minds, but it isnt wasted time as if we have no interest in it, the mission can get underway..

 

[Quineloe]

1.05 completely broke USS missions anyways, at least in the fun department. I don't think I've ever been so completely frustrated in a video game before than when my 8th USS contact was the 8th alternate mission offer after 30 minutes of supercruising around.

 

[Evil]

I do not mind the idea of the odd USS, ideally as something we can lock onto and scan, and pick up a message

(ie mayday mayday, out of fuel, please help, I will pay
or mayday mayday under attack
or an interception between 2 people talking about a juicy cache of loot around a deralict vessel)

that way we have an idea of what to expect, and we can ignore weddings and funerals if we want.

also of course with the small print of the potental for these to be traps and ambushes.

but as already said, the way they work now is a little weak, with you just sitting at minimum speed waiting for one to pop up next to you, and also they should be rare, so they are actually a "thing" when we see them.

Yeah you could make them rare, but the issue still remains that you looking for a random generated USS, wouldnt it be much better to follow a wedding attendee/pirate/bounty hunter etc... until they drop and leave a wake for you to drop in on, or follow. That would remove the whole oh im just flying around waiting for a USS to pop type thing, instead the player needs to check targets in SC, which is much more active from a gameplay POV.

 

[Cowboy Bats]

Pirates should hunt in packs. One sidewinder is no problem at all but 3 would make you think...

That would help bounty hunters a great deal as well. At the very least it would double what a bounty currently makes.

 

[Deleted member 48540]

oops wrong place

 

[Captain Breton]

I'm certain Captain Picard of the USS Enterprise would loathe the idea of removing USS'es completely

On a more serious note though, the Unidentified Signal Sources we have now are perhaps best comparable to instances, or tiny-mini Dungeons?
You enter at your own peril. I do however agree that I'd love to see NPC pirates and such roaming more

 

[Vagabond]

I'm totally in agreement with the spirit of the OP. I imagine USS are really one of the least fleshed out elements in ED.

I would be surprised if they weren't substantially reworked as FD deliver more work in the game.

 

[Alpha November]

I'm totally in agreement with the spirit of the OP. I imagine USS are really one of the least fleshed out elements in ED.

I would be surprised if they weren't substantially reworked as FD deliver more work in the game.

I hope they do rework them. I feel that with some improvement to this and changes to NPC encounters to make them (in dangerous systems) more hostile we might then be able to mitigate both the solo v open battle and the PvP disagreements - I don't want to get into those here as there are other threads for those but I think if people thought that NPCs in solo and group were offering real challenge and danger then the modes might be less contentious, also if people spent more time fighting off NPCs then 'maybe' PvP wouldn't be seen as the only way to get some decent combat. Anyway, I'm going way off the point of the thread there.

 

[tough boy]

Indeed USS are one of the lamest design features of Elite: Dangerous. I much rather have POIs logically disposed in the systems kinda like OP suggest; however I'm not a big fan of random encounters either - we already have interdictions for that by the way, and I do agree that it should be much more dangerous in anarchy systems: not necessarely more frequent, but when it happens you should really start to sweat, possibly in relation to reports of high danger in a particular system: not all anarchies must be the same after all.

 

[Lupin]

NPCs should be more numerous, more hostile and tougher dictated by the governance of the local system. In safe systems; encounters are generally friendly with the occasional attack (fast police response). Anarchies, either continual attacks from lone wolves and small groups or single coordinated attack from a large ship (Python or something) and group of smaller ships (maybe up to 12 at a time) - in an anarchy you can expect no help from the authorities except very close to the station. Getting cargo into an anarchy should be a huge undertaking but with the upside that the station there will pay 3+ times the going rate.
Anyway, just a few ideas to spark some debate.

Not sure where you have been, but been attacked by 3 or 4 different types of ships fighting as a group. 2 coming in breaking shields while the others recharges.
And you rank seems to dictate level of skill and size NPC, am a low rank in combat and a few of these were close calls.
Be careful what what you ask for as you might get it, 3km away in the back from NPC.

As for USS this system ok, and for missions I do not expect to find my target that easy.

 

[Vagabond]

I hope they do rework them. I feel that with some improvement to this and changes to NPC encounters to make them (in dangerous systems) more hostile we might then be able to mitigate both the solo v open battle and the PvP disagreements - I don't want to get into those here as there are other threads for those but I think if people thought that NPCs in solo and group were offering real challenge and danger then the modes might be less contentious, also if people spent more time fighting off NPCs then 'maybe' PvP wouldn't be seen as the only way to get some decent combat. Anyway, I'm going way off the point of the thread there.

Yeah I also think that if the threat of NPCs was more challenging PVP would appear less like the only option for good combat.

I'd love to be flying anarchy space and be dragged out of SC by a couple of pirate Adders and their Cobra mate, next a lone Python, and finally half a dozen Sideys.

If encounters were more cocktail like in nature, the act of fighting off enemies would be much more engaging.

I have hope...

 

[Alpha November]

Not sure where you have been, but been attacked by 3 or 4 different types of ships fighting as a group. 2 coming in breaking shields while the others recharges.
And you rank seems to dictate level of skill and size NPC, am a low rank in combat and a few of these were close calls.
Be careful what what you ask for as you might get it, 3km away in the back from NPC.

As for USS this system ok, and for missions I do not expect to find my target that easy.

Well, you're happy then. Fair enough.

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Yeah I also think that if the threat of NPCs was more challenging PVP would appear less like the only option for good combat.

I'd love to be flying anarchy space and be dragged out of SC by a couple of pirate Adders and their Cobra mate, next a lone Python, and finally half a dozen Sideys.

If encounters were more cocktail like in nature, the act of fighting off enemies would be much more engaging.

I have hope...

It could be a lot better than it is now couldn't it. If we can drum up this many ideas in a short thread then there must be some scope for improvement.