Should the AI be a wee smarter?

[Synther]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dbofp_bgdzI

That is what happens with every NPC pirate. It's a lot more comical with the sidewinders as it normally happens like this.

"Hey I'm going to start attacking you thinking you have cargo when you really don't as you're blasting another wanted guy away with weapons far superior to mine"
"WAAAAAAH NO"
"You fight a good fight!"
"WAAAAAH NO"
"I GOT YOU NOW"
"Mommy!"

The pirate often can't determine whether the superior ship attacking him will end him. Also they don't seem to want to FSD out enough. The only time I get a challenging fight is when I'm fighting an Anaconda or having to watch my fire near a bunch of dudes trying not to get hit with wanted friendly fire.

Should the AI make better decisions based off of what they scan off of you? A mouse shouldn't be picking a fight with a viper.

 

[dementia]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dbofp_bgdzI

That is what happens with every NPC pirate. It's a lot more comical with the sidewinders as it normally happens like this.

"Hey I'm going to start attacking you thinking you have cargo when you really don't as you're blasting another wanted guy away with weapons far superior to mine"
"WAAAAAAH NO"
"You fight a good fight!"
"WAAAAAH NO"
"I GOT YOU NOW"
"Mommy!"

The pirate often can't determine whether the superior ship attacking him will end him. Also they don't seem to want to FSD out enough. The only time I get a challenging fight is when I'm fighting an Anaconda or having to watch my fire near a bunch of dudes trying not to get hit with wanted friendly fire.

Should the AI make better decisions based off of what they scan off of you? A mouse shouldn't be picking a fight with a viper.

Indeed although it is nuts that a single Viper can take out a Python or Anaconda anyway. The latter should be so much better that it should take a squadron of Vipers working in unison. Bare in mind that Pythons and Anacondas don't have cockpits, they have bridges!

 

[Tryst]

I've had absolutely no NPC's attacking my Cobra while I was running it as a hauler with very low end mods while I was getting the credits to kit it out for kill missions. The day I went on my first kill mission, I had to take out a Fed Dropship in a rank up mission for the Federation. While I was running around looking for it, a NPC pilot interdicted me in a Falcon, the first thing he said was, "Fear me."

After I'd picked myself up from the floor where I fell off my chair laughing, I fired on him. He didn't stick around after my first volley and tried to bug out, another volley as he waited for the FSD to charge soon ended his pirating career. An easy 3K credits I'd say.

I don't think they should be made smarter, it's the low level ones like Harmless or Mostly Harmless who pick fights with ships they are no match for so the reward isn't really great. The better pilots with Elite ranks and such have more intelligence which is why they've lived long enough to get that rank. It's a bit like real life in many ways, the kiddies with their new toy ships thinking they are so uber, taking on the big guns and getting swatted like flies.

 

[Synther]

Bare in mind that Pythons and Anacondas don't have cockpits, they have bridges!

Yeah I actually soloed a Python earlier in a Nav Beacon. I'm sure it went like this.

"Sir, some is firing gimballed beam lasers and cannons at our power plant!"
"Ok fire lasers at him or something, but be very casual about it."

BOOM! 80k bounty.

 

[AtheosisX]

I've had absolutely no NPC's attacking my Cobra while I was running it as a hauler with very low end mods while I was getting the credits to kit it out for kill missions. The day I went on my first kill mission, I had to take out a Fed Dropship in a rank up mission for the Federation. While I was running around looking for it, a NPC pilot interdicted me in a Falcon, the first thing he said was, "Fear me."

After I'd picked myself up from the floor where I fell off my chair laughing, I fired on him. He didn't stick around after my first volley and tried to bug out, another volley as he waited for the FSD to charge soon ended his pirating career. An easy 3K credits I'd say.

I don't think they should be made smarter, it's the low level ones like Harmless or Mostly Harmless who pick fights with ships they are no match for so the reward isn't really great. The better pilots with Elite ranks and such have more intelligence which is why they've lived long enough to get that rank. It's a bit like real life in many ways, the kiddies with their new toy ships thinking they are so uber, taking on the big guns and getting swatted like flies.

Except that the higher level enemies really aren't smarter. I'm not sure where you got that idea.

Anyway as far as I'm concerned yes enemies above competent need their AI improved. That said AI are nearly impossible to design to really match human players in games (without cheating). That's why I think more wolf pack scenarios need to be introduced where you have to face two or more enemies. Combat is just way too 1v1-oriented most of the time right now, and that really exposes the AI.