Newcomer / Intro I'm honestly curious, why hardcode newb griefing into solo mode?

[cmdr lowest]

I think at the end of the day there are some valid points. Perhaps the introduction of patching has made NPCs slightly more difficult. Difficult to say.

But also it wouldn't be as much fun if there wasn't any risk. Flying cargo from one port to another is made all the more exciting when you do it by the skin of your teeth. I think David Braben even said that in one of his videos. The feeling of relief when you touch down after flying through a war... that's what they're going for. Space is a dangerous place and filled with dangerous people.

Until you have amassed enough credits to upgrade your ship(s) my advice is to boost out of there (as someone I see has advised already). It's really not that hard as you don't have to fight. Just boost until you get far enough away and charge your FSD.

My tactic for interdiction was to immediately submit (1. because I really can't be bothered with the interdiction mini-game and 2. your FSD cooldown recharges a lot quicker and you are penalised less for submitting). Then put 4 pips to engines, 2 to systems and boost (essentially running away). While the first boost is playing out I check the contacts tab to see who it is, if it's an Anaconda or something substantial or someone with a high combat rating I keep running, if it's a harmless sidewinder I pull out my guns and kill them.

I said "was". I'm getting braver now. I don't boost and can take on all but the largest of ships. The key is upgrading your ship.

Also try practising the combat tutorials to get more experience in combat, ergo more confidence in game.

Eventually you'll wonder what all the fuss was about.

 

[-kepler-]

I think at the end of the day there are some valid points. Perhaps the introduction of patching has made NPCs slightly more difficult. Difficult to say.

But also it wouldn't be as much fun if there wasn't any risk. Flying cargo from one port to another is made all the more exciting when you do it by the skin of your teeth. I think David Braben even said that in one of his videos. The feeling of relief when you touch down after flying through a war... that's what they're going for. Space is a dangerous place and filled with dangerous people.

Until you have amassed enough credits to upgrade your ship(s) my advice is to boost out of there (as someone I see has advised already). It's really not that hard as you don't have to fight. Just boost until you get far enough away and charge your FSD.

My tactic for interdiction was to immediately submit (1. because I really can't be bothered with the interdiction mini-game and 2. your FSD cooldown recharges a lot quicker and you are penalised less for submitting). Then put 4 pips to engines, 2 to systems and boost (essentially running away). While the first boost is playing out I check the contacts tab to see who it is, if it's an Anaconda or something substantial or someone with a high combat rating I keep running, if it's a harmless sidewinder I pull out my guns and kill them.

I said "was". I'm getting braver now. I don't boost and can take on all but the largest of ships. The key is upgrading your ship.

Also try practising the combat tutorials to get more experience in combat, ergo more confidence in game.

Eventually you'll wonder what all the fuss was about.

Thanks for that, I appreciate the advice. With what I've seen so far I'm not sure I'll return to the gane in its current incarnation, but if I do I'll definitely try your suggestions (and the others posted in the thread).

 

[Phaedrus Rynith]

If it is too hard in the beginning, you also have the option of killing the game process (write a batchfile and map it to a hotkey) and reloading as soon as the minigame appears. Some would say this is cheating, but otherwise you always had the option of reloading your savegame in previous E installments. And the solo mode is specifically meant to be a replacement for the single player game.

If you are doing this, you are CHEATING. I will be keeping an eye out for you in Open, and will shoot you on sight. Combat logging is the lowest of the low, IMO.

 

[Universal Evil]

If you are doing this, you are CHEATING. I will be keeping an eye out for you in Open, and will shoot you on sight. Combat logging is the lowest of the low, IMO.

Fdev has already said they are keeping an eye out for those who use this against the intentions of the game and will punish them down the line... (Perhaps with a sticker on there ship saying "I'm a LOOSER"

 

[NewYears1978]

Elite: Dangerous is not an MMO. NPCs interdicting and attacking you is part of the game. Learn when (and how) to defend yourself and when (and how) to run away. That's part of the game. That's why it's called Dangerous.

I think you missed his point. If you are new, the game doesn't teach you anything about interdiction or even what it is. If you go out the first time in a small unequipped Sidey or something setup for cargo not fighting, and you get an interdiction pop up you have no clue what is happening. Then someone attacks and kills you.

You're new at this point and have no clue what has happened.

I see his point and yeah, I understand how it would be frustrating. The first time that happened to me I just made an assumption on what to do and escaped it...but since the last two patches it seems to happen A LOT more now and for no reason...why would a pirate randomly attack a ship that has no value (Cargo)

If you are doing this, you are CHEATING. I will be keeping an eye out for you in Open, and will shoot you on sight. Combat logging is the lowest of the low, IMO.

It's only a problem because FDev decided to strip players of Single Player mode. As for online, yeah it's cheap. I didn't even know that worked..it should have you stuck in game for 15 seconds or whatever like when you try to quit out during combat. Just like a normal MMO, if you quit when not "safe" you have a time out where you could still be killed.

But not sure why we are surprised..the game uses crap P2P mechanics so why would we expect the other to work any better..

 

[Abil Midena]

I'd also recommend that you start out taking the low level "go kill x pirates" jobs from the bulletin board, not trading. Going through what it takes to complete one or two of these will teach you a lot about many different aspects of the game. And that's all you're trying to do at the beginning. If you're using the default sidewinder and get kilt, you lose nothing, really, just some time. That's how I got my start.

 

[Quineloe]

Elite: Dangerous is not an MMO..

Of course it is.

 

[Ancipital]

Perhaps with a sticker on there ship saying "I'm a LOOSER"

Umm. Yes. Very good. We're all delighted to hear that; those prunes are potent stuff.

 

[Gavski]

...you have no clue what is happening. Then someone attacks and kills you.

That's like every game I have ever played; part of the learning-curve. Read a manual/forum etc., practise, get frustrated, get better.

 

[Gavski]

Umm. Yes. Very good. We're all delighted to hear that; those prunes are potent stuff.

I know, if I see one more loser using looser, instead of loser...Grrr! Shakes fist.

 

[clivewil]

it's the dawn of a new error... there's just something wrong with the whirled when people can't spell properly.

 

[xondk]

.

I totally agree with you, it is absolutely mind boggling that people enjoy killing newbies, I really, really do not understand it. They can't fight back at all, they are in the starter ship, but yeah, there are people out there that enjoy hurting the helpless, and that is unfortunate, and the moment you figure out how to solve that, do please tell.

That said, I think a grace period would be a possible solution, that basically would not allow pvp actions to have any effect until x time had passed, though it should be something they can remove if they do not want it?

 

[the100thmonkey]

Since the 1.1.0.3 server-side patch and the accompanying client patch, the NPCs interdicting me have been borderline psychopathic/suicidal.

By this, I mean "start shooting before they could even scan me" kind of behaviour when I'm in a Viper and they're in a Sidewinder.

To be fair, I'm in an anarchy system and I've done a fair amount there to make a couple of minor factions extremely cross with me.

NPC behaviour has also changed in combat - the Adder that interdicted me just before bed last night nearly got my shields down because I'd gotten lazy, and I had to get up close and personal to kill it.

 

[kilvenny]

When you are in SC keep an eye on your scanner and try and keep yourself isolated so there are no npc's adjacent, that should reduce the incidence. Don't fly direct to your destination and don't get on a flight path between two destinations. If you do get interdicted, submit. 4 pips to engines, power to full and boost - boost - boost away.

 

[Jaesic]

Ya, no. Last night I was willing to write off as coincedence. Tonight... On multiple runs I have be interdicted not once.. but twice on the same run from Star into a port. A couple times with an empty cargo hold. And mostly by NPC in Adders or Asps. I manage to escape many of these, but this is a bit excessive. And I agree on the whole borderline psychopathic thing... I'm not even getting to the point of boosting before my shields are gone.

And then there's the one that interdicted me right after arriving in the system... the escape vector forced me to fly INTO the star, and then dropped me into combat where my shields were cooking off from proximity to the star. I actually managed to escape from that one, got back into frame shift... only to be interdicted AGAIN half way to the nearest port. My shields blasted off before recovering from the 'spin out' ... boosted once... and was chased until my ship was blown out of space. 10k in cargo, several k in upgraded components and insurance costs to pay...

Seriously... it's not enough to make ME stop playing, but its not exactly fun at the moment. I'm making very little progress towards a better ship... and I can see very clearly that people who are not hardcore into this genre of games aren't going to stick with it. And anyone who doesn't think more sales/more players isn't good for everyone (because its more money in the hands of the people who will decide on ongoing development) need to be smacked around.

 

[the100thmonkey]

This is a tough one, to be sure.

While I appreciate the increase in challenge as I've gotten better at the game, I'm no longer in the position to be able to say whether or not it's too difficult/easy for new players.

I suspect a detailed and, importantly, constructive feedback post in the appropriate forum (and keeping your temper under control when the really idiotic of the more experienced players wade in with their nonsense) would be the most likely way to make a positive difference in how the game treats new players.

Maybe the Gameplay and Features or Dangerous Suggestions forums would be the right place to start.

 

[CMDR Goro]

Got ED near beginning of the year.
First time playing, got blown up just outside of station by some camping a-hole.
6 times.
So yeah, with "player interactions" like that, went solo mode, never played in open since.

 

[Derpster Frey]

Got ED near beginning of the year.
First time playing, got blown up just outside of station by some camping a-hole.
6 times.
So yeah, with "player interactions" like that, went solo mode, never played in open since.

Irrelevant, since the issue is NPC interdictions.

 

[tomimt]

I've noticed that the NPC inderectors I've met are pretty easy kills most of the time. At times there's a ship with more firepower than me, but I've defeated some with only basic pulse lasers if I've felt like fighting.

 

[InMemoriamSirocco]

Suicidal maniac NPCs should be toned down a bit. Being attacked by a single Sidewinder when I am in a heavily armed Asp makes me almost want to spare the little chap... but just almost.

Sidewinders and Eagles should attack in packs of three to four. Vipers and Cobras alone or with a wingman.