I think it was the last patch they made the npc's harder.
Thoughts about danger, NPC behaviour and these pirate factions
- Thread starter Vingtetun
- Start date
I think it was the last patch they made the npc's harder.
I'll just say v1.3...
So in 1.3 the Clippers take the selfie AFTER they killed you? :-D
i have encountered a dangerous anaconda ai in a war zone and his setup was a bit harder than the average dangerous anacondas out there it acctualy managed kill my clipper before i cud do the Brave Sir Robin manuver, he hit my trusters whit Deadly precission. lost 3.7mill but i take it as a lesson learned. Even elite anacondas in res is easy compared to that 1. and 1.3 seem to bring the danger lvl up, So be careful for what you wish for guys.
lost 3.7mill but i take it as a lesson learned. Even elite anacondas in res is easy compared to that 1. and 1.3 seem to bring the danger lvl up, So be careful for what you wish for guys.
This isn't why we bounty hunt in solo... or at least, it's not why I do. Bounty hunting with another CMDR around basically halves your profit, due to competing for the last shot. The risk that if you have a friendly fire incident that other CMDR might think it worth trying you for 200 measly credits is a secondary concern.
SJA's critters actually got me last night in HR 706. I love that factions will actually hunt you if you prey on them long enough. It definitely adds an element of danger, and last night I pushed my luck a little too far and lost 6 million in uncashed bounties. Without risk, though, it would be boring... and before I hit Hostile with The Gold Society, it had in fact been boring.
Hopefully the new High Intensity RES will let us consistently face higher rated foes and bigger ships, so there is always that element of risk.
Not always! When I got killed, they sic'd an Anaconda and two Cobras on me while I was already fighting another Anaconda in a wing!
I totally agree that the AI should remain plausible and not be made more difficult by adding impossible abilities.
However, I would really expect Dangerous/Deadly/Elite AI pilots to drive reasonable ship builds and to be able to use their ship to its full potential. If you read ship discussion threads on the forums you will quickly come to the conclusion that people currently use completely different ship loadouts for PvE and PvP. I, like many others, initially was under the impression that a loadout that works well against AI cant be completely bad for fighting players. After all the ship, maneuverability, shield strength, weapons, etc. are all the same, right? Boy was I wrong.
Back in January I had a lot of fun with my 4 MC Viper. Taking down Elite Pythons was not a big deal. Their shields died quickly enough from a good multicannon barrage, and destroying hull is what the MCs are made for. So it seemed like a pretty effective and energy efficient loadout... until I tried to fight a player Python. The difference was huge. Not only did I not manage to make a DENT in their shields (players seem to have way better pip management and are good with shield cells), Players also use their weapons a lot more effectively.. for example they throw extreme amounts of burst-damage your way in order to quickly collapse your shields. It is completely different to fighting Elite AI opponents. Needless to say, I had to rethink my combat strategy quite a bit.
In a perfect world the same loadouts that work well against high-level AI should also work against human players. I am not saying AI should be as good as the best human dogfighters, but it sure would be nice if fighting a high level AI Python would give me some indication if my current loadout / tactics would actually be viable against a player Python.
That said, I understand that the AI is work in progress and I am really looking forward to the AI updates in 1.3. Go Sarah Jane! I cant wait to receive a good beating from an AI opponent
This is an excellent point actually, a lot of the time it isn't simply a matter of reaction time adjustments, but changing npcs loadouts, efficient use of shield cells, having npcs aim for bursty damage to knock shields out the same as a player would etc, these are the changes I'm looking for from Sarah Jane...
Just in case you're still listening
Sarah Jane Avory
Retro Queen
This is an excellent point actually, a lot of the time it isn't simply a matter of reaction time adjustments, but changing npcs loadouts, efficient use of shield cells, having npcs aim for bursty damage to knock shields out the same as a player would etc, these are the changes I'm looking for from Sarah Jane...
Just in case you're still listening
Yeah, listening... taking notes...
I never predicted that NPC's would get good enough to get combat players to admit that they had pushed it too far...
"U bored now?" should be the new pre-scripted remark when players's hulls hit 1% (with no jump or thrusters).
"U bored now?" should be the new pre-scripted remark when players's hulls hit 1% (with no jump or thrusters).
Uh last RES I was at, once I got hostile they sent Anaconda wings after me..
I've tried bounty hunting.
First, there is not much money in it, compared to other professions. It's just an excuse for legalized combat.
Second, you should do it far away from your home systems. Hit a local faction enough, and they will start hitting you. Great, if the only gamestyle you enjoy is combat, not so great if you plan on doing anything else in your local area. SJA's critters will follow you.
Third, Death Ships, and wings of them, owned by the local offended faction, with full shields and outfitting will start jumping your Adder (or less), even if you think changing ships down will change your opposition. That rep is forever, tied to your player name.
It's almost as bad as the internet...
With Power Play coming up, I can see a lot of clean saves coming up as well, since that is the only way to clear a bad rep. Once you've been operating in an area for a while, your friends, and enemies, start to crystallize. Make a friend, and you have also made an enemy. Perhaps several enemies. I've noticed minor factions, even those friendly to me, are attacking me due to my being allied with one faction or another. This occurs, even if I do jobs for that faction, or have never attacked any ships of that faction.
I'm allied with the controlling faction in my home system (surprise, they have the shipyard, and all the other goodies). This means all of the other minor factions will try to hit me at some point. I'm friendly with a controlling faction in another system that is expanding. I get hit with the local opposition.
This may mean a "hobo" style of play for many, trying *not* to get aligned/hostile with any major faction. You will need a scorecard, in the middle of battle, to tell which major faction is aligned with who you are in combat with.
Or, we can all go exploring until we have to self-destruct.
Thanks, combat players and guild guys!
First, there is not much money in it, compared to other professions. It's just an excuse for legalized combat.
Second, you should do it far away from your home systems. Hit a local faction enough, and they will start hitting you. Great, if the only gamestyle you enjoy is combat, not so great if you plan on doing anything else in your local area. SJA's critters will follow you.
Third, Death Ships, and wings of them, owned by the local offended faction, with full shields and outfitting will start jumping your Adder (or less), even if you think changing ships down will change your opposition. That rep is forever, tied to your player name.
It's almost as bad as the internet...
With Power Play coming up, I can see a lot of clean saves coming up as well, since that is the only way to clear a bad rep. Once you've been operating in an area for a while, your friends, and enemies, start to crystallize. Make a friend, and you have also made an enemy. Perhaps several enemies. I've noticed minor factions, even those friendly to me, are attacking me due to my being allied with one faction or another. This occurs, even if I do jobs for that faction, or have never attacked any ships of that faction.
I'm allied with the controlling faction in my home system (surprise, they have the shipyard, and all the other goodies). This means all of the other minor factions will try to hit me at some point. I'm friendly with a controlling faction in another system that is expanding. I get hit with the local opposition.
This may mean a "hobo" style of play for many, trying *not* to get aligned/hostile with any major faction. You will need a scorecard, in the middle of battle, to tell which major faction is aligned with who you are in combat with.
Or, we can all go exploring until we have to self-destruct.
Thanks, combat players and guild guys!
Then you haven't tried bounty hunting. You're probably chasing Sidewinders instead of blowing up Pythons and larger, which is what bounty hunting is all about. You know, dangerous work with big payouts, not chasing small time riff-raff for their expired docking fines.
- - - Updated - - -
Isn't that kinda what you secretly dream of as a bounty hunter though? An endless string of wanted Anacondas with big fat bounties on them...
The only problem is that in the *current* iteration PvP is entirely skewed in the FAVOR of the girefers/gankers. It's much the problem that EVE has with suicide ganks to be honest. The perpetratiors are able to 'ruin' gameplay for others often for little more then amusement, and expose them selves to very little long-term detriments by doing so. som things they could do that would incentivise me to play more OPEN-
1. Police response that scales to Attackers ships and skill rating.
2. Firing On illegal targets Incurs not only a bounty but a rep hit with the Local controlling faction as well as the primary faction.
3. Killing an Illegal target incurs a High bounty and a much heavier faction rep hit (ontop of the intial one for opening fire) and perhaps disqualifies you from insurance coverage untill all fines and bounties are paid. No law-abiding entity player or NPC should be absorbing your risk for illegal acts. Much as it would be in the real world. IMHO if you want to attack others illegally you should have to shoulder the FULL burden of risk. This wouldnt stop organized pirates from taking down haulers full of vaulables. but it would stop Griefers from just Shooting anything with CMDR in its name 'for teh lulz' because they would be bankrupt after just a few runs.
Yeah, listening... taking notes...
I think this would be much better than the impossibly precise maneuvering and pip management of current Elite targets.
How long and how much in ship losses did you cost them you reckon? I'm still at it in one site and last night they scrambled 2 hit squads of Expert - Master Cobras and Vipers, 3 each, at the same time. Must say, even in an armed-to-teeth Python, they wiped a few smiles off my face.
Yesterday I had a NPC bounty hunter Clipper attack me for a 200cr bounty. I engaged him, slowly dropping his hull to 5...4...3...2...1 in the end and waiting to see if he runs away so I can avoid an increases bounty, but no, he kept coming at me, so in the end I finished him off, poor (bas|re)tard, but he asked for it.
Could this be fixed please? I doubt any (sane) NPC would/should keep coming at me when my shields are full up if its own ship is only barely hold together with duct tape.
Could this be fixed please? I doubt any (sane) NPC would/should keep coming at me when my shields are full up if its own ship is only barely hold together with duct tape.
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Kill the npc's thrusters and leave them in space without killing them.
That's how you can avoid the bounty.