Strange things NPC "ships can only" do.

snotface · Apr 28, 2015

Has anybody seen this. You are chasing an NPC into a res belt (not out of one) and you are both mass locked. Then they suddenly jump through the belt as if there is nothing there.

What other strange stuff have you seen them do...

Weps · Apr 28, 2015

I'm approaching the station in SC at the 5 second mark. Bells and whistles go off all over in my cabin, but I know I'm right on the money: the speed and distance indicators will hit the blue region exactly at the same time.

NPC ship goes -whooosh- past me and drops from SC just in front of me, leaving me in a cloud of sparkly dust.

digitalscream · Apr 28, 2015

snotface said:
Has anybody seen this. You are chasing an NPC into a res belt (not out of one) and you are both mass locked. Then they suddenly jump through the belt as if there is nothing there.

What other strange stuff have you seen them do...

Masslock aside, it's easy enough to jump through a belt - you just need to jump to another system rather than into supercruise.

FiddenUK · Apr 28, 2015

NPC can jump to SC with weapons deployed.

NPC can hyperspace through a planet, when you need to get a clear line of sight first.

NPC appears to have no issues with heat...

StephenB · Apr 28, 2015

NPC can jump with no thrusters.

Not only that but most annoyingly they can type whilst manoeuvring and shooting at you. CHEATERS! CHEATERS I SAY!

TriumphANT · Apr 28, 2015

Armour said:
The thread title has the most confusing application of speech marks I've think I've ever seen. It's somewhat "infuriating to look" at, actually.

ROFL.

They can definitely travel faster in SC on the approach to stations, and don't seem to get our "0:06 forever" timer. Or should that be 0:06 "forever timer"?

Mephane · Apr 28, 2015

NPCs can jump with a destroyed FSD.

Sentience · Apr 28, 2015

They magically match my thrust vector when scanning me no matter what I do.
Except when I hit boost. Then I smack into their face.

Flavourless · Apr 28, 2015

The developers have said many times that NPCs do not cheat.
But it is wide experience that they are able to "do many things" that PC ships are prevented from doing. Go figure.

AnnuverScotinExile · Apr 28, 2015

Flavourless said:
The developers have said many times that NPCs do not cheat.
But it is wide experience that they are able to "do many things" that PC ships are prevented from doing. Go figure.

The devs are probably drawing a fine line, here. I fully believe that the AI does not cheat in general, and SJA has said so. There is, however, a subtle difference between not deliberately cheating and cheating through omission. Let's take one example from this thread: jumping when the target is obscured by a sun. They actually have to write a pile of code that presumably does not exist in order to honour this rule. The end result of them not having written that code is that the NPC can cheat, but that is not really FD writing cheats for the AI.

Pendra · Apr 28, 2015

NPC Anacondas can turn on a dime.
Destroyed power distributor has no effect on NPCs. They fire and charge shields without problem.
However, I've never seen NPC jump out with destroyed Drive or FSD.

AnnuverScotinExile · Apr 28, 2015

Pendra said:
NPC Anacondas can turn on a dime.

All ships can turn on a dime: FA off, turn, FA on. SJA has said that the AI does that. That is not cheating.

Arrichion · Apr 28, 2015

Pendra said:
NPC Anacondas can turn on a dime.
Destroyed power distributor has no effect on NPCs. They fire and charge shields without problem.
However, I've never seen NPC jump out with destroyed Drive or FSD.

I have. I was bounty hunting around a planetary ring a couple of days ago and an Anaconda escaped even though I destroyed its FSD.

Extreme_One · Apr 28, 2015

Armour said:
The thread title has the most confusing application of speech marks I've think I've ever seen. It's somewhat "infuriating to look" at, actually.

Hahaha. That "really made me" laugh.

Tusken · Apr 28, 2015

A npc can scan you even when you have silent running on. We can't even target a player who's running silent let alone scan them.

Kondensat · Apr 28, 2015

AnnuverScotinExile said:
All ships can turn on a dime: FA off, turn, FA on. SJA has said that the AI does that. That is not cheating.

not true!
if your speed is NOT in the blue zone, you can turn off FA as much as you want.....your turn rate is as crap as with FA on....
and i´ve seen condas turn on a dime, standing still before

Adam Lusardi · Apr 28, 2015

Kondensat said:
not true!
if your speed is NOT in the blue zone, you can turn off FA as much as you want.....your turn rate is as crap as with FA on....
and i´ve seen condas turn on a dime, standing still before

Use of Vert/Lat thrusters at the same time!

Alec Turner · Apr 28, 2015

When you're in SC heading towards a planet you'll often hear (and see on your scanner) an NPC warping from one position to another behind you. Don't know what kind of trans-SC/sub-Hyperspace drive they're using to do that but they certainly don't stock them at Shinrarta!

DidierDrbois · Apr 28, 2015

Mephane said:
NPCs can jump with a destroyed FSD.

And with a totalled power plant. And with 0% hull.

Goilveig · Apr 28, 2015

StephenB said:
NPC can jump with no thrusters.

Actually not a bug, you can too if you fly FA off. Without flight assist, you don't lose your velocity and can jump as long as your velocity vector aligns with your ship facing, and in the case of hyperspace, both aligned with your target.