AI lacking

MxM · Dec 14, 2013

Ok so I've been playing the alpha for close to 10 hours now. I really do love it, especially since I purchased a CH combatstick earlier today.

The main issue I see, is the AI is highly predictable with a very basic repated pattern of flight and assault. I'm not sure if the initial alpha test is focusing on AI much, but it's severely lacking and needs a great deal more dynamic behaviour.

I'm sure Frontier will polish it up, just wanted to point that out for now.

izzy · Dec 14, 2013

This alpha build is not focus on AI.
AI will be better in the next builds.

Cmdr Eagleboy · Dec 14, 2013

Yeah, Mike Evans said on Kerrash Landing stream yesterday that AI especially is still "work of progress". Although I liked second mission AI. I think "lone wolf" AI seems to fare better than group ones.

Cool thing with AI is that it can be improved till the end of second beta

Erimus Kamzel · Dec 14, 2013

MxM said:
Ok so I've been playing the alpha for close to 10 hours now. I really do love it, especially since I purchased a CH combatstick earlier today.

The main issue I see, is the AI is highly predictable with a very basic repated pattern of flight and assault. I'm not sure if the initial alpha test is focusing on AI much, but it's severely lacking and needs a great deal more dynamic behaviour.

I'm sure Frontier will polish it up, just wanted to point that out for now.

They are all probably all Mostly Harmless. Wait until you go up against an Elite

Steph · Dec 14, 2013

Erimus said:
They are all probably all Mostly Harmless. Wait until you go up against an Elite

Yeech - I get killed in the third episode two times out of three already... ;-) I guess that makes me "Absolutely Harmless"!

nats · Dec 15, 2013

Yes I must admit that watching the videos I am surprised how long the battles take but I think its only due to the guns overheating that they take so long, because the enemy AI is atrociously stupid. Apart from when the player loses them for a split second when they are hammered for a little while it seems.

Certainly its nothing like the difficulty of Frontier combat but thats not necessarily a bad thing because Frontier was more luck that anything else.

I would like to see enemy AI of differeing abilities where the better pilots make more use of slip sliding/quick turning/missiles/stealth and possibly chaff/smoke etc to get on your tail more/get you off their tail.

Yaffle · Dec 15, 2013

Pecisk said:
Cool thing with AI is that it can be improved till the end of second beta

And beyond, given the online nature of it.

Cmdr Eagleboy · Dec 15, 2013

nats said:
Yes I must admit that watching the videos I am surprised how long the battles take but I think its only due to the guns overheating that they take so long, because the enemy AI is atrociously stupid. Apart from when the player loses them for a split second when they are hammered for a little while it seems.

Also remember, goal of this alpha test is to test normal flying, combat system, etc. If they would throw too hard to beat AI, not exactly lot of testing would happen. So I expect there will be separate test to collect feedback on AI alone, or it will be part of the first beta.

Certainly its nothing like the difficulty of Frontier combat but thats not necessarily a bad thing because Frontier was more luck that anything else.

We certainly have played different games, because Frontier AI was very very monotone with it's tactics and there wasn't such dense asteroid fields. For me at least in "lone wolf" scenarios AI is already lot of improvement over Frontier.

I would like to see enemy AI of differeing abilities where the better pilots make more use of slip sliding/quick turning/missiles/stealth and possibly chaff/smoke etc to get on your tail more/get you off their tail.

I agree, and I understand these all will be valid tactics used by AI.

Anyway, AI will be improved a lot. It is just alpha after all, and mostly to get core concepts of game play right.

Pembs · Dec 15, 2013

nats said:
Yes I must admit that watching the videos I am surprised how long the battles take but I think its only due to the guns overheating that they take so long, because the enemy AI is atrociously stupid. Apart from when the player loses them for a split second when they are hammered for a little while it seems.

I agree the 1v1 battles do appear to take a long time in the alpha, particularly compared with the original Elite. This does allow the combat to have more depth though. Combat would be pretty repetitive it if took only 2 or 3 shots to make a kill.

Having said that we don't know what effect ship and weapons upgrades will have in the full game. Perhaps the sidewinder configuration in the alpha represents a very basic starter version of the ship. Perhaps upgrades can be purchased at stations in game which would have the effect of shortening battle times; at least against weaker targets. Using those same upgrades would also have the effect of making harder targets more viable.