All Hail Sarah Jane - Mistress of the Minions

[CMDR Hagglebeard]

I have found a couple of bugs. 1) It's possible for pips management to foul up for high rank ships, meaning their pips request for WEP is... zero! 2) On smoothing out the DC I accidentally compromised AI ships orientation in combat massively, so it's hard for them to align to target. I've tested the fixes and it makes them much deadlier. They won't be going in just yet. I need to re-balance the combat AI (especially low ranks) and upgrade it loads top end, adding such thing as ships breaking away to recharge shields, and possibly using SCBs better.

Hey Sarah, I'm loving the 5-Eagle police response. I only ever used fixed weapons unless I aim to shoot out drives, and back in beta the little buggers swirled around my Python and I was forced to run, I couldn't even kill one! It's fantastic

Also, any word on NPC pirates shooting first, not scanning nor scooping? Yesterday I was interdicted by a Sidewinder, who immediately upon spawning said something along the lines of "So you wish for death, then", as if I hadn't complied. I miss getting pirated by your NPCs, I love the chat strings

 

[Roybe]

I have found a couple of bugs. 1) It's possible for pips management to foul up for high rank ships, meaning their pips request for WEP is... zero! 2) On smoothing out the DC I accidentally compromised AI ships orientation in combat massively, so it's hard for them to align to target. I've tested the fixes and it makes them much deadlier. They won't be going in just yet. I need to re-balance the combat AI (especially low ranks) and upgrade it loads top end, adding such thing as ships breaking away to recharge shields, and possibly using SCBs better.

Sarah...did you ever think your job could be summed up so well with just one picture?



(if there is an issue with this photo, moderators, feel free to take it down..or let me know if I need to remove it)

 

[Rauminen]

There should be an AI power, no players allowed to join, run by Sarah .

There is one already. It's called Thargoids.

 

[Sarah Jane Avory]

Sarah...did you ever think your job could be summed up so well with just one picture?

View attachment 43729

(if there is an issue with this photo, moderators, feel free to take it down..or let me know if I need to remove it)

Hmm... I've got a pair of shoes like those...

 

[Rudolphus]

Greetings Sarah Jane,

Is it intended that a player that is mostly harmless is canon feed for a NPC elite or wings
And also while you experiment on us with your new AI should we not be discounted in insurance till it is balanced out right.

I have found a couple of bugs. 1) It's possible for pips management to foul up for high rank ships, meaning their pips request for WEP is... zero! 2) On smoothing out the DC I accidentally compromised AI ships orientation in combat massively, so it's hard for them to align to target. I've tested the fixes and it makes them much deadlier. They won't be going in just yet. I need to re-balance the combat AI (especially low ranks) and upgrade it loads top end, adding such thing as ships breaking away to recharge shields, and possibly using SCBs better.

 

[Rauminen]

Personally I want to see baby Sidewinders scatter like cockroaches whenever I deploy hardpoints in my 800t Clipper frigate.

This. This would be nice. I fly a combat kitted Python even for trading... then some shieldless fly interdicts me and demands my cargo... then I open hardpoints, and a few sec later just have to wait for the fsd to come back.

Something along the lines of "Oh, holy sssshoe, I didn't mean to do that sir, please be on your way" would be nice. Even if I didn't let him go


Truth to be told, I did get lassoed by elite ships as well (seems very random - maybe a bug in threat assessment?) That was significantly more fun And I believed that he thought he could take me. Shieldless courier on the other hand? Please.

 

[Eloy]

I did get it on video and it will be part of my video series in my sig block. I've killed lots of sideys in the past in RES or NAV points. Yet, I couldn't keep these in front of me long enough for a KWS scan. I fully admit I am crap at combat, but four pips to engines and I couldn't get behind them. I've been avoiding FA Off but I'm thinking it is time to learn it.

4 pips to engines doesn´t make your more manoeuverable, the blue zone does.

I find that just widening your turn works pretty well. As I pull up, I thrust downward. This widens your turn and gives you some space.

That´s it.

PS: Some CMDRs here clearly overdo with the post-pubertal goo, it hurts a bit by now.

 

[Rankaze]

The simple fact of the matter is that the AI is at a massive disadvantage because they dont have the same shielding we have.

Their movement is really fluid now and i simply cannot begin to imagine the complexity of the code. Ive been writing intelligent systems for over 20 years so im in awe of what is going on under the bonnet.

If you gave them the same loadouts as us (ie stacked cells) the tears would flow like Niagra Falls.

I defy anyone to beat an Elite Conda with even a heavy fighter and no cells. I have tried and failed in my Courier loads.

I can easily jump in a celled up FdL or Python and just face tank until their shields drop and then gimbal their plant but it doesnt require any skill.


If they targetted subs or drives and stacked cells...different story.

I can tell you that I have seen Shield Boosters in AI loadouts, even on Mostly Harmless in combat zones.

That said, I do not want to see the AI use player tactics. Endless shield cell jousting just isn't fun. It's not fun with players, and it wouldn't be fun with the AI.

In fact, I'd really rather see shield cells nerfed rather than seeing the AI use them more!

I like being able to fight the AI without stacking shield boosters and makimg my shields take 40 minutes to recharge.

 

[salad]

Sarah is making us consider getting better life support modules

 

[Rankaze]

Sarah is making us consider getting better life support modules

I've always at least considered fitting A life support. However, my favorite ships are those that are power and/or mass misers, so it's hard to justify going A over D.

My combat Viper ran A life support, though... the numbers worked out such that there was nothing better to spend the last of my power on without having to cut something else I wanted.

 

[DjordjeDtW]

Last update was like phase #1... There's still a lot more to come...
So don't hail me, after all the combat AI is still a bit of a walkover right now and needs better tactics...

Greetings Sarah,
Can you learn AI to use adaptive tactic, counter messure steps, like chess moves?

And his thinking time to be increased and very fast? To use tactic + move combination and permutations?

 

[Seonid]

This. This would be nice. I fly a combat kitted Python even for trading... then some shieldless fly interdicts me and demands my cargo... then I open hardpoints, and a few sec later just have to wait for the fsd to come back.

At one point in the past the AI did just that, they would interdict you and when you deployed hardpoints they sometimes would run off straight away. Even now in a NAV I was scanned by a Wanted ship and they said something like "You look like you can handle yourself, I don't want any trouble" and they flew off. Temporarily.

 

[Zarunoi]

Sarah...did you ever think your job could be summed up so well with just one picture?

View attachment 43729

(if there is an issue with this photo, moderators, feel free to take it down..or let me know if I need to remove it)

When I see her talk about her minions I have more this picture in mind

 

[TargetLost]

I am bored. Send me your worst Nightmare!

Hanging out in powerplay enemy territory unharmed killing harmless Fed-Aid's for merits like a clockwork and woder what went wrong in ED. Half a year or year ago there were deadly NPC action. But Power-Play has as much Power as a flash light just before the batterie gives up. So rescue me!! Let me permanently be hunted by an army of your worst killer NPC's!

 

[T1-Jafo]

I have found a couple of bugs. 1) It's possible for pips management to foul up for high rank ships, meaning their pips request for WEP is... zero! 2) On smoothing out the DC I accidentally compromised AI ships orientation in combat massively, so it's hard for them to align to target. I've tested the fixes and it makes them much deadlier. They won't be going in just yet. I need to re-balance the combat AI (especially low ranks) and upgrade it loads top end, adding such thing as ships breaking away to recharge shields, and possibly using SCBs better.

What a great job you have; and you obviously enjoy it as it shows. Thanks for all your hard work and interaction with everyone.

 

[fademist]

Compliments to Sarah Jane for recent AI improvements. Last night I had my butt handed to me in a USS by a pair of wanted "Harmless" Sidey's who were always behind my Viper no matter what I did. Could not out-turn them for love nor money. Get one in my sights and the other starts nibbling at my shields.

I eventually zoomed away and got them on a jousting run heading back, but my hull was taken down 12% before I did so. Humbling that.

So to Sarah Jane a final message:

Spoiler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3sOuEv0E2I

Gratz u waked up the monster now we dont have anywhere to run and hide

 

[XHawk87]

I am bored. Send me your worst Nightmare!

Hanging out in powerplay enemy territory unharmed killing harmless Fed-Aid's for merits like a clockwork and woder what went wrong in ED. Half a year or year ago there were deadly NPC action. But Power-Play has as much Power as a flash light just before the batterie gives up. So rescue me!! Let me permanently be hunted by an army of your worst killer NPC's!

100% agree.

I think the NPCs should be more responsive to player activity in the short-term and not just in a subtly-influencing-the-galaxy type way. If a player is harassing shipping in an area, after a while they need to send out wings to hunt them down. Keep ramping up their efforts until it is too much for the player to handle, forcing a change in tactics, breaking up the monotony. Traders should start running with armed escorts in the area. They might try using Q-Ships, heavily armed vessels disguised as easy prey in hope of catching out pirates. When a player racks up large bounties in an area, bounty hunter NPC should learn of their approximate location and start patrolling nearby primary stars hoping to interdict while you're trying to fuel scoop. Make it exciting! We don't want a conveyor-belt of easy targets, give us a challenge!

 

[B33 ENN]

When NPC miners get a friendly fire strike against them, I'd like to see them try and run away and warp out of the RES from the police ships, like we players have too. Right now, they just stay there and get killed.

 

[Vlad Archer]

My courier was destroyed by elite T9. Yes, I was little reckless, not the best pilot, distracted by his wingmen (shieldless sidey - "sure, I should finish him first")... That was AWESOME! Hats off...

 

[Sarah Jane Avory]

What a great job you have; and you obviously enjoy it as it shows. Thanks for all your hard work and interaction with everyone.

It feels good that people are generally enjoying the AI update. There's much more on the way... Mama's teaching her little ones new tricks...
I'll also be trying to appease everyone by making the lower ranks fun for beginners while ramping up the higher ranks for the more experienced player. Tricky perhaps, but at the end of the day the aim is to make the game fun for everyone. Oh, BTW I'm loving my work! Perhaps it shows...