All Hail Sarah Jane - Mistress of the Minions

[HurstLlama]

Tone it down? Nah! I want to make it crazier (but safer of course) !

I don't know how long I'll be playing this game for, probably for a long time yet, but however long the high point will be the first time I used the new docking computer. It was at an outpost and I was, as the youngsters say, "like w t f " and that was before it started its left wing-over and perpendicular dive to the landing pad. When it was over I sat and laughed until the tears ran. It was certainly the best bit of games programming I have seen in a very long time. The sad thing is that, whilst using the DC is still fun, that moment of shocked disbelief can never be repeated.

That said I wait with keen anticipation to see what tricks you are going to teach the NPCs to use in combat. Somehow I don't think I am going to be disappointed.

 

[timbow]

Once NPCs start double chaffing, anyone using turrets/gimballed is doomed.

Well not really for gimballed, you just unlock the target and hammer as if using fixed lasers, but I guess that's down to the skill of the pilot.....

 

[Mephane]

Tone it down? Nah! I want to make it crazier (but safer of course) !

This just in from the 1.4 patch notes:
- Docking computer is now called Planet Coaster.

 

[Sarah Jane Avory]

BTW good people... I'll be going to Lavecon 2015...

 

[Mu77ley]

BTW good people... I'll be going to Lavecon 2015...

Cool. I'd love to have a chat about AI coding in general.

 

[Trafalgar Law]

This just in from the 1.4 patch notes:
- Docking computer is now called Planet Coaster.

That explains why it's often a bit loopy

 

[Vingtetun]

BTW good people... I'll be going to Lavecon 2015...

As per my twitter 'hooray' - 'hooray'. I expect the SJA AI Appreciation Society are all looking forward to it!

(P.s. tickets still available ;-) )

 

[T1-Jafo]

This just in from the 1.4 patch notes:
- Docking computer is now called Planet Coaster.

LOL. I agree, the faster and more like a roller coaster the better.
Almost necessitates the docking computer to have its own separate distinct personality from the rest of the ship.

 

[Cryodacry]

Tone it down? Nah! I want to make it crazier (but safer of course) !

Sarah,

Is there any chance you could start having pirate NPC's fly python's / clippers / FLD's / Annaconda's ? I would love to see the Tears of solo / private group players dealing with the real threat of how Real pirates operate ships. The constant interdiciton of sidey's and eagles seems hardly fitting of the representation of a Pirate. On the flip side it appears that Pirates in the game do not respond to dropping of cargo nor do they ask for it anymore. Is this intended or a WIP ?

 

[Vingtetun]

I think what we need is for the AI chatter to match their actions and have more variety....

' lining up for docking approach'

And more combat phrases tied to what they're doing... shooting cargo hatch breaker limpets, retreating to recharge, commenting that your shields were down and switching to kinetic weapons. Iyswim

 

[Non Grata]

I guess the vulture is still overpowered, then. I fitted another shield booster and stayed in a HI CZ for 1.9M kills (before breaking to bed). I did not notice much difference, but maybe that is due to my personal playing style.

Indeed - for anybody that has a hotas and understands turn rate/radius the vulture is just a win machine.

As soon as they go for jousting matches, I throttle to zero or even reverse. Keep my sights on them. But my shields can tank it easier than a Viper can.

Indeed again - all the good work FD implemented in dogfighting goes to waste as soon as you come to a halt - maneuverability should go to zero when slow.

 

[Sarah Jane Avory]

Indeed again - all the good work FD implemented in dogfighting goes to waste as soon as you come to a halt - maneuverability should go to zero when slow.

I am so gonna fix this! Got some good ideas... so I'll be upgrading parts of the AI logic, making them much smarter and more situation aware.

 

[Rubbernuke]

Q: does the AI view human targets as a greater threat? Last night I tried to enter a violent protest zone and the very second I jump in, half of the enemy ships stop what they are shooting at and target me before I fire a shot! I was in a combat Python though, does AI consider the threat posed by the ship, also?

 

[PavelKCZ]

Indeed - for anybody that has a hotas and understands turn rate/radius the vulture is just a win machine.



Indeed again - all the good work FD implemented in dogfighting goes to waste as soon as you come to a halt - maneuverability should go to zero when slow.

It does not make sense from physical point of view. Why should the orientation thrusters work less with less forward velocity ? At least with FA Off.

 

[Shaamaan]

Since this thread is quie full of snarky anti-solo comments...

Will we get the abilty to hire these new and improved NPCs for our own wings so that solo can be more like group / open?

 

[RailBalco]

It does not make sense from physical point of view. Why should the orientation thrusters work less with less forward velocity ? At least with FA Off.

This guy is right. It doesnt make sense in vacuum. Its correct in dense atmosphere because there air is resisting in same way as it supports plane to be able to fly + there is stronger gravity. But in vacuum there is no resistence.

But kudos for improving AI, its harder to outmanouver them + sometimes harder to outgun them! Love this game more and more! maybe adding them ability to fly without flight assistance would be much more cooler as it can change whole experience from "almost atmo arcadish" flying to "real 0 grav fight"

Also noticed that many cmdrs dont use flying withou flight assist

 

[Vingtetun]

One other thing is the potential to add some more intelligence to NPC pirates - they work harder to take your cargo rather than destroy you (you know the thing - more intelligent use of hatch breakers, cargo door shooting and hurting you without destroying you.

 

[CakeEngine]

One other thing is the potential to add some more intelligence to NPC pirates [...]

Be careful what you wish for.
My conspiracy theory has still to be proven wrong, that at some point in the near future, Sarah Jane went a tiny bit too far and her AI minions somehow figured out how to travel back in time in order to kill powerplant maintenance crewman John Connor aboard Starship One, which eventually ended in the loss of the whole ship and President Halsey.

 

[Mephane]

Q: does the AI view human targets as a greater threat? Last night I tried to enter a violent protest zone and the very second I jump in, half of the enemy ships stop what they are shooting at and target me before I fire a shot! I was in a combat Python though, does AI consider the threat posed by the ship, also?

It seems so. I have filed a bug because it feels utterly wrong that when two Anacondas are firing at each other, both heavily damaged, and after you just fired a single shot at one of them, it immediately abandons everything in order to attack you.

 

[Vingtetun]

Yes - do NPC's have an awareness of relative bounty value of ships that they are killing and assign priority based on danger/risk/reward?