That's great and I think that people who wants to go find and fight an impossible battle should be able to go find it, at say a hi intensity combat zone. But I don't want that to come looking for me while I'm doing non combat game play. I think with the latest tweaks is mostly good. I've had to change the way I play a bit to compensate. I think some tweaks will be well received by most, myself included. Remember the rash of psycho interdictor npc wings not long ago? Yeah if they had the teeth she's talking about, yeah that's no fun and it would have been the end of my journey.
Sarah, it may be time to tone it down a bit.
- Thread starter CMDR Hagglebeard
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That's great and I think that people who wants to go find and fight an impossible battle should be able to go find it, at say a hi intensity combat zone. But I don't want that to come looking for me while I'm doing non combat game play. I think with the latest tweaks is mostly good. I've had to change the way I play a bit to compensate. I think some tweaks will be well received by most, myself included. Remember the rash of psycho interdictor npc wings not long ago? Yeah if they had the teeth she's talking about, yeah that's no fun and it would have been the end of my journey.
Cradle2Grave
Banned
I like Sarah.
I'm sorry, but compared to what I'm currently working on, the current combat AI is real easy.I'm working on loads of upgrades for the higher ranks, have been testing various ships against an Elite Anaconda on my build. Well, I can't beat him.
Keep it up and bring it on, Ms. Avory!
It's way too easy at the top end right now. But do not despair, people who want a challenge. Your prayers will be... er... answered.
See I told you SJA is evil. Evil and wicked to the core.
I don't know how the spawning of NPCs work but this could be fixed if the system was able to match your skills with proper skills NPCs so, if you're deadly, you would encounter deadly NPCs, etc.
I'm feeling that this already works. I rarely run into harmless or competent NPCs anymore. They seem all to be deadly, dangerous or expert.
Was out at Kurians, doing a 14 pirate kill mission today, and interdicted a wing of 8 Deadly Sidewinders in my A Spec combat Python (in sig).
Cost me 3 Class 6B SCB charges to down them all (with KW scans on each one); unfortunately only 1 of them counted towards my 14 pilot tally, they were all listed as faction "pirate" but only the one I interdicted was listed as a "mission target".
A LOT of fun and definately not pushovers, 3 cells is similar to what it takes to down an Elite 'Conda...but that's nowhere near as fun as the Sidey Squad of DOOM.
Cost me 3 Class 6B SCB charges to down them all (with KW scans on each one); unfortunately only 1 of them counted towards my 14 pilot tally, they were all listed as faction "pirate" but only the one I interdicted was listed as a "mission target".
A LOT of fun and definately not pushovers, 3 cells is similar to what it takes to down an Elite 'Conda...but that's nowhere near as fun as the Sidey Squad of DOOM.
I need clarification on what exactly we are discussing here.It's way too easy at the top end right now. But do not despair, people who want a challenge. Your prayers will be... er... answered.
Is it an individual NPC's AI combat effectiveness against another individual adversary be it an NPC or player? With no other craft present to affect the AI?
Are you exploring AI combat skill in the situation where it is in a Wing? Fighting a solitary NPC / player or another Wing?
Or where it is fighting alone against a Wing?
Gleefully questioning
![[VR] Deggial](https://forums-cdn.zaonce.net/data/avatars/m/47/47252.jpg?1553527110){kind=avatar}
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find the post in order to quote it...
But I don't think, a concentrated attack of multiple ships it is a "cheap trick" to increase difficulty! In contrary, I think it is totally valid and a nice variation in the challenge!
Sure, high ranked AI pilots should be fearsome enemies and fighting them should be a thrilling experience. Go for it, Sarah!
But equally interesting is to fight flocks of lower ranked Eagels where you have to have an eye everywhere and spawn shield cells while you finish one agile target after the other.
I want BOTH!
But I don't think, a concentrated attack of multiple ships it is a "cheap trick" to increase difficulty! In contrary, I think it is totally valid and a nice variation in the challenge!
Sure, high ranked AI pilots should be fearsome enemies and fighting them should be a thrilling experience. Go for it, Sarah!
But equally interesting is to fight flocks of lower ranked Eagels where you have to have an eye everywhere and spawn shield cells while you finish one agile target after the other.
I want BOTH!
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Naah, make it harder. And attach laser beams to their frickin heads. The NPC's are just practice before the Thargoids show up
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It's way too easy at the top end right now. But do not despair, people who want a challenge. Your prayers will be... er... answered.
Loving every word and completely inline with how I experience the "top end" ever since my Vulture got fully A-modded.
Can't wait for this! >
its funny,
first combat zones have been a joke with all npcs there shooting infinite frag rounds all over the place, with player shields lasting forever, if managed right.
now combat zones are fun, because most npcs are using the whole bandwidth of weapons, depending on your shield level. There are so much more laser beams and missiles flying around.
Its just a pitty that Torpedos are such a joke that you cannot kill a phyton with three of them at once...
first combat zones have been a joke with all npcs there shooting infinite frag rounds all over the place, with player shields lasting forever, if managed right.
now combat zones are fun, because most npcs are using the whole bandwidth of weapons, depending on your shield level. There are so much more laser beams and missiles flying around.
Its just a pitty that Torpedos are such a joke that you cannot kill a phyton with three of them at once...
First the NPC's were not tough enough, now some say they are too tough. Guess what sweethearts, this ain't a Goldilocks story! There won't be a "just right".
The only change that is really needed is that player skill levels adjust to work with the new and improved NPC's.
Now normally I run a Cobra around doing BB smuggling missions but last evening I decided to take the Vulture out for a spin in the HI-RES in LTT 18486 and work on boosting my combat rating (currently Competent). So there I am enjoying myself while noting that these guys seem a bit tougher than usual (not a bad thing). At one point I engage a 3 wing of an Asp and two Eagles while I only have 2/3 shields. Formerly this would have been no problem so we get to dancing. The next thing I know I have another 3 wing on my 6 just pounding away! While I have the Asp in my sights the other 5 ships just decimate my shields and start ripping apart my Mil Spec armor and 180 points of hull reinforcements! Thrusters malfunction, power management and other warnings abound!
There I am, spinning out of control, down to 45% hull and resigning myself to the big KABOOM! and the 800k rebuy when miraculously the thrusters come back online and I scoot and boost my way out of there with my tail between my legs. Back at Boswell Station it takes 18k to repair the ship (my personal current max payout) but that beats the rebuy and I still got my bounties.
What a GREAT time at the OK Corral! What used to be a shooting gallery is much more of a challenge. Way to go Sarah!
Yes I got my a** kicked!
Yes it was fun!
Guess where i'm headed now?
Back to LTT 18486 for a rematch, that's where!
The only change that is really needed is that player skill levels adjust to work with the new and improved NPC's.
Now normally I run a Cobra around doing BB smuggling missions but last evening I decided to take the Vulture out for a spin in the HI-RES in LTT 18486 and work on boosting my combat rating (currently Competent). So there I am enjoying myself while noting that these guys seem a bit tougher than usual (not a bad thing). At one point I engage a 3 wing of an Asp and two Eagles while I only have 2/3 shields. Formerly this would have been no problem so we get to dancing. The next thing I know I have another 3 wing on my 6 just pounding away! While I have the Asp in my sights the other 5 ships just decimate my shields and start ripping apart my Mil Spec armor and 180 points of hull reinforcements! Thrusters malfunction, power management and other warnings abound!
There I am, spinning out of control, down to 45% hull and resigning myself to the big KABOOM! and the 800k rebuy when miraculously the thrusters come back online and I scoot and boost my way out of there with my tail between my legs. Back at Boswell Station it takes 18k to repair the ship (my personal current max payout) but that beats the rebuy and I still got my bounties.
What a GREAT time at the OK Corral! What used to be a shooting gallery is much more of a challenge. Way to go Sarah!
Yes I got my a** kicked!
Yes it was fun!
Guess where i'm headed now?
Back to LTT 18486 for a rematch, that's where!
It's not that complicated, actually. Your mistake is to assume that EVERYONE should be able to take on elite nig bad npc ships. In my opinion, that shouldn't be the case. Elite npcs should be fairly challenging to fight for the most skilled players, and downright impossible to fight for inexperienced / unskilled pilots. There are ships of many different levels for said less skilled pilots.
The most dangerous npcs need to be a challenge for the most skilled cmdrs, so you always have something to fight as your getting your skills up (all the other ranks below elite).
Great story!
Have some rep.
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I think the best way to explain it is in MMO terms....
Mostly harmless: level 1-10; Elite: Level 1000.
Now would you as a player at, lets say..., level 50 take on an Elite? (Think Skulls and bones on NPC Character level tag...)
<edit> Actually reminds me of ye old days at Everquest with the boss roaming the newbie area.
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I'm all for increased difficulty in the top end, but not if it merely means god mode for the npc. As in infinite ammo and fishy module behaviour.
This kind of thing is a tactic breaker, and does not mean that the npcs are good. As much as I enjoy combat right now, I try not to think too much about the fact that AI gets to constantly shoot frags or rails at me with no ammo shortage whatsoever. As for modules, maybe I'm wrong but I've taken out quite a few power distributors already on anacondas, without them displaying much difficulties in maintaining their fire rate and shields reloading. I might be wrong about that last part though, and the annies just have huge (huuuuuuuge) reserves.
This kind of thing is a tactic breaker, and does not mean that the npcs are good. As much as I enjoy combat right now, I try not to think too much about the fact that AI gets to constantly shoot frags or rails at me with no ammo shortage whatsoever. As for modules, maybe I'm wrong but I've taken out quite a few power distributors already on anacondas, without them displaying much difficulties in maintaining their fire rate and shields reloading. I might be wrong about that last part though, and the annies just have huge (huuuuuuuge) reserves.
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It's way too easy at the top end right now. But do not despair, people who want a challenge. Your prayers will be... er... answered.
I'm looking forward to that.
I have a fully A-rated Python, and I'm always surprised how fast I have to resort to shield cells.
For smaller ships with high turning rates the Python can't match, I've installed two size 2 beam turrets set to 'fire at will'. They are a great help to rid me of Eagles, Sidewinders and Vipers. I found they also help me more on where to turn than the radar, which I find counter intuitive from other games I played. I do get how the radar display works, but I've seen others that just link up better with my brain.