AI and new starters

[Popinjay]

I like the fact that the AI has been improved for more of a challenge, but a concern I have is with the new starters. Very soon theres going to be a major influx of Xbox players, good for the game.

If the AI is too good, these players are ultimately going to get bummed in the gob, and probably lose interest. I hope when they balance the Ai out they take this into consideration.

 

[Brimstone]

New players will find out for themselves what their limits against the AI will be, just like we all did when we first started playing.

 

[Tarman]

Already covered. AI is getting improved across the board, but not merely with pure upgrades to combat ability. The NPC noobs will still be easy, but in more believable ways. The Overlord is watching out for the less-pewey among our populace, while making sure that Elite NPCs actually deserve the title.

 

[EddyRockSteady]

Moral of the story:

Leave the Big Bad Anaconda alone if you fly a Sidey.......Pick on ships your own size and all will be well. Don't and get a hiding.

Even the new guys will understand.

 

[Popinjay]

New players will find out for themselves what their limits against the AI will be, just like we all did when we first started playing.

When I started playing the AI was poor, so most ships were cannon fodder. Now the AI is vastly improved new players are going to need a little settling in time. This game isnt the easiest to pick up and play. I just feel new starters deserve a chance to experience the game a bit, not just the insurance screen.

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SJA has also made it clear that she does intend for the new A.I to be balanced, so I wouldn't worry unduly about Combat A.I. as a new player. She uses a lot of emoticons and takes an obscene amount of pleasure from teasing/trolling* players but her head does seem to be firmly on her shoulders.

*

Good to hear. As far as Im concerened, the more the merrier in ED.

 

[Ikari]

More importantly the increase in AI hit points and the OP weapons they have is going to invalidate all small ships.

 

[Crimson Kaim]

Actually the AI isn't 'good' but they are more of a threat than players in masses. Due to wings of 8 sidewinders being way harder to kill than a well fitted player Python, AIs are more effective than players because of the following reaons:

1. They exist in masses. It is a rare thing to meet another commander in the current version of Elite and if you are meeting one, then it is only one.
2. Suicide attacks. A player will most likely run if a Python interdicts a Cobra (the Cobra player will run). NPCs will most likely attack and fight to their end causing signifcantly more damage and weaken the player for a short period of time.
3. Due to 2. the following NPCs have an easy way to kill the player. While the total KDR of NPCs vs Player is probably something around 10:1, NPCs don't care if they die, they just respawn and have no insurance cost and stuff like that and so they behave, they behave like they have nothing to lose and this is the problem and the reason why AIs are considered as good.

NPCs just have a major advantage that they will use, causing them to be an actual threat. But please, don't tell me an NPC is even close to being good as a player (though, AI could be made to be UBER-SUPER-MEGA-OP )

 

[Cmdr Cunomaglus]

Most 'console peasants' would likely rinse you at twitch based combat, so no need for you to care dear. It's the aging gits who worry most about the AI being too hard.

Hey, I'm an aging git and I want the AI to get harder (at the top end of the spectrum, anyway).

 

[Renegade Roach]

Hey, I'm an aging git and I want the AI to get harder (at the top end of the spectrum, anyway).

I am also an aging git, it's ok.. I wasn't intending to condemn us all

 

[AnnuverScotinExile]

The problem is not AI difficulty. It is making sure that there are generally reasonably obvious degrees of difficulty for the environment. So there should be truly safe areas with lots of police presence where the rewards of trading are slim. And much harder places, too. I don't think we have that right yet.

 

[Comrade Napoleon]

I think new players will find the current level of NPC AI well... stimulating
I am confident that they quickly will know the difference between An Elite Python and a Harmless Asp.
I am indeed more worried about new players failing to realise that they need to retain 10 % of their credits for insurance, as this seems to have been ignored by many players sinse Beta.
We have , I fear, not seen the the last of the "I lost all" threads.

Cheers Cmdr's

 

[Jacob Marshall]

You would hope that with the influx of new players, from the XB if nothing else, that this will be something FD can add that lands on its feet and just does what it's meant to do; I mean, it's Combat A.I. you'd expect that to be good to go.

Never been a fan of 'hope' so I'll be expecting hotfixes and what not.

 

[Popinjay]

The problem is not AI difficulty. It is making sure that there are generally reasonably obvious degrees of difficulty for the environment. So there should be truly safe areas with lots of police presence where the rewards of trading are slim. And much harder places, too. I don't think we have that right yet.

I 100% agree with this. +1 rep

 

[bkc02010]

I play Xbox, and the AI is . Like others have posted, AI is only a problem when they exist in swarms and/or suicide on you (let me interdict this anaconda in my eagle hurrrr). For some reason some (read: some) PC players think console players are dumb. When I was growing up we had an N64 for playing games and a computer for doing work, and this has stuck with me over the years. I am saving up for a gaming PC so I'll be able to enjoy modded RPGs (elder scrolls 6 whenever it releases oh god), but don't assume things about people based on the games they play and what system they choose to play them on. It makes you look stupid.

 

[lysan]

The Attack of Mistress Sarah Minions in 1.4 will be unavoidable. The King is dead, Long live the queen

"make it difficult"

 

[Jediben]

The xbox controller has only 16 buttons - of course you guys are simpler than pc users

 

[kilvenny]

I have been playing in a Sidewinder to try and simulate what happens to a noob. My combat ranking is not harmless obviously as I have a few hundred kills, but it's apparent since 1.3 that combat is much more challenging. I took on an unwinged ship with a higher rank than me and within seconds another ship turned red and stripped my shields. The other frustration is that now low ranked ships can jump out, the relatively poor weapons on a small ship are exposed because the time to kill is so long - I have noticed time and time again a jump out at 5 per cent or less. My conclusion is that for combat you have to head rapidly up to combat ships. It's no problem for me, I have the money to upgrade, but if I was starting out this would be frustrating.

 

[Popinjay]

I play Xbox, and the AI is . Like others have posted, AI is only a problem when they exist in swarms and/or suicide on you (let me interdict this anaconda in my eagle hurrrr). For some reason some (read: some) PC players think console players are dumb. When I was growing up we had an N64 for playing games and a computer for doing work, and this has stuck with me over the years. I am saving up for a gaming PC so I'll be able to enjoy modded RPGs (elder scrolls 6 whenever it releases oh god), but don't assume things about people based on the games they play and what system they choose to play them on. It makes you look stupid.

This thread wasnt meant as a criticism towards anyone, if you took offence, I apologize. I meant any new starter.

The more players sticking at this game the better it will get.

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I have been playing in a Sidewinder to try and simulate what happens to a noob. My combat ranking is not harmless obviously as I have a few hundred kills, but it's apparent since 1.3 that combat is much more challenging. I took on an unwinged ship with a higher rank than me and within seconds another ship turned red and stripped my shields. The other frustration is that now low ranked ships can jump out, the relatively poor weapons on a small ship are exposed because the time to kill is so long - I have noticed time and time again a jump out at 5 per cent or less. My conclusion is that for combat you have to head rapidly up to combat ships. It's no problem for me, I have the money to upgrade, but if I was starting out this would be frustrating.

Thats a good point. That would be pretty brutal for new starters who need the credits badly.

 

[bronywonderbolt]

im new to elite and my first day was intimidating I lost a lot of stuff went into debt and had to delete my file twice because I made a pilgrimage to duvals HQs only to find out that most of imperial space is so buggy it crashes every time I load. but im five days in now Im an imperialist in enemy federation space surrounded buy people trying to kill me for promotions, ive made allies and a home out of a local independent port where I work as a smuggler and fight to protect my little safe haven from the feds. i own an eagle viper and cobra and im working towards a larger ship to add to my collection as a heavy trade and mining ship. and on top of all that last night I overhauled my eagle and used it to take down my first combat anaconda. I hope to return to imperial space one day (when it stops crashing) though getting all my ships there will be a challenge. all in all im glad I stuck it out. if you ever want to find me im in yagaba (spelled wrong) daily

 

[Soliluna]

I like the fact that the AI has been improved for more of a challenge, but a concern I have is with the new starters. Very soon theres going to be a major influx of Xbox players, good for the game.

If the AI is too good, these players are ultimately going to get bummed in the gob, and probably lose interest. I hope when they balance the Ai out they take this into consideration.

A.I is really not that good. It's good in terms of tech but it's not overly difficult at all. There are WAY more difficult games out there that do just fine with and without an AI opponent.