If you don't have Beta access, and you like to kill NPCs, read this. Read this now.

[Anopheles]

I can't wait for the first PvP Pro-Bro moans about AI offering too much of a challenge and interrupting their seal-clubbing

Only in your upside down world. Most PVP players enjoy challenges. It's the traders and 'mah credits! Mah time!" that will probably shout the loudest. I shall enjoy logging the numbers.

My Throne of Salt hungers.

Anopheles,
Keeper of the Throneo of Salt
Keeper of the Holy Jar of Moisturizer
The Malcolm in the Middle
The, Long, Good, Friday
etc, etc.

 

[Shanaeri]

I feel like the AI is just right now. It's more challenging than 2.0 and less pesky than 2.1 beta 1. Targeting subsystems is more important now. So basically if you fight like you would if you were a against a player you'll be fine Personally I'd swap out chaff launchers with point defence as I found chaff to be pretty ineffective against NPC's now

Also, the higher the rank of pilot. the more chance they have of special weapons xD

 

[Steve50]

but I think half the player base will quit the game.

Quite frankly its their loss if they don't want a 'battle'. but for me combat in 2.0 is staggeringly dull and boring, like shooting ducks on a target range. I want some challenge in the game and the AI in 2.1 brings that. tbh if some people prefer to shoot fish in a barrel then, no loss. I hope they find a game that suits.

 

[CMDR Zadian Lichtfrost]

…
It's going to come as a shock, but to do combat you will need a dedicated combat ship.
…

If it's really as brutal as you write, then ED will have a problem. A dedicated combat ship is useless for any other task. An AI that requires dedicated combat ships will simply make trading, exploring and maybe even mission running impossible.
If special effect weapons and engineered modules become mandatory, then many players will simply stop playing if they don't have the time to grind their way to the upgrades.
And not everybody is a good combat pilot and probably will never be a good one.

It's going to be interesting.

 

[Asp Explorer]

Only in your upside down world. Most PVP players enjoy challenges. It's the traders and 'mah credits! Mah time!" that will probably shout the loudest. I shall enjoy logging the numbers.

My Throne of Salt hungers.

What's upside down about it? If PVP players want a challenge - I am certain they can find it if they so wish. It might just be that the current AI is satisfyingly giving some people more difficulty than they have previously experienced - and as AI ability scales with combat rank - Trader Trundle and Explorer Eddie ought to be at slightly less risk from AI depradations.

Mind you - I don't feel at all sorry for those who ground out Elite in combat farming in capship instances with turrets They will, I hope, get a rather refreshing surprise!

 

[Deleted member 38366]

I haven't dropped into one yet (should do that), but I guess running into High Intensity CZ will be quite a different experience...

Seen what happens if the tide of war turns and upto 15 Ships opened up on me and my Wingmen.
Usually made it (suffering severe damage) - but imagining many Ships now being much faster or firing special Weapons.... *ouch*
That's gonna hurt

And with kills being more difficult or time-consuming to achieve, so it will be to actually win a Conflict.
I reckon those 28days max. duration of a Conflict might actually become a useful thing.

PS.
On the downside, I see all Ships that were originally designed around a V1.0 meta (Type-7/Type-9 come to mind) suffer far more than they already do.
I'm just glad I'm not in a C-Grade Type-9 working to upgrade it with my spare cash anymore.
My test Type-7 lived for about 20 Minutes before being swiftly destroyed by an NPC despite being very well-kitted. Managed to visit 2 Systems before losing it.
A loaded Type-9? This ship design is likely plain dead when V2.1 hits; barring someone spending a month or two Engineering the living daylight out of it.

 

[CMDR Zadian Lichtfrost]

…
PS.
On the downside, I see all Ships that were originally designed around a V1.0 meta (Type-7/Type-9 come to mind) suffer far more than they already do.…

There once was a meta where the T-7 was a usable ship?

I guess a lot more ships will get moved into the "death-trap" category. I fear the DBX will be among them

 

[Flankhard]

No point having super duper AI if it's still going to bug out and stop the ship and spin in place - has that been fixed?

 

[Deleted member 38366]

There once was a meta where the T-7 was a usable ship?

I guess a lot more ships will get moved into the "death-trap" category. I fear the DBX will be among them

Well, back in the days *cough old man talking * the Type-7 was a formidable and highly recommended money-maker. Superb stepping-stone also into multi-Ship ownership... Only surpassed by the mighty Type-9, the "Cash Cow".
The Type-7 was the Ship that got me into the Python.

I remember *laughs* I was able to take on even a Federal Dropship in a Type-9 with good Shields, Turrets, FA OFF and Pips Management... Even took mine into a Player-Populated HighCZ once for 3 Minutes of glory - and a 2.2M repair bill from 11% Hull remaining xD
Nowadays I'd label it a "Crash Cow", V2.1 I fear will basically relabel it into the "Flying Coffin" indeed.

 

[Mohrgan]

Anopheles is completely right. We will have to really read the info panel for wing numbers, and ranks, both make a huge difference now, to be sure you are ready for the fight. Even in A rated combat ships. You should be prepared to chase NPC's as their shields fail, because they will run. Cobra III's, and Clippers can draw you many Km's off the beacon.

All that said, in 6 weeks everyone will be settled in, and adjusted to the improved A.I. It always happens that way. I've been having luck with a hybrid build. Bi-Weave Shields, Boosters, and some HRP's. 2.1 is really going to shake up the status quo. I am happy to see it.

P.S. When I say this I mean in the BH sense. I've been running around in a Python with 128 tons, and a partial combat build, and I have been able to handle the general interdictions and obstacles in that. You will need a fully hardened combat ship to RES, CZ, or any of the other true combat situations in game.

 

[Thetele]

If you go in to fight with mentality like: "Hey, i will just farm some easy CR by killing some stupid npcs." Then you have a problem. But if you go and except fight then you will be okey in most ships if you aren't in shield less ship and have weapons with you. You need to think about how to survive the combat with AI it isn't one sided battle like before.

 

[DaveB]

I have to agree that fighting NPCs is a LOT better now. They are much more of an enjoyable challenge. I got into a scrap with a high-ranked wing of a 'conda and two Cobras in a tanked up battleconda. Since it was beta I wasn't going to run, was going to "test to destruction" and I took down two of them and got about half way through the third, but if I hadn't had a CTD I'm pretty sure that third one would have been the eventual survivor. They all had fished weapons so that might have been a factor, but their skill level has had a HUGE boost.

I'd guess that high-ranked NPCs present about as much of a challenge as an "average" or lower PvP player would if you were in equally matched ships. They are still not as difficult as a top combat pilot, which is a good thing because a top combat pilot hands me my head every time, but it's sure not "farming" any more. <voice=MrBurns>Excellent!</voice>

You guys wanting more folks playing in open and ascribing the dearth of such players to "fear" (which I DON'T agree with but that's a totally different discussion) should be rubbing your hands in glee. They are going to be training up and might soon have no reason for "fear" at all...

 

[CMDR Zadian Lichtfrost]

Well, back in the days *cough old man talking * the Type-7 was a formidable and highly recommended money-maker. Superb stepping-stone also into multi-Ship ownership... Only surpassed by the mighty Type-9, the "Cash Cow".
The Type-7 was the Ship that got me into the Python.
…

I had a T-7 for about 2-3 weeks before 1.1. In it I got destroyed the first time by an NPC.
I loved the feeling of the T-7, but always considered it a death-trap. And don't get me started about the T-9, the only ship in ED I really hate.

(ED is my first space/flight game after decades of FPS games, everything is new to me, even after 1.5 years of playing a lot of ED)

 

[Spacecat]

I would expect that Frontier have a vested interest and will take steps to ensure that NPCs do not become *too* difficult because - as you point out - players may choose to leave if the game ceases to be "fun".

Have they beefed up the bounties to compensate? I see more complaints about lack of stuff to do than easy enemies (not counting the death roll).

 

[GluttonyFang]

Fold

Now now, there is no need to panic, it's just making AIs to actually present some sort of danger to players.

- - - - - Additional Content Posted / Auto Merge - - - - -

I can't wait for the first PvP Pro-Bro moans about AI offering too much of a challenge and interrupting their seal-clubbing

I can't wait for it happening @_@

 

[Zazzilas Arden]

I'm not coming back until the new AI is in place. The current AI is a joke that barely ever even fights back.

Hear hear. I want a challenge. I don't want to look at an enemy and respond with "Pff. Just an NPC. Easy pickings."

I want all of my targets to be a threat. I'm not some entitled prat that wants victory just handed to me on a silver platter. I want a fair fight.

The dumb NPCs are not a challenge. They are immersion breaking. They are not fun. Right now, they're just an easy means of making credits and can completely be dismissed in almost every situation.

I am infinitely glad that this seems to be changing.

 

[Asp Explorer]

The dumb NPCs are not a challenge. They are immersion breaking. They are not fun. Right now, they're just an easy means of making credits and can completely be dismissed in almost every situation.

My Asp and another CMDR in a Clipper fought an NPC Sidewinder for about 4 minutes.

A Sidewinder. For four minutes. It was great fun!

 

[Zazzilas Arden]

My Asp and another CMDR in a Clipper fought an NPC Sidewinder for about 4 minutes.

A Sidewinder. For four minutes. It was great fun!

Let me guess... He was high ranked and had chaff, and you two were using gimbals?

Sounds about right, if that's the case.

I probably would have been smiling the whole time. I'm really looking forward to it.

 

[Asp Explorer]

Let me guess... He was high ranked and had chaff, and you two were using gimbals?

Sounds about right, if that's the case.

Yup he blew out chaff like it had upset his digestive system. I was running a weird mix of 3 lasers and 3 multicannons for lulz, and getting awesome healing beams from the Clipper. A great laugh

 

[Bomba Luigi]

You overexaggerate quite a bit there OP, while the become better for sure they are not become so good that a player doesn't stand a chance anymore.