Discuss the AI here!

[HappySlayerUK]

Darnielle's Progress in Maia system will temporarily sell meta-alloys until the bug is fixed.

Thanks for that info, just did a forum search and found a post from Michael Brookes about them selling Meta Alloys as a stop gap until the barnacles are fixed.

 

[Dave1029]

I've come to the conclusion that there's two types of players. Those that have not encountered an OP NPC and think we're crazy, and those that have and realize how annoying and frustrating the game will be. Dying in this game is usually a big setback. Most MMO's are not like that. If you die in ED, you lose a large chunk of progress.

 

[Loosenut]

Taking other threads and my own experience into account, I can still say that AI feels a bit too hard for Dangerous+ NPCs. The fact that the game doesn't really have a dedicated "low-level" place (LowRES is the closest thing you can get) doesn't help, like its desire to spam interdictions by high-level NPCs.
'
What really should be done is not AI nerfing, but NPC spawn nerfing.
- Make Dangerous NPC rare, Deadly even more rare, and Elite super-rare. They should be seen as "legendary" enemies that CAN and WILL kill you if you don't have enough experience and gear to deal with them. They may worth a HUGE amount of money (how about 500K or even 1M bounty for an Elite Anaconda?), but you have to find them. They are perfect target for assassination missions.
- Absolutely NO high-level NPCs in combat zones. Or maybe make them very rare spawn, like capital ships. The main fighting force of any army are regular soldiers, not special forces. Currently, it's basically a "suicide by CG".
- Absolutely NO high-level NPCs in LowRES and probably Nav Beacons.
- Moderate chance to meet Dangerous NPC and small chance to meet Deadly NPC in HiRES.
- Most NPCs in HazRES are Dangerous, moderate chance to meet Deadly, small chance to meet Elite.
- Interdictions are based on your combat rank. You shouldn't be ganked by Elite when you're Harmless. (Also, kindly stop the "crazy pirate" nonsense! I can't drop my cargo if I haven't any. Especially if I haven't any cargo racks!)
- Powerplay NPCs should be mostly mid- and high-level, starting with Master. Greenhorns doesn't get accepted into President's personal guard. This way, PP can even get an influx of participants, since this is a place where you can get some hard fights.
- Police should stay high-level (just like now), especially in high security systems.

+1^ I couldn't agree more and I hope FDev consider these great ideas.

I'm only on page 6 of this thread so please...

 

[Marc_Hicks]

you do know pcs can do more then one thing at a time lol.

Well then, maybe that's why you're doing so crappy against these AI's.

 

[Rankaze]

you do know pcs can do more then one thing at a time lol.

If you're multitasking while fighting, you should expect to get shot up. Just saying.

 

[gogereaver]

The AI is fair. You're just making excuses for being in a ship you clearly can't handle. You used fixed beams 'cause the previous AI was a complete moron who would gladly run into your firing arcs & even do a nice little "spin o death" to help you out too. Now you're facing a REAL opponent, you've suddenly been shown that your combat skills aren't up to snuff. Don't be ashamed of that, as it was something I learned during the beta too.

i run 2 large beam turrents and everything else multicannon. the 2 beams deal with anything faster then me then multicannons of doom for anything large hehe.

 

[MVP_Bluntman]

I've come to the conclusion that there's two types of players. Those that have not encountered an OP NPC and think we're crazy, and those that have and realize how annoying and frustrating the game will be. Dying in this game is usually a big setback. Most MMO's are not like that. If you die in ED, you lose a large chunk of progress.

What do you mean, I've been facing nothing but non-stop elite, deadly, and master NPC's in high intensity sites and using security as my wingm8's. I may occasionally get my ass whooped, but that adds enjoyment. You mention Most MMO's, yeah exactly the point, thats most MMO's.

 

[Soliluna]

I've come to the conclusion that there's two types of players. Those that have not encountered an OP NPC and think we're crazy, and those that have and realize how annoying and frustrating the game will be. Dying in this game is usually a big setback. Most MMO's are not like that. If you die in ED, you lose a large chunk of progress.

If dying loses a large chunk of progress you're flying something you shouldn't be. You need to be flying something where your death is reasonable, else (sorry) you only have your self to blame.

 

[Dave1029]

The AI is fair. You're just making excuses for being in a ship you clearly can't handle. You used fixed beams 'cause the previous AI was a complete moron who would gladly run into your firing arcs & even do a nice little "spin o death" to help you out too. Now you're facing a REAL opponent, you've suddenly been shown that your combat skills aren't up to snuff. Don't be ashamed of that, as it was something I learned during the beta too.

Buddy... In my skirmish which only had me firing one beam as the update messed up my fire groups, I still managed to take his shield down an entire bar. The issue is not my piloting skills. Stop saying that. The issue is how quickly he made mince meat of my defenses. The AI is unfair. They hardly ever miss. Combine that with god tier weapons and you have a damn reaper.

 

[Pumabear8]

Not had that problem myself. Unless there is a whole gang, & they're armed to the teeth with missiles, I can usually escape quite easily.

It was an Anaconda, and very heavily armed, don't know what it had for thrusters, but it had no problem keeping up with me when I attempted to high tail it out of there, my armor was down to 50%, i thought heck I can still escape, enough armor left, that 50% vanished, I think I managed to hit the boosters twice before "Eject!"

 

[Marc_Hicks]

I've come to the conclusion that there's two types of players. Those that have not encountered an OP NPC and think we're crazy, and those that have and realize how annoying and frustrating the game will be. Dying in this game is usually a big setback. Most MMO's are not like that. If you die in ED, you lose a large chunk of progress.

No, you've not encountered an OP NPC. You've simply encountered an NPC that is as smart as it was always meant to be. Seriously, swallow your pride and ask support to lower your combat ranking in the game......you're clearly not as good as your ranking says you are (again, no shame in that, as my combat ranking also was higher than it should be).

 

[BreakfastMelon]

The AI is actually very impressive at the moment and they're much more potent than they were before. Its difficulty promotes wing-fighting and also careful picking of fights which is an extremely important skill but was previously unneeded.

I do believe that it would be fair to increase the payout from higher-tier NPCs, especially those in wings, to more accurately reflect their abilities.

If you're having difficulty, go for the lower-tier NPCs until your ship and/or piloting are up to the bigger fish. It only makes sense that the 'Dangerous'+ NPCs are quite a challenge.

 

[Marra Morgan]

i think you got that the wrong way round pal , its the GIT GUD crowd that's slagging other players off
and this looser has been in many a bar fight and not just in this country so you just keep tapping on your keyboard and leave the real fighting us

Ooo look! A real-life tough guy!

 

[gogereaver]

Well then, maybe that's why you're doing so crappy against these AI's.

i haven't died to the new ai but alot of my buddys in lesser ships where shredded in seconds. hell the fear in beta was bigs ships where going to be parked in faver of faster fighters as it should be big ships for fire support small faster ones to do the fighting but they get ripped up so fast now.

 

[Marc_Hicks]

It was an Anaconda, and very heavily armed, don't know what it had for thrusters, but it had no problem keeping up with me when I attempted to high tail it out of there, my armor was down to 50%, i thought heck I can still escape, enough armor left, that 50% vanished, I think I managed to hit the boosters twice before "Eject!"

Did you consider High Waking out of there? No mass lock when you high wake.

 

[Hexcaliber]

Are 7A shields with 4 A rated shield boosters discount? I just ran into an OP NPC. You will too, and I hope your explosion is glorious.

You simply ran into an npc with rails and/or plasma accelerators coupled with engineers mods is all. What you refuse to accept is that even without engineers mods those weapons have been killing player shields and hulls quickly for a long time now. You see it in pvp all the time when a player has a pve fit and is caught off guard.

 

[Rankaze]

Taking other threads and my own experience into account, I can still say that AI feels a bit too hard for Dangerous+ NPCs. The fact that the game doesn't really have a dedicated "low-level" place (LowRES is the closest thing you can get) doesn't help, like its desire to spam interdictions by high-level NPCs.
'
What really should be done is not AI nerfing, but NPC spawn nerfing.
- Make Dangerous NPC rare, Deadly even more rare, and Elite super-rare. They should be seen as "legendary" enemies that CAN and WILL kill you if you don't have enough experience and gear to deal with them. They may worth a HUGE amount of money (how about 500K or even 1M bounty for an Elite Anaconda?), but you have to find them. They are perfect target for assassination missions.
- Absolutely NO high-level NPCs in combat zones. Or maybe make them very rare spawn, like capital ships. The main fighting force of any army are regular soldiers, not special forces. Currently, it's basically a "suicide by CG".
- Absolutely NO high-level NPCs in LowRES and probably Nav Beacons.
- Moderate chance to meet Dangerous NPC and small chance to meet Deadly NPC in HiRES.
- Most NPCs in HazRES are Dangerous, moderate chance to meet Deadly, small chance to meet Elite.
- Interdictions are based on your combat rank. You shouldn't be ganked by Elite when you're Harmless. (Also, kindly stop the "crazy pirate" nonsense! I can't drop my cargo if I haven't any. Especially if I haven't any cargo racks!)
- Powerplay NPCs should be mostly mid- and high-level, starting with Master. Greenhorns doesn't get accepted into President's personal guard. This way, PP can even get an influx of participants, since this is a place where you can get some hard fights.
- Police should stay high-level (just like now), especially in high security systems.

I think you are misunderstanding what the different severity ratings for RES represent.

It's not "Low RES for easy enemies, HIRES for medium enemies, HAZRES for difficult enemies."

It's "Low RES for easy enemies, HIRES for difficult enemies, HAZRES for wings."

I don't go into HAZRES alone. HIRES are where I go to hunt Dangerous, Deadly, and Elite foes for big bounties. Sure, you could solo in a HAZRES before, but that's because the AI wasn't worthy of its wings before. Now it is.

Maybe Frontier needs to put in a Moderate Intensity RES - a place where pilots can fight mid-ranking AI with the occasional high-ranking enemy to give them a chance to improve.

 

[Edgey75]

their was nothing in front of me just a stream of red ai behind me at the edge of my radar.

 

[Dave1029]

What do you mean, I've been facing nothing but non-stop elite, deadly, and master NPC's in high intensity sites and using security as my wingm8's. I may occasionally get my ass whooped, but that adds enjoyment. You mention Most MMO's, yeah exactly the point, thats most MMO's.

Rank is not always a good indicator. Just depends on their loadout. When I say OP, I mean a NPC that just got blessed with a favorable weapons loadout + mods. Don't necessarily mean elite ranked.

 

[Bostlabs]

Now you're facing a REAL opponent, you've suddenly been shown that your combat skills aren't up to snuff. Don't be ashamed of that, as it was something I learned during the beta too.

I got a big dose of that as well. Had to step up and learn FAOFF combat and had to adjust my Kenny Rogers formula. You know... "You got to know when to hold them, know when to show them and know when to fold them".