Discuss the AI here!

[Nazgutek]

Tried that...died in half the time so it's back to listening to all the pros telling us we have to adapt...just not like that and besides...judging from the toxic attitude of many here, I'm starting to think it's time to leave (

The holier-than-thou elitism is eye-opening. It's almost like the reddit groupthink.

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Nope, it's going to get better. Well, needs another balancing pass perhaps, more variety in tactics (to make mid ranks a little easier), and new skills for higher ranks to make them a little less predictable.

How come nearly every NPC has engineer mods?

 

[woodhouse]

It appears that the AI still have engineer mods. From what I read, the difficulty is just about right, the only error by FD is to insist on giving NPCs these mods.

 

[Pumabear8]

At least this made me chuckle. Now to being serious and attempting to be helpful, put the effort in to learning to fly FA OFF, it really is worth it, players who do not use it, have no idea how superior it is once you get the hang of it. It is not a panacea for all the AI changes but it is a huge step up over FA ON

I am starting to suspect many complaints here come from people who stick to solo and private groups only ever facing NPC, and as the AI did not challenge enough or force them to improve they are struggling now to adapt.

Note, I am not knocking solo, or pve groups, I fly in solo too at times. However, flying in open, particularly in busy areas with a lot of pvp going on forces you to adapt, and is probably the best environment for learning the game and how to get the most from a ship and gives you an appreciation of what some players can do, and it does force you to work on improving.

i think the point he was making, is there is nothing you can do, short of buying a larger heavily fortified ship that can take a beating while trying to escape.

 

[Rankaze]

At first, the cr/hr will decrease. We all need to develop the skills to deal with this new AI. The AI is not hard or even impossible, it just requires a higher skill level than what the previous AI allowed us to develop (can't get better if the situation doesn't call for it).

I went to a Haz Rez and picked on a Dangerous Python. For someone like me that used to take on wings of 4 or 5, I figured a single Python couldn't be that bad. Boy, was I wrong. I killed the thing, but had to tuck my tail between my legs after and go repair and rearm. It took a while.

You see, my normal approach is, target power plant, all pips to weapons, game over.

After, I went to a lower ranked RES, and picked on a few ships there. After getting a feel for how NPCs act now, and taking notes (yes, notes) about my ships performance, the ifs and hows of why it may not be working as before, etc etc, I went back to the station and made some changes.

Also... just go into a HIRES and watch the cops and pirates throw down. It's actually pretty darn entertaining now.
So I go back to the Haz Res. I wanted to pick on a Python again, preferably the same rank as before. Once I found it, I carefully kept my distance, scanned it, and this time I decided to target the drives.

So I fired the first shot. As expected, the Python turned around immediately and started pummeling me. However, this time I was more prepared, and with a bit of FA Off and some aggressive maneuvering (oh, my poor HOTAS joystick), I managed, for the most part, to keep the Python on my sights. As soon as its shields were gone, I positioned myself behind it and blasted its drives with a railgun. Few more hits and the Python suddenly slowed to a crawl.

This encounter took about half the time it did the first time.

The point being... We all have to learn to adapt and deal with our shiny new, smarter AI. Personally, I love every bit of it. I don't remember the last time I attacked an NPC with a real feeling that I might not survive.

Before, it was like:

"Wing of 5? Meh"
"Elite Conda?" Meh
"Two Elite condas?" Hmm... meh

Now it's like:

"Dangerous Python?" > thinks > thinks some more > thinks even more > shoots the Python > Python turns around and shoots me > The words "Sh*t, bad choice* flash through my mind, followed by "Maybe I should run"

Thank you, Frontier.

The moment I knew it was finally right was when I opened fire on a Deadly FdL and it whipped around like a an angry wolverine and promptly sliced off half my shield in one volley.

The fact that a single AI ship gave me an "oh crap" moment was a revelation. I won that fight, but I had to earn it!

 

[Sentenza]

How come nearly every NPC has engineer mods?

This is in fact the real legitimate complaint. Modifications should not be that omnipresent.

 

[MVP_Bluntman]

This is in fact the real legitimate complaint. Modifications should not be that omnipresent.

and rewards.

 

[James Razor]

i think the point he was making, is there is nothing you can do, short of buying a larger heavily fortified ship that can take a beating while trying to escape.

At least someone who got what i wanted to say. I have to stress the issue now a bit: I DONT HAVE PROBLEMS DEALING WITH THE NEW AI. I am just worried about the people that have not reached my level of wealth and the impact it will have on their chance to get to my level of wealth and the fun or better said the lack of it while they try.

I am sitting in a A-Rated, 8A shielded, 8A SCB supported fully armed military grade Cutter. The NPCs are no problem for me. But i wouldnt want to fly anything below that atm.

 

[Hexcaliber]

i think the point he was making, is there is nothing you can do, short of buying a larger heavily fortified ship that can take a beating while trying to escape.

You missed his earlier posts quoting me, it was the context of that last post and the earlier comments, that made it amusing.

 

[Ren Garris]

Some of us have taken the wise decision to flee, unfortunately some OP AI's has wiped out your systems before your FSD has even cooled down, I wouldn't take my Python up against an Elite Anaconda, it's too sluggish, so I always do the wise thing, I run away, now not an option since the update, you're fried before the FSD count down is finished.

Then my time will come. It's inevitable.

But I will try my darndest when its my time to die. Maybe by then I will have unlocked the superduper-ultramega -FSD-Cant catch me-LVL 99 upgrade.
Until then I will high wake/low wake and short drop my way outta there.

Stupid work. I wish I was at home getting pushed around by AI.

 

[Soliluna]

I was actually responding on the topic of Bounty Hunting no longer being a viable income stream.

And no, there's is no new meta for making money.

And why do I consider "making money" important? Because players need it to progress beyond an Eagle. Do keep up.

BGS changed to have more influence over commodity prices so that contributes to the new money making meta. Black Market was looked at too. There is the new Ice mining. There are new upgrades from engineers, such as being able to increase your jump distance. These all contribute to a new meta for combat, trading, mining and in no small part - money making.

Your denying it does not alter the fact that there is a new meta.

I didn't say you were wrong for considering making money important, I just said that if you enjoy making money and it is your primary motivator you will do what makes money. If bounty hunting does not satisfy your desire to make money, don't do it. If you enjoy combat, these new opportunities to learn and be challenged are great.

If the rewards are in fact too low, they can be tweaked without changing the difficulty.

 

[CMDR Mr. Boombastic]

Even then they have the advantage of being combat hardened. They aren't fiddling about trying to remember what key does this that and the other and have all sorts of skills new players will not yet possess.

Yes, very true. I remember those early days when the learning curve was steep enough in 1.5/2.0 where I had my iPad beside me with the key settings/Game manual/Thrudds/eddb.io/YouTube tutorials.

One stat I would like to see is how many '(Mostly) Harmless' players with little or no experience were involved in the Beta and provided feedback. I am guessing very few if any.

 

[Deareim]

Is it me or the turn rate/speed of any npcs ships is fast ?

 

[GluttonyFang]

Nope, it's going to get better. Well, needs another balancing pass perhaps, more variety in tactics (to make mid ranks a little easier), and new skills for higher ranks to make them a little less predictable.

Yes SJA YES, BRING THE TERROR!

 

[Han Brannigan]

From balanced arguments, seems like it's firmly in the 'frustrating' sector

Wrong. What balanced arguments - those you found where the sun don't shine?

 

[Kyokushin]

I have hope NPC will also record and report combat loggers

 

[Han Brannigan]

In real life, I'm not going to risk liability of any sort unless I'm compensated accordingly.

Games are no different.

So games are no different then RL. Are you special?

 

[Metal]

Either my fps skills are to high for new ED AI or AI is to easy atm.

 

[MVP_Bluntman]

the combat aspect of the game, is exactly just that, combat, you work on your strengths and weaknesses, because players will exploit that, and now that AI are of somewhat similar quality at the high ranks, they will also exploit your weaknesses. Making money is everything, but farming brain dead NPC's is not the definition of combat. Look at it like this, fighting the AI in combat, should be like fighting a player, because of the type of game we have the combat aspect relies on the most player input, "git good" isn't really much of a proper or respectable response, but the general feel among high ranking commanders who have combat experience, is that these NPC's are right where they should be. The rewards are the part that are questionable, and the frequency of modifications the NPC's have. However the loadout isn't what makes the pilot special, its the pilot itself.

Like i said, for my example, I never had beta, I never experienced these new AI, however I have PVP experience, and these AI are very very lovely and are somewhat on level now to actual commanders, and they very much should be that way it doesn't feel like a boring farm fest. Majority of the complaints wouldn't be there because the AI operates like wing fights, in PVP, you always go after the weakest link, that can be certainly anything from minor pilot error to just simply having the wrong loadout or the wrong ship to your pilot style.

 

[Han Brannigan]

now not an option since the update, you're fried before the FSD count down is finished.

Wrong. Have successfully run away in my Python from another python, a Conda, FAS and an FDL ( all Elite). Use Chaff and don't fly in a straight line

 

[Lann]

I bought lifetime pass when this game was my game.

According to most of you, now that ED isnt my game, can i get my money back??

Thank you.