Discuss the AI here!

[askavir]

Can you still submit and boost away? I haven't logged in to 2.1 yet, but I'm coming back from Beagle Point with a metric ton of scan data and would like to make it to port I'm in an ASP with A3 Shields but mostly D-rated components for weight considerations.

You can.

Just put at least 3 pips to shields, drop chaff, (carry point defence too from now on). And don't run in a straight line, use the extra impulse when hitting the boost to change direction a bit to evade fixed weapons fire. In the event the NPC manages to drop your shields, hit silent running and keep chaffing.

Also check the security of the systems in your route back when approaching the bubble.

 

[OLd_Sarg]

I think I will come up with a switch that will unplug your internet that you can map to a mouse button, and sell it on flea bay
should be a money maker ............. [money]

 

[MamaSaid]

Well, I am all for greater challenges, however... (er....) that being said, I think Frontier needs to reach better balance. True, a lot of combat was too easy before. I get that, and can respect the desire for more difficulty. Yet, my personal opinion is that they went a wee bit too far. Just my thoughts.

All you haters, I love you.

 

[Nistevo]

Indeed I didn't come across anything like this in the couple of weeks I was playing in beta, so starting the game up last night/this morning it came as something of a shock for my previously decent python to be taken down by a cobra and to be constantly interdicted for no particularly good reason. Perhaps the game just hates me?

No it doesn't, watched an AI adder nearly kill a CMDR python, for once I was rooting for the human to get away

 

[JonnyC0mbat]

This also opens up other possibilities: mercenaries!

I always fancied the idea of escorting freighters but it wasn't really needed before. I might start pinging a few traders when I come across them to see if they need back up.

Dunno how profitable it would be but it would be a good way to make friends and influence people.

 

[SnowyNI]

Yup, game is fine as a trader... Took a simple cargo mission, 15.3ly jump. Dicted 13 times... Working as intended!

Welcome to Elite: Wile Coyote simulator!

 

[Queex]

The AI improvement is overcooked at the moment, no question. A fully tricked out Python can't even keep a Sidey in the crosshairs with turrets. If this was single-player, it would be challenging but about right. For persistent play, where you can watch weeks of effort go up in smoke after one unwanted fight, it's silly.

I used to enjoy doing a little light bounty-hunting at regular nav points when going from here to there. That's closed off to me now. And forget about investigating beacons, it's simply not worth the risk.

 

[Nistevo]

The engineers update is exciting and such, but honestly it's the AI improvements of this new patch that have excited me the most.

In the past, killing NPCs was just a joke, it was not even fun, it was just a grind to the point of a tired trigger finger.

I think the most game-improving update here IS the improved AI, especially since PvP is overall just a bunch of waiting and hunting to even find a fight that doesn't instant run.

Beyond that, building on combat, it's now a valid way to make money to fight in conflict zones...where before it was mostly a waste of money vs something like Bounty Hunting, especially considering how much harder it is to kill the ships in the conflict zones.

AI improvements have quite literally blown a little more life into the game. Can't believe people are not welcoming it, but it's impossible to please everyone.

Again, the AI is not improved, they are just OP if they are modded. Once your ship is completely modded they are fish in a barrel again as this video clearly shows. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex_wzwt9K1Y

 

[Soliluna]

Yup, game is fine as a trader... Took a simple cargo mission, 15.3ly jump. Dicted 13 times... Working as intended!

Welcome to Elite: Wile Coyote simulator!

http://www.paperstreet.it/imgArticoli/wile.jpg

Yeah, the mission tells you this. In red writing. So not really unexpected - therefore working as intended.

You could do something about them - destroy them, shake them off your tail etc. But just running away... does that work in any other game?

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

The AI improvement is overcooked at the moment, no question. A fully tricked out Python can't even keep a Sidey in the crosshairs with turrets. If this was single-player, it would be challenging but about right. For persistent play, where you can watch weeks of effort go up in smoke after one unwanted fight, it's silly.

I used to enjoy doing a little light bounty-hunting at regular nav points when going from here to there. That's closed off to me now. And forget about investigating beacons, it's simply not worth the risk.

Sidewinder is very nimble comparing to Python. Why on Earth you should expect to keep it in your sights? You blast him with powerful weapons when you get it into your sight, but nothing else will work really.

 

[Cybrdroyd]

At times like this, I'm glad I'm only competent.

I do think it would be wise for FD to offer a one-time reset of your combat rank, so you get the lower ranked enemies.

Just my opinion mind.

I really don't think that matters because I've run into masters from day one, they were always around, but not nearly as good as they are now.

 

[RoLnD79]

I've been trading all day in my Cutter, I've been interdicted several times, I've never had trouble getting out quick though. This thing boosts fast. I did have an FDL mess me up this morning pretty good before I decided it was time to go  . This things a paper airplane when shields go down. I used the type 9 a lot before this. I don't think I ever lost shields in that. Submit, boost a double times, then back into hypercruise. I didn't even have to waste time deploying weapon and using chaff.

 

[Queex]

Sidewinder is very nimble comparing to Python. Why on Earth you should expect to keep it in your sights? You blast him with powerful weapons when you get it into your sight, but nothing else will work really.

It's what, 8 vs 6? Shouldn't be a huge difference, and I've got A-rated thrusters. It's currently impossible to hit it even once after the initial pass. So it literally doesn't matter what weapons I have.

 

[Zarlok]

I was on for most of yesterday, got interdicted maybe 8 or 9 times. Tough fights, really hard and tough. I came out with a damaged burned ship, lost credits and am feeling quite frustrated. At the moment I am tweaking my Anaconda like nothing. Means that FD got it right!

 

[Ximrats]

It's what, 8 vs 6? Shouldn't be a huge difference, and I've got A-rated thrusters. It's currently impossible to hit it even once after the initial pass. So it literally doesn't matter what weapons I have.

Those agility ratings don't really mean much. A Sidewinder can fly circles around a Python.

 

[FleetAdmiralJ]

It's what, 8 vs 6? Shouldn't be a huge difference, and I've got A-rated thrusters. It's currently impossible to hit it even once after the initial pass. So it literally doesn't matter what weapons I have.

So basically all the AIs work as the FAS did before: get into your blind spot and stay there. Maybe you can swing around with flight assist off, but good luck getting out alive?

 

[DaveB]

Which suggests to me that there is a faction who either don't like it, or do.

I've been playing online games for close to fifteen years and have been posting in forums for just as long. The pattern always repeats. Controversy happens, people post about it, then a directive comes from above that PR is taking a hit, so forum mods are asked to consolidate it or lock it. Then one mod-sponsored thread shows up and says "Voice your concerns HERE!" which rapidly hits post cap forcing mods to either extend cap or bury the issue. It's literally nothing more than an internet forum version of a "Free Speech Zone". It's nothing but a pure PR tactic.

When a consolidated thread hits the post cap here, the mods create a new one with a link to the first in the OP. Just look at the Solo vs Open megathreads. So that kinda proves it isn't being done to stifle discussion on THIS forum. It's purely to keep ONE discussion topic to ONE thread.

 

[SnowyNI]

Yeah, the mission tells you this. In red writing. So not really unexpected - therefore working as intended.

You could do something about them - destroy them, shake them off your tail etc. But just running away... does that work in any other game?

It seemed to work well in Need For Speed if I remember (it's been some years from I've played it, but I do recall the speed cops chasing me and me running away... or is that not "any other game"???).

 

[zz9pa]

Again, the AI is not improved, they are just OP if they are modded. Once your ship is completely modded they are fish in a barrel again as this video clearly shows. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex_wzwt9K1Y

Sorry - this shows just how broken it is..
An Anaconda in 16 seconds ?

Npc or player - that should not be happening.

 

[Mike Syron]

Oh, well. 80 pages already. Yesterday ED was offline for so long and I got no time later to test the new A.I. I just did it now.

My personal opinion: All what concerns me most at the moment is why I get attacked by Masters. I couldn't really fight them and I couldn't escape. My engines broke after all, and I could just sit their and watch. I can do this better infront of my TV while watching The Expanse, which is an awesome show btw, thanks to whom who mentioned it in some thread. I loved it right from the first 10 minutes, I'm recommending it to everyone I know. And I'll get me the books on which this show is based, in english. Awesome stuff, really.

I'm honest: I don't love to being attacked by an AI that I can't handle, it just humiliates me. It was not fun at all, I didn't stand a chance. First I was fighting them, trying really hard, using PIP, reverse thrust, FA off. I'm still learning, I'm eager to learn but I'm just not ready yet. Than my shields were gone, than I got some serious damage, than I tried to escape. No chance. Rebuy screen, great. I'm playing for around 220 hours for now and for me the AI was actually way to easy before. I took every fight, every interdiction and won practically every time not caring about the opponent's level, which is good sign that it really needed some change. There were only a very few strange occasions where the A.I., utterly regardless of skill level, managed to hurt me badly. But I was early in the game at that time, still figuring out the basics.

Today I took the training lessons again first and were doing the Cobra 1vs1 fight again, to get an idea before I risked my own ship. I noticed that it got a bit tougher and I got the impression it was adopting to my skills somehow. Not sure about it. Nonetheless I won every fight. I tried different stuff, I really do like fighting against the AI. I want to get better, I know that there's room for improvement. And after the training lessons I felt a bit safe. - Only to get shot by Master level AIs. later in the game. (Under that level I have a chance if I stay focused and do my best.)

I won't give up. I like challenges. But after three fights against randomly attacking Master level opponents I feel somewhat hapless. Does this game take notice of your real fighting skills? Before the patch I was already facing competent, dangerous and master NPCs most of the time which I could handle so far while being still novice myself

Besides - and I'm sorry to say that - the combat starts to annoy me in a certain way. My main goal while fighting is to get behind the opponent (nothing special) but whatever I tried it was all about getting some distance, than turning, than flying towards each other. Again, again and again. Like those medieval knight fights. One time I got behind the A.I. - but only because it seemed to have given up, only having 5% of integrity left - that was the Cobra from the training. This kind of behavior had been there before with the exception of big ships which I could out-maneuver most of the time, today I had only a chance to fight agains more light weight ships like my own, a Viper MKIV. In 99 percent of all fights so far the enemy was always facing me. I do boost, I do switch to reverse thrust, I'm throwing all energy at engines while doing a maneuver. But every time I was not fast enough, the enemy was mostly as fast I was. Thus leading into this medieval kind of fight.

Whatever. This is only the first impression. I'm using a HOTAS setup (X52), playing on a decent PC, with an 32" screen (a TV actually, for ED my 22" was just to small). Some day I hope I can teach all those suckers a lessen. We'll see.