I think a better approach would be to be cleverer about where the super-tough fights occur. Restrict them to hazardous resources sites, combat zones and flagged-risky missions, and everyone should be happy.
Discuss the AI here!
- Thread starter Agony_Aunt
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I think a better approach would be to be cleverer about where the super-tough fights occur. Restrict them to hazardous resources sites, combat zones and flagged-risky missions, and everyone should be happy.
When us casuals leave, and there's no money to support the game, then the game will be gone for everybody. Maybe that is what FD really wants?
That isn't possible.
This is not a single player game with multiplayer capabilities, it is a multiplayer mode with an anti-social function. Changing the NPC difficulty for people in solo would influence the galaxy. You think people complaining that AI is too hard now is bad? Just imagine what'd happen when people realise those playing easy-mode are influencing the rest of the galaxy...and then it becomes open to exploitation far too easily.
You could have a group of players each switch into easy mode to go win conflict zones on their own, winning bases and systems from other player groups etc
This bears repeating. I was one of those arguing with Ziljan in the Beta Forums about how the NPCs being increased in difficulty would be a bad idea. During testing, I was limiting my use of Engineering upgrades because there were lots of areas to test, and I figured the upgrades were pretty well covered. Toward the end, I loaded myself up on Grade 5 upgrades, and NPCs went back to nearly 2.0 levels (still improved though, and it looks like we got Beta 4 NPCs rather than 6 for live). People need to realize that this is likely to be the only time in the game going forward that we'll have high combat rank players with no engineering mod access before they ask for an AI nerf to solve a stats problem.This was true in Beta. Once people had all the mods they wanted, the NPCs were easy mode again. So by the end of Beta, almost everyone (80% of beta pop, by poll) was actually complaining that the NPCs were too easy!! So basically, at least half of the people in the "Too Hard" category will change their minds once they start using engineers.
In which case, they need to be cleverer about how NPCs are generated.
Elite has never been casual friendly.
And it never should be unless they want to kill there original fanbase.
Most players can handel the AI , in fact look for lower ranked ships like competent and expert they dont even fight back most of the time
2.1 is further away from the classic Elite experience than 2.0 was.
That's not an Anaconda, it's a Federal Gunship.
Player is also in a fully kitted Corvette, which is a pretty heavy hitter to begin with.
On topic, the problem with the AI is the reverse scenario of above, having AI in overpowered combat ships up against poorly outfitted players.
And before you say, don't fly in HazRES, it's not in HazRES that this is happening, this is interdictions and Signal Sources where this is happening. Nobody is(or should be) complaining about Hazardous Sites being, well, Hazardous.
My personal experience with this is dropping intro a Threat 0 Signal Source to salvage materials only to be murdered by an Expert NPC FDL. I was in a DBX, so I was outclassed in every way.
Traders, explorers, and any other non-combat roles are getting destroyed by the high rank AI spawns.
More or less, players are now being... ahem... griefed by NPCs.
This is a case of an improvement out-growing out-classing it's implementation. Now that AI is getting up to par, they need to be encountered differently.
To start, high ranks should be exclusive to specialized encounters, Threat 4 Signal Sources, and/or HazRES. They should not be interdicting or following low wakes.
Because they added new features?
Its elite+ then.
This was true in Beta. Once people had all the mods they wanted, the NPCs were easy mode again. So by the end of Beta, almost everyone (80% of beta pop, by poll) was actually complaining that the NPCs were too easy!!
So basically, at least half of the people in the "Too Hard" category will change their minds once they start using engineers.
Yup... they've had less than 24 hours to acclimatise to the new NPC's and they've (for the most part) got zero modifications, and are already condemning it. They've forgotten how hard they thought NPCs were when they first started playing and how easy they've become now that they've got some skills and upgrades. The same thing'll happen now with the new ones... but at least they've got a BIT of longevity now.
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Agree wholeheartedly.
No, because they effectively removed a lot of features for many players, and brought it closer to a 'run in place' game than a 'make progress' game.
I must admit, I don't quite understand how you reached this reasoning? because of engineers? thread theme the ai is too hard? new mission board? how is any of that further away? engineers are an expansion of it in my book?
Is progress filling up a bar or increasing a number count, or is it becoming a better pilot by increasing your personal skill?
Removed?....what?
I am glad that the NPCs are a bit smarter, and to have combat a bit more challenging is ok with me. But it should be fair, which it currently isn't. I'm in a Viper now (not using my FAS until NPC combat is a bit fairer), and the small ships, Adder, Eagle just circle around me. That's annoying, but still ok. I adjust my tactics. But I was just fighting an Eagle, that kept shooting me and wearing my shields of from 4km away, while my lasers and MCs didn't do anything to him down to about 2km. In another fight an Eagle shot with rails, every shot a hit, however I circled, FA off or on, boosting, whatever. That is not realistic at all. Even the best snipers - human ones - miss once in a while.
The only combat that I'll be doing until this is fixed is in high res, with cop support. Sad.
EDIT: Unfortunately this also means that many missions have turned moot, because they involve some degree of fighting - against (for me) unbeatable NPCs.
Maybe there's something I don't know. Maybe the level of NPCs that interdict and attack me are adjusted to my rank, Master, and I'm supposed to fly a ship that's adjusted to that level, i.e. my FAS? Don't want to waste millions trying it out, sorry.
The only combat that I'll be doing until this is fixed is in high res, with cop support. Sad.
EDIT: Unfortunately this also means that many missions have turned moot, because they involve some degree of fighting - against (for me) unbeatable NPCs.
Maybe there's something I don't know. Maybe the level of NPCs that interdict and attack me are adjusted to my rank, Master, and I'm supposed to fly a ship that's adjusted to that level, i.e. my FAS? Don't want to waste millions trying it out, sorry.
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verminstar
Banned
So yeah...logged in to really try hard after a disastrous morning. Took a 23k haulage mission that had me ed 4 times in 2 systems and once when I was almost at the station by 2 things that just started firing on me fer no reason and without warning...damned hard but wow what an achievement fer a 2 week old noob like me to get away from that with enough hull left to be happy with my new ship, a mk3...big deal fer me but then I'm just a noob...question of perspective.
So...limped into the station feeling a bit better because I truthfully hadn't expected to escape and was just about ready to just push the keyboard away in disgust...and lo and behold, I even made the dock first shot...ye gettin the hang of this docking thing now with keyboard and mouse.
There's nowhere to hand the mission in on the station which, I'm assuming is a common bug as others have reported the same thing? Anyway...I'm not far away from bankruptcy due to repeated losses being ed everytime I so much as poke my nose out of a station, and not getting away from what is quite literally a seal clubbing NPC with shields that are literally untouchable and weapons that hit like sledgehammers hitting a newborn seal cubs skull.
And now my rep is destroyed as I fail missions I can't hand in left with cargo I can't sell and less than 50k cash left, not forgetting that every single time ye move, yer gonna get ed by aforementioned agent smith npc.
But by all means, tell me I gotta "git gud"...
Someone wanna offer any words of encouragement about how much fun they having with the new ai again? If not, then any reason why I should continue playing at all would be a good runner up. Really...cos I'm just about done here ^^
So...limped into the station feeling a bit better because I truthfully hadn't expected to escape and was just about ready to just push the keyboard away in disgust...and lo and behold, I even made the dock first shot...ye gettin the hang of this docking thing now with keyboard and mouse.
There's nowhere to hand the mission in on the station which, I'm assuming is a common bug as others have reported the same thing? Anyway...I'm not far away from bankruptcy due to repeated losses being ed everytime I so much as poke my nose out of a station, and not getting away from what is quite literally a seal clubbing NPC with shields that are literally untouchable and weapons that hit like sledgehammers hitting a newborn seal cubs skull.
And now my rep is destroyed as I fail missions I can't hand in left with cargo I can't sell and less than 50k cash left, not forgetting that every single time ye move, yer gonna get ed by aforementioned agent smith npc.
But by all means, tell me I gotta "git gud"...
Someone wanna offer any words of encouragement about how much fun they having with the new ai again? If not, then any reason why I should continue playing at all would be a good runner up. Really...cos I'm just about done here ^^
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