Okay, so, I have now had a chance to play against the new AI and get blown up by a swining FAS. And my analysis is thus. The AI is indeed quite hard to avoid hits from now. No doubt. It just so happens that the AI is now also a complete flustercuck. So, here is what every battle against the AI has been. I have attempted to get behind them, and they fly out to two kilometers, make a pass, fly out to two kilometers make a pass, repeat until one ship runs or is destroyed. There is a reason the only ship that has killed me so far has been a FAS I am in a combat vulture and that is the only ship that is both agile and tanky enough to survive my ship. Larger ships, do not turn fast enough, smaller ships cannot chew through my shields and armor fast enough to kill me before they explode.
In short, in my experience, AI vessles do not even attempt to dogfight anymore, they joust instead, regardless of what ship their in. Python? Joust, Eagle, Joust. Frankly, it is more dangerous, especially against wings. But- I don't care about dangerous. What I really want is some challenge, and this does not offer it, because the AI in my experience doesn't even seem to try to defend itself.
I'm going to call this, missile syndrome. After the missiles from FTL. For those who have never played or seen a game played. In FTL missiles are a limited use weapon, each shot draws from your supply of missiles. Because FTL is a game about resource management... high level players... don't really use missiles. Because it's a long trip and if you're relying on missiles and they run out, you're boned. The AI, however will happily blast away with missiles because, though the AI also has a limited supply, the AI has no second fight to worry about, all it has to do is grind you down as much as it can. Similarly, while jousting all day may be a bad idea for the player, the AI has no steaks, the AI doesn't have a second battle to worry about, the AI doesn't have to worry about sustainability. In FTL a relatively low budget indy game, I am willing to accept this kind of AI behavior. In Elite Dangerous, multi million dollar triple A production. I confess I feel somewhat less generous.
I admit, I have never designed combat AI, I don't know the challenges. However, if you cannot produce competent AI for battle in the depths of space, I am not sure I would be willing to pay for your combat AI in atmosphere, let alone for your combat AI for ground battles, with obstructions. And to make this clear, I am not like the idiots crying out for the highest difficulty. I don't care how difficult the AI is, I want AI that is difficult because it is good a flying. I am not getting that at present. What I am getting right now is sidewinders making suicidal jousting runs on a ship that uses guns that are each individually a third of their ship's mass.
I appreciate that the AI no longer sits and spins. They are aggressive now that is a step in the right direction, now teach them to defend themselves and we'll be golden