Discuss AI here (After Engineer mods removal)

How do you find NPC *combat* AI (after Engineers mods removal)?

  • Too hard

    Votes: 119 27.8%
  • Just right

    Votes: 222 51.9%
  • Too easy

    Votes: 70 16.4%
  • Other (specify)

    Votes: 17 4.0%

  • Total voters
    428
  • Poll closed .
Status
Thread Closed: Not open for further replies.
Expecting all players to use FA-OFF in combat (as NPCs seem to use it now)** is quite a change....

...thats not what I said at all.

It sounded like you tried to dogfight a 4 wing of light ships in a tanky Python using gimbals, as if it were a big viper. That's not a question of AI. That's a question of big vs small ships, and maybe also a question of sanity.

I was giving you advice on how to follow that insane voice in your head telling you "I can do this!" That is not "expected" or required in 2.1. However, picking your fights prudently (ie to match your skill/ship/build while being heavily outnumbered) is a requirement.


**and no, not all NPCs use FA off. Just the upper most ranks.
 
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Robert Maynard

Volunteer Moderator
...thats not what I said at all.

It sounded like you tried to dogfight a 4 wing of light ships in a tanky Python using gimbals, as if it were a big viper. That's not a question of AI. That's a question of big vs small ships, and maybe also a question of sanity.

I was giving you advice on how to follow that insane voice in your head telling you "I can do this!" That is not "expected" or required in 2.1. However, picking your fights prudently (ie to match your skill/ship/build while being heavily outnumbered) is a requirement.

I didn't try to suggest that you said it....

I am expressing my opinion that NPCs do use FA-OFF now - which, when coupled with the enhanced AI has changed things significantly.

It is a question of big ships vs small ships - and one that would seem from personal experience to be a step change from previously. I did leave the engagement as soon as my shields dropped in this case.

Sometimes the fight picks you - thanks to the modified interdictions (again my opinion). Combat, or rather leaving potential combat a lot until a suitable engagement is encountered, will I expect get rather more tedious.
 
I've had a go with a few Elite pirate NPCs (thanks to the unrelated Aggro bugs), and while it did require me fully A-rating my ship (bi-weaves on a Python aren't the best idea after all, at least for multi-role) & changing from a "railgun" loadout to the mainstream "pulses and multicannons" sort of setup, I was able - with effort and one or two expended SCBs/chaff each - to defend myself without unfair consequences.

So I'm ranking this AI-sans-Engineer-upgrades as "just right" for now, though I'm still quite leery...the largest ship I dealt with was a Vulture, after all.

Once I finish mapping out all the systems I earmarked for the 2.1 nav beacon changes & get some more Federal rank I reckon I will try some pure combat to get an alternate perspective. My suspicion at the moment, though, is that RES/beacon hunting is still considerably easier than dealing with NPC pirate interdictions, as you get to choose your target (and when to engage your target) however you please in those situations...and obviously you do *not* get that grace when it comes to NPC interdictions.
I pulled just shy of a million in a HazRES last night in about 40 minutes. It was fun - very challenging, especially against the Fer de Lances as they were rated similarly to mine - but not once did I feel overwhelmed. I didn't feel in control, however. Taking on wings solo is still a bad idea!
 
I agree that the former AI in expert to elite npcs was a joke, but my main complaint is that over the 90% of npc i found fit in those cathegories. For new players its even impossible to mine to get enhancement materials without a bunch of expert-elite npc that harrass you from the sec 1 , destroying youre little ship or damaging it seriously if youre lucky. If 90% of foes are combat aces, the concepts of expert-elite pilot lose all their meaning, becoming the average and making new pilots to get in a frustration anger condition. There must be a majority of low level npc and a minority ok excellent ones . this way everybody could fit in the game according to their possibilities.
 
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I didn't try to suggest that you said it....

I am expressing my opinion that NPCs do use FA-OFF now - which, when coupled with the enhanced AI has changed things significantly.

It is a question of big ships vs small ships - and one that would seem from personal experience to be a step change from previously. I did leave the engagement as soon as my shields dropped in this case.

Sometimes the fight picks you - thanks to the modified interdictions (again my opinion). Combat, or rather leaving potential combat a lot until a suitable engagement is encountered, will I expect get rather more tedious.

See my above edit. In my experience, not all NPCs use FA OFF. Only higher ranks use it. And only Deadly and Elite use it effectively (eg like a human player would). It can seem like smaller lower rank ships are using it, but that's only because big ships do have more inertia, and less speed. Smaller also die in 2-3 solid hits, btw. Balance.

The NPC spawns and interdiction rate isn't really what I refer to as AI, but more general game design. Imo, that's a topic for another thread.



According to one of Sarah's latest statements (on reddit I think?) in fact NONE of the AI is using FAOff
Please provide a quote and link. I would have a hard time believing this unless the NPCs reverse speeds aren't limited/capped like ours are when using FA-On lateral or reverse thrusters. Otherwise, I wouldn't have to boost flip behind an Elite NPC that was flying backwards, I could just go full throttle then FA-off flip to flank them. Which we obviously cannot do, at least not to Elite and Deadly NPCs.
 
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the new ai is bad, its marginaly better then 2.0. We went from challenging in 2.1. to dumb easy again with hotfix. When people get modded weapons its gonna be easier then before 2.1. and the ai ships pose no threat.

For 3 days the galaxy was dangerous, now its again a kindergarten
i think you analyze the situation from your selfish privilege position, with some big ships , big weapons, big shields acquired when you said this was like a kindergarden. it seems that now you got them, you dont want the same for new players, and keep your privilege condition. To get the new e¡improvements, we need to have the chance. If youre being harrassed by super power npcs, cause it seems there are barely low level ones, it makes to get a good level such a pain and a frustration. You should try to walk in weaker persons shoes, and see beyond yourself sometimes, its a very healthy practice.
 
Ok, I've traveled over 1000ly (none of the ships had >15ly jumprange -_-) .. Maia, 3 of the 4 engineers, some CG and back again.
Dropped into SS, did missions, did res ..

So far: 1 interdiction and 1 attempted interdiction.

What I do? Now with (crappy) pictures ...

1: the "drive trough"
Keep close to the sun, align to next jump with sun in your back. Watch your radar where the other ships are and keep your back away from them (the dangerous ones: Viper, Vulture, FAS, FDL, Conda - target them from the "contacts" and you'll see where they move) all of the time.
If you suspect interdiction (the dangerous NPC will head to your direction .. the "distance" in ls is decreasing) or it's announced, start circling til FSD is loaded, then align, then 3 .. 2 .. 1 ..



mPQU9EF.jpg



2: Inter system travel
Leave the travel routes and the plane. Dip down, pull up:
9DdxIOn.jpg


3: How to approach a station
Speed like fast and furious, get between the planet and the station, let the gravitational well slow you down.
Once you have most of the planet at your eight, pull to the station:
cSY0Nib.jpg
 
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i think you analyze the situation from your selfish privilege position, with some big ships , big weapons, big shields acquired when you said this was like a kindergarden.

I am in a Viper with D shields, and do not think the AI too hard at all. It's actually people in bigger ships that are complaining more. But that's because they need to practice how (and when not) to handle small ships. It's not an AI issue, but more of a learning curve issue for big ships.

If you're having issues in a small ship. Then pick your targets and read the missions better (check for danger in the mission description) and grab the enhanced class 2 and 3 engines from Felicity Farseer in Deciat, so you can run when you need to run.

My other ship is a T6. Btw. Yes I have an FDL and T9, a few Asps, and various others, but I am finding better luck and more fun in my small cheaper ships atm.
 
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Robert Maynard

Volunteer Moderator
I already did, quoting myself from earlier in the thread:

If they don't use FA-OFF then they're using their axial thrusters rather effectively indeed - I had a FAS orbiting me the other night (pre-Fix) that always seemed to be pointing at me....
 

verminstar

Banned
Any plans to give it back any time soon? Flippin immigrant! :p

Quite the novelty being a historical immigrant into a country which then populated half the planet...aye ye can have it back now after we had four centuries of parties here.

Here I found ye on the map...yer about 300ly south and we appear to be going in opposite directions although it also appears old habits die hard...had my first pvp in the game and got a bounty fer my troubles...seems he may well have been wanted but not by the local pigs. So that's my second bounty in 2 days and I have now managed to get a cop down to half shields after they came after me.

Still...have ten rebuys left before I'm broke which aint bad considering my playstyle which is not to really care less who I shoot or fer what reason so long as I get paid fer it. The combat is hard and I'm still having my posterior handed to me, but its way more managebale now without being pulverized by purple lightsabres.

Means to an end...make the money to build the explorer so I can leave all this madness fer a month while I go walkabout and explore.

On a lighter note, I used FA again during a few fights in a low res...I really don't like it...feels like I'm being restricted but then I always was a weirdo ^^
 
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When you accidentally shoot a cop you don't immediately become "wanted." They have to scan you first. So you get a warning "Scan Detected!". At which point, you better boost like hell. Even though you are not wanted, you will still have a 1 week notice in your transactions tab. So be VERY careful not to shoot cops in a HAZRES. Btw, there is an NPC engineer mod that will prevent friendly fire, so you won't have to worry about Cops in the future. And before you say "but I didn't shoot any cops", if you accidentally shot them, you probably didn't even notice it.

Ah. Now I feel dumb. I am very careful about FF and am well aware of the hazards of that. But I just remembered I've been ignoring a small fine I received a while ago!

Thing is, I must have had this fine for a while and I'd been getting scanned all the time but not blown to oblivion! (both before and after 2.1)

Is it that only Federal Cops care about Federal fines and vice versa?
 
I already did, quoting myself from earlier in the thread:

Ok. It's not the AI then. NPCs must have different rules for their flight model than players. I have been chasing NPCs who fly backwards nearly as fast as I fly forwards without boost.

Players have their side and reverse thrusters speed capped when not in FA off mode. NPCs clearly do not. Again, if what Sarah is saying is correct (and I assume it is), then this must be a flight physics model difference for NPCs. Maybe a bug? Maybe another "skynet" feature ;)



If they don't use FA-OFF then they're using their axial thrusters rather effectively indeed - I had a FAS orbiting me the other night (pre-Fix) that always seemed to be pointing at me....

FAS don't need FA Off, as they can do fast doughnuts inside a station. Try it. It's fun!!

 
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Definitely a lot better today, AI is still better in combat but not overpowered so gives a fair fight and if you need to you can bail out and get away unlike yesterday when you were as good as dead if you didn't run after every interdiction.

I'm in agreement that the AI should slowly get the upgrades as we do, i.e not have everything now all at once as it's going to take the player base some time to get upgraded. They should be ever evolving just like us :)
 

verminstar

Banned
Here this might not be the best place to ask...another wee noob question sorry. Is there an easier way to find targets? Like cycling through targets which are close and hostile, but not in visual range? I remapped the target selection but it doesn'r appear to be doing what I thought it would do...any ideas?
 
If they don't use FA-OFF then they're using their axial thrusters rather effectively indeed - I had a FAS orbiting me the other night (pre-Fix) that always seemed to be pointing at me....

That's easier to do with FA-on than off generally Its always been exactly how I fly in PvP if given the opportunity, they did make the AI rather good at it though, probably because they can strafe while making micro-adjustments to throttle which is too much for me :p

They have this amazing ability to up-down wobble too which I don't really get, everytime you point fixed at a small coming in they wobble like crazy its really impressive stuff but also a bit cheesy.

Infact going back to the original point and micro adjustments to throttle I actually think thats my only beef with the AI currently, they don't make mistakes, maybe elite ranks shouldn't but you would really think a novice might slip occasionally from their perfect blind zone orbit.
 
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Infact going back to the original point and micro adjustments to throttle I actually think thats my only beef with the AI currently, they don't make mistakes, maybe elite ranks shouldn't but you would really think a novice might slip occasionally from their perfect blind zone orbit.

I think the lower ranks do (again SJA has commented on that, low ranks don't do pip management, don't use lateral thrusters, often make mistakes and so on) however, I don't think many people are seeing much of the the lower ranks currently.;)
That said, they are due for another balance pass for that reason.
 
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