Interdictions - enough is enough

[WreckWren]

Since 1.3 the AI interdictions have been absolutely out of control. Even avoiding PP and not carrying any cargo, it is incessant.

I have yet to actually make it to a friend who needs help while being interdicted because I can't avoid being interdicted by a stupid NPC in a barely-armed Eagle who wants to splatter himself across my Python's windshield for even the 5-15 seconds necessary to do that. It is interfering with the actual gameplay!

Carrying NO cargo, flying a Cobra III, not pledged to a power - interdicted a FEW TIMES PER SYSTEM.

ENOUGH OF THE SPACE ZUBATS!

FD, the game would be far better without having to dust hundreds of useless little ships that wasted my time from my coat tails. This is an epic space journey, and no journey was ever improved by the equivalent of stopping to take a few minutes' break every couple of seconds of actual progression time.


Unless there's a good reason to be interdicted, ie. carrying narcotics in a high-sec system, STOP THE SPAM! It's unbelievably intrusive and irritating. Your NPCs have no weight to them, no presence, because they're all just ants that I dust aside with one sweeping motion. Even the hard ones are still nothing more than a momentary annoyance at most. Do you know why? It's not because they're easy or not unique enough, it's because I have to deal with them EVERY FEW SECONDS. Do you know what happens to peoples' attention when you show them the same thing constantly over and over even when they beg for you to stop? It stops dead. Harder AI would go down a lot better with the community if they didn't have to fight it every nanosecond of game time for no reason or gain.

It's been a year, plenty of others have complained in that time, and nothing has been done about this. It's time for that last bit to change.

 

[ForeverN00b]

I agree for the most part. The interdiction spam is a fdev response to "supercruise is so boring!" complaints...

I too fly a well fanged python, and it's even more annoying when the interdictor is some ship that has no chance in the ensuing fight.

 

[MottiKhan]

Wow. Since 1.3? Wasn't that when Powerplay was introduced? Yes, if you're carrying cargo, your chances of being interdicted go up. If you're pledged to a power, you can count on being interdicted or opposed somewhere along your path.

After 2.1, the serial interdictions were nerfed to the point where you shouldn't be interdicted more than 3 times per system by the same NPC. Of course, then there's the "mission target" bug that sends the stalker NPC after you. That would need a bug report and maybe a ticket.

So I'd suggest being prepared if you're a trader. Shields and be ready to high wake.

If you're pledged to a power, live with it.

 

[WreckWren]

Wow. Since 1.3? Wasn't that when Powerplay was introduced? Yes, if you're carrying cargo, your chances of being interdicted go up. If you're pledged to a power, you can count on being interdicted or opposed somewhere along your path.

So I'd suggest being prepared if you're a trader. Shields and be ready to high wake.

If you're pledged to a power, live with it.

Thank you for letting me know you didn't read my post.

 

[Quiquag]

I get annoyed when I'm interdicted for non-existant cargo.
Apparently materials (which I can't even give the pirate) is cargo? Whoops.

 

[WreckWren]

I agree for the most part. The interdiction spam is a fdev response to "supercruise is so boring!" complaints...

I too fly a well fanged python, and it's even more annoying when the interdictor is some ship that has no chance in the ensuing fight.

I agree, CMDR, it does appear to be a response to SC being perceived as boring.

Yes, exactly - it's most annoying when the NPC ship, as usual, didn't even have a hope in heck of every coming close to even scratching your shields, and yet the game was really, really determined to get you into that instance.

 

[Monk]

I completed some like 50 missions last night while grinding Empire rank.

Just one interdiction in all of it. Gotta say, it seemed pretty weird but I think lends to the fact that sometimes the RNG just hits you harder.

 

[MottiKhan]

Thank you for letting me know you didn't read my post.

You're welcome.

 

[WreckWren]

I get annoyed when I'm interdicted for non-existant cargo.
Apparently materials (which I can't even give the pirate) is cargo? Whoops.

Yes, had this one earlier. Was interdicted after smashing rocks on a planet. No cargo, as usual. Still interdicted.

 

[Flimley]

I dislike them. I find them just irritating. Plus NPC's are everywhere you are all the time.

Flimley

 

[ForeverN00b]

Interdiction spam isn't just limited to brain dead pirates. I had a cop interdict me in one system with no illegal cargo. I didn't realize his sorry butt was a cop until he was at 20 percent hull....by then I was committed....

Yeah I got hounded by bounty hunters bubble-wide for that for the next 7 days....

 

[Otherwhere]

"But where's the challenge if you can simply go from point to point without being interrupted?"

Except that for many, either the NPC can't touch you or they're so OP they destroy you in less than 15 seconds. (Post 1.6/2.1 release with Skynet, it was the latter until they tweaked it back.)

So most of us have learned to escape. We don't bother with the mini-game. We: submit-boost-boost-spin up the FSD and hi- or low-wake out. If it's a mission NPC, they'll keep after you time after time until you destroy them or arrive at your destination. In any event, it becomes tiresome. There's got to be a better way.

 

[WreckWren]

I dislike them. I find them just irritating. Plus NPC's are everywhere you are all the time.

Flimley

Every single jump.


"There you are, all that tasty cargo!"


I might have to start carrying some so I have something to drop for these poor simpletons

Interdiction spam isn't just limited to brain dead pirates. I had a cop interdict me in one system with no illegal cargo. I didn't realize his sorry butt was a cop until he was at 20 percent hull....by then I was committed....

Yeah I got hounded by bounty hunters bubble-wide for that for the next 7 days....

You are a hero to all those who value their free time.

 

[Monk]

Interdiction spam isn't just limited to brain dead pirates. I had a cop interdict me in one system with no illegal cargo. I didn't realize his sorry butt was a cop until he was at 20 percent hull....by then I was committed....

Yeah I got hounded by bounty hunters bubble-wide for that for the next 7 days....

I've found that the more smuggling I do, the more the police stop me for random searches. They even send comms to the effect that you are a suspected smuggler (which I was but not at that exact moment )

I've been away from smuggling for a couple months now and I can't remember the last time I had a stop and frisk.

Which, in this regard, I find justified and realistic.

 

[Otherwhere]

If Frontier made it so that you can tell if a ship has cargo - not what it is, but simply that they have any - while in SC, that would help a lot. Plus give their pirates cargo scanners who will scan you before they demand "all that tasty cargo!" If you don't have any, either don't interdict, or let you go once they scan you. (I've heard that some NPCs do this, but I've never had that experience. If I don't have any, they open fire. They don't bother to check.)

 

[WreckWren]

"But where's the challenge if you can simply go from point to point without being interrupted?"

Except that for many, either the NPC can't touch you or they're so OP they destroy you in less than 15 seconds. (Post 1.6/2.1 release with Skynet, it was the latter until they tweaked it back.)

So most of us have learned to escape. We don't bother with the mini-game. We: submit-boost-boost-spin up the FSD and hi- or low-wake out. If it's a mission NPC, they'll keep after you time after time until you destroy them or arrive at your destination. In any event, it becomes tiresome. There's got to be a better way.

What's happened is almost all random encounters are Zubats, and we've found the Run button. FD has tweaked the sound the Zubat makes, they've made the Zubats a challenge, but they're still bloody ZUBATS. No-one cares about Zubats.


The better way is to turn the difficulty back up and make the AI encounters FAR rarer. Make the NPCs less of a "constant hum" and more of "variety". I shouldn't actually encounter another ship outside the ports on most peaceful trips where I take the care to use high-sec systems etc. Self-preservation on the part of AI would help too, and I don't mean SJA's "just have them run away all the time" "solution". How about they don't attack ships that even a player wouldn't have a hope of beating?

 

[Deleted member 38366]

I remember a time when it was possible to win the Interdiction/Evasion Minigame.
That felt good and allowed (at least in many Ships) to get around having to deal with an Interdictor - for any reasons.

Now, with the Minigame either bugging out or me losing well over 90% of them (no matter what I do), I kinda agree it can be quite annoying.

PS.
I only ever see ELITE ranked NPCs. Can't recall anymore being interdicted by a non ELITE Ranked one. I guess that's what causes the permanent 'god-mode' aimbotting when they Interdict me.
I basically have resorted to just Afterburner-Ram ELITE Anacondas face-on now. Serves these aimbotting cheaters right - plus they love ramming too. So fair's fair

 

[mbar]

I agree OP. But as you say, it's been a year and not so much as a peep from FD that this has been acknowledged as a problem. Imagine what it will be like when the Thargoids finally drop.

 

[ForeverN00b]

I've found that the more smuggling I do, the more the police stop me for random searches. They even send comms to the effect that you are a suspected smuggler (which I was but not at that exact moment )

I've been away from smuggling for a couple months now and I can't remember the last time I had a stop and frisk.

Which, in this regard, I find justified and realistic.

Ah fair enough, I didn't know this! Good to know, I do smuggle from time to time.

I would rep you and the OP, but I can't because mobile.....have some poor man's rep!

 

[WreckWren]

I remember a time when it was possible to win the Interdiction/Evasion Minigame.
That felt good and allowed (at least in many Ships) to get around having to deal with an Interdictor - for any reasons.

Now, with the Minigame either bugging out or me losing well over 90% of them (no matter what I do), I kinda agree it can be quite annoying.

PS.
I only ever see ELITE ranked NPCs. Can't recall anymore being interdicted by a non ELITE Ranked one. I guess that's what causes the permanent 'god-mode' aimbotting when they Interdict me.
I basically have resorted to just Afterburner-Ram ELITE Anacondas face-on now. Serves these aimbotting cheaters right - plus they love ramming too. So fair's fair

Great point, CMDR - the interdiction minigame has been broken for as long as I can remember. I have faint memories of pointing at the right spot and winning, but the ones over the past year are of the minigame HUD glitching all over the screen then dumping me into space without a chance to submit, sometimes.

It's just rubbish from a game that wants $60 or more per year. This is last year's problem. This stuff gets fixed before charging another $60. Really really poor form.

I agree OP. But as you say, it's been a year and not so much as a peep from FD that this has been acknowledged as a problem. Imagine what it will be like when the Thargoids finally drop.

Judging by the way FD normally deals with problems, I think we can expect 0 peeps from them on it in the future. Just like the past 12 months during which people have been complaining on the various forums for the game.

I know I'll forgive it all when they release the FPS deathmatch mode to accompany Arena, post-space legs. I bet FD could even waste a whole SEASON on that one, rather than just a simple update!