Allow players to disable the 'escape vector' when being interdicted.

[DemiserofD]

The whole 'escape vector' part of interdiction makes no sense. Your ship is basically ripped out of your control, often forcing you to fly into a planet or star. That's fine for beginners who don't know how to escape interdiction, but it's ridiculous for an experienced pilot who actually knows how to fly.

Players should be able to disable this loss of control and have the freedom to fly as they see fit, however they want to best escape a pursuer. That might mean intentionally flying into a planet or star, or darting behind it to guide their attacker into it instead. Of course, this might make it easier for a pursuer to get them if they fly poorly, but that's a sacrifice you make intentionally.

 

[Para Handy]

I hesitate to write this as you might take it personally but - what are you talking about?

 

[DemiserofD]

I hesitate to write this as you might take it personally but - what are you talking about?

When a player gets interdicted, their ship is forced to follow an escape vector in order to successfully escape the interdiction. This vector is set seemingly arbitrarily, and regularly sends the ship careening into planets or stars.. The pursuing craft, by contrast, only needs to keep the target craft targeted.

I would like for players to be able to control the direction of their ship while being interdicted, so as to avoid(or aim for) passing objects.

 

[Para Handy]

When a player gets interdicted, their ship is forced to follow an escape vector in order to successfully escape the interdiction. This vector is set seemingly arbitrarily, and regularly sends the ship careening into planets or stars.. The pursuing craft, by contrast, only needs to keep the target craft targeted.

I would like for players to be able to control the direction of their ship while being interdicted, so as to avoid(or aim for) passing objects.

So you don't think the skill involved in trying to keep it centred so as to fill your side of the graphic and defeat the interdiction is relevant? I don't see how you could know whether you were evading the interdiction (as that is what the graphic shows) or just being a sitting duck.

 

[DemiserofD]

So you don't think the skill involved in trying to keep it centred so as to fill your side of the graphic and defeat the interdiction is relevant? I don't see how you could know whether you were evading the interdiction (as that is what the graphic shows) or just being a sitting duck.

Sure, that's why it would be a toggleable thing. Once you get good enough at it, you turn off the training wheels and get more freedom in your options. This is especially relevant in pvp scenarios, where it's impossible to win, but potentially possible to run your pursuer into a planet or star.

 

[CMDR Serra]

So, basically replace the interdiction mini-game with... what exactly?

 

[GloatingSwine]

So, basically replace the interdiction mini-game with... what exactly?

More realspace interactions.

Wider drop zones at stations to give more time for realspace activities like piracy and policing. More activities at fixed realspace points like megaships.

Just bin interdiction completely. You can't lose it against NPCs and you can't win it against players because of peer to peer sync issues (even if you're winning on your screen they were winning first on theirs).

 

[Gwyther]

This vector is set seemingly arbitrarily, and regularly sends the ship careening into planets or stars.

I'm not seeing your point.
I have never been sent careening into a planet or star. I think interdiction is stupid really. You only need to point your ship at the escape vector icon to evade it. It's very easy.

 

[Achtung-Goomba]

But then how will I know where to run away to

 

[Para Handy]

Sure, that's why it would be a toggleable thing. Once you get good enough at it, you turn off the training wheels and get more freedom in your options. This is especially relevant in pvp scenarios, where it's impossible to win, but potentially possible to run your pursuer into a planet or star.

I'm sorry but I honestly think this is nonsense. If you want to do what you are suggesting, just do it anyway, ignore the escape vector and try to fly your ship in the way you suggest. As I understand it, you have no chance to do that once the tether has engaged. From the point that the minigame starts, your ship is pulled about by the interdicting ship via the tether interfering with your FSD. You can try to ignore the graphic and attempt to manoeuvre as you describe and as I understand it, you just lose the minigame as the interdicting ship's side of the gauge fills-up because you are not trying to counter it.

Please feel free to go try your manoeuvring and let us know how you get on with the spinning out of control with damage and enduring a long FSD cool-down.

 

[DemiserofD]

I'm sorry but I honestly think this is nonsense. If you want to do what you are suggesting, just do it anyway, ignore the escape vector and try to fly your ship in the way you suggest. As I understand it, you have no chance to do that once the tether has engaged. From the point that the minigame starts, your ship is pulled about by the interdicting ship via the tether interfering with your FSD. You can try to ignore the graphic and attempt to manoeuvre as you describe and as I understand it, you just lose the minigame as the interdicting ship's side of the gauge fills-up because you are not trying to counter it.

Please feel free to go try your manoeuvring and let us know how you get on with the spinning out of control with damage and enduring a long FSD cool-down.

It's got nothing to do with the interdicting ship, lol. They're just aiming directly at your ship.

It's just a randomly-generated path you arbitrarily need to follow for absolutely no reason, and it's very silly.

 

[DemiserofD]

I'm not seeing your point.
I have never been sent careening into a planet or star. I think interdiction is stupid really. You only need to point your ship at the escape vector icon to evade it. It's very easy.

For NPCs, yeah, it's extremely easy. I've never even failed in a T9.

But against players, it's literally impossible. They've tested it pretty extensively. At that point, it's far better to crash into a star than to either submit or fight(and lose).

But I've been crashed into stars and planets many times, and I've seen the pursuer crash into them as well, instantly ending the interdiction, many times.

 

[AtomicJuggler]

I agree with you,

Having the ability to disable the current "programmed interdiction path" would be really great and give you control over how to maneuver your ship to get shake off the interdictor behind. This could be really great in PvP.

Interdiction path mode should be determined by the interdicted (player) setting (programmed path enabled or disabled)

• If the interdictor (player) is out of alignment with your ship for a specific time then the interdiction would fail, but,
• If the interdictor can stay (precisely?) on your tail long enough the interdiction would be successful.

Could be quite a (long) challenge with two experienced players with the same kind (engineered) of ship.

Edit: ED p2p networking could be a problem though...

 

[varonica]

It's got nothing to do with the interdicting ship, lol. They're just aiming directly at your ship.

It's just a randomly-generated path you arbitrarily need to follow for absolutely no reason, and it's very silly.

But it's not randomly generated is it, it's generated by the ship interdicting you. Disabling the escape vector for you doesn't mean it's disabled for the interdicting ship, all it means is the interdicting ship will win in seconds no matter which way you fly, you will lose the interdiction every single time.

Having the ability to disable the current "programmed interdiction path" would be really great and give you control over how to maneuver your ship to get shake off the interdictor behind. This could be really great in PvP.

That's an automatic lose, you aren't shaking him off by avoiding the escape vector, you are losing by avoiding the escape vector, every time.

 

[DemiserofD]

But it's not randomly generated is it, it's generated by the ship interdicting you. Disabling the escape vector for you doesn't mean it's disabled for the interdicting ship, all it means is the interdicting ship will win in seconds no matter which way you fly, you will lose the interdiction every single time.

Ah, I see what you're trying to say.

I'm not just saying that the target should be made invisible, I'm saying it should be removed. You should be able to fully control your ship's direction, and you would then succeed by turning and moving in such a way as to throw the pursuer off your trail. This should have no impact on your win/loss rate, but then, it really shouldn't anyhow; in any duel against a competent interdictor, even staying on the escape vector 100% of the time still results in a loss.

So what this would do is remove that dynamic entirely, and instead allow the defending player to try to make themselves harder to follow, instead.

 

[varonica]

So what this would do is remove that dynamic entirely, and instead allow the defending player to try to make themselves harder to follow, instead.

So, just jump out to another system if you remove the interdiction mechanics. Simple.

 

[DemiserofD]

So, just jump out to another system if you remove the interdiction mechanics. Simple.

That's an option with the current system, but you see, I'm proposing the current system be changed.

 

[metatheurgist]

There's nothing stopping you from ignoring the escape vector and flying however you want. It doesn't force control of your ship. You will most likely fail the interdiction every time though.

 

[AtomicJuggler]

But it's not randomly generated is it, it's generated by the ship interdicting you. Disabling the escape vector for you doesn't mean it's disabled for the interdicting ship, all it means is the interdicting ship will win in seconds no matter which way you fly, you will lose the interdiction every single time.

Well yes and no...
The way I see it, the "Escape vector" is a path generated by the game to create a virtual target that the interdicted player has to follow.
The interdicting player has to follow what is also a target (interdicted player) in (seemingly) the same way the interdicted player follow the escape vector.
Currently, the escape vector MUST be randomized to force both players to track a moving target.

That's an automatic lose, you aren't shaking him off by avoiding the escape vector, you are losing by avoiding the escape vector, every time.

With the current Escape Vector, of course.
But what I thing @DemiserofD is proposing is a good idea to spice the interdiction process a little (for PvPers at least) :
Being able to turn off the escape vector so the interdicted is free to maneuver as wildly as his/her ship can to force the interdictor to follow as precisely as possible (like in the current interdiction process).

The interdiction will be won by the interdictor only if he/she can keep up with the maneuvers of the targeted ship.

(edited for clarity)

 

[Rubbernuke]

I like the idea, it makes sense because the agility of the defender v the attacker then becomes important.

And while you are at it, make it so grade, size / mass of ship actually counts in an interdiction. So a Sidewinder latching onto a T-9 is hard work while an Anaconda v T-9 would be matched. Or, have it so multiple interdictors can latch onto the same target, so a flock of Sidewinders could bring down a T-9.

Engineering wise, you could have an FSD experimental that disrupts / reduces interdiction chances (so the bars are stacked in the defenders favour), energy bombs that take up a utility slot that can break a tether (one use only), or maybe even interdictors that can fire disrupting pulses at the victim.

As with a lot of things in ED you could do loads quite cheaply.