If FDEV wanted to shake up Powerplay just simply add Thargoids as a no player faction to the game so they can take over stuff and expand into systems, each system they take over has more interceptors and scouts flying around interdicting players. Not only would this idea make the whole thing worthwhile but would give the player base a sense of urgency if they are in a neighbouring system and are getting ready to expand. To much of the Powerplay mechanic can be undermined by dedicated solo players who want to just prod the hornets nest or to just troll the player base this suggestion would make the Thargoids something to fear rather than a novelty sideshow that can be sidestepped even in their home systems.
What feature do hope will be updated/refreshed for early 2023?
- Thread starter Phoenix_Dfire
- Start date
I think it could be imagined as something like the extra Odyssey assets. Odyssey players can influence things and take advantage of commodity markets & other tools that Horizons players cannot.
Another analogy would be the difference between someone acting in solo Vs someone blockade running in open.
If there is an advantage it would be on that scale, and of course like with solo players there would potentially be manipulation in all directions.
Ai in general, crime and punishment, bounties, pirates, lack of creativity, repetitive dumbfire ai.
And the onfoot Ai, they are blind, slow and uncoordinated.
Ai, what, your mate just squealed and fell less than 10 yards away and you didnt see or hear a thing, do they not use a scanner?
There are 15 bodies scattered all over the parade area floor and normal foot soldier carries on his normal duties, no raising alarms or calling in help, he has a pathway and he`s sticking to it.
Ooh look some dead people, i think i`ll crouch and hunch walk and look silly for thirty seconds then go about my normal business like the dead folks arnt really dead just taking a nap, i wont raise the alarm call support or anything else, why when the base is under attack from an unknown enemy are reinforcements not called in, they are just a quick flight away?
I walk into a room the ai character is stood right in front of me looking straight at me turns and looks right and asks if someone is there, im not in the fricking cupboard, much like when the squaddy wants to scan me while looking at the fitty next to me.
I have a jet pack why dont they, i can can jump and fly to hide on the roof, why cant they follow me up there?
When i hide behind a pipe or block or whatever on a roof why dosnt the drone reposition?
Give the AI some inteligence, let them stalk me, know my movements, follow, track, flank and trap me! Let them occasionally know why i am there and prepare to defend and battle for that scientist or sample or whatever else i am there for.
Right now they are just too dumb and easy!
And the onfoot Ai, they are blind, slow and uncoordinated.
Ai, what, your mate just squealed and fell less than 10 yards away and you didnt see or hear a thing, do they not use a scanner?
There are 15 bodies scattered all over the parade area floor and normal foot soldier carries on his normal duties, no raising alarms or calling in help, he has a pathway and he`s sticking to it.
Ooh look some dead people, i think i`ll crouch and hunch walk and look silly for thirty seconds then go about my normal business like the dead folks arnt really dead just taking a nap, i wont raise the alarm call support or anything else, why when the base is under attack from an unknown enemy are reinforcements not called in, they are just a quick flight away?
I walk into a room the ai character is stood right in front of me looking straight at me turns and looks right and asks if someone is there, im not in the fricking cupboard, much like when the squaddy wants to scan me while looking at the fitty next to me.
I have a jet pack why dont they, i can can jump and fly to hide on the roof, why cant they follow me up there?
When i hide behind a pipe or block or whatever on a roof why dosnt the drone reposition?
Give the AI some inteligence, let them stalk me, know my movements, follow, track, flank and trap me! Let them occasionally know why i am there and prepare to defend and battle for that scientist or sample or whatever else i am there for.
Right now they are just too dumb and easy!
Robert Maynard
Volunteer Moderator
All players with Odyssey can affect Odyssey assets from any game mode - not just those who play in Open.
Blockade running is role-play in this game, i.e. no-one requires to engage in it if they don't want to.
There's no statement of what advantage would be conferred on those in Open.
A common complaint from players in Open is that they "can't" fight back against players in Solo and Private Groups - while this claim is inaccurate (as they have exactly the same tools available to them as players in the other modes do) to stop players in Solo and Private Groups affecting any aspect of a game feature would be to implement something that would actually be what is (inaccurately) complained about at the moment.
I'd imagine that if the AI got smarter and competitive, there'd be seas of tears on the forum..!
Robert Maynard
Volunteer Moderator
When NPCs did get smarter at the release of 2.1 (alongside some bugs relating to engineeered weapons on NPC ships) Frontier rolled it back quick smart - presumably after seeing what the enhanced AI (and the bugs) did to players' play-time.
Seems like a day doesn't go by where I check in and see seas of tears from people for some really petty stuff. I struggle to wrap my head around a vast majority of complaints having played several MMORPGs and shooters.
If one only plays this game (or similar, can't speak to SC, NMS, KSP, et al) then I might be able to somewhat understand why the game isn't catered to one's desires/needs. Albeit irrational as it is.
Blockade running is impossible since you can go to solo, thus negating its effect- a shame it was suggested all powers become inbound and that having uncapped UM would funnel players into hot systems necessitating actual teamwork or a change in that T-9.
And, in an earlier response to you I point out how attack and defence are not equal in Powerplay. Defence is far easier than attack by miles.
Yes, I'm somewhat continuously surprised too.. IMO, it's no wonder that hardly any CM or dev wants to show their face over here to interact with us.
Next thing we know, they'll have listened to some of the whiners and the big overhaul is the removal of materials and you'll be able to buy everything for credits and no grind for materials. The very next day the new wave of whining over having to grind for credits will start...
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Robert Maynard
Volunteer Moderator
While they may feel like that to some players, the same can't be said of all players - and half of all players are at or below median combat skill (and not all players fly combat ships).Imagine a racing game where the Ai cant overtake
Thats how they feel to me.
Imagine a racing game where the Ai cant overtake
Thats how they feel to me.
Yes, I think they are way too stupid too..!
But on the other hand I do have fun playing around it, for instance going for stealth.
When I started playing EDO I'd run around in the dark as I thought turning on the flashlight would make me easier to spot. Now I've realized that I can stand on the roof lighting up the ground around them, and they don't seem to have a clue that I'm there. Still like most everything in ED, if I mess something up, things can get hairy and I die. If I do everything right, it's easy as stealing candy from the kids..
Robert Maynard
Volunteer Moderator
It would make sense if Powerplay were made Open only.
Fixing that is not inextricably linked with making the feature Open only.
Fair point, I forgot how good I was
Oh i enjoy it but once you spot the flaws and and poor Ai mechanics it gets a bit too easy and a little frustrating, and yes, i have died way too many times to admit.
Robert Maynard
Volunteer Moderator
Possibly in conjunction with engineering ones ship for combat - which effectively makes NPC combat easier.Fair point, I forgot how good I was
I just got my first corvette (full g5), there is nothing to stand against me in a hazres or high cz...
It's fun right now, but I suppose that it will get boring soon..
It's fun right now, but I suppose that it will get boring soon..
Making Powerplay Open Only would make deliberate hiding impossible, would make attack more potent. The feature would shift from time x ship size and credit burning to actual actions where direct action levels the imbalance between time and credit rich players and those who are not. For example fortification- currently its a milk run that allows powers to almost guarantee it getting done, leading to periods of prolonged stability. Open would make that far less certain, meaning powers are less stable and more can fall away to be played over.
NPCs simply can't deliver that opposition, players can.
Which is the point of it. Dosnt detract from my point tho
Robert Maynard
Volunteer Moderator
In which case the equitable solution remains to give those seeking Open Only their own galaxy to affect - leaving the tri-modal shared galaxy for those who don't need to shut players in modes other than Open out of game features.
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I might be completely out of turn here, cause I'm not an EDO combat player.
I would think that various encounters would have varying degrees of difficulty, reflected in mission difficulty and rewards. Ranging from very easy to extremely difficult. Pretty much any player capable of easy, very few capable of the extremely difficult. Obviously difficulty level can be designed in many ways to measure player skill.
Of course there would always be the players complaining that the extremely difficult is just too hard. Which of course it should be. And those players should be ignored. Often extremely difficult becomes much easier with a team, but the rewards must then be shared. Other games sometimes have extremely difficult encounters that must be solo, such that someone can't effectively complete the encounter for you.