I've only a small number of tests of points (1) and (3) so too early to be certain but so far I have had similar results to you. I have not tried (2). I used (3) for my last settlement raids for the reason that you gave, it's back to sneaking and sniping, just takes a bit longer now.
Adjusting to NPC behaviour
- Thread starter SteveWW57
- Start date
I can confirm one incident where i got spotted in my SRV from 750 meters away by a commando scav (pitch dark/dark side of the planet) I was on top of a hill/ridge driving down towards the side of the base where I felt I would be out of sight.
Only the commando turned red/hostile. I remember finding it odd that he did not alert the others.
At the time I did not think about the potential set values for NPC vision range so I can't quite recall how the rest of that mission vent.
Good work, CMDRs. The more information and different scenarios we build up, the better our knowledge and the better the tests we can come up with.One thing I do want to try that will confirm if it really IS LoS is test against the large military base with massive fortified walls - it shouldn't be difficult to get a medium/small sized ship close to the installation without an AI getting LoS to the ship. It's added to my TODO list...
Oh.. they've stopped using flashlights in the dark during combat? Eeeeexcellent!
This may be a rendering bug with their lighting not displaying. There have been tests reported since update 6 with cmdrs flashlights where they are turned on but another cmdr cannot see the flashlight or lighting patch. From my experience the NPCs can spot me in the dark at around 15m to 20m as if they are using a flashlight, that range seems a bit too long, but it's not the sort of range they would have from the nightvision mod we can get in our suits.
I've never heard of or seen darkness to have any effect on being spotted yet.
OK, I had a chance to test the large military fortification, the one with the huge exterior walls.
Managed to get my ship within 600m of the base in a low gully that I thought would protect me; lowering the SRV, the contacts were all yellow. However, as soon as I started driving it slowly toward the base (still under cover of the gully), the contacts turned red and they were alerted to my presence, still within meters of my ship.
So I am guessing that it's not only line of sight, but also a minimum range at which it doesn't matter how stealthy you are, a ship has loud engines and an SRV has slightly quieter ones, and you'll alert the guards/scavengers one way or another.
For the moment I am finding that around 400m is the safe point for disembarking the SRV, and that about 1.5km is the ship's safe distance in order to steal into ta settlement and take to the rooftops for some healthy covert sniping action. I think you can get much closer with the ship, still need to do my 'leap frog' test for that one.
You can probably get closer than that, although I don't know what those numbers are.
Although it's a big change from before, I feel it's more reflective of a 'real' situation (scaled down for game play purposes) and adds a sense of realism to the game. Previously I could float above the settlement in my ship with my lights on looking closely at the base layout, buildings and streets etc.; now, there's none of that and you've got to sneak your way in.
Just hoping they fix the flashlight problem!
Also: how do Apex travelers deal with this situation? Do the guards/scavengers go nuts when you disembark from the taxi?
Finally: if you do make a mistake and alert others to your presence, simply SCing away and back does fix it (for the moment...)
Managed to get my ship within 600m of the base in a low gully that I thought would protect me; lowering the SRV, the contacts were all yellow. However, as soon as I started driving it slowly toward the base (still under cover of the gully), the contacts turned red and they were alerted to my presence, still within meters of my ship.
So I am guessing that it's not only line of sight, but also a minimum range at which it doesn't matter how stealthy you are, a ship has loud engines and an SRV has slightly quieter ones, and you'll alert the guards/scavengers one way or another.
For the moment I am finding that around 400m is the safe point for disembarking the SRV, and that about 1.5km is the ship's safe distance in order to steal into ta settlement and take to the rooftops for some healthy covert sniping action. I think you can get much closer with the ship, still need to do my 'leap frog' test for that one.
You can probably get closer than that, although I don't know what those numbers are.
Although it's a big change from before, I feel it's more reflective of a 'real' situation (scaled down for game play purposes) and adds a sense of realism to the game. Previously I could float above the settlement in my ship with my lights on looking closely at the base layout, buildings and streets etc.; now, there's none of that and you've got to sneak your way in.
Just hoping they fix the flashlight problem!
Also: how do Apex travelers deal with this situation? Do the guards/scavengers go nuts when you disembark from the taxi?
Finally: if you do make a mistake and alert others to your presence, simply SCing away and back does fix it (for the moment...)
If I approach from around 2km at low altitude with my Viper IV and stay behind buildings out of LoS, I can park it right next to a building, usually behind the power plant and disembark without raising alarm. Then I can snipe them, though more carefully than before, if one spots you, everybody close to the spotter will get alarmed, too.
I got my Courier to 250m earlier. The base was just behind a flat hilltop. I lowered the SRV just to check the contacts, but did not start to drive since I was so close anyway. Disembarked on foot and stayed unnoticed. I was so close they would have heard the ship.
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Oh!!! Have you met the Rocket Troopers yet
I generally think NPCs will get their flashlights back.
I could not see my team mate's flashlight, and he could not see mine when we turned them on after patch 6.
Luckily for us my colleage had night vision on his suit. That allowed him to see the NPCs way off, I'm guessing through his sights when I could not see them. I am working towards getting me some night vision!
Cheers
Simon
I could not see my team mate's flashlight, and he could not see mine when we turned them on after patch 6.
Luckily for us my colleage had night vision on his suit. That allowed him to see the NPCs way off, I'm guessing through his sights when I could not see them. I am working towards getting me some night vision!
Cheers
Simon
After today’s patch, I gleefully took a scav cleanout mission at a tourist site in hopes of some sweet, sweet opinion polls. (Or one. Seriously, just give me ONE for Braben’s sake!!) Arrived at the settlement about 3km away, and landed in the pitch black. Deployed the SRV, giggling maniacally to myself at the impending doom these scavvies were about to face. Drove to about 500m out, using cover the whole way (and lights off) to a camp of sedate little yellow triangles.
Hee hee hee!
Keeping low, made my way slowly to the perimeter, went around to the back of one of the buildings. Waited for a little, then hopped on top, crept over the roof expecting to see those happy flashlights and….
Nothing.
As I sat there wondering “WHAT THE” I hear the “Enemy sighted!“ shout, and five angry red dots converged. (Run awaaaaaay!)
Finally got ‘em cleared out - had to power up the settlement to see ‘em.
And not a single opinion poll to be had.
sigh…
Hee hee hee!
Keeping low, made my way slowly to the perimeter, went around to the back of one of the buildings. Waited for a little, then hopped on top, crept over the roof expecting to see those happy flashlights and….
Nothing.
As I sat there wondering “WHAT THE” I hear the “Enemy sighted!“ shout, and five angry red dots converged. (Run awaaaaaay!)
Finally got ‘em cleared out - had to power up the settlement to see ‘em.
And not a single opinion poll to be had.
sigh…
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Damn!
I had chance to do one mission last night, thought to myself, "Wonder if they've fixed the flashlight bug?"
Took one exterminate scavenger mission, got there - base was in full daylight.
I'm sure they're doing this on purpose...
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All may not be lost, I did a couple of crash site retrieval missions in the dark, and the guards were using them. Hooray!
Tried another settlement mission, but ended up being broad daylight as well. Will see tomorrow, I suppose.
Opinion Polls, ahh that takes me back.... two weeks.
could be, but the settlement I was in was pitch black, well inside the night side.
Might also be a case of having to high wake out of a system first, the mission was in the same system I’d been in.
Yeah I did a mission yesterday where the base was on the dayside but the light was blocked by surrounding mountains. Scavvies did not use flashlights so I decided to light them up with dumbfires instead.