Engineers AI nerf, the most mixed of mixed blessings. Variable difficulty settings please :-)

BamboozleBallet

BamboozleBallet
I'm probably not the only one who pines for at least some upgrades on the AI ships, especially the higher ranked opponents. First it felt like the majority of combat ships had upgrades, now none... why the all or nothing?

Please gradually re-introduce upgrades as players get better against the new AI. The Dangerous, Deadly and Elite ranked ships should have a few cards up their sleeves at least.

Maybe it really is time to look into variable difficulty settings so us veterans can get a good fight from NPC's?

Perhaps make it so that people can set the highest difficulty ships they encounter, so someone could choose to face dangerous ships instead of deadly and elite ships? That way they can be spared fights they aren't ready for while they get good. Meanwhile the rest of us can enjoy more challenging opponents. Variable difficulty of some kind seems to me to be the only way to solve this conundrum.

Happy hunting cmdrs [heart]
 

Muetdhiver

Muetdhiver
Variable difficulty is already there :

  • Low/Med/High/Haz RES
  • Harmless to Elite NPC's
  • Anarchy, Low/Med/High Security
  • Missions with "NPC's might hunt you down"
  • Threat level from 0 to 4 in USS

I really think that is enough and a player wanting to avoid trouble can do so
pretty much already.
 
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BigFW

BigFW
I think FD will look to introduce some upgrades back at some point. The all or nothing allows them to get to set some markers down and they can tweak from there.

Personally I had a good couple of hours last night where I felt I had a chance against some of the higher ranks rather than instantly high waking. Though to be fair I did that a couple of times as well when things stopped going my way!

As Muetdhiver says i think you can pretty much choose how much trouble you want to get into, barring interdictions. You just got to find your limits in your skill/loadout and not be afraid to run or decline missions. The info is mostly there now to help make that decision.
 
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Kneejo

Kneejo
So far, I've noticed that your opponent will fly similar ships and have similar skill level. I got chased around by an assassin for 6 days now, and when I fly a conda, he flies a conda, when I fly a DBX, he flies a DBX. It's tough, but not above anyone's capability, as far as I can see. I like the new toughness. Having to be aware of where you are going, if there is a threat, and not being able to kill any npc so easily brings a whole new depth to the game for me. I applaud Frontier for this change.
 

Para Handy

Para Handy
They have not removed all the modded weapons from the NPCs at all. It seems the Elites still have some.

In my AspE (master) I was on the receiving end of an impulse attack from an Elite ViperIV last night (I thought maybe the server change hadn't gone in yet but it was after 10 BST) - even more annoying, it was clean before attacking me so all I got for my (extensive) work in destroying it was 600Cr (and I had KWS'ed it after it started to attack).

Plus there are reports from others of coming under similar modded attacks today.
 

Monk

Monk
Was getting hit by PAs with added thermal damage last night (BST 0500) when facing Deadly and Dangerous FDLs. So, I think they are still in there. Have not encountered the constant fire PA or rail though.

more on topic...I don't think a difficulty slider is needed. If you don't want combat you can outfit for speed and defenses.

If you do want combat, there are zones with lower ranked AI.

The number of Deadly and higher NPCs interdicting you in SC should be greatly reduced, however.
 
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RabidRich

R
There is a difficulty slider w.r.t. NPC damage and speed: reduce your tank incrementally. Then your thrusters. If it is still easy with d rated shields and thrusters and no scbs or hrp/reinforcements, then I guess you could drop weapon size tiers....
 

Daniel Cloudsifter

Daniel Cloudsifter
Muetdhiver said:
Variable difficulty is already there :

  • Low/Med/High/Haz RES
  • Harmless to Elite NPC's
  • Anarchy, Low/Med/High Security
  • Missions with "NPC's might hunt you down"
  • Threat level from 0 to 4 in USS

I really think that is enough and a player wanting to avoid trouble can do so
pretty much already.
Click to expand...


I agree, but it's the X factor of interdictions that I have a problem with. Warning me I might be pursued by enemies isn't a complete escape clause for getting screwed on missions. I've been taking low profile missions in my A-rated python and mostly it's fine. However, I've had problems a few times with ambushes by either an FAS or FDL. Do I expect to win everytime? No, of course not. I also don't expect to be able to get away if I'm not playing smart (under rated ship, didn't submit to interdiction and then run). But when I'm outclassed and the game just wears me down? No, this is not a fun change. Let me elaborate...

FDL interdicts me. I try to fight it, see that I'm losing, and submit successfully. He's rated Dangerous like I am. I try to fight him. Combat is going pretty well, though his constant spamming of chaff is annoying. He lands a few good shots on me with a Huge PAS (or maybe large, don't know) and now we both have shields down. I'm at 60% hull, he's at 43%. I also now have the help of 3 system authority vessels that have jumped in to help. They are swarming all around him, but not doing much damage. He keeps spamming chaff and gunning for me with that big gun. The risk isn't worth the reward and I turn tale and run. If it ended there, I would give Frontier a huge thumbs up.

Instead, I'm barely in super cruise for 3 seconds before he announces that he's after my "big haul" again and instantly starts an interdiction?! How the hell did he enter supercruise so fast (no charge warning) and interdict me again? Especially when he had System Authority ships on his tale? Again, I'm forced to submit, do so, boost away (bi-weave shields hammered back down just as I jump to cruise). This time I don't wait... as soon as I hit cruise, I exit to main menu and the log back in. That's the only option I have other than just letting him kill me.

I also had this happen with an FAS. I tried the submit/run tactic 4 times before I said "enough" and just logged as soon as I entered supercruise.

I don't mind harder enemies coming after me. I don't mind if I can't escape (blown up before jump). What I won't stand for is an enemy that is pursuing me better than a player could. To be fair, this dogged pursuit happened in 2.0 as well. But at least back then, if you had a good A-rated ship, you could usually kill them.
 

freedom4556

freedom4556
RabidRich said:
There is a difficulty slider w.r.t. NPC damage and speed: reduce your tank incrementally. Then your thrusters. If it is still easy with d rated shields and thrusters and no scbs or hrp/reinforcements, then I guess you could drop weapon size tiers....
Click to expand...

This is the thought that always crosses my mind when people talk of NPCs being too hard. I feel like you need to have an extremely difficult, but fighting chance in an E-rating ship. Why make anything less than A-rating if nothing less than A-rating will cut it? What about the vast majority of casual CMDRs who what to buy a ship and fly it as they upgrade it?

Most of us on the forums and Reddit are rolling around in something fully A-rated and maxed out, and yet at least half the vocal playerbase was having problems. I feel like they balanced the AI around top-tier combat builds and forgot to consider the piecemeal state of most budget-constrained multi-purpose builds.
 
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Lightspeed

Lightspeed
Does someone at FD HQ have a slider for AI hostility that they push? I mean, what if they had a bad day at the office, could they be tempted to just nudge the dial a tad to give everyone else a hard time too ? :p
 
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