AI Still Needs Much Work

Extrasmooth

E
I just still can't get over how many NPC ships I see getting shot up simply because THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SKILL TO LAND ON A PAD.

Don't get me wrong this isn't an issue that's necessarily going to stop me playing but I just thought I'd raise it anyway. I guess the problem is every time I see it just takes a bit of polish of the game - it just looks crap.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is this sort of thing was probably fair enough back in December but now the game has been live something like 2 month's I think they really should have sorted out basic stuff like this.

Sometimes it's the small things that make all the difference.
 

Tinman

Tinman
Here is what one of the AI devs recently said about docking AI which is one of the things she has been working on lately:

Sarah Jane Avory said:
Hi guys!

I've been working on AI docking/launching/DC and here's what I'm hoping to get into version 1.2 (I say hoping 'cos it needs a lot of testing!) :

1) Added a brand new docking obstacle avoidance system to stop AI ships from crashing into each other or players.
2) Increased docking/launch speeds.
3) DC puts full pips to SYS.
4) Descending to pad is now much, much gentler. (hopefully no more hull damage)
5) Launch from pad is now smoother.
6) AI ships will dock/launch on the side of the slot marked by the green light (as much as they can; type-9 is a wide ship!).
7) AI ships shouldn't get stuck in the cage covering the entrance slot when docking.
8) AI ships like the Anaconda will no longer scrape their top while docking.
9) When docking, AI ship wait to orientate themselves fully before approaching the entrance slot.

There's probably more, but I can't think of it right now.

Sarah.
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FatteusTwerpage

FatteusTwerpage
Extrasmooth said:
Sometimes it's the small things that make all the difference.
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Other times it's the small things that really don't matter so much. I spent a bit of time sitting on the pad in station testing something else, only to see several NPC ships scrape around the inside of the station before being melted to bits by the station lasers. Funny behaviour, shoulda done something about it, another swig of cider, move on.

Who's to say the AI didn't fancy a shot or two of AGin, followed by some ALSD, before deciding to chase some unicorns around the perimeter? Certainly not me. Deus ex machina.
 

Surly_Badger

Surly_Badger
Extrasmooth said:
I just still can't get over how many NPC ships I see getting shot up simply because THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SKILL TO LAND ON A PAD.
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What cracks me up is when all those AIs that get blown away come log into the forums and complain about how the game sucks because they hit "boost" in the orbital and didn't have insurance.

Wait, whadda ya mean those aren't AIs?
 

Extrasmooth

E
Don't get me wrong I know this isn't a game breaking problem. It's just that I really want to love this game and in most aspects I actually do but it seems like every station I visit has some NPC muppet trying to land at a 90 degree angle or even sometimes upside down and it just makes it tough to champion the game when you constantly see that kind of rubbish.

If it was infrequent I'd just accept it as drunk NPC pilots, but it does seem to be pretty much every time I come in to land that I see this.
 

possessed

possessed
Extrasmooth said:
Don't get me wrong I know this isn't a game breaking problem. It's just that I really want to love this game and in most aspects I actually do but it seems like every station I visit has some NPC muppet trying to land at a 90 degree angle or even sometimes upside down and it just makes it tough to champion the game when you constantly see that kind of rubbish.

If it was infrequent I'd just accept it as drunk NPC pilots, but it does seem to be pretty much every time I come in to land that I see this.
Click to expand...

Did you try to help npc ?
 

sqzbox1

S
Had to laugh! Sitting on the dock admiring the Clipper parked next to me. It went into launch sequence so I thought this should be fun - let's find out what it sounds like. So it launches sideways into the grid beside it and gets stuck there. 30 seconds later (not the 5 minutes the rest of us get) the station destroys it. Kaboom! So yeah - Sarah - they need work, just basic work will make a huge difference! And please don't fall into the misconception about the red and green lights - go down the centre and let us and other NPC's avoid them as we should. First in (the slot) first served.
 

Extrasmooth

E
The red\green light thing, whilst probably being technically challenging, appears to be a waste of time - most players just mow down the middle so getting the npc's to fly that bit properly seems acutely pointless. I'd rather they just sorted out the basic manoeuvring ability of the npc ships so that the station defenses can take a break every once in a while.
 

Yabba Addict

Yabba Addict
Extrasmooth said:
The red\green light thing, whilst probably being technically challenging, appears to be a waste of time - most players just mow down the middle so getting the npc's to fly that bit properly seems acutely pointless. I'd rather they just sorted out the basic manoeuvring ability of the npc ships so that the station defenses can take a break every once in a while.
Click to expand...

They ARE flying that bit properly, they aren't traffic lights or lane lights, they're orientation lights.
 

tricky

tricky
Orcas are clown cars when it comes to docking or undocking. Nice and slim so you can get passed them in the docking slot. However, you have to watchout for their sudden handbreak stop when they come through the slot, then the dithering as they take a committee vote on how to precede to the landing pad. Nice and slowly does it, last 10m full vertical down thrusters. *CLANK*

As for undocking, nice and smooth once again until that committee vote rears its ugly head. Only this time it is a full on AGM that only finishes once the station's lasers start using it as target practice.
 

Zerke

Z
Being a new player I learned the hard way to watch out for NPC Ships inside of stations. Twice I have been beaten and battered by several of them bouncing around like ping pong balls while inside a station. There's nothing like learning to keep your ship under control while being battered by bouncing NPCs.
 
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