kofeyh, as someone who has put thousands of hours into both of those games, you are using a profoundly bad example here if you want to make a point.
So because I have spent time playing games, I am unable to comment? This is remarkable since quite a few long time players (who are complaining about AI difficulty) are apparently free to do so?
So not a "profoundly bad example" then. Stick to the topic, hey.
In Minecraft, you can literally turn off mobs from spawning or change their behavior however you please just from the base game functions alone, let alone what mods do to the game.
The default behaviour in minecraft is that mobs spawn; including 'bad' mobs at night. That that can be overridden is contextually relevant to the game, and also that the person who first starts playing, is even aware that they can. Given the entire argument is that noobs apparently don't know jack about ED, you can't claim they are somehow sentient enough to manage game settings, but not sentient enough to handle some risk.
There's a bit of a logic hurdle there. Also i'm happy for new starters to speak for themselves; i'm not a new starter, why the heck would I presume I can speak on their behalf? .. (and yet so many do).
Is the explorer who has spent literal months out surveying seeking out challenge in coming back to the bubble only to be blown up by some meth head?
If they return to a high-sec system, there are security forces everywhere, and they respond in short time scales. This is a
vast improvement prior to turning up about 10 minutes after a commander died (if at all). So in fact, this is an improvement.
Also in a private group you can invite a friend to assist (if open isn't a comfortable and you tend to rock and roll in solo). In solo (for the PVE enthusiast) you can avoid any commander behaviour, so it's just AI between you and the final system station. Given you can filter on 'No economy' in the galaxy map, it's also possible to navigate virtually to your front door inside of empty systems, then make the last hop, which brings the risk vector down considerably.
Lastly (but not by any means the only option) you can employ the services of
many RP groups who live for protection detail; they will get you wherever you need to go. There are a
ton of risk mitigation options.
In order to make the return risk free for an explorer, always, it has to be risk free for all, in general. This impacts the entire community. As it is, security forces are being neutered due to the reduction in dangerous and elite ships in an instance (or SC). They still rock up very quickly (if you have report crimes on) so there's actually support if you get into trouble.
Honestly, this is pretty much like saying "please remove risk for me, so I can ignore it, unless I decide i'd like some". I am concerned for the future of ED, because this will make adding hostile alien races effectively impossible. Yes, risk is thrust on us. Whether we like it or not. It's not supposed to be risk free. It was never ever supposed to be risk free.
I can foresee where alien races are entirely decamped to their own systems, never leave and commanders have to trapse half-way across the universe to even see one, because we can't risk possibly seeing them in case we don't want to. Is that actually logical?
I am absolutely in full support of AI that are more contextually relevant. Absolutely. But not just stupid space potato that never appear because that's easier. The fact that Frontier have rolled back so many changes already, I am sure has not be lost on those determined to extinguish all risk.