All of that could actually define what will spawn: System, security and location define what is available and it's scaled by the player as any NPC force would approach with an appropriate force to who the player is or behave in a different way if they are outgunned/-skilled.
Pirates could come under-equipped and just try to bull the player into handing over goods (and being modest about their demands) only to run off as soon as they are getting shot at, knowing they couldn't fight the player down into submission.
A greater variety of NPCs, each with a range of behaviours, generated according to the local environment, would be great. But it's also handy to tell the player what kind of environment they are in. A combination of show, and tell mechanisms. The current technique of having an NPC blurting about the system state in Supercruise is somewhat coarse.
The 2 lines for current location info in the target/location area of the cockpit UI are insufficient to show enough data, and the 2 additional lines of government type and wanted state that pop up when initiating a jump to the new system feel a bit improvised.
Perhaps this area of the cockpit UI could be reworked as a sort of notification display to temporarily cycle through physical conditions and political conditions when entering a new location and/or polity:
Examples:
Code:
[SYNUEFE X32-A ] [SYNUEFE DEF LEAGUE]
[M3v,K6 ] -> [DICT., ALLIANCE ]
[ ] [CIVIL WAR ]
[ ] [NEUTRAL ]
[SYNUEFE X32-A-9 ] [SYNUEFE MINERALS ]
[GAS GIANT III ] -> [CORP. INDEPENDENT ]
[PRISTINE ] [BOOM ]
[METAL.,ROCKY ] [HOSTILE ]
[SYNUEFE PRIORY ] [SYNUEFE PROPHETS ]
[RELIG. OUTPOST ] -> [THEOC. INDEPENDENT]
[REPAIR ] [RETREAT ]
[ ] [CORDIAL ]
This would be replaced by target information when changing tactical or nav target.
NPCs reacting to circumstance is already in the game. I had a fight with a pirate once, fought with him for a while but as soon as system security spawned, he shouted in local "The law!" and high waked out. More dynamic behavior like that would be great for creating a more living and breathing game world.
I'd like to see more responsive reactions in supercruise, and more flavour text to signal what is going on as NPCs modify their behaviour according to conditions. NPCs around stations are alright, but in SC they are mostly mute, except for the pirate about to interdict you. You do see NPC on NPC interdictions occasionally, but you have to be watching out for it.
For example, if there is a cop and a wanted NPC pirate within 500Ls of the primary, the cop will squawk: 'Stop and await scanning, criminal' to the hapless freebooter, who will either say 'You'll have to catch me first' and high-wake, or 'You'll never take me alive!' depending on their relative strengths. A trader might warn other non-combat ships about the presence of pirates, and an authority vessel in an authoritarian state might broadcast threatening messages to all and sundry. Pirate vessels escaping a Combat Aftermath could utter a hokey 'Let's get out of here while the going's good'. Oh, and a way to mute LOCAL chat if it becomes annoying.
