I've been wondering, how does the NPC crew decide who their target is in defend mode vs engage at will mode? I've noticed in combat zones ones in Defend mode sometimes end up 20 away from me fighting one person fruitlessly and endlessly, while in Engage at Will mode they seem to go after whoever the zerg rush of allied NPC ships go after and stay close by. Does this behavior change as they go up in rank, as my crew member is deadly (which kind of worries me as I'm afraid one day I'll get killed and lose them).
Defend vs Engage at Will NPC crew targeting decisions?
- Thread starter Angelpichu
- Start date
Wish i knew. Lately mine just flips me the bird when given ANY command. They fly away and explode.
Deleted member 182079
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My crew is half way through Deadly on their way to become Elite, and they are pretty capable now - it seems to me that 'fire at will' means they go after other hostiles in range after they dispose of their current target (which presumably under "FaW" orders means the nearest hostile one unless you select a target specifically), meaning you don't have to keep telling them to attack a particular target. I seem to be able to override this though (if they get bogged down far away) by issuing an 'attack target' command.
The difference is pretty self-explanatory really, although the result can often appear similar.
In Defend mode, your NPC will only attack targets that fire on you.
If you're flying around a CZ, and no enemy fires at you, your SLF jockey will just carry on flying in formation.
In EAW mode, your NPC will attack any target from a hostile group.
In a CZ, once you pick a side your SLF jockey will engage any ship from the hostile faction as they see fit.
The reason they can end up yielding similar results is because of the way NPC AI works.
In Defend mode, If a ship attacks you and then decides to run away (usually because it's either heavily damaged or crippled), your NPC will attack it, and continue attacking it, even if it's no longer a priority threat and different ships have subsequently attacked you.
In EAW mode, your NPC might choose a target to attack and that ship might decide to run away and your NPC will continue attacking it regardless of how far away from you it gets.
Added to which, with either of the above things going on, you might also decide to engage a ship that takes you in a direction away from your SLF.
In any of these situations, it can end up looking like your SLF jockey isn't really doing his/her job but they are - in accordance with the AI NPCs in ED employ.
The whole thing is the result of the way NPC AIs decide to "pair off" in combat.
NPCs, including your SLF jockey, will pick another ship to attack and then keep at it until something explodes or, at least, they take sufficient damage to make them retreat.
In Defend mode, particularly, this can lead to your NPC relentlessly attacking a ship that's decided to run away even if it's no longer a threat and other ships are now attacking you.
Personally, I find the best way to work with an SLF is for you, in the mothership, to fly "support" for your SLF.
Keep an eye on where it is and help destroy it's targets if possible.
That way, your NPC's AI will reset once the target is destroyed and it'll go back to acting predictably.
The only time I ignore this is if there are high-value targets around.
When that happens, I'll go after them and my SLF jockey is on her own until I've exploded whatever I'm shooting at.
In Defend mode, your NPC will only attack targets that fire on you.
If you're flying around a CZ, and no enemy fires at you, your SLF jockey will just carry on flying in formation.
In EAW mode, your NPC will attack any target from a hostile group.
In a CZ, once you pick a side your SLF jockey will engage any ship from the hostile faction as they see fit.
The reason they can end up yielding similar results is because of the way NPC AI works.
In Defend mode, If a ship attacks you and then decides to run away (usually because it's either heavily damaged or crippled), your NPC will attack it, and continue attacking it, even if it's no longer a priority threat and different ships have subsequently attacked you.
In EAW mode, your NPC might choose a target to attack and that ship might decide to run away and your NPC will continue attacking it regardless of how far away from you it gets.
Added to which, with either of the above things going on, you might also decide to engage a ship that takes you in a direction away from your SLF.
In any of these situations, it can end up looking like your SLF jockey isn't really doing his/her job but they are - in accordance with the AI NPCs in ED employ.
The whole thing is the result of the way NPC AIs decide to "pair off" in combat.
NPCs, including your SLF jockey, will pick another ship to attack and then keep at it until something explodes or, at least, they take sufficient damage to make them retreat.
In Defend mode, particularly, this can lead to your NPC relentlessly attacking a ship that's decided to run away even if it's no longer a threat and other ships are now attacking you.
Personally, I find the best way to work with an SLF is for you, in the mothership, to fly "support" for your SLF.
Keep an eye on where it is and help destroy it's targets if possible.
That way, your NPC's AI will reset once the target is destroyed and it'll go back to acting predictably.
The only time I ignore this is if there are high-value targets around.
When that happens, I'll go after them and my SLF jockey is on her own until I've exploded whatever I'm shooting at.
When my SLF is working correctly i just select a damaged target and have them attack it while i go after something stronger. They can usually finish off a wounded ship without help in about the time it takes me to kill 2 strong ship. Helps collect bonds faster. For bounty hunting in a haz res, it doesn't seem to matter much. The default attack what shoots the mothership seems sufficient.
After playing through a bunch of combat zones with an Elite fighter, I've noticed that Fire At Will fighters are much more likely to break off attacks on far off targets and rush to attack enemies close to you, which are normally ones you're targeting. It feels like Fire At Will mode makes fighters try to get more kills while not focusing as much on defense, which can lead to them getting killed more often. Meanwhile, Defend mode seems to have them try to pull enemies off you and keep them off you, even if they get far away from you, and they try to survive longer, which means less fighters destroyed at a cost of slower enemy kill speed.
So I'd say Defend mode is more meant to distract, while fire at will is meant to kill.
So I'd say Defend mode is more meant to distract, while fire at will is meant to kill.
I understand that the last post to this thread was Feb 18, 2021. Still, a very useful and informative discussion. I'm only now deciding to train a newbie fighter (2%). I realize that it represents another form of 'grind'. Also that when you want to "train" a NPC it is because you have decided that credit profits are almost inconsequential (Otherwise, why not hire and fire an expert just when needed? Do it. It seems to make logical and financial sense). You just won't ever have have an 'elite' fighter NPC as you progress. I'm at the stage where credits are far easier to obtain and are not a game restraint. I want an 'elite' pilot at minimum cost (why not?). While I don't need the credits, I don't see a reason to do this differently for a long-term hire.
