Discuss AI here (After Engineer mods removal)

[Boomer Kay]

Ok. It's not the AI then. NPCs must have different rules for their flight model than players. I have been chasing NPCs who fly backwards nearly as fast as I fly forwards without boost.

There might be some bugs in how NPCs relate their actions into the game. "undefined" states or something like that. Like the "turret railguns" (NPC ship clearly not pointing at you, yet you get hit with railguns) that I've seen in the past.

Might also be that some changes applied at one point in time to player steered ships did not get applied to NPCs.

 

[Mr_sukebe]

Being trying things out for a few days before feeling sufficiently experienced to comment. My thoughts:
- There's been a massive reduction in interdictions by utterly outclassed NPCs. Prior to 2.1 I was regularly being interdicted by ships that often didn't even survive my first pass of gunfire. It was just ridiculous. So i'm VERY happy to see that this has nearly all gone, meaning that now I'm typically being interdicted only by ships that think they genuinely stand a chance. Ace.
- Good NPCs really are that. I see a high level NPC in a decent ship and I typically take the safe option and run away when I'm in a trade configured ship. IMO this is HOW IT SHOULD BE. I shouldn't be able to take on all and sundry. Recently read a comment by a guy in a trade Python, complaining that he'd been nerfed by a pair of FAS. Seriously? Just what was he expecting.
- Security does now appear to be directly related to system status. So secure systems really do have police. Means that "nice" pilots in trade ships can go to safe places and feel safe. Just don't expect to wander into an anarchy system with a big haul without getting unwanted attention. Again, AS IT SHOULD BE.

In short, I'm a MASSIVE fan of the updated AI. For me, a lot more important that the crafting that engineers has added.

 

[Para Handy]

Here this might not be the best place to ask...another wee noob question sorry. Is there an easier way to find targets? Like cycling through targets which are close and hostile, but not in visual range? I remapped the target selection but it doesn'r appear to be doing what I thought it would do...any ideas?

You can set keyboard bindings for next and previous contacts. (I think next is a default but previous you have to set?)

 

[Han Brannigan]

Being trying things out for a few days before feeling sufficiently experienced to comment. My thoughts:
- There's been a massive reduction in interdictions by utterly outclassed NPCs. Prior to 2.1 I was regularly being interdicted by ships that often didn't even survive my first pass of gunfire. It was just ridiculous. So i'm VERY happy to see that this has nearly all gone, meaning that now I'm typically being interdicted only by ships that think they genuinely stand a chance. Ace.

While I like the rest of your post too THIS cannot be said often enough. Getting interdicted once in a while by a suicidal AI is ok. Having 80% interdictions by harmless Eagles is irritating in the most extreme.

 

[Duedy]

Well I get the opposite, the Interdictions have been reduced but they are still elite ranked, Bigger the ship i'm in the more powerful the ship they are in, My combat rank is expert not any where near Elite.

 

[Quester91]

I still preferred the AI when it was brutal, rng modded and suicide/evasive. It felt more real overall.
The only thing I couldn't stand was the absurdly unfair beam of death that often broke my A5 shields +2A shield boosters in, like, 4 seconds. If they had removed just that I would be quite happier now.

I understand though that I am a very particular gamer who likes extreme challanges and absurd difficulty.

 

[FX2K]

I still preferred the AI when it was brutal, rng modded and suicide/evasive. It felt more real overall.
The only thing I couldn't stand was the absurdly unfair beam of death that often broke my A5 shields +2A shield boosters in, like, 4 seconds. If they had removed just that I would be quite happier now.

I understand though that I am a very particular gamer who likes extreme challanges and absurd difficulty.

Maybe they could add some things like that back in, specifically when people go looking for trouble, such as elite kill missions etc.
But the general spawning population and interdictors.. hmmm...

At least then, if you choose to.. you can find it. I wouldn't choose to.

 

[Han Brannigan]

I still preferred the AI when it was brutal, and suicide/evasive.

As per FD they have not changed the AI only the availability of engineer mods to AI ships.

 

[Nexien]

I'm still getting ripped apart by Engineer modded NPCs. It is a dead give away with the colored guns they have and the fact that your ship computer warns you about you being attacked by modded weapons....

I thought they were removed from the NPCs what gives??

 

[FX2K]

I'm still getting ripped apart by Engineer modded NPCs. It is a dead give away with the colored guns they have and the fact that your ship computer warns you about you being attacked by modded weapons....

I thought they were removed from the NPCs what gives??

Not all engineer upgrades were removed.. and the AI behaviour was not touched.
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=258662

 

[Ziljan]

I'm still getting ripped apart by Engineer modded NPCs. It is a dead give away with the colored guns they have and the fact that your ship computer warns you about you being attacked by modded weapons....

I thought they were removed from the NPCs what gives??

Some bugged super weapons are still in the game til Friday. So yeah, not sure that this poll is even accurate, since we aren't evaluating the pure AI yet.

 

[Mazhurg]

Anyway yeah, playing in open...some guy kept trying to ram me into the station wall. Not knowing all yer little nuances, I have to ask, what is the purpose behind this or what does it signify?

It is because of those yahoos that I'd rather play solo.

 

[Strudders]

I mostly do combat and non cargo missions so some of my ramblings might apply to truckers, miners and explorers but mostly to OK combat pilots.

I have swapped my Python for a Vulture and kept to RES sites with lots of security.
Making about 33% less than I did before the patch. Also completed quite a few Boom data missions @ 250 to 300K a trip.

Had a fight with a Elite Python at a RES and stupidly got in front of it, they do still some have modded weapons. Thermal attack and Targeting overload attack??? (not sure what that one is) however all was good in the end thanks to security...

My advice, from an OK combat pilot to other OK combat pilots...

1) Loose the big "I am invincible" A rated large ships

2) Get a smaller ship that you used early in your career that you loved. Mine was and still is the Vulture.

3) Point defence

4) Pick your fights. Going solo against and Deadly/Elite Python is now not advised at all in my view...

5) Know when to say "OK let's go home and cash in" The AI are unpredicable and nothing is more infuriating than losing a credits because you did not want to drop back to the station 20LS away.... The RES will still be there when you want to return. Same goes for Nav beacons...

Fly safe and have fun....

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

Some bugged super weapons are still in the game til Friday. So yeah, not sure that this poll is even accurate, since we aren't evaluating the pure AI yet.

Right. I created poll before it was known what is source of the bug. Although current situation gives a bit more insight how AI operates. I think there's lot of interesting information for SJA to digest. Less noise too.

I hope tomorrow's patch squashes that mega bug and we can get more or less untainted NPC AI experience.

 

[Cmdr Irenicus]

NPCs are still way OP. I just almost got slaughtered in my Anaconda, interdicted, submitted as I was trade routing, tried to get away, 6A shields blown in less than 10 seconds with 2 A shield boosters. Totally ridiculous. I love a challenge and think the NPC AI used to be too easy but for the love of mike try and find a balance please

 

[verminstar]

You can set keyboard bindings for next and previous contacts. (I think next is a default but previous you have to set?)

But that's just it...I did remap some of the bindings, especially for my left hand and went through most of the targeting bindings twice...for some reason it wouldn't switch targets and I ended up attacking another player because I sorta fumbled a bit trying to get the ai rat in visual range...lost the rag when I accidentally shot the other player while he was engaged with the rat I was trying to target.

I've moved out of the anarchy systems now till I get better stuff, although I fully intend on going back...quieter there ^^

 

[WR3ND]

Beyond having a high combat rank, are people's ships writing checks their comfort zones can't cash with NPC scaling or something?

As I mentioned a couple times previously, I wasn't having any difficulty taking on NPCs on my terms with a combat rank of Expert piloting an exploration/combat Vulture setup.

 

[Lheim]

Yeah, I think I've seen modded weapons recently myself.. but even if I was mistaken, the turn rates on some of these ships still seems wonky and way too quick.

Right now, small ships are uber. I think they were way too tissue earlier, but the maneuverability gap is potent now. So much so that bigger slower ships need significant outfitting changes. But even annies turn too fast.

Is the AI control of lateral thrusters too granular? Players don't seem to have that kind of control fa-on.

 

[scorpionarachnid]

Now that my shields last longer than3 sec I can fight back! Seems just right, elite are tough, long fights. Master just right. Wings of three good for less rank are tough.

 

[Cmdr Irenicus]

Now that my shields last longer than3 sec I can fight back! Seems just right, elite are tough, long fights. Master just right. Wings of three good for less rank are tough.

Not all of us play with others nor want to. It shouldn't be something that's a requirement.

OOps I see you mean NPCs in wings. I just responded that way because of something I read earlier