Discuss the AI here!

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

You could also make the point that only 7% of players are registered on the forum at all - and the nature of people that care to register and actively participate on game forums is that they are more invested in a game. This will unnaturally skew the picture on every poll, the number of hardcore players voting will be much higher than in the actual community.

35% of people on this forum voting "too hard" might translate to a much higher number of people playing the game finding the AI too hard. Difficult to quantify, unless FDev would carry out a vote through the game client or launcher. In any case, 35% voting too hard on the forum should worry FDev.

Most of them will shake it off and will get better, seeking advice on Internet resources and other channels.

Game with bad AI for NPCs is game without NPCs at all - they are just a window dressing. Now they are actually something...to be afraid of, to respect, to rely on (system police and potentially NPC wingmen). There will be tweaks, there will be some changes to give some fighting chance for commanders. But overall combat AI is here to stay and most likely will have more varied combat in time (not harder, but varied).

People are afraid to change. That's natural. We don't know how we will adapt and do we will be able to adapt to new situation. It make us nervous. But it will pass, people will find a way to deal with new buffed enemies. Some will invest in better thrusters to run away, some will avoid less security systems. And so on and so forth.

 

[Lucifer Hate]

The game is just unplayable for me since its too hard and I lost 4 million credits in 3 hours of gameplay. No conditions to buy the DLC since the game is a death trap. I am only playing with a sidewinder while waiting for a patch to fix the game.

Why cant the solo players have a difficulty slider? If ultra easy is what makes me have fun then let me have it. I dont mind not being able to carry the credits to the multiplayer game since I will never play there.

Because technically solo is still multiplayer as it affects the same universe. All modes have equal effect on the universe as a whole so all players have to face the same level of difficulty. That's why I love the new AI as now it makes it harder for a solo player to affect the prices and BGS with low risk farming. The only way your idea would work is an offline mode but that got scrapped 2 weeks before the original release so not likely to see that happen.

People have had the easy AI for to long where you could watch netflix, or play a seperate game while playing Elite.. This is the way this game should have been on release. WAY TO GO FD AND SJA!! FD I take back some of the things I have said about you in the past

 

[Noddie]

Look. If you've spent the last year getting rich by being Al Capone, don't be too surprised if you're in a spot of bother now that elliot Ness has been invented.

The new AI isn't too hard, it's realistically difficult, and dangerous areas (whether specifically dangerous to people from your background, or just generally pretty hair-raising) now actually mean something.

This part of the game has been placeholdered since launch, so people habitually ignore it. You need to pay attention to it now.

That is all.

 

[Moonax IRL]

If you insist on this fear mongering crap make sure you provide numbers for all the people logging into play, or do not bother.

Every single person who bought the game through kickstarter, into closed beta and just after launch used a standalone launcher, which is not tracked by steam, and many still use it.

Agreed,never use steam always the original launcher, sick of hearing rubbish about steam charts. I wish these guys would shove them where the sun doesn`t shine instead of the brainless repetitive quoting of same.

 

[Dave1029]

Most of them will shake it off and will get better, seeking advice on Internet resources and other channels.

Game with bad AI for NPCs is game without NPCs at all - they are just a window dressing. Now they are actually something...to be afraid of, to respect, to rely on (system police and potentially NPC wingmen). There will be tweaks, there will be some changes to give some fighting chance for commanders. But overall combat AI is here to stay and most likely will have more varied combat in time (not harder, but varied).

People are afraid to change. That's natural. We don't know how we will adapt and do we will be able to adapt to new situation. It make us nervous. But it will pass, people will find a way to deal with new buffed enemies. Some will invest in better thrusters to run away, some will avoid less security systems. And so on and so forth.

Or were going to quit instead of getting blown up 30 times in order to even get those upgrades in the first place.

 

[concangian]

You are exactly the kind of player FD wants to see removed from the ED universe apparently. They only want the truly skilled and elite players to enjoy it. Us casual players need to look elsewhere.

I'm afraid that you're probably right

 

[Dave1029]

Bah. Forget the formidine rift. The real threat is the thousands of Elite god tier anacondas who seem to exclusively interdict me. Those octagonal ships got nothing on Drew the pirate.

 

[Ximrats]

This from a guy who wanted to rep someone who sarcastically took the urine out of him in a previous thread!

Yea, I have this thing called a sense of humour and the ability to laugh at myself
Oh noes, someone was taking the urine out of me on the Internet! Was it amusing? Yes? Have some rep!

 

[FX2K]

I'm all for improved AI... and putting the Dangerous back into Elite... previously the AI was so bad it was comical...

But this went from 0 difficulty to something like 2,000,000, IMO.
I need NPC wingmen... and fast!!!

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

Or were going to quit instead of getting blown up 30 times in order to even get those upgrades in the first place.

You will be able to get around without updates too. People just haven't adapted yet. But they will. We are resourceful. This moaning is more like side effect of us not wanting leave warm spot we have been for so long - for obvious worse reasons, and FD has some blame to carry about it too (as SJA AI tweaks were ready for 1.5 in autumn last year).

 

[Ximrats]

If they interdict you, you don't really have a choice in that "difficulty slider"

So submit and charge FSD?

A tradeconda should be running enough shielding and defenses to protect itself for long enough (unless it's a Cutter...in which case, high-wake...institutional awareness and all that) to escape.
If you're min/maxing your ship purely for profits, you're gonna have to adjust to the fact that the NPCs arn't simply something to look at anymore

Look at your loadout. How much shielding do you have? Do you have anything to protect against missiles and torpedos? Who's interdicting you?

Is it a pirate? Drop some cargo, I think that can pacify NPC pirates nowadays. Is it a murderhobo? Run, Forest! Run!

 

[yodajedifishmaster]

i use steam but i wouldnt use steam stats on this game for the following reasons;

a lot of people dont use steam versions.
steam counts the game as running if you click play and the launcher is run. you dont have to be in the actual game.
it can also say the game is running for me when i have closed both the game and the launcher, but my default browser is open after clicking a galnet news item in the launcher.

not sure who else does it, but sometimes just i run the launcher from steam to catch up on what the community goals are and news in the galaxy, without having time to actually play... is that sad?

 

[CMDR Ellegon]

Most of them will shake it off and will get better, seeking advice on Internet resources and other channels.

Game with bad AI for NPCs is game without NPCs at all - they are just a window dressing. Now they are actually something...to be afraid of, to respect, to rely on (system police and potentially NPC wingmen). There will be tweaks, there will be some changes to give some fighting chance for commanders. But overall combat AI is here to stay and most likely will have more varied combat in time (not harder, but varied).

People are afraid to change. That's natural. We don't know how we will adapt and do we will be able to adapt to new situation. It make us nervous. But it will pass, people will find a way to deal with new buffed enemies. Some will invest in better thrusters to run away, some will avoid less security systems. And so on and so forth.

With all due respect, you really have no idea if that will be the case. A percentage will quit, a percentage will write bad reviews and pass the word "avoid ED, no fun, impossible hard, yada yada". This will hurt sales. You are assuming that this percentage will be low enough not to matter, I assume that it will hurt sales in a significant way. Possibly to a point that might kill game development.

Again, personally I have no issue with the new AI - but I am not a casual player.

 

[Mazhurg]

With all due respect, you really have no idea if that will be the case. A percentage will quit, a percentage will write bad reviews and pass the word "avoid ED, no fun, impossible hard, yada yada". This will hurt sales. You are assuming that this percentage will be low enough not to matter, I assume that it will hurt sales in a significant way. Possibly to a point that might kill game development.

Again, personally I have no issue with the new AI - but I am not a casual player.

You mean like we have seen until now on places like steam and Reddit and other I 'm sure?

Nah, the game will go on.

 

[Han Brannigan]

You are just being rude without considering what people are saying.

He might be rude - yet he is also right.

 

[Dave1029]

So submit and charge FSD?

A tradeconda should be running enough shielding and defenses to protect itself for long enough (unless it's a Cutter...in which case, high-wake...institutional awareness and all that) to escape.
If you're min/maxing your ship purely for profits, you're gonna have to adjust to the fact that the NPCs arn't simply something to look at anymore

Look at your loadout. How much shielding do you have? Do you have anything to protect against missiles and torpedos? Who's interdicting you?

Is it a pirate? Drop some cargo, I think that can pacify NPC pirates nowadays. Is it a murderhobo? Run, Forest! Run!

Interdictions are bugged and even when I submit sometimes it fails. Enemies CHEW through shielding now it's so absurd. The DPS is x5 what we're used to in some cases. It's not because the AI *flies better* it's because they have God weapons and none of us have God shields.

 

[Han Brannigan]

I will give it a try then! Perhaps I'll be a fighter pilot someday lol.

Good luck - I'll need some to

 

[FleetAdmiralJ]

You will be able to get around without updates too. People just haven't adapted yet. But they will. We are resourceful. This moaning is more like side effect of us not wanting leave warm spot we have been for so long - for obvious worse reasons, and FD has some blame to carry about it too (as SJA AI tweaks were ready for 1.5 in autumn last year).

Well, sure, I adapted to the new probably-will-almost-certainly-lose interdictions by just not bothering to fight them anymore. I suppose one could call that "adapting" although I'm not sure that's what FDev exactly had in mind. i know I'm not the only one. I'm sure a lot of people will "adapt" by just not playing the game. Or playing the game with gritted teeth the entire time (which will probably cause them to quit eventually as well). Probably the only reason I haven't already dropped this is PowerPlay and my obligation to work for my faction. If it wasn't for that I'm not sure I'd bother anymore myself.

 

[Para Handy]

It isn't simply marketed as play your way though, is it Malc?

You do this quite often, where you slim down what FD say to meet the criteria that forwards your opinion.

This is what you are greeted with on the very first page of the Elite Dangerous website:

TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR OWN STARSHIP IN A CUTTHROAT GALAXY.

Not a "whimsical, cotton candy" galaxy. A cutthroat galaxy. That means fierce and intense, according to most dictionaries. Not easy spawn and grind.

When they say play your way it has an addendum:

"Experience infinite freedom as you earn the skill, knowledge, wealth and power to stand among the ranks of the Elite."

Earn the skill, knowledge, wealth and power. Not have it gifted to you. Not turn on Netflix and print credits. EARN it.


This god awful, constant nonsense that is thrown around about "Play your own way" and "Blaze your own trail" is bloody tiresome. The galaxy is supposed to be dangerous, not because it is in the name, not because there are "pew pew lazer crowd". Because they designed it that way. Because Elite has always been that way and hopefully will always be that way.

Yes of course I pick points that illustrate my point of view - just because other statements exist that does not negate the existence of the one I am referring to. However I should point out that you can't exactly "experience infinite freedom" when the game mechanics have been so hugely swayed towards combat survival as has happened in this update.

I am not saying, nor have ever said that the AI is TOO HARD - what I am saying is that the matchmaking is imbalanced, partly in the combat rating (and a bit in ship size) but mainly in the preponderance of engineer modified weapons and systems. I did point out that I had managed to survive, not just by running but also by choosing my fights so I am not whining because my shiny gold Anaconda is now a cloud of slowly expanding debris, I have made a few "kills" of interdicting ships today.

I don't want to get drawn into the merry-roundabout of engineer pampering but it seriously looks like I am going to have to. I had been putting-off my intended long exploration trip because I wasn't sure what the update would bring and after first the beta and now the live launch, I think I will just have to put it off a lot longer (and probably end up running into those Thargoids).


(P.S. An this is not aimed at you nor anyone in particular - I should point out that I am not throwing my toys out of the pram, just raising some concerns about current balance.)

- - - - - Additional Content Posted / Auto Merge - - - - -

That doesn't say "you can do whatever you want!" or that you'll get it as easy as you like - it says play your way. which you can - there's no guarantee of how hard it'll be whatsoever there. Sorry.

Quite right, I never said it should be easy, just that I should be able to Play My Way, not be forced into playing the engineer roundabout - see my answer above.

 

[lysan]

Just tried to get back in a sidewinder and check if it was so bad for new players, and no its not.
You can actually make money in RES even in a sidewinder.

So i really don't understand all the fuzz.
will upload the video soon (tm)