Does AI skill scale with player skill?

[Macy]

Just noticed something. My combat rank is "Expert" and i get some quite difficult npc's attacking me, they take some beating.
My Son is combat rank "mostly Harmless" and he hardly gets attacked, if he does its much easier fight with weaker npc's.
If thats how it works then thats a good system.

 

[anikaiful]

Just noticed something. My combat rank is "Expert" and i get some quite difficult npc's attacking me, they take some beating.
My Son is combat rank "mostly Harmless" and he hardly gets attacked, if he does its much easier fight with weaker npc's.
If thats how it works then thats a good system.

At least that's how it's supposed to work. Low rank enemies for low rank players and highs for highs. I keep encounterind dangerous-to-elites, lower ranked folks seem to get elites rarely (or never) - as it should be.

 

[Muzz UK]

Being aligned to a powerplay faction will mean you get attacked more.

Not sure never thought it scaled just thought it was down to the system really and what mission you were on, would make sense that harder skilled ships should attack a high rated player.

 

[GaryII]

Yes it looks like that, I have deadly rank and AI interdictors usually are Elite or deadly and some of them with modifications

 

[Whiterose]

I am Master combat rank. I got interdicted 22 times last night (not complaining), 18 were Elite, 2 were deadly and 2 were dangerous.

 

[xaisis]

Maybe it also depend on the ship u fly at the time ?

 

[Whiterose]

Maybe it also depend on the ship u fly at the time ?

Quite possibly. I got interdicted more in an Anaconda than in a Python, but that is just my experience.

 

[anikaiful]

Maybe it also depend on the ship u fly at the time ?

I'm inclined to think that such isn't the case - at least so far what I've noted there's not been any difference regardless of ship I've been in (lots of ships to truck around places for various upgrades to them...). That is with their level in mind - I've never really paid much attention to *what* the NPC fly.

 

[GaryII]

Maybe it also depend on the ship u fly at the time ?

Yes, looks like that.
When I was flying a Python was interdicted by FAS, Clipper

if Conda or fCorrvete - was interdicted by condas or FDL

 

[xaisis]

Quite possibly. I got interdicted more in an Anaconda than in a Python, but that is just my experience.

I'm inclined to think that such isn't the case - at least so far what I've noted there's not been any difference regardless of ship I've been in (lots of ships to truck around places for various upgrades to them...).

Humm oki, i guess it is something that i have to check.. after work! xD

 

[Lateralus]

The security rating of the system you're in is very significant now, high & medium security systems are pretty safe these days. Having said that there is probably some logic in the game that scales NPC's for low-rank players, that would be sensible.

 

[Macy]

I haven't noticed the ship making any difference. I fly a Cobra3 an asp explorer and a Vulture. Whichever ship I'm in i still get the same high rank enemies.

 

[myrr mac]

I m harmless. if it s a pirate interdicting me, it will invariably be deadly/elite.

I suspect the pirates ship is scaled based on my ship, but hes always gonna be deadly/elite (minus the 3 masters I had on friday).

No PP, no mission. Just engineering mats and a few left-over meta-alloys. Security system doesnt seem to make a difference either, only on the response time.

 

[sucresalesucre]

I find that scaling like that isn't realistic : if you're a good pilot, you don't meet only good ennemies, you should meet also weak, normal ennemies. And that's boring, you know that every interdiction leads to a bad encounter, deadly if you dont react quick and well.

I think that should be a Hardcore Mode with that AI, either on a dedicated server or option of the game.

I stopped with my just bought Python, and buyed a Cobra mk3 to try the game without losing too much . But going back to little ships, ... what's the pleasure ?

I don't have pleasure to play any more, and spend more time on forums.

 

[anikaiful]

I stopped with my just bought Python, and buyed a Cobra mk3 to try the game without losing too much . But going back to little ships, ... what's the pleasure ?

Little ships are actually fun (and depending on mission, a much better choice, too).

 

[sucresalesucre]

Little ships are actually fun (and depending on mission, a much better choice, too).

It could be, yes. But after trying mining in a Python for the cg, going back to Cobra to mine 30 cargo at a slow pace gave me a shock. A slow shock.
I will try a bit more, or will do and AspX promenade around the Milky Way...

 

[Jukelo]

There are two types of NPCs: those spawning based on the pre-existing conditions set by the BGS, and those spawning around you magically no matter where or what, depending mainly on what type of ship you fly, your bounty or if you have cargo, those are 'ambiant' NPCs (and they're implemented in a way which is the contrary of fun).
The pre-existing NPCs, as far as I know, don't scale with the player's combat rank. The 'ambiant' ones, however, most certainly do. Their skill is based on your combat rank, and the ship they fly seems to be directly linked to what you fly. In the Clipper I see an elite Pythons or FGS every few jumps, whereas in the Courrier it's mostly elite Eagles and the like.

 

[DukeIronHand]

The "scaling of opponent skill" in a video game is a horrible idea and brings a level of phoniness to a game.
The opponents skill level should be based on the context of game events and not to your (and speaking of phony) "combat rating."

 

[anikaiful]

The "scaling of opponent skill" in a video game is a horrible idea and brings a level of phoniness to a game.
The opponents skill level should be based on the context of game events and not to your (and speaking of phony) "combat rating."

Context + location. But I think it's somewhat fair to present a lesser degree of danger (and go progressively more difficult as people get more teeth) and thus to not present a totally unclimbable wall to newcomers.

 

[Jukelo]

Context + location. But I think it's somewhat fair to present a lesser degree of danger (and go progressively more difficult as people get more teeth) and thus to not present a totally unclimbable wall to newcomers.

Although IMO the best way to do that is to simply inform or direct beginners towards where it would make sense for a beginner to play rather than magically change the difficulty of NPCs spawning around them for no other reason than making it easier to get into the game and artificially providing challenge to experienced players who might or not be looking for that kind of challenge at this point in time.