FD: Please make "hostile NPC" risk in High/Med/Low Sec systems different enough to actually notice

[CaptainKremmen]

FD: Please make "hostile NPC" risk in High/Med/Low Sec systems different enough to actually notice

Hi FD.

Thanks to various enhancements made in ED Season 2, players are now have a full and clear picture of the System Security Level of every system they plan on travelling to, eg.

• Ship HUD shows security level of the system you are jumping to.
• Galaxy Map shows System Security Level.
• Route plotting can take System Security Level filter into consideration.

All we need now is... a reason to look at it while we go about our business.


By that, I mean...

An actual, DISCERNIBLE distinction between High/Med/Low security systems, when it comes to the risk of being attacked by hostile NPCs.


Specifically, the risk of an existing in-system NPC (ie. the ones you see going from A to B) deciding to detour to interdict YOU.


NOT some pop-up baddie, saying, "There's the ship I've been looking for, the one with the big haul hostile NPC spawning trigger!". They pop up due to what you are CARRYING, not where you ARE.

NOT a pop-up bounty hunter, saying, "High-value spawner spotted, moving to intercept!". They pop up due to what you DID EARLIER, not where you ARE.

NOT the ATR ships. They pop up due to what you are DOING, not where you ARE.



Please, make "less safe" systems ACTUALLY less safe, such that we notice the difference between High and Medium, and between Medium and Low.

Make us LOOK at the security level before we jump, beyond the "auto-warning" for anarchy systems (which are actually "unsafe" feeling - a good start there!). Make us WATCH THE TRAFFIC in Medium and Low security systems while we are in supercruise, on the lookout for WANTED ships which might suddenly deviate from their course and start tailing us.


Right now, I simply wouldn't bother to recommend to a new player, "stick to high or medium security systems"... because they wouldn't notice the difference one way or the other. Nobody notices... and I think that's a shame. All the game mechanics are in place to make for some really good gameplay opportunities as we travel. In-system "hostile NPC" supercruise behaviour just needs a little push to make it all... gel.


Cheers.

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

+1

We get a nice warning about anarchies and whatnot, but it doesn't feel any different on arrival, except I don't get paid to kill my attacker, if I even get attacked. Which I rarely do. Lol

Giving people a reason to go to low/no security systems is also needed.
Increased profits for trade (higher demand due to excessive piracy), better paying missions, etc etc. Maybe even higher mining yields due to less mining, because of the higher risks.

Basically it's should be risky to operate in low/no security systems, but also more rewarding.
Right now, the most rewarding activities, are also the safest. Lol

CMDR Cosmic Spacehead

 

[ebbrell]

Yes please. Let's have a fear of NPCs

 

[Riverside]

Seems to me NPCs are NPCs wherever they are, they don't suddenly get better at fighting because they are in a different system. The difference would be in how likely they are to behave a certain way (eg interdict you), how many of a particular type there might be (eg wings of pirates in an anarchy).

The actual skill & loadout would be no different, only the likelihood of encountering them.

 

[Faded Glory]

Seems to me NPCs are NPCs wherever they are, they don't suddenly get better at fighting because they are in a different system. The difference would be in how likely they are to behave a certain way (eg interdict you), how many of a particular type there might be (eg wings of pirates in an anarchy).

The actual skill & loadout would be no different, only the likelihood of encountering them.

I think that's what the OP is suggesting... Simply that if you are in a low sec system, you are more likely to be randomly interdicted by an NPC than if you are in a higher sec system. And that makes sense for NPC's too. Why would they bother to pirate in a high sec system when the cops turn up 30 seconds after the first shot is fired. He's suggesting (if I am understanding correctly) a break from the idea that NPC's only really seem to spawn if the game tells them you are doing something very specific to warrant it.

If it's possible for FD to do that, have more 'criminally minded' NPC's just hanging out in lower security systems who might attack you just because, it would definitely make sense and add planning gameplay into the mix. And if they could do that, it would make sense that higher ranking missions for example would have as their destination lower security systems...

I don't think the OP is suggesting that they all be Elite Anaconda's, just that it would make more sense for hostile NPC's to hang out in less secure systems.

Kind of like going to Reidquat in FE2...