Flying Potato of Doom (video): Retep the Derpy

[Ziljan]

Was looking for a challenge in 2.1.02 so I went to a Compromised Nav Beacon, and I started attacking Deadly and Dangerous ships at random. Killed 3 of them without dropping even half a ring shields. Ok I am good but I am not the that good. Something was smelling fishy here. My first sign something was amiss was when I just stayed on a Dangerous FGSs lateral side firing while he floated lazily in front of me at 50 m/s like a whale without a care in the world. He never fired even one shot at me.

After attacking several large ships with either non-existant or half-hearted return fire, I decided to go after a smaller ship in the hopes that maybe the AI would go more aggressive and actually land some solid shots.

I found a "Deadly" Viper: Retep the Derpy. I proceeded to take down his shields. No return fire. Hmm. Ok, so I stow weapons, let him fly over to my 6, and wait.... and wait.... 15 minutes later was still waiting:

[video=youtube;HBbnAaD2iz0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBbnAaD2iz0&feature=youtu.be[/video]

Notice that he has no module damage to his weapons and his power plant is at 99%. He apparently just wants to be super best fwends? Or maybe he was busy watching Netflix? Guess I should do the same. I am out until they fix the AI aggression.

My favorite part is the end, where he just floats away and disappears into the void from whence he came.

This is Zac on Wednesday proclaiming the sanctity of the AI:

The AI has in no way been reduced, it remains the glorious, improved version from the update.

Ok sure Zac. That promise lasted what, 2 days? Sarah Jane Avory must be very sad today. The 2.1.02 patch notes say her work of art was merely put in a closet, but in reality it was smashed to bits first.

 

[Arjin]

:sadface:

 

[Noddie]

Whaaaaaat?

Please no. It was best bit of "engineers".

 

[Cmnd Fulsom]

No, this is an AI behavior I was noticing in the release version of 2.1, so it definitely isn't that they've gotten some ninja to hit the AI with the old Nerf bat. Were you, perhaps, simply enamored with the Changes of 2.1, and now that a change has been made which you don't like you're more critical of the game?

 

[CMDR Corlas]

-No NPC's were harmed in the making of this film-

 

[Barmatyr]

Maybe this game have an horrible design in anyway ? But no, ED development have a perfect knowledge of what they do !!!...or not...any ?

I think player must take on development of this game, that cannot be worst...

 

[CMDR Corlas]

Maybe this game have an horrible design in anyway ? But no, ED development have a perfect knowledge of what they do !!!...or not...any ?

I think player must take on development of this game, that cannot be worst...

I think it's pretty clear behavior like this is a bug and not intentional. Bugs happen.

 

[Ziljan]

Not interested in becoming a potato farmer.

Made a bug post. Waiting on a response from Frontier regarding the 2.1.02 AI potatofication.

 

[joshman72nd]

yep ran into this bug as well so far iv only seen it in crime sweeps for hudson and comp beacons.

every where else the ai seem to be feisty still.

 

[Cmnd Fulsom]

I will reiterate, but this time with bigger text so it will be harder to miss.

This is not an artifact of 2.1.02. I was encountering this AI behavior while people were still feaking out about the new AI and reported it on the forum two days after the patch dropped, notably before Frontier came back from their long weekend and could have possibly changed anything. Blaming this AI behavior that existed in the previous patch on this new patch is stupid. Launching into histrionics over this is just as foolish as those who did the same when the 2.1.01 patch hit and the AI became more difficult.

 

[Ziljan]

I will reiterate, but this time with bigger text so it will be harder to miss.

This is not an artifact of 2.1.02. I was encountering this AI behavior while people were still feaking out about the new AI and reported it on the forum two days after the patch dropped, notably before Frontier came back from their long weekend and could have possibly changed anything. Blaming this AI behavior that existed in the previous patch on this new patch is stupid. Launching into histrionics over this is just as foolish as those who did the same when the 2.1.01 patch hit and the AI became more difficult.

This is just an extreme example of the reduced aggressiveness and accuracy of NPCs in 2.1. I would love to believe what you're saying, but I have only seen 1 NPC with a brain since 2.1.02 went live. It can't be a coincidence.

 

[Crazy Jedi]

Sounds like this update is full of bugs and imbalance.... I have barely played since the update because the experience has been terrible when I have.
I tried to "sod it all" jump in my ole asp and get outta the bubble until it's all sorted but I got interdicted that often that it was taking too long to get out of dodge and I gave up. [down]

 

[SnowyNI]

I'd pay to meet your NPCs, I only get "Thermal damage incoming!" "You are taking heat damage!" "Here is your *** /enjoy!".

EDIT: Oh, maybe try it in something nice and slow that turns like a WW1 tank. I think the NPCs are broke if you can out turn them now by the looks of it, that's a guess ofc as nothing I own can out turn a damn thing!

 

[Ziljan]

I'd pay to meet your NPCs, I only get "Thermal damage incoming!" "You are taking heat damage!" "Here is your *** /enjoy!".

Will trade for your NPCs in a heartbeat. I almost feel like Frontier is torturing us with the NPC spawns the other side wants!

 

[Mighty Dangerous]

I have witnessed this as well.
I had a face off with an AI yesterday. I decided to not shoot it and we ended up face to face for mins not shooting each other.

Bugged, so I did a little testing with the AI.
I made little presses on the thrusters. up/down, left/right.
It copied me. Like for like.
This is why we say AI cheat.
If I was to copy another player like that, I wouldn't know which thrust he presses until I see which direction he moves.
It was like controlling 2 ships. I could move us left-right, up-down. Target was synchronised with me. No lagging behind.

 

[Cmnd Fulsom]

This is just an extreme example of the reduced aggressiveness and accuracy of NPCs in 2.1. I would love to believe what you're saying, but I have only seen 1 NPC with a brain since 2.1.02 went live. It can't be a coincidence.

You know what, I will admit that I haven't been in combat since that bounty hunting CG ended, need to get me some thruster mods so I've been doing some exploring. Let me just pop back into my vulture...

 

[Barmatyr]

My favorite part is the end, where he just floats away and disappears into the void from whence he came.

This is the kind of stuff that make me insta leave the game. I see some so i leave and now i read the forum.

 

[Ziljan]

This is the kind of stuff that make me insta leave the game. I see some so i leave and now i read the forum.

Yeah, I am feeling pretty despondent as well. 2.1 was a turning point. The game was getting back on track, I was having a blast. And 27% of the population complained to the rafters and now we get this... "Deadly" NPCs that would make a 2.0 Viper cringe.

 

[CMDR Corlas]

Yeah, I am feeling pretty despondent as well. 2.1 was a turning point. The game was getting back on track, I was having a blast. And 27% of the population complained to the rafters and now we get this... "Deadly" NPCs that would make a 2.0 Viper cringe.

It's totally a bug, don't worry. FD have said they do not intend to nerf the AI.

 

[Ziljan]

It's totally a bug, don't worry. FD have said they do not intend to nerf the AI.

No word from frontier on this bug, or the general crappy new aim of NPCs. Whether they meant it or not, someone has been mucking about with global variables and the AI has been nuked. Maybe not all of them. But enough so that the Galaxy is a place I'd rather not be today.