General Make NPCs more difficult when your combat rank get high

[ebbrell]

Currently NPCs can be easy to take out, early on in the game NPCs feel tricky as you ships are small your skill level is low etc.

As your combat rank increases the threat or feeling of this from NPCs does diminish.

Can NPCs be made stronger once you reach combat ranks of dangerous, deadly and elite.

Dangerous, could this have an engineer ship similar to on in a conflict Zone

Deadly, 2 NPCs one normal and on engineered like one from a conflict zone.

Elite, depending on ship you are in.. 2 or 3 NPCs 2 normal and 1 engineered maybe.

If you are in a trade class ship maybe elite stays at 2 NPCs, if combat class ship then your hit with 3 NPcs

Let's make this game dangerous, and get harder as your combat rank improves.

Eg, I'm elite combat rank, if I do an empire mission to improve rank with them.. I am being attacked by 1 mostly harmless or a novice NPC.... it's a little bit silly it feels like a hassle rather than a challenge

 

[Para Handy]

They already are.

EDIT: FYI - here is part of a Frontier Support reply in 2017 to a ticket of mine asking for confirmation on some things:

"Deadly and Elite NPCs can have modified equipment outside of combat zones, and modifications on these ships are not limited to passive modules.

Elite NPCs will have more modified equipment then Deadly.

Being Deadly yourself you will be interdicted by Deadly and Elite NPCs often so have a high chance of facing off against engineered NPCs."

N.B. The spelling mistake is all theirs.

 

[Crimson Kaim]

The AI was once improved for higher ranks and there was a huge outcry because many couldn't copewiththe fact that their C-rated multipurpose ships combined with their average combat skills couldn't competewiththe new AI. So they reverted this change. SDC's operation Spicy Bois video on YT has a reference to this. Quite entertaining.