Mission Spawned NPC's Waking Out

[Faded Glory]

I'd like to suggest that either they don't, or that if they do they stay gone...

I know it's meant to make NPC's seem more realistic and care about their survival, and in most cases up until recently if they did wake out then immediately respawn and have another bash they generally stayed till the end the second time.

I just had one NPC wake out and respawn five times. There were another three incoming enemies that never got a chance due to this ones rather futile persistence.

So, for mission spawned NPC pirates that interdict players, can they either fight to the end, or take having to wake out as defeat in the same way that they seem to take failing an interdiction a defeat.

 

[Bloodsign]

Yeah, it's annoying, their hull magically repairs too. Nothing like hunting an assassination target in an Anaconda and having to kill them several times over. :/

 

[Faded Glory]

Yes, the insta-repair is down to the fact that it's just a new NPC spawning with the same name (the ship name often changes).

It's just a bit daft that something intended to promote 'realism' (at least, that's why I think they wake out in the first place) ends up doing the opposite.

 

[Schmack]

It forces you to engineer to the hilt and fly ships you can ram with and insta-kill with. You'll not have success if you want a drawn out fight.

There's also the "kill X number of pirates" waypoints where like 8 or so different ships will be waiting. When I first saw that I was like "woah, I am not engaging these guys" but then I realized they aren't winged, just individuals. They don't act like they know the other ships are even there, so you pick one off and the others are flying this holding pattern around the instance. I go and select another, and on and on. Usually the last couple will have left by the time I get to them. I could engage several and keep them in the instance, but these are a python, challenger, vulture and a couple cobras, etc... The vulture is a crazy nutjob, rams you until it explodes. I never have to fire a shot at it. It hits me full speed over and over. The python always wakes out around 30% hull. I cannot mass lock it. It jumps even if I am stuck to it.

 

[Bloodsign]

Great observations! I'm at the point now where I have enough engineering on my shields and shield boosters to use ramming as a finishing move, I've racked up quite a few kills that way and it's immensely satisfying.

Is it just me or are Pythons generally pretty soft once their shields go down?