Nerf the npcs already.

[Kapow]

Been playing a while, NPCs are silly easy now. I've had to downgrade to a fixed weapon Viper and tackle Elite FDLs and Anacondas just to get anything approaching an interesting fight. If they got any easier I'd have to start ramming them with a Sidewinder.

Yep - plus one. I was in CZ for an hour in a GunShip (no engineering mods) and there was nothing challenging happening. Check your build and learn to fly. Stop asking for NPC to be lobotomized any further. They are already dummies in space. No need to make them any worse. If anything make them better (2.1 beta - the memories )

 

[Lupin]

So what we here AGAIN is player with combat rating above skill level of player. NPC's loadout and skill based on your combat level, +1 if you have Elite rank in trading or exploring and value of ship. Plus if you are using Engineer mods so will NPC (at Deadly, Danerous & Elite).
Playing "Shooting fish in a barrel" AKA combat zones, is the reason for this. And is not REAL combat.

 

[Jmanis]

A class life support is only 25 minutes, unless they changed it recently.

Could be, been a while. Still a helluva long time though.

No they are not brain dead. They are however zero challenge to any multibillionare with 400 hours of Engineering behind their ship. NPCs cannot miss with rail guns and the ships do not have to pay attention to the built in constraints that players do. Even with a Dirty Drive mod installed you are almost always required to joust an NPC regardless to the ship.

The things I posted before work for me with just vanilla, unengineered fittings.

Vulture is very capable, and a proper fit will set you back =~ 20-30 million, which these days shouldn't take too long to accumulate (even without the usual mission hijinks)

 

[lecorsobreton]

On stock ships, NPC are quite powerful. Once your shields are down, you get module damage all across the board (a lot more so since the guardians came out), no matter your ship and their ship. I suppose if you have class 5 engineer mods all over your ship, you won't find much of a difficulty, but for a lot of players (maybe the majority of the player base ?) who can't sink that many hours into engineering, NPCs are dangerous/too accurate and don't have the same set of rules as us mere humans.

 

[Noddie]

Start in navigation beacons and move to RES and Cz when ready. But be careful, you need tactics and if they're incorrect you're screwed. Don't take on more than you can handle. Basically if a ship costs more than yours or has a higher combat rank than you, think twice and be ready to run if it goes sideways.

 

[Kyokushin]

This game is becoming not fun when im just constantly get destroyed by 100% accurate god like npcs. Seriously regreting my horizans purchase. Cant even spend more the 10mins in a CZ without combat logging after getting my thrusters blown out by 2 shots from an npc. So frusturated.

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Go back to pre 1.4 npcs

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And why do my shields take 6 years to charge when the npcs turn back on in like a minute

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And why do my modules randomly say low power? Seriously bout to quit

NPC are dumb as brick right now.
You just need to gitgud, sir!

Lower CZ/RES, better build, smarter playing.

 

[DowntownSIX]

I think everything has been said at this point but the OP is talking rubbish (IMO); I can last long enough in my DBS in a CZ to run out of multicannon ammo. The exception to that is if I'm snoozing in a 1-on-1 or 2-3 enemy decide I should be dead at the same time, then I run into troubles...exactly as it should be.

When I go in with my Python, it's a duck shoot.

 

[Julio Montega]

NPCs act differently based on difficulty rating, that said, lower ranks don't even manage pips to shield.
If you are used to shooting paper planes best stick out of CZs at all.
NPCs are fine for most, but mostly act rather stupid,
unless they swarm you.

NPCs are a hive mind, the more the smarter they are

 

[Ziljan]

NPCs cannot miss with rail guns and the ships do not have to pay attention to the built in constraints that players do. Even with a Dirty Drive mod installed you are almost always required to joust an NPC regardless to the ship.

The spam chaff constantly and when you are master and above they always have shield cell banks. They never run out of chaff either. Its really amazing. They dont have to worry about heat and never need to use heatsinks. I have never found a heatsink on an NPCs subsystems. They never have to stop firing their energy weapons and somehow they can keep up with you.

So for people who dont want to grind for 1000 hours to become multibillionares with the most over engineered ship possible, the NCPs can be a bit of a challenge sometimes.

You do not understand the game, YET. The win doesn't come from money or power, but from skill and experience. I have been playing a long time but I never accumulated money. I don't even have 1 billion, let alone billions. I mostly fly small cheap ships because I know how the game works, and how to use small ships effectively.

Yes it's true NPC aim with hitscan weapons is a little too good, especially for low rank bots. But you can avoid rails by flanking or by kiting your opponent. Yes both are possible if you learn how to turn tightly, and learn why, when, and how (NOT) to use the boost button. Ditto for FA off. These skills are a combination of art and science. And remember, Rail ammo runs out and they don't do much damage from max range with 4 pips to shield. They only have 30 ammo.

Of course you can also buy or engineer your way out, and skip flight school. But if you don't know how to fly, or how the game works, then you will probably spend your money and engineer attempts unwisely and in ways that make the game less fun. Whereas if you learn the core game, then you will find ways to spend your time that really open up creative possibilities and make it more enjoyable.

 

[Adhock]

You do not understand the game, YET. The win doesn't come from money or power, but from skill and experience. I have been playing a long time but I never accumulated money. I don't even have 1 billion, let alone billions. I mostly fly small cheap ships because I know how the game works, and how to use small ships effectively.

Yes it's true NPC aim with hitscan weapons is a little too good, especially for low rank bots. But you can avoid rails by flanking or by kiting your opponent. Yes both are possible if you learn how to turn tightly, and learn why, when, and how (NOT) to use the boost button. Ditto for FA off. These skills are a combination of art and science. And remember, Rail ammo runs out and they don't do much damage from max range with 4 pips to shield. They only have 30 ammo.

Of course you can also buy or engineer your way out, and skip flight school. But if you don't know how to fly, or how the game works, then you will probably spend your money and engineer attempts unwisely and in ways that make the game less fun. Whereas if you learn the core game, then you will find ways to spend your time that really open up creative possibilities and make it more enjoyable.

I'll rep you for that.

Just moved back up to a Conda from an FAS and while I got good with the FAS. I need to relearn how to fly a Conda in a combat situation meaning I need to take fewer risks while I get used to the size, maneuverability, and best weapon layout for me that lets me face opposing Condas.

I may just have to leave it in the hangar and build up another FAS until I have more cash to work with.

 

[KR4K40]

GIT

GUD

SKRUB

 

[Bryan K]

Seriously, the npcs aren't that hard. I started playing this game 4 months ago just after the "difficult" ai release and I killed a Clipper in an un-engineered Viper mk. III without taking hull damage. I just killed an Elite ranked FdL in my Anaconda last night without a scratch. I always fight back when I get interdicted by npcs and win every time. My record kill time is about 4.5 seconds against a mid-ranked Asp Explorer. Please, if there really are difficult npcs out there I'd love to know where they're hiding.

 

[Martian Successor]

Bi Weaves aren't the weakest. They're only 20% weaker than A rated, but they recharge 50% faster.

Technically the Bi-weaves are indeed the weakest in terms of shield strength, unless I've missed the latest player organised tests.

If you line up 3 ships, one with Bi-weave, one with normal and one with Prismatics and then shoot them with the same weapons you will see that Bi-weaves drop first, then normal and finally Prismatics. Then if you see which come back up first it'll be Bi-weaves first, normal second and Prismatics last.

 

[Kubicide]

OP: yeah, NPCs were buffed to try and please those running around with max'ed out G5 PVP ships. There's a bit of RNG'ness as some NPCs can be as smart as dirt while others never miss with their G5 railguns. But players having ridiculously OP Engineering gear is the key factor here in changes to make NPCs harder against those less equipped.

And this doesn't change the fact that from day one FDev coded the NPCs to be 'challenging' by cheating ignoring many game mechanics, and then loaded them up with OP gear as well. Like you saw the regen rates seem instant whereas our ships takes minutes. They also changed the CZ agro so a player is often ganked now in a one vs. many/every NPC scenario - nice! (Love how FDev seem to have mimicked all sorts of bad player behavior in designing their NPC behavior with ganking, spawn camping, stalking... oh, and cheating too! LOL great work: "let's copy the things players don't like into the NPCs to make them appear challenging!"... [big grin] )

Best to avoid things like the hot CZ's until you have leveled up your ship to the max. Then you can tell others how easy the NPCs are and tell them to simply git gud!

 

[CATPAIN KIRK]

... while others never miss with their G5 railguns...

I wonder how many of the people complaining about this have ever used railguns on an Eagle. It's agile enough to keep almost anything in sight and railguns are hitscan, so it's really easy. Whenever I read complaints about NPC rail Eagles hardly missing, I wonder why people think they should.

 

[Crimson Kaim]

Someone clearly has skipped elementary space flight school

 

[smiths121]

Just a quick point, in defence of the OP.

The NPCs scale wit your combat rank , and other ranks - as a measure of your combat ability (not the greatest, but about the best the game has). Post 2.1, NPCs are much harder - bordering on more intelligent. If you got a good rank in something, and took some time off as the OP did - I imagine it is a a wake up call when you come back. It is only a few weeks ago, I asked the community for advice on missile defence - as I never had a problem before, and probably never did learn how to defend. OK I asked much nicer, and knew it was my problem - need the OP to understand this is his problem - I think this has rather forcefully been said in the first 4 pages.

Some options OP:

Some players asked FD to reset their combat rank down a few notches so they could practise and learn about the new NPCs. This is a good option for you OP - as you have had a long time off.
Back to the inter-web and look up FA off turning, use of thrusters.
Post your build and what you are trying to do.

Above all OP, approach the community with some grace - they will not give you the answers on a plate, but they will point you in the right direction - if you ask in the right way. I would say suggesting the game is broken and everyone else is wrong as a starting point is not going to get you too many helpful remarks.

Simon

 

[Macy]

Yeah i miss the Space Ballerinas

 

[[DOOK] Droogie]

Technically the Bi-weaves are indeed the weakest in terms of shield strength, unless I've missed the latest player organised tests.

If you line up 3 ships, one with Bi-weave, one with normal and one with Prismatics and then shoot them with the same weapons you will see that Bi-weaves drop first, then normal and finally Prismatics. Then if you see which come back up first it'll be Bi-weaves first, normal second and Prismatics last.

Bi weaves are about equal to D rated shields, which is only 20% weaker than A rated. E rated shields are the weakest.

 

[Gray Lensman]

Goodbye and good riddance.

Otherwise post your build and prepare for fixes.

NPCs aren't perfect. I've dodged quite a bit in the last month. Sounds like you need to maneuver more and focus less.

This kind of response is a perfect example of why I find rude ignorant arrogant humans so difficult to tolerate. "Goodbye and good riddance"?! Why do you think this is even vaguely acceptable?