News NPC AI, Engineers and Bi-Weave shields....
- Thread starter Zac Antonaci
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You sort of can do this...you don't select Elite level missions. You can do the low level missions and reduce the difficulty of the AI. If you trade, you will likely be fine if you can figure out how to submit to an interdiction, boost away and jump to your next destination. If you want to mine, don't mine in the RES, or go to the low risk RES. After figuring this out, I haven't come close to losing a ship.
I'm on XBox. My first experience with the Horizons update this week was a ridiculous amount of interdictions by elite level large NPC's. I was playing in a private group, and had picked up several missions and probably had at most 3 missions at any one time. What I didn't realize at the time was that missions now let you pick up higher difficulty missions, whereas before I was restricted to missions at my combat rank or below.
I don't have any logs, of course, but I'm fairly good at remembering the number of times I had a rough encounter. I played an excessive amount over the weekend, and was interdicted about 20 times. (Again, I'm holding missions, whether I'm working on them or not) Of those 20, about 18 of them were Elite level ships, 3 of which were Anacondas. The other 2 occurrences were one deadly, and one mid-level pilot. I'm in my new-ish Anaconda that isn't truly battle fit yet (class D items mostly), and more of a trader/explorer fit. I tried taking on the lower level pilot, but he brought a friend in instantly, and the two of them shredded me so fast I couldn't tell what was going on. The security service pilots appearing to help me out seemed to have just been fresh out of the Academy and using spit ball cannons, and did next to nothing against any of these encounters.
I don't like being 'cheaty' and doing combat logs. But, I had to. About 10 times! I have maybe combat logged once or twice before this run.
Now, this isn't so much a bug as misinformation. I had no idea why I was being interdicted until a few days into playing where I realized there was an Elite ranking available to me for missions that I couldn't get before. My only guess is that I was holding on to one of these elite missions for far too long. My feedback here is that some sort of game interaction could be added that verifies you really want to take on a high-level mission above your pay grade. It could also remind you in some way that while you hold on to missions, you might be a target...maybe the NPC conversations could include language that clues the player in that the NPC is there because of the mission. "I heard about you..." just doesn't convey that. It's too vague. Something more like, "I heard about your mission for xyz faction to recover those data cores. That isn't going to happen!" I just had no idea what was going on, and since I had heard of the crazy hard AI, I thought I was just experiencing the worst of it. After I realized this, during the rest of this week, I have not had this problem. Maybe there was a server side adjustment, or it was a mission I was holding, but after I paid attention to the difficulty, I had no more excessive Elite encounters.
I love the idea of the harder AI. It was very simplistic before. I even like the idea of them having engineer upgrades, but maybe on crazy rare occasions, like when you're in a player wing of 3 or 4, or they only get up to level 2 modifications. In that case, they could be said to have upgraded their ship themselves, and not gone to the engineers for it...maybe that will fit in with the spirit of the story.
My big suggestion: Have methods in place where the player can choose the difficulty more clearly. One way is to provide feedback through the game voices or NPC chats. They could indicate when dropping in to a low risk RES that the pilot should be safe here with security forces around, or something like that...and it scales with the higher risk RES's like you eventually have with the warning on a Haz RES. (I also think the wording needs to be switched on this...it should be 'high security' to reflect the presence of security forces...the way it's described now isn't clear, especially to new players) You could also have a verification prompt to confirm you want to take an elite mission when only a master level.
Also, have methods or text, or vocal comments that tell players of places they can go. New players are dropping into a VAST world with very little direction. They wander off, and can't find their way back to anything remotely easy to learn, and get bored. Give players several new player missions (that experienced players with new accounts can skip) that show them different things they can do. Also, have these missions available at different stations so the pilot can get back to 'training' if they wander off. Maybe even have some rookie Pilot's Federation rank that is training for the game, and put it inside the game as they first start. The tutorial missions are good for basics, but further training or information on what to do in the game is non-existent (I didn't know about nav beacons for 3 hours into the game). Another example of this is if the player wants to experience Mining, they should have a mission thread that teaches them about different things like scooping, refining, collector and prospector limpets, etc. The mission thread could take them to a solo-play environment where they can experience the game without griefers and learn if that's what they want to do.
Especially on the Xbox, player do NOT want to look up information online. This was the huge problem that Bungie had with Destiny...we didn't want to go online for the story. We're sitting on the couch, in the living room, with maybe our phones nearby and not much else. We want to relax and enjoy a game, and not have to look everywhere and anywhere for game information. The information bits you post online should be on the web, but also easily found and front and center for pilots to see in the game.
Finally, keep in mind that with the XBox, we can't maneuver and respond to AI encounters as easily as a PC player. Even the PC player using an xbox controller still has extra controls available on the keyboard. Console players only have the single controller. We can't move on a target in the same way a PC player can...in particular, we have take our fingers off the analogue stick to select a D-pad option. That means we're flying straight for a split second and are no longer following the turn of a target. We also can't throttle like a player with a throttle stick. So, an AI that's tuned to the PC way of playing may be a little over-tuned to an XBox pilot.
Thanks for listening, and sorry for the wall of text! Loving the game!
I mentioned in another thread that us xbox players are left behind due to not being able to use all the button mapping and expensive flight sticks that pc users can. And that it seemed the AI is programed as though that is the norm. I got slammed for it. People even the devs seem to forget that the AI has access to all ship functions and maneuverability instantaneously where humans, specially on xbox have delays for multiple buttons or menus to go through and we don't have access to all 6 axis simultaneously. Which in reality put us at a natural disadvantage to the AI.
Oh well ppl will probably complain about this one too. Lol
o7
When the changes were made it was a shock to the system. I had become lazy expecting to be able to obliterate almost everything sent against my conda. Now I've had to rejig its weapons configuration, learn to use proper use of shield cells and heat sinks, chaff and missile defence, power etc and not think I can take on an army on my own. Nor can you dawdle at a kill anymore. You have to make the kill quick, grab what materials you can and jump before the cops open fire. By being more careful, my progression through the game has slowed but it is more challenging.
Great news that the op npc's are being addressed. However i lost millions in credits due to this bug and stopped playing the game. Hopefully the shere aggressive behaviour of the npc's is now like before as to be honnest the game became un playable. Maybe frontier could look at giving us credits back as to be honnest it would be a nice gesture due to that dark time of elite.
Just post a ticket and you can get your money back.
This is my experience as well. I don't want FD to dumb things down, just maybe turn the 'dictor aggressiveness down a tad.
If you ask in another thread, we're either idiots and/or lying about our issues. I keep getting suggestions that I adopted long ago. About the only change I've made since 2.1 that did help was switch to mines, but I already do everything else.
Every day there's more about NPC's "being addressed." I honestly just wish I could outrun them and leave them alone. But until then, the game remains off. I just want to avoid combat, and I cannot. It's just been continuous, including even winning/surviving, only to be killed before I get to a station.
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I would literally pay for that.
If I want combat, I'll do combat. And if I suck at it, it means I got my butt handed to me, I deserved it. If I want to avoid, I should be able to configure a ship to avoid, and not have my shield taken down in under 5 seconds, then they hit my FSD in under a second, and it's all over before I can get away.
When 2.1 was released, I thought I was just an idiot. But then I started watching YouTube, and saw it. Then when 2.1.02 was released and I was still having trouble, I thought it was just me. But then I started watching YouTube, and saw it still happening with 2.1.02.
At this point ... the game just isn't for me. Every "suggestion" and "ship configuration" people have given me is literally what I'm already doing, or better (more capable). They won't believe what is happening to some of us with the chance/RNG.
For me, I gave up on the game and trimmed it down to once a week (Diablo III has become my nr. 1 and not because it has become better...). I started a few months ago and was instantly hooked although I had lots of trouble getting the hang of things. When I just got a grasp of it, 2.1 happened and spoiled it totally for me. After lots of deaths and lots of tickets to regain parts of it, once a week is the best I can do for this game. The Elite 1984 feeling is very far away again.
With playing once a week; i have no desire to "rejig weapons configuration", "learn the use of heat sink and shield cells" or "learn proper pip management"... all of these things would reduce my playing time to almost zero, and i most propably will not comprehend these things and give up altogether...
But you have a point: for new players like me, with no desire to go into these details, the game is more challenging until the point of unplayable... I will give it some more weeks but am very afraid I will not make it... Spending more time on the forum than playing the game is the first hint...
2.1 almost won it over me, but the real setback was the poor follow-up on 2.1 and the utter disregard I feel for struggling starting players from ticket handlers, moderators and developers: this is not a family game, but a game for technical players and master pilots and I wish them all the luck...
Sorry to be so bitter, but that is how I feel about the game now, I was very happy with a few months ago
This may seem like an odd request but it's really annoying when NPC target your canopy you can have 97% integrity and you get canopy compromised especially annoying if you have only just got to Nav point and have to return to station for repairs damage to other units doesn't stick a time limit on you Canopys do
Been in that boat before. Double chaff helps, and the new MRPs might help avoiding canopy damage as well. If you're patient, it helps to just boost out of weapon range until shields are back online too.
They've fixed many bugs since then, including with AI; there's also another update around the corner that's changing up things with shield boosters, fixed weapons, hull hardness, adding military optional internal slots, and more, so if you hop back into the game just keep that in mind & welcome back!
Thank you for the answers!
What do you think? I had a Python specialized for trading with a class 4 shield and standard armor... Should I try to escape when I getting interdicted or am I able to win against pirates? I remember before I quit this game I wasn't even able to bring the pirates in front of me. Even bigger ships turned so fast that they stick on my back and shoot me down pretty fast. That was very disappointing...
Sorry for my poor English! I hope it is understandable...
What do you think? I had a Python specialized for trading with a class 4 shield and standard armor... Should I try to escape when I getting interdicted or am I able to win against pirates? I remember before I quit this game I wasn't even able to bring the pirates in front of me. Even bigger ships turned so fast that they stick on my back and shoot me down pretty fast. That was very disappointing...
Sorry for my poor English! I hope it is understandable...
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*That* specialized? Yeah, I wouldn't mess about with pirates at all. I'd want class 6 shields, personally - maybe a 5A (prismatics, ideally) if you really want to keep more cargo space.
The Python has poor pitch performance, so you'll probably want a couple turrets and to master the use of lateral & reverse thrust to keep enemies in sight.
For trading, I might go with a fixed large pulse laser on the chin, two class 2 seeker missile racks, and two large pulse/burst laser turrets, ideally saving the missiles for after the shields are down. (If you want to try torpedos, I mean, you can, but...meh. If ballistics are more your thing, I'd use the medium slots for the two turrets and get two large (multi)cannons instead.)
Also, before this upcoming patch, I'd just go with 4 shield boosters on the utility mounts, but with the changes ahead & Engineers in mind, I might reduce that to 2 boosters and get chaff, point defense, or maybe even a warrant scanner to get a bit more out of blowing up those pirates. Only after the update, though.
Ok, I really start downloading the updates and start playing again... obviously there is a new design for black board missions. I have also seen the community coals. It sounds interesting... deliver meterials for a new outpost in a system far away from my position... I decided to collect the desired meterials and make my way to the station. After the second jump a pirate tries to interdict me. I was able to escape. Half an hour later I arrived at the system for the community coals. Instantly I was interdicted by Kdt. Jan123. Jan123 killed me in may be 10 seconds without any warning or communication... But with cool blue lasers. There were no bounties on me. He killed me just for fun and I lost 4mio. Credits. For casual player like me it is about one week of progress.
I raged quit again.
If you are not killed by other players you will be killed by pirates. How should a new player get a food in this game?!
I raged quit again.
If you are not killed by other players you will be killed by pirates. How should a new player get a food in this game?!
Only play in Open if you're all right with PvP, meaning you have no protests if other human CMDRs attack and destroy you for no reason at all. Otherwise, play in Solo mode, or join the Mobius PvE group which has tens of thousands of players.
In addition, you can use this tool to find good trade routes. https://eddb.io/commodity
Click on the commodity you want, insert the system you're in, and see where you can buy or sell that commodity for the greatest profit. Again, do this in Solo or a private group if you want to stay safe from PvPers.
Click on the commodity you want, insert the system you're in, and see where you can buy or sell that commodity for the greatest profit. Again, do this in Solo or a private group if you want to stay safe from PvPers.