News NPC AI update

[Townfan]

I bust my gut, ranked up and bought myself a Corvette for Christmas. Was sick of coming off second best to NPC Condas, and with the way things were, I could zoom around the Galaxy without a care in the world, and if anyone decided to have a go, they got dispatched pretty quickly
Then came 2.1
For my 500 million credit bathtub and my Dangerous rating, I now come off second best to NPC condas Master or above. Do I feel like I've wasted my money, not to mention the 200 million + I've blown in insurance payouts since I bought this thing ? You bet I do.

How can an Anaconda out-manouvre a Corvette ? The stats say it shouldn't ?
Spending less time playing right now. Think the corvette needs some tweaks too, not wanting to repeat what other players have said, but small hardpoints on a ship like that don't cut it, and neither does the current jump range of 11 to 14 at best.
Come on Frontier, cut us some slack !

 

[FrodoHobbits]

I so enjoyed this game until both the developers and the ‘git gud’ crowd started ramming PVP down my throat.

Exactly and so well put. What happened to "Play how you want to play"
I'm convinced even DBOBE doesn't play as much as he did. I would really love to know his true thoughts on how the game is panning out.
I joined in P-Beta when so much was promised and discussed back then.
To hire just one AI wingman would be a start but even if they were going to add this then I bet you would have to grind to get one and keep him/her.
Unlike you I can't stop playing yet as I am still in love with the game and praying it will change for the better.

 

[EvilMadcat]

Hi, first time I’ve felt the need to post for a very long time but here goes nothing.

I’m one of the old guard, as in RL years I’m 70+ so been playing games before a lot on here were born, and with Elite, joined in 2014 have a lifetime pass, beta tester the lot.

Yet so far I have not made my first million credits, hard to believe, well it’s true; I so enjoyed this game until both the developers and the ‘git gud’ crowd started ramming PVP down my throat.

Sadly this seems to be the prevalent mode operandi of most games these days. I played Eve for over 8 years and only lost one ship and cargo to another player (my own fault, jumped through a gate into a ‘bubble’). Like Elite Eve has gone PVP mad and that is not my forte, I don’t have the dexterity to twitch fly a combat ship (even with an X55) so I’m a trader/mission runner/explorer.

Yet in the last few weeks I have been interdicted so many times and wiped out each time everything has gone, I’m back to my basic Sidewinder. I tried doing missions, waste of time, the number of times I took a simple delivery mission to the next or 2 jumps location only to take off and get a ‘Mission Update’ that put the jump out of reach of my ship, well I lost count. Only thing I can do is abandon the mission and pay the fine.

So for me the game, and let’s face it, it is a game and so called entertainment, not an ‘epeen stroking competition’, is no longer ‘fun’. I shall pop in now and again to ‘test the waters’ and keep an eye on the forums but for now Elite like Eve is consigned to the ‘nice while it lasted’ box and I shall play one of the many other games I have at my disposal, so sad as I had such high hopes this would be the game to see my life out.

I totally agree with you, in Moment is no fun in game uber elite Npc uber npc weapons ( i get attack with missles all the space was full with missle how get there the ammo) and more Bugs in Game in the Moment is in my Eyes the Game Broken and unplayable for elite combat members ther get intercept in 5 sec tackt on the way to a Station. I have Lifetime i am Beta and X52 pro and so on but in the Moment others games more Intressting as Elite i dont like get all time shut down from a uber Elite npc

just my two Cents
EvilMadcat
p.s.: sorry for my bad english i am german

 

[Mukatsuku]

I am now combat logging against NPCs for the first time since getting Elite - they disable your engines before you can escape and the combat is not fun anymore.
Just one example of many, for those who believe you always have a chance to escape.

[video=youtube;_54fzFat5iA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_54fzFat5iA[/video]

 

[CMDR Kantos Kan]

I bust my gut, ranked up and bought myself a Corvette for Christmas. Was sick of coming off second best to NPC Condas, and with the way things were, I could zoom around the Galaxy without a care in the world, and if anyone decided to have a go, they got dispatched pretty quickly
Then came 2.1
For my 500 million credit bathtub and my Dangerous rating, I now come off second best to NPC condas Master or above. Do I feel like I've wasted my money, not to mention the 200 million + I've blown in insurance payouts since I bought this thing ? You bet I do.

How can an Anaconda out-manouvre a Corvette ? The stats say it shouldn't ?
Spending less time playing right now. Think the corvette needs some tweaks too, not wanting to repeat what other players have said, but small hardpoints on a ship like that don't cut it, and neither does the current jump range of 11 to 14 at best.
Come on Frontier, cut us some slack !

I fully agree with you on the Corvette comments. IMHO, with the size of the bubble and the activities like CGs, I think all ships should have a minimum of 15 ly jump range when properly outfitted. And small hardpoints, indeed, on a ship that large, that's laughable. I've been holding my own against Anacondas and the likes, though. Haven't had to face an NPC Corvette or Imperial Cutter. Curious...

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I am now combat logging against NPCs for the first time since getting Elite - they disable your engines before you can escape and the combat is not fun anymore.
Just one example of many, for those who believe you always have a chance to escape.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_54fzFat5iA

Don't feel bad, I do it as well when I feel I'm not been fairly treated. That starts with the interdictions mini game where it seems to be tilted again to the NPC. You keep the dot centered on the screen but it doesn't gain anything. As soon as you lose the center, the NPC starts gaining.

 

[Mukatsuku]

Don't feel bad, I do it as well when I feel I'm not been fairly treated. That starts with the interdictions mini game where it seems to be tilted again to the NPC. You keep the dot centered on the screen but it doesn't gain anything. As soon as you lose the center, the NPC starts gaining.

I do feel bad because I want to feel immersed in the game and constantly dying unfairly or combat logging break my level of immersion I have ordered a Vive in order to get the maximum immersion and I feel it's going to arrive at a time when I don't like playing the game anymore.

 

[Arkman07]

I fully agree with you on the Corvette comments. IMHO, with the size of the bubble and the activities like CGs, I think all ships should have a minimum of 15 ly jump range when properly outfitted. And small hardpoints, indeed, on a ship that large, that's laughable. I've been holding my own against Anacondas and the likes, though. Haven't had to face an NPC Corvette or Imperial Cutter. Curious...

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Don't feel bad, I do it as well when I feel I'm not been fairly treated. That starts with the interdictions mini game where it seems to be tilted again to the NPC. You keep the dot centered on the screen but it doesn't gain anything. As soon as you lose the center, the NPC starts gaining.

I have a video that I just took haven't uploaded it yet
But I'm in a a rated vulture with military grade hull and all hull reinforcement packages this thing is a tank, and out of the blue something from behind in a conflict zone hits me with 1missle.... that's right 1.... no no again you read that right, 1 missile and almost all of my module started failing and we're disabled engines done weapons done I'm a sitting duck. Still had over 80 percent hull 1 or 2 shots later then all of a sudden 4 npcs are shooting me and I'm dead all this took place in a few seconds. Not only that but it was again a thermal attack and there were 3 symbols popping up under my ship by the pips areas. Im guessing it had compunded multiple types of upgrades which means the a.i. bug is still alive and well. I'll post the vid here. When I can

 

[kharma1425]

I have a video that I just took haven't uploaded it yet
But I'm in a a rated vulture with military grade hull and all hull reinforcement packages this thing is a tank, and out of the blue something from behind in a conflict zone hits me with 1missle.... that's right 1.... no no again you read that right, 1 missile and almost all of my module started failing and we're disabled engines done weapons done I'm a sitting duck. Still had over 80 percent hull 1 or 2 shots later then all of a sudden 4 npcs are shooting me and I'm dead all this took place in a few seconds. Not only that but it was again a thermal attack and there were 3 symbols popping up under my ship by the pips areas. Im guessing it had compunded multiple types of upgrades which means the a.i. bug is still alive and well. I'll post the vid here. When I can

I can fully relate to all that's said here. and then some. Just today, I jumped in to maridal and got interdicted in 2.5 sec(why would someone time it, you may ask; I felt it necessary to justify why I'm combat expert ranked and just paid out 5mil in insurance in 3 hrs). I narrowly escaped from imp courier, yes courier(I'm in combat asp exp, with missiles...more on that later) after having my shields shredded before the first exchange is even complete. I hit him with 2 missiles, and two rail gun shots all the while laying down multi cannon fire and only 4% damage done to his hull. I manage to boost away and get back in to s/c, only to get interdicted less than 7 sec later! I mean when I have failed an interdiction it is a full 24 sec c/d, not to mention being able to close the gap I had created. but no, he caught me interdicted me and annihilated me with two shots on full shields. pretty sure it was some kind of boosted missile and rail gun. Now, as I mentioned the missiles are not buffed for all; I had hit him with 4 this last time, him without shields and it was ineffectual. Much like most have already said, I'm on the sidelines until this gets addressed. It seems trading is not viable due to interdiction without escape, exploration is fine until the return leg for the same reason, and I just need a break from combat missions. whew.

TL DR-AI in GOD mode, NPC weapon bug still out there, combat playstyle is all there is.

 

[matemaster]

I bust my gut, ranked up and bought myself a Corvette for Christmas. Was sick of coming off second best to NPC Condas, and with the way things were, I could zoom around the Galaxy without a care in the world, and if anyone decided to have a go, they got dispatched pretty quickly
Then came 2.1
For my 500 million credit bathtub and my Dangerous rating, I now come off second best to NPC condas Master or above. Do I feel like I've wasted my money, not to mention the 200 million + I've blown in insurance payouts since I bought this thing ? You bet I do.

How can an Anaconda out-manouvre a Corvette ? The stats say it shouldn't ?
Spending less time playing right now. Think the corvette needs some tweaks too, not wanting to repeat what other players have said, but small hardpoints on a ship like that don't cut it, and neither does the current jump range of 11 to 14 at best.
Come on Frontier, cut us some slack !

I have same experience with corvette I cant out turn conda. The fight allways end head to head.

In small hardpoints I allways stick class 1 rail gun. Its the most efficient class 1 weapon that is perfectly usable against large ships

 

[Elethiomel Zakalwe]

I am now combat logging against NPCs for the first time since getting Elite - they disable your engines before you can escape and the combat is not fun anymore.
Just one example of many, for those who believe you always have a chance to escape.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_54fzFat5iA

Oh come on now, don't fly straight and level boosting away without even attempting to evade and then complain that you didn't have a chance to escape... That's bad piloting, not OP NPCs.

 

[Mukatsuku]

Oh come on now, don't fly straight and level boosting away without even attempting to evade and then complain that you didn't have a chance to escape... That's bad piloting, not OP NPCs.

You cannot evade them - I've given up trying to.

 

[ErichZann]

You cannot evade them - I've given up trying to.

When it is a heavier ship that mass-locks you like here, you need to jump to a different system (15 seconds) instead of trying going to supercruise like you did.

 

[Elethiomel Zakalwe]

You cannot evade them - I've given up trying to.

You shouldn't have even been hit by those PAs if you were evading properly, which would mean your shields would stay up, which would protect your drives from the missiles, and then, as ErichZann said, you should high-wake, which would mean that you would not suffer the increased FSD charge up time from mass inhibition. Don't tell me that they're impossible to escape though - I already know that's not true. If you can't escape them it is because you are doing something wrong. Don't blame the AI for your own mistakes; you're not doing anyone any favors, least of all yourself.

There are plenty of areas where the AI really is OP or even 'cheating.' For example, they'll follow you over greater distances than their ship is capable of and jump into your low-wakes faster than any human could ever do. I even shot out an NPC Anaconda's drives, powerplant, and FSD, and it STILL managed to follow me (somehow). I watched it drift into an asteroid and explode after following my low-wake in an FSD-less, drive-less, powerplant-less ship. However this is not the same thing and it just muddles the discussion when people constantly complain about NPCs being OP when really they just don't have a clue what they're doing.

 

[FrodoHobbits]

I am now combat logging against NPCs for the first time since getting Elite

What you did is not combat logging. You exited the game via the menu, No problems with FD there

 

[Sneakyprawn]

Hats off and major KUDOS to all who have listened to our moans and groans and have dealt with this problem, and IMO quite quickly, personally I have parked my FDL and gone back to a Viper until this issue is fully resolved, I don't plan on losing another FDL, 2 in total now, 7.3m credits up in smoke, I have approached Frontier support, somehow I think the 72hr reply window will be a tad longer if CMDRS are asking for refunds lol.

Seriously, I love what's been done with the AI, NPC's are starting to be more of a challenge, don't change that...................

Look forward to the bug fix, maybe I can dust off my FDL and take for a spin again.

 

[Agony_Aunt]

So, is the issue of near instant death by NPC fixed or not? Second is the balance of play fair or even among NPC? reading to many threads that say it is and same amount saying it isn't....

I believe its been semi-fixed. I haven't seen any rapid fire PAs recently, but i've seen NPCs throwing missiles out like they were suffering from some form of missile diarrhea.

 

[MINDWIPE]

nope i have seen any OP super Npc's either BUUUUUUTTTTTTT!


the Elite ranked NPC's (especially in Anacondas or FDL's have a very very nasty habbit of parking right on top of your hull (Literally stopping and parking) and ramming you to death. i have encounterd this with every ELite FDL and Anaconda i have faced over the last 2 weeks.

so in my own personal opinion no the NPC's are still very buggy and if this what they class as working as intended then i would advise most combat players avoid ranking to elite for now as those pesky elite npc's will mess you about .oO(its not even any fun or a challenge with them doing the ramming thing now).

 

[Ziljan]

I believe its been semi-fixed. I haven't seen any rapid fire PAs recently, but i've seen NPCs throwing missiles out like they were suffering from some form of missile diarrhea.

Dumbfire missles can be spammed

 

[Dean Demon]

I believe its been semi-fixed. I haven't seen any rapid fire PAs recently, but i've seen NPCs throwing missiles out like they were suffering from some form of missile diarrhea.

To be honest i'm more than a little bit surprised that so many experienced Commanders have died so easily, yes i do expect it to happen to new players with their lack of experience and upgrades. I don't think that i've ever seen so many missiles in one place before, i've just got used to seeing them now in ED.

 

[777Driver]

I am now combat logging against NPCs for the first time since getting Elite - they disable your engines before you can escape and the combat is not fun anymore.
Just one example of many, for those who believe you always have a chance to escape.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_54fzFat5iA

You did pretty much that exact opposite of what cmdr's have been explaining is necessary, then you complain about not being able to escape?

All you had to do is face the Clipper, put 4 pips into SYS, boost past it, select another system and high wake, take any evasive maneuvers during the charge. Before anyone chimes in with the usual , it has nothing to do with 'Git gud' These are basic procedures that anybody in a ship should know, takes less than 5 mins to learn.