News NPC AI update

[Rankaze]

Hey guys,

We wanted to share a quick update with you to let you know how the investigation into the NPC AI has been progressing after the removal of the Engineers weapons for the NPCs and what the next steps are.

The development team have been hard at work investigating these bugs. To give you a little more information, it appears that the unusual weapons attacks were caused by some form of networking issue which allowed the NPC AI to merge weapon stats and abilities. Meaning that all new and never before seen (sometimes devastating) weapons were created, such as a rail gun with the fire rate of a pulse laser. These appear to have been compounded by the additional stats and abilities of the engineers weaponry. (We don’t think the AI became sentient in a Skynet-style uprising! ). However, the valiant Mark Allen from the Development team has managed to terminate these NPCs in their tracks.

The bug fix is expected to go live in our next point release which is planned for the end of this week/early next week but we’ll have more news on the exact time in the normal patch notes forum.

I would just like to take this opportunity to clarify a few misconceptions. The AI has in no way been reduced, it remains the glorious, improved version from the update. The only action that we’ve taken so far has been to remove the engineer weapons to allow us to investigate the issue and address a key bug. Once this bug fix goes live we’ll be able to see how the AI is performing and then, over time, should we feel that the balancing is right to introduce a very select few high end engineers weapons to the highest ranked NPCs we will investigate that option. However, that won’t be immediately as we want to ensure that the balance is just right.

Edit: Please note this point update will be PC specific and the Xbox One update will need to follow after. We'll let you know as soon as we have more information.

Excellent news!

This should hopefully eliminate the (apparently very accurate) reports of NPC's instantly vaporizing players (by eliminating the superweapons enabling the NPC's to do that) and my suggestion would be that we (the players) should let that bug fix (once it goes live) sink in for several days before we resume the Great AI Debate.

Let's all see it as it's meant to be first, then discuss it!

 

[Tikigod]

Glad to hear you guys potentially found a main cause for some of the issues others have been running into.

Even with the removal of engineer mods, I'm still finding the higher rated NPCs fun to fight though I swear some ships like eagles and the like are turning faster than should be possible when they go charging at me head first whizz by me at full throttle yet under a second later are back to facing me with weapons blazing. lol

I especially love how NPCs now run when they're outnumbered, something kind of satisfying about being in a drawn out fight with a high rated wanted NPC that tried to murder me and system authorities turn up and the NPC immediately breaks off and fires up their frameshift drive to try run for it.

Even ran into a 'Mostly Harmless' Diamondback Scout that was using silent running to try hide from being attacked this evening which totally caught me off guard when I was out turning it at 500-600m away and a few times I'd lose target on it and its scanner signature would display weak like a distant signature.


Those blitters are definitely adapting. Almost seemingly in real time.

 

[RwD]

Thanks Zac, as always. Hope to see the update rolling out this weekend.

 

[Barking_Mad]

Sneaky little devils right?

And who was last seen programming AI behaviour. Hmm? Eh? Not that Im pointing fingers....*cough* Sarah *cough*

 

[CMDR Kantos Kan]

Great communication, Zac!

 

[Cowboy Bats]

(We don’t think the AI became sentient in a Skynet-style uprising! ).

And exactly how certain of this are you? Maybe the AI is just letting you think you've got everything under control. In either event it's been perfect today. Fingers crossed for no more beatdowns when the modded weapons return. I only saw the rebuy screen once, but when I did it was just confusing because it happened so fast.

 

[verminstar]

Two replies in two days...thank you kinds sirs and sirettes and time fer me to shaddup and go grind...cya in the black ^^

 

[Miko_Stargazer]

Wake up Sheeple!

This was never a bug. Frontier has simply 'fixed' this because they have all the data they need from their 'real' beta test. Expect to see these 'bugged' super-weapons on the first Thargoid battlecruiser that turns you to space dust.

I am not a crackpot.

 

[1984]

Don't want to put a damper on this wonderful praise heading in Zac's (Lord praise him) direction.

But what the heck happened to the beta and bug testing. Was it just skipped on this one??

All hail to FD.

Not the first time a bug was not seen until after go live. I work in IT this happens all the time. Hardware same check, software same check, same network connectivity check. Go live and you get a bug. Beta will never 100% mirror go live conditions.

 

[Rankaze]

Not the first time a bug was not seen until after go live. I work in IT this happens all the time. Hardware same check, software same check, same network connectivity check. Go live and you get a bug. Beta will never 100% mirror go live conditions.

Yep. And lots and lots of bugs were reported in the beta. Also, the nature of this one is such that... if it's semi-randomly combining stats from various weapons, it's only going to come up with a superweapon a small percentage of the time. Beta has a lot less players. Even if the bug was there, it may never have been seen in its most demonstrative forms due to small sample size.

 

[Kodger]

"But...the AI's still to hard." (Just kidding!)
Great job guys keep up the good work.

 

[yodajedifishmaster]

thanks for the update. now i feel safer slightly.

leaving aside the random crazy posts i really think the combat rank progression system needs overhaul because it currently will 100% of the time, faster or slower, raise the npc level players face to where a lot of us will find unbeatable opponents and no fun at all. elite without any combat is not fun. dumbing down AI is not what i want either. a fair fight most of the time (and being able to flee the unfair ones if we realise it in time) is what is fun. close shaves by the skin of your teeth and the odd hard fought victory. i made ideas in suggestions for possible changes - including the decay of combat ranks above competent over time, and a player selectable combat rank cap. i would choose to cap my combat rank where it is right now if i could to prevent it going up, because i am having fun. if i never win because of my combat rank generating too tough npcs i wont need super power ones.

and i also believe that while it should be an achievement to become elite... it should not just be a right. you should have to work to stay there and i dont mean if you die you lose it. you may still keep the priviledges you earned and be able to show you once were elite. just that you need to keep going to keep the rank combat - wise. the full ideas on suggestions and feedback.

 

[sensai25]

Once again very good job FD ! I am very impressed by new IA.

Almost died yesterday face to a Elite Python : epic combat during 6 min, and i have to decide to retreat in order to stay alive !!

 

[wstephenson]

Thanks for the update! Great work from the team to tame this uprising.

Question: Can you comment on NPC ranking generation distribution curve? - Extreme skilled NPCs spawn be rare at best with mids to lower ones most common. Simple Darwin law should apply: You seem many young crazy, foolish and skilled pilots, however there very few old skilled ones.

+1 to this. Why are there so many high ranked Sidewinder and Hauler pilots out there behaving like any other ship? Are they retired? Why are there so many Master and up Authority vessels on patrol? These should be saved for elite swat response teams, not plodding the beat.

 

[Tooth Fairy]

Not the first time a bug was not seen until after go live. I work in IT this happens all the time. Hardware same check, software same check, same network connectivity check. Go live and you get a bug. Beta will never 100% mirror go live conditions.

Like you 1984 I work in IT. Presently in the UK NHS IT environment where mistakes simply aren't tolerated.

Obviously that's not a universal situation.

 

[Rankaze]

leaving aside the random crazy posts i really think the combat rank progression system needs overhaul because it currently will 100% of the time, faster or slower, raise the npc level players face to where a lot of us will find unbeatable opponents and no fun at all. elite without any combat is not fun. dumbing down AI is not what i want either. a fair fight most of the time (and being able to flee the unfair ones if we realise it in time) is what is fun. close shaves by the skin of your teeth and the odd hard fought victory. i made ideas in suggestions for possible changes - including the decay of combat ranks above competent over time, and a player selectable combat rank cap. i would choose to cap my combat rank where it is right now if i could to prevent it going up, because i am having fun.

and i also believe that while it should be an achievement to become elite... it should not just be a right. you should have to work to stay there and i dont mean if you die you lose it. you may still keep the priviledges you earned and be able to show you once were elite. just that you need to keep going to keep the rank combat - wise. the full ideas on suggestions and feedback.

I don't disagree., but I think that's a discussion for another thread.

 

[wstephenson]

EDIT never mind, found the gory details from Mark on the other thread.

 

[yodajedifishmaster]

I don't disagree., but I think that's a discussion for another thread.

i also agree just hoping to draw attention to what i think needs looking at rather urgently and might help with AI situation without needing to nerf it for a large part of the lower ranked player base is all.

 

[Dutchman141]

I'm sorry if I didn't catch it in Zac's update but are the uber npc's been removed from the game now or are we still able to encounter them until the bugfix is released?
I'm on Xbox btw but serverside changes are effective for both platforms no?

Anyone?

Are these npc's with those never seen before weapons gone now or will they be removed by the upcomming bugfix?
Xbox takes longer to update because of the stupid certification.

 

[Ian Phillips]

Some are gone now due to the serverside update yesterday.
the rest will be removed on friday (i think - the next patch anyway) on PC
The Xbox patch will take a little longer - watch the OP in this thread for more info when it becomes known