Self modifying code?
Lol, I never thought of that! Maybe the simulation system (which was much larger than my addition) looked at my code and thought: Nah, I can do better.
NPC combat flight behaviour
- Thread starter Mephane
- Start date
Lol, I never thought of that! Maybe the simulation system (which was much larger than my addition) looked at my code and thought: Nah, I can do better.
Tried messing around with the idea about 20 years ago or so. Never had much luck with it though.
I have noticed in fast manuverable ships if you manage to stay close to them and stop them from baring there nose at you they will change tacktics and boost and some times if this fails also they will break down or some thing and just fly in a wobbly line away from you as though they dont know what to do.. untill they die.
I have also noticed that some times they stop shooting at you and just sit nose facing at you 1.5k away there shields never regen as though they have no pips in sys. I have no idea exactly what triggers this but is usualy happens when i have broken there shield and shot them with drag ammo missile.
But the nose pointing thing is a very strong primary aproach and indeed it feels like they must be bending the rules some times as my viper has extreamly dirty drives on it and with 900 hull and 100 bi weav shields along with rails and cannons and missile racks reaches 550ms and boosts to 690ms and pitches at 52deg but i cant get behind a DBX unless i turn fa off and even then its a momentery thing to say the least.
Now im not saying they do cheat but what ever jedi skills they are pulling i want them to teach me!
I have also noticed that some times they stop shooting at you and just sit nose facing at you 1.5k away there shields never regen as though they have no pips in sys. I have no idea exactly what triggers this but is usualy happens when i have broken there shield and shot them with drag ammo missile.
But the nose pointing thing is a very strong primary aproach and indeed it feels like they must be bending the rules some times as my viper has extreamly dirty drives on it and with 900 hull and 100 bi weav shields along with rails and cannons and missile racks reaches 550ms and boosts to 690ms and pitches at 52deg but i cant get behind a DBX unless i turn fa off and even then its a momentery thing to say the least.
Now im not saying they do cheat but what ever jedi skills they are pulling i want them to teach me!
They operate by different rules than we are forced to, I've seen it. But that is a subject for a different discussion.
As for technique, it's just code. The computer can execute an algorithm in micro or milli seconds, perfectly every time. Humans can't. Not trying to break anyone's immersion, but it's just software.
As for technique, it's just code. The computer can execute an algorithm in micro or milli seconds, perfectly every time. Humans can't. Not trying to break anyone's immersion, but it's just software.
My experience:
Even when i fly the most maneuverable ships (vulture, courier, FDL etc), slow turning ships like FGS, FDS, and Python NPC's turn on a dime and face tank. They appear to do a sort of zero throttle FA off at all costs kind of thing. I also love how every one of these ships rocks laser turrets.
The only ships I'm capable of "staying on their 6" are the fast ones (eagles, couriers, vipers, etc). It's very counter intuitive. I'm not convinced that NPC's have the same module=flight profile that we do.
Even when i fly the most maneuverable ships (vulture, courier, FDL etc), slow turning ships like FGS, FDS, and Python NPC's turn on a dime and face tank. They appear to do a sort of zero throttle FA off at all costs kind of thing. I also love how every one of these ships rocks laser turrets.
The only ships I'm capable of "staying on their 6" are the fast ones (eagles, couriers, vipers, etc). It's very counter intuitive. I'm not convinced that NPC's have the same module=flight profile that we do.
After fighting in the current combat CG a few times I want to reiterate this topic.
It is more and more my impression that the NPCs are designed not to pose interesting, as-humanlike-as-possible opponents,
and more to simply do the most damage possible (even to their own detriment), as if part of the totality of all NPCs coordinates to fight a war of attrition against any player, where each NPC ship is just a disposable figure on the board and not an individual autonomous entity with some sense of self-preservation.
I have seen ships of varying sizes (even a Viper) reverski right in front of my Python, trading blows with me in a firefight so mathematically futile and mindnumbing that it reminded me of fighting in World Of Warcraft: you stand in front of each other motionless* and mash your buttons until either you or them runs out of hitpoints.
*Yes, you are not technically motionless. But when an NPC is flying in reverse in front of you at exactly your forward speed, it boils down to the same.
Beyond reverski, their most common maneuvre can simply be called turretting. They use whatever complicated combination of directional thrust and rotation needed to perform as little relative movement as possible while keeping you in their sights as much as possible.
It is a shame really. The fights once were much more dyamic and interesting.
It is more and more my impression that the NPCs are designed not to pose interesting, as-humanlike-as-possible opponents,
and more to simply do the most damage possible (even to their own detriment), as if part of the totality of all NPCs coordinates to fight a war of attrition against any player, where each NPC ship is just a disposable figure on the board and not an individual autonomous entity with some sense of self-preservation.
I have seen ships of varying sizes (even a Viper) reverski right in front of my Python, trading blows with me in a firefight so mathematically futile and mindnumbing that it reminded me of fighting in World Of Warcraft: you stand in front of each other motionless* and mash your buttons until either you or them runs out of hitpoints.
*Yes, you are not technically motionless. But when an NPC is flying in reverse in front of you at exactly your forward speed, it boils down to the same.
Beyond reverski, their most common maneuvre can simply be called turretting. They use whatever complicated combination of directional thrust and rotation needed to perform as little relative movement as possible while keeping you in their sights as much as possible.
It is a shame really. The fights once were much more dyamic and interesting.
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I'll have to agree with everybody disagreeing with your findings.
The NPC's are behaving a lot more intelligently today. They do adapt to what they're fighting. They also fly according to their skill levels. A harmless NPC knows as little about where all the buttons are as a human harmless CMDR.
Some things are flawed, but overall the NPC pilots are a lot more fun to fight than they used to be. Some things needs a little tinkering, to improve gameplay, I think. The small ships boosting away and turning FA off on their last % of power available is one. It might be realistic, but it's seriously annoying and drags a CZ apart.
The NPC's are behaving a lot more intelligently today. They do adapt to what they're fighting. They also fly according to their skill levels. A harmless NPC knows as little about where all the buttons are as a human harmless CMDR.
Some things are flawed, but overall the NPC pilots are a lot more fun to fight than they used to be. Some things needs a little tinkering, to improve gameplay, I think. The small ships boosting away and turning FA off on their last % of power available is one. It might be realistic, but it's seriously annoying and drags a CZ apart.