NPC Interdictions, Futile, Irritating and Should be Removed.

[Old Duck]

LOL, that could actually be lot of fun to write!
Are bots still even a thing though? (Not seeing a lot of point in them, since money is like water.)

According to the BGS players, 3000 out of the 4000 people who play Elite every day is a bot

Hey, I just had an idea! If aggressive, annoying, unrealistic interdictions truly are Frontier's "captcha" for bots, just turn it on for solo and private group. No need for bot captcha in Open mode!

 

[Morbad]

I see it as a way of giving you a choice. Some people like fighting pirates. Some people hate it. By making the NPCs not too good at interdictions the pirate haters can shake them off fairly easily while the prate lovers can submit to the interdiction to break the routine for some combat fun and earn extra credits. I guess you can tell which type I am.

The way things are now is little different than it would be if it was just a yes/no prompt. It's worst of both worlds. Too much immediate control and a bad way of presenting the choice.

 

[cmdr milesred]

much of the jist is not making your freighter able to fight makes it a you problem
if you die once you defeat the purpose of the missions or the hauling.
taking longer due to possibly slower due to shield/armor/weapons is nothing and is an issue that belongs in the I can't plan ahead category.
or the math is hard category.

not building it able to fight due to not having the skill is understandable but still makes it the worst choice.
not to mention you will only ever get good at avoiding or fighting by trying.



many of us, me for sure, would like more npc interdictors and interdictions and tougher and smarter npc ships.
so far the best I am able to get is 5 interdictions at one time, I would like more.
meaning 5 following me, 1 interdicts and the rest follow him in.

besides my reasons for doing this, a lesson I am putting out there is this
if you know you are going to get interdicted, why not use that info and hop in a fighter, kill them, then go haul your freight.
if you cant or wont do that, then maybe those missions are not for you and you could try something else, rather than try and nerf it for everyone else that likes it this way.
I've been doing this for so long.
I used to just kill them in my t-9 or cutter. turns out its faster and more efficient and less boring to lead them to a system I want bounties for, let them interdict and I kill them all.
then finish the missions.

As I would rather kill stuff than haul freight, I enjoy this part the most. the pay for the mission is bonus and the missions are for bgs, so win, win, win.


removing them removes a very useful tool

making them wimpier just makes them die faster.

you could also make some friends or buy some body guards for your mission runs.

 

[Brrokk]

According to the BGS players, 3000 out of the 4000 people who play Elite every day is a bot

Hey, I just had an idea! If aggressive, annoying, unrealistic interdictions truly are Frontier's "captcha" for bots, just turn it on for solo and private group. No need for bot captcha in Open mode!

I've just thought of a brilliant conspiracy theory. The purpose of the BGS is to make the galaxy seem alive, but there are so many systems even in the Bubble that the player densities aren't enough to make this happen. Therefore FD themselves are continuously running simulated bots in the server software, to boost the apparent effects of "players" on the BGS.

 

[Old Duck]

I've just thought of a brilliant conspiracy theory. The purpose of the BGS is to make the galaxy seem alive, but there are so many systems even in the Bubble that the player densities aren't enough to make this happen. Therefore FD themselves are continuously running simulated bots in the server software, to boost the apparent effects of "players" on the BGS.

Does that mean we can get rid of the interdiction captcha?

The way things are now is little different than it would be if it was just a yes/no prompt. It's worst of both worlds. Too much immediate control and a bad way of presenting the choice.

For me the issue is annoyance / tedium. Nine times out of ten, an NPC interdiction happens literally seconds before you're about to drop out at a station. Whether you win or submit to the interdiction, you'll end up light seconds off course, which is a huge waste of time. Rinse and repeat for every trip (sometimes more than once per leg), and this gets old very quickly.

Something Frontier could do that would go a LONG way to fixing this problem is removing that damn "whiplash" effect that causes you to drop out of supercruise dozens of light seconds away from where you were. This would actually give me more incentive to submit to an interdiction and take my risks with the pirate, because if I choose to submit, at least I'm still only a second away from the station rather than back in the middle of the solar system.

 

[Gibbon]

I am making up the cost of buying & equipping a T9. I have found a nice trade route that will in 13 runs generate profit to the tune of the 100 million that the ship cost. All fine & dandy, except that on the return leg some NPC keeps intercepting me. He never actually pulls me out of super-cruise. I out fly him every time (remember I am flying a T9) , but just about every trip he tries. This has now got beyond tedious. Either the game could be adapted to make NPC pirates a real danger or just remove them

No no no. This is supposed to be Elite Dangerous, which it's not btw. Any interdiction breaks the monotony of doing what you are doing, i'd be rejoicing and doing a dance. These must be left in, yes they are annoying, but then it would be even more boring if they weren't there. As to more powerful npc's, plenty of those about, you don't want to meet one of those in a T9, as you'll be spacedust before you can even get angry, It's fine as it is.

 

[MickyG1982]

[

Now, if he was good at his job and was a real pirate I wouldn't be complaining.

Yes you would, you'd be complaining about said pirate stealing your stuff and blowing up your unarmed ship...

 

[michalfoc]

git gud, outfit ship properly and those

Because then I would become a combat pilot again and that is a route I don't want to go down. I have been playing my current character for about three years now on iron man mode & it is a role play thing. I fly as a trader/trucker with a bit of smuggling thrown in, I don't do violence.

I don't mind being interdicted, what I find tedious is being interdicted by incompetent AI that I can out-fly in a T9. It adds nothing to the game & when I am flying a regular trade run and it happens every 25 minutes or so it becomes very boring.

strange.. so you want to do hardcore role play been a trader/trucker BUT you don't like one of the main core mechanics that is a part of been a trader/trucker which is been jumped by pirates... I get what You saying but unfortunately you are asking for a main mechanic to be removed. For a bit of perspective:

"In colonial times, merchant ships carried cannons and weapons comparable to those found on naval vessels. Weapons were used by the crew to defend the ship and crew against attacks by pirates, privateers and enemy warships."

So as You can see, even in colonial times, merchants who where peaceful people looking for riches knew that been jumped by scumbags is a part of traders life. Not wanting to play combat style does not mean that You can not outfit a proper trading vessel (T9 can do it but I would not go that route, I have a well outfitted and balanced cutter which can make me millions) to trade efficiently as well as defend Yourself effectively. CUTTER most basic and most efficient build to keep the encounters as short as possible. For all the cargo space I dropped, many times bounties made up many times over for the profits from actual haulage.

If You are looking for completly pacifistic approach, maybe You should look for a wing mate or 2, when you get jumped leave them to deal with enemy while You carry on. Or find a different game.

 

[michalfoc]

I read a comment somewhere long time ago which stuck in my head throughout all my plays - "if you trade without shields and/or weapons and get pulled by a pirate - you deserve to get destroyed". Actually enjoy getting pulled and smack a conda or 3 on the way to next port. brakes the monotony. besides, why it matters to make 100mil an hour instead of say 30... I remember times when most profitable was hauling basic meds to outbreak systems.

 

[HurstLlama]

git gud, outfit ship properly and those

strange.. so you want to do hardcore role play been a trader/trucker BUT you don't like one of the main core mechanics that is a part of been a trader/trucker which is been jumped by pirates... I get what You saying but unfortunately you are asking for a main mechanic to be removed. For a bit of perspective:

"In colonial times, merchant ships carried cannons and weapons comparable to those found on naval vessels. Weapons were used by the crew to defend the ship and crew against attacks by pirates, privateers and enemy warships."

So as You can see, even in colonial times, merchants who where peaceful people looking for riches knew that been jumped by scumbags is a part of traders life. Not wanting to play combat style does not mean that You can not outfit a proper trading vessel (T9 can do it but I would not go that route, I have a well outfitted and balanced cutter which can make me millions) to trade efficiently as well as defend Yourself effectively. CUTTER most basic and most efficient build to keep the encounters as short as possible. For all the cargo space I dropped, many times bounties made up many times over for the profits from actual haulage.

If You are looking for completly pacifistic approach, maybe You should look for a wing mate or 2, when you get jumped leave them to deal with enemy while You carry on. Or find a different game.

Please do read what I actually say. I have no objection to being jumped by pirates, I do object to being jumped by useless pirates who I can outfly in a T9. I have no need to outfit my ship for combat because the wretched AI cannot actually pull me out of super cruise. To repeat, if it could I would not be complaining.

If that is too difficult for you to understand then I am sorry.

 

[michalfoc]

Please do read what I actually say. I have no objection to being jumped by pirates, I do object to being jumped by useless pirates who I can outfly in a T9. I have no need to outfit my ship for combat because the wretched AI cannot actually pull me out of super cruise. To repeat, if it could I would not be complaining.

If that is too difficult for you to understand then I am sorry.

oh I understand that your complain makes no sense and you contradict yourself without even been able to realize it yourself:
1. You fly in unarmed ship for role play reasons.
2. then you are jumped by a pirate that unless you dodge him, due to said role play, you will get obliterated.
3. you proceed to complain that he is not able to pull you out so u want devs to
a) remove the mechanic for everybody else because YOU find it tedious - you what mate? a bit of ego going on there?
b) make the AI better at intradiction which in turn will end your iron man role play characters journey in a jiffy.

sounds like a bit of a winger for sake of winging there.

PS - taking the attitude you have every time you get a reply that YOU don't like, no point continuing this conversation so good luck o7

 

[varonica]

No no no. This is supposed to be Elite Dangerous, which it's not btw.

Obligatory, that's not what the name means, the Dangeous part of the title is taken from one of the pilot ranks, which means the "pilot" is dangerous, it has no reference to whether or not the game itself is dangerous, players actually have almost full control over that and can make it as dangerous or easy as they like. Actually the OP could grab one mission per cargo run that sends elite level mission NPC's after them just to make it as dangerous as he wants it to be, but then he would get blown up and lose all his cargo. The OP doesn't actually want it dangerous, because that would kill his 100m per round trade route if got killed 2 or 3 times every round.

 

[Bantha]

Out of interest OP, what’s your combat rank?

 

[michalfoc]

Obligatory, that's not what the name means, the Dangeous part of the title is taken from one of the pilot ranks, which means the "pilot" is dangerous, it has no reference to whether or not the game itself is dangerous, players actually have almost full control over that and can make it as dangerous or easy as they like. Actually the OP could grab one mission per cargo run that sends elite level mission NPC's after them just to make it as dangerous as he wants it to be, but then he would get blown up and lose all his cargo. The OP doesn't actually want it dangerous, because that would kill his 100m per round trade route if got killed 2 or 3 times every round.

In one of his posts he implies he plays iron man - 1 life only. If he got what he wanted, that would be a very short lived carrier

 

[Misty_Dark]

much of the jist is not making your freighter able to fight makes it a you problem
if you die once you defeat the purpose of the missions or the hauling.
taking longer due to possibly slower due to shield/armor/weapons is nothing and is an issue that belongs in the I can't plan ahead category.
or the math is hard category.

not building it able to fight due to not having the skill is understandable but still makes it the worst choice.
not to mention you will only ever get good at avoiding or fighting by trying.



many of us, me for sure, would like more npc interdictors and interdictions and tougher and smarter npc ships.
so far the best I am able to get is 5 interdictions at one time, I would like more.
meaning 5 following me, 1 interdicts and the rest follow him in.

besides my reasons for doing this, a lesson I am putting out there is this
if you know you are going to get interdicted, why not use that info and hop in a fighter, kill them, then go haul your freight.
if you cant or wont do that, then maybe those missions are not for you and you could try something else, rather than try and nerf it for everyone else that likes it this way.
I've been doing this for so long.
I used to just kill them in my t-9 or cutter. turns out its faster and more efficient and less boring to lead them to a system I want bounties for, let them interdict and I kill them all.
then finish the missions.

As I would rather kill stuff than haul freight, I enjoy this part the most. the pay for the mission is bonus and the missions are for bgs, so win, win, win.


removing them removes a very useful tool

making them wimpier just makes them die faster.

you could also make some friends or buy some body guards for your mission runs.

I on the same road as you...

I want to tie this the security level of a system. so if you want to have a laid back, milk run, with no resistance. you should do trade runs in high security systems, and choose to jump only through high security systems. So these should be predicable, low risk, and thus average pay... Here you can fly your cargo maxed out Type 9/Cutter with no shields etc. and be quite safe.

And if you find this boring, or trivial, then start to take missions to medium security systems, here some danger lurks, and now you need to prepare for the occasional dangers, shields are probably good to have now... but you are also rewarded with a higher pay...

And if you really want to push the limits, take deliver stuff to anarchy systems. now you can be certain that someone is going to think, hey, that is cargo belongs to me... so you will have to work harder on getting your cargo to the destination! and this will of course mean that they will pay the highest prices for it.


So this kind of change would allow OP to do his milk runs in high security systems and not need to worry about pirates etc. and people like us, can go on an choose the challenging route and deliver stuff to anarchy systems...


And when this gets to mundane, we have now put the ground works for real smuggling missions... pick up illegal stuff in anarchy systems, and deliver them to medium and high security systems, and now you do not need to worry about pirates that much, now it is Authority ships that coming after you, and with this even high credit payouts if we succeed, where high security offers the highest danger and payout of course...


So most of this is based on existing data/mechanics in the game, what is most notably missiong is a new option when plotting route, to set minimum security, ie allw us to plot a course from A-B in only high security systems for example.
And this have potential to satisfy several player groups, from the corner of I do not want to do any risk at all, to those who want tricked out, beefed up NPC that can give them a real challenge... today, danger is all over the place and we have missions that say there is no danger and then you get ambushed... I miss the old gold canister traps... drop into a signal source, only to find some gold canisters, so you start to scoop them up, and then some pirates shows up to steal your stuff...

 

[ethelred]

I on the same road as you...

I want to tie this the security level of a system. so if you want to have a laid back, milk run, with no resistance. you should do trade runs in high security systems, and choose to jump only through high security systems. So these should be predicable, low risk, and thus average pay... Here you can fly your cargo maxed out Type 9/Cutter with no shields etc. and be quite safe.

And if you find this boring, or trivial, then start to take missions to medium security systems, here some danger lurks, and now you need to prepare for the occasional dangers, shields are probably good to have now... but you are also rewarded with a higher pay...

And if you really want to push the limits, take deliver stuff to anarchy systems. now you can be certain that someone is going to think, hey, that is cargo belongs to me... so you will have to work harder on getting your cargo to the destination! and this will of course mean that they will pay the highest prices for it.


So this kind of change would allow OP to do his milk runs in high security systems and not need to worry about pirates etc. and people like us, can go on an choose the challenging route and deliver stuff to anarchy systems...


And when this gets to mundane, we have now put the ground works for real smuggling missions... pick up illegal stuff in anarchy systems, and deliver them to medium and high security systems, and now you do not need to worry about pirates that much, now it is Authority ships that coming after you, and with this even high credit payouts if we succeed, where high security offers the highest danger and payout of course...


So most of this is based on existing data/mechanics in the game, what is most notably missiong is a new option when plotting route, to set minimum security, ie allw us to plot a course from A-B in only high security systems for example.
And this have potential to satisfy several player groups, from the corner of I do not want to do any risk at all, to those who want tricked out, beefed up NPC that can give them a real challenge... today, danger is all over the place and we have missions that say there is no danger and then you get ambushed... I miss the old gold canister traps... drop into a signal source, only to find some gold canisters, so you start to scoop them up, and then some pirates shows up to steal your stuff...

To be fair we've only been waiting for this since 2014 so I'm sure it will happen soon.

To the OP - it sound very much like a user generated problem as you're not altering your gameplay to accommodate the change in game state. It's your choice, after all, to not fit weapons.

Unless you're advocating some sort of risk reward mechanic for trading in riskier areas as mentioned above.

Out of interest, what's the security and system state of the places you're trading in?

 

[Neilski]

Something I just remembered (may help the OP or others having similar issues): if you want to prove to yourself beyond any doubt whether an NPC that's after you is "random" or mission-related, then try this (in a ship that can turn adequately well in SC):

1. wait for them to announce themselves, before the attempted interdiction
2. use your key binding to select the highest threat as your target (or just cycle targets until you see a name that matches the announcement)
3. turn in SC to let your scanner see them (50% throttle in SC will help the turning rate)
4. once they are scanned, look for "MISSION TARGET" in red letters in the target info panel on the bottom left of the screen - if it's not there then they aren't attacking you because of one the missions that you have in your Transactions panel

 

[Frankymole]

I personally can‘t stand all these ship flying additions to my walking fighting game. Please get rid of the ships.

Can you believe some people keep demanding more ships, when we have too many already? They should concentrate on bug fixing and making the game more playable, not just add yet more pointless ships when there's no ecological niche for any.

 

[Frankymole]

So most of this is based on existing data/mechanics in the game, what is most notably missiong is a new option when plotting route, to set minimum security, ie allw us to plot a course from A-B in only high security systems for example.

You can:

 

[Felix DiCestria]

try this (in a ship that can turn adequately well in SC.)

Not in a T9 then...
You can orbit the star when you enter a suspect system which can get you "the rumour was right" message swiftly followed by 1 contact list as the NPC plots a direct route to you not accounting for things like stars or planets...