Or more precisely, lack thereof. Despite the massive DDF post detailing NPC persistence, the only case where persistent NPCs occur is when frameshift wakes are followed. Why are there no NPC ships when a system is first entered? When we drop out of SC near a station, the only ships visible are patrols. The various funeral and wedding barges show up for no reason in USS points and go nowhere, likewise with Type-9`s asking for specific items, even though we will never see them again.
In other words, a cornerstone of the game is almost completely non-existent. As a result, the universe feels empty, and when NPCs do appear, it is in a jarring and immersion-breaking manner. Instead of being able to fly around a system interacting with AI ships, we are forced to do so via a badly designed blatant placeholder feature that shows no sign of being replaced with even a half-decent gameplay mechanic. The only case where some slight degree of persistence can be found outside of FSD wakes is in open play, assuming that anyone else is present in a system, which requires players to deal with one of the most toxic and unpleasant communities I`ve ever had the displeasure of dealing with, in any game.
This was really less of a feature suggestion and more of a plea to FD to make the game actually work. I`m not asking for much - I`m not asking for an ofline mode, or for the ships we were promised at release to be implemented, or a ship`s log, or a route finder that actually works. I just want a game that doesn`t feel like an alpha, despite having been released almost a month ago.
In other words, a cornerstone of the game is almost completely non-existent. As a result, the universe feels empty, and when NPCs do appear, it is in a jarring and immersion-breaking manner. Instead of being able to fly around a system interacting with AI ships, we are forced to do so via a badly designed blatant placeholder feature that shows no sign of being replaced with even a half-decent gameplay mechanic. The only case where some slight degree of persistence can be found outside of FSD wakes is in open play, assuming that anyone else is present in a system, which requires players to deal with one of the most toxic and unpleasant communities I`ve ever had the displeasure of dealing with, in any game.
This was really less of a feature suggestion and more of a plea to FD to make the game actually work. I`m not asking for much - I`m not asking for an ofline mode, or for the ships we were promised at release to be implemented, or a ship`s log, or a route finder that actually works. I just want a game that doesn`t feel like an alpha, despite having been released almost a month ago.