Why are interdictions single-ship affairs? Wouldn't pirates work in packs - two or three ships interdicting together, or joining after the interdiction to take down the prey?
Pirate wolf packs?
- Thread starter Altissimus
- Start date
The Wing feature (arriving soon) will allow pirates to operate as a small group. The most recent comment I remember from an FDEV about this, was that interdictions would still be a 1v1 contest performed by one member of the Wing vs. the target. The rest of the Wing members will have to manually fly into the SC exit wake to help out after a successful interdiction. Same thing for any escorts flying with the targeted ship.
We don't know exactly how any of this will work yet, so stay tuned.
We don't know exactly how any of this will work yet, so stay tuned.
The devs have stressed that with wings they want the commander to always have an easy way of seeing where their wingmate is, and ways to get to them.
I'm really looking forward to it!
I'm really looking forward to it!
Well this is what happens now so I hope Wings will improve the mechanics somehow. .
With proper communication this could be very intresting. Escort wings could either choose to meet them head-on or instead to identify potential pirate wing members and pre emptively peel off to interdict so they can't easily support the piracy act. Traders with a few decent offensive measures then have light fighter support so they get a chance to soften them up whilst the fighters harrass the pirates left to attend the would be feast, then the survivors reconvene to settle the outcome. ^^
I think the aim is to make it much easier, I would expect the ability to always track your wing members in Supercruise and SC exit into their instance would make the most sense.
I think some of the differences will be color-coded icons in the scanner for your wingmen, and possibly a SC exit wake with your Wing color, so you can tell where to join the interdiction. Something like that. Also probably a private comms channel, free transfer of cargo between Wing ships without it being marked stolen, and no friendly fire (no automatic bounties if a wingman gets in the way).
Some of that's from the DDA on Wings (used to be "Alliance") and some from FDEV hints. We should know more soon.
As long as the AI also eventually hunts in packs I'll be happy. In the either 1.06 release thread or the server update thread (can't remember which of the top of my head) Michael Brookes stated that this has been 'discussed' only. I was kind of hoping that it would be up front and in 1.1. 
AI in packs would be interesting. There was also discussion in the now not-so-relevant DDA's about being able to hire NPC wingmen. That might be the only reasonable way to at least partially balance player Wings, if that starts to tilt things too heavily into Wings being an automatic "I Win" button in the Open mode.
We all know that NPC AI isn't that great, but certain combinations of ships and weapons are still good for delaying the fight. One human player with three NPC Cobra or Asp escorts in a Wing would at least give the player a fighting chance.
We all know that NPC AI isn't that great, but certain combinations of ships and weapons are still good for delaying the fight. One human player with three NPC Cobra or Asp escorts in a Wing would at least give the player a fighting chance.
I dropped in to an USS looking for a pirate Lord to knock off, lo and behold there he was in his anaconda
as I'm prepping, suddenly there appears another NPC who starts attacking him also, so we both got at him
I AM a one man wolf pack....
Anyways, back in topic. Back before Gamma NPCs would interdict in groups alot, but they changed it and it doesnt happen as often.
Anyways, back in topic. Back before Gamma NPCs would interdict in groups alot, but they changed it and it doesnt happen as often.
I don't know if this is related, but last night bounty hunting in uss zones twice I dropped in on multiple targets. As soon as I scanned the first one they all turned red on me and started attacking. Made it interesting fighting multiple targets. They were all sidewinder and eagles ----no match for my viper
They'll have to do something to make it possible for Wing members to follow each other into an interdiction instance, in time to make a difference. Especially for traders with escorts, because a lone trader can be killed pretty quick if the escorts don't arrive in time. For combat Wings attacking other combat Wings, you'll want your buddies to arrive in a timely fashion too.
Originally the Wing was supposed to have their drives slaved together for automatic travel in and out of SC and hyperspace, but that was ditched in favor of having some (as yet undisclosed) method to keep the Wing together. It will still involve some manual flying skill apparently, and that's a good thing, I think.
It won't work. Human players will go for the main asset, the human trader ship, no matter what and crack his hatch open, kill his drive, and then and only then we will turn on the NPC escort.
Traders better start to work on their social skills and plane their caravan Wings already, for pirates are eager for this to happen.
Yes, I suspect it will be the same result if the trader has player fighter escorts, although numbers will still matter if the attacking Wing is under full strength.
I'm very curious to see how this all plays out, because the pirate vs. trader interaction is already hampered by poor comms in this game (for various reasons), and this Wing feature would seem to give far more useful tools to pirates than their prey. What's the balancing factor, if there is one? Does Open mode become a place where there is no point in flying if you're not in a Wing?
The same tools are given to all players. The effective use of the tools will vary from player to player, which is many times confused with "unbalance".
The higher powers forbid us all for playing a multi player open world without playing with other players... Yes it is intended that you go multi player. That is the whole concept of a multi player game. To play with buddies and against.