Psycho Cops

Yomamas Fett · Jul 16, 2015

Anyone else getting this recently(I've only seen it these lasr few days)?

Caveat: I do have a 400K warrant on my head in Bunda (A Winters Control system, earned by undermining), and I do like to take the smuggling missions, although I've never been caught, so no fines and I often have "Report Crimes Against Me" turned off (unfortunately).

Last few days I've been getting plagued by Psycho Cops, no scan, no written warning (that I've spotted) Clean in my ALD home systems, they just chase after me (always Vipers) and start opening up.

Not wanted locally, Allied with local Empire factions and in my home ALD exploited systems...yet the cops do not scan, they just open up, and it's always a lone wolf Viper...so far.

I've been shot at on Outpost landing pads...twice. And once was engaging a wanted Anaconda and Vulture that I had interdicted when the Psycho Viper cop showed up and attacked me instantly. Outpost doesn't fire at Psycho Cop, even though he's firing in the no-fire zone. The Psycho Cop is always clean and from a faction I am Allied to.

Very wierd AI behaviour indeed.

Darioq · Jul 16, 2015

It's not just you, had this happen about a week ago.

Was coming in to land at Shajn Market-Kamadhenu doing some PP nonsense and a npc security service viper got it into their head that I was a threat. I was smuggling some stuff in at the time while waiting for my next power allotment and wasn't scanned, but they opened up regardless.

They were still there 5 minutes later when I left and started firing again as I jumped out. Very strange.

Mr_Blastman · Jul 16, 2015

So kill him. Then he can't come back! Unless he's named Jason. Or is it Freddy? Oh my.

Yomamas Fett · Jul 16, 2015

Mr_Blastman said:
So kill him. Then he can't come back! Unless he's named Jason. Or is it Freddy? Oh my.

Report crimes was turned off, so clean cop not becomming wanted....tell you what you kill the clean cop at the outposts NFZ and tell me how that works out for you

@Darioq
I wonder if it's to do with smuggling, I had done multiple runs to those outposts, so maybe it was a corrupt cop (as there was no scan); strange that the Psycho Cop dropped into an interdiction instance to head straight for me though.

Carradin · Jul 16, 2015

As a matter of fact, I just ran into one of these during a smuggling run. From a faction allied with me, no less. He was working with a pirate in a Vulture (not in a wing, but they kept showing up together), and when he first jumped in after I was interdicted, I assumed he was there to help me. I have report crimes on, after all. But nope, he went on to attack me instead of the wanted pirate. He never gained a wanted tag either, despite nearly taking down my shields while I waited for the wanted tag to show up so I could kill him without penalty. He never scanned me, so he had no reason to be hostile.

Eventually I just jumped out, but he and his pirate pal hounded me all the way to my destination, where I eventually ended up killing the pirate as he jumped in right in front of me as I was boosting towards the entry slot. Which, naturally, got me a wanted tag for murder as I was speeding... even though I was 10km out and the ship I destroyed was wanted. I was allowed to kill him with my guns, the station would have killed him if he'd followed me in, but apparently ramming criminals is reprehensible

The authority ships around the station never scanned me though, so I was able to land safely.

I love the fact that pirates will now follow you and attempt several interdictions (and they even keep their status between them - guy whose shields I'd dropped were still down on the next interdiction), but we shouldn't be put into a position where it is illegal for us to defend ourselves when, as far as the authority knows, we've done nothing wrong. As mentioned, I was never scanned, so the authority ship had no cause to attack me instead of the pirate - and even if I had been scanned, smuggling just gives a fine, not a death sentence.

Anyway, I bugged the bit about the psycho cop not getting a wanted tag, as well as the bit about ramming criminals being penalized (if you're allowed to kill them, it shouldn't matter how). But the part about the pirates following you is amazing. Adds so much tension to the game

GeneralIdea1964 · Jul 16, 2015

Darioq said:
It's not just you, had this happen about a week ago.

Was coming in to land at Shajn Market-Kamadhenu doing some PP nonsense and a npc security service viper got it into their head that I was a threat. I was smuggling some stuff in at the time while waiting for my next power allotment and wasn't scanned, but they opened up regardless.

They were still there 5 minutes later when I left and started firing again as I jumped out. Very strange.

Yes happened to me. The seem to KNOW you have illegal stuff on board so don't bother checking.
Random Stop anyone!? ;

Yomamas Fett · Jul 16, 2015

Did anyone spot any text message from the Cop? I've not noticed any of the times (been in station or about to dock or in combat when Psycho Cop showed up guns blazing.

I wonder if he says anything that might help us understand what is going on?

Kobune · Jul 16, 2015

I had it several times in the past few days when I was running a lot of smuggling missions. The authority ships tried to interdict me in my allied system before they could possibly have any hint that I was carrying illicit cargo. The first time I was too close to a planet so I lost the interdiction almost instantly. That cops yelled "Criminal!" and opened fire as soon as we dropped to normal space. He didn't gain wanted status even though I have the report option on. I checked my rep panel and I didn't get fined, so he never scanned me. I spared his life and jumped away, only to get interdicted again before I reached my destination. Not sure if it was the same cop or not but this time he got thrown into normal space alone.

I never had any authority interdiction before except the two occasions when I flew to neutral Alliance space to claim bounties. I thought about reporting this as a bug but always forgot it when I logged out from the game.

Edit:

Yomamas Fett said:
Did anyone spot any text message from the Cop? I've not noticed any of the times (been in station or about to dock or in combat when Psycho Cop showed up guns blazing.

I wonder if he says anything that might help us understand what is going on?

I think these allied psycho said the same as those neutral Alliance cops, "Commander, stop for authority scan" and something like that.

FunGas · Jul 16, 2015

I thought this was a thread about the orbiting authority deliberately getting in your way, even after you move out of their flightpath and try & boost past them...

Yomamas Fett · Jul 16, 2015

FunGas said:
I thought this was a thread about the orbiting authority deliberately getting in your way, even after you move out of their flightpath and try & boost past them...

This is different, that's Nuisance Cop, he just get's in your way.

Psycho Cop just comes gunning straight for you, no scan, weapons hot; docking in the no-fire zone, sitting on the pad before take-off, even in your interdiction instances against Pirates you've ripped out of SC, Psycho Cop turns up and starts blasting at you right away.

EDIT: It's quite funny actually watching him repeatedly strafing the Outpost while you enter and exit the hanger, IIRC we are immune from damage while clamped on the pad, not sure if we can be scanned by NPCs on the pad though....not that Psycho Cop ever scans you!

Darioq · Jul 16, 2015

Yomamas Fett said:
Did anyone spot any text message from the Cop? I've not noticed any of the times (been in station or about to dock or in combat when Psycho Cop showed up guns blazing.

I wonder if he says anything that might help us understand what is going on?

When it happened to me he just gave me the standard "criminal detected" or whatever it is line. I remember being completely baffled as I'd just dropped out of SC about 9km from Shajn Market.

Darioq · Jul 16, 2015

Yomamas Fett said:
@Darioq
I wonder if it's to do with smuggling, I had done multiple runs to those outposts, so maybe it was a corrupt cop (as there was no scan); strange that the Psycho Cop dropped into an interdiction instance to head straight for me though.

This would make sense as I've done multiple smuggling runs in the area (no doubt irritating some other local factions), although I tend to believe it's a bug over intentional design.

Comrade Napoleon · Jul 16, 2015

This is indeed worrying

One of Sarah's minions have gone roque and is now indiscriminately killing and wrecking havoc and is disguised as a cop

MRS. SJA please fix this, we don want psykos in this game! ...... wait

MRS. SJA Forget about that, dont worry, please carry on

Cheers Cmdr's

Ozimandeus · Jul 16, 2015

Comrade Napoleon said:
MRS. SJA Forget about that, dont worry, please carry on

Cheers Cmdr's

LOL! +1 Rep

Mr_Blastman · Jul 17, 2015

Yomamas Fett said:
Report crimes was turned off, so clean cop not becomming wanted....tell you what you kill the clean cop at the outposts NFZ and tell me how that works out for you

I kill cops all the time. Sometimes I do it just for fun.

bajab · Jul 17, 2015

I thought it was just because I am new to the game and didn't understand it properly yet, but every single fight I have been in where cops were involved, they attacked me.

First time, I got interdicted by a 'wanted', took a few hits before I managed to get a shot off (I really suck at dogfighting), then a couple of cops in vipers came in and destroyed me.

Second time, I was out looking for pirates for a mission. Came across one already involved in a fight with cops (red "mission target" message came up). I opened fire on him and was then immediately executed by the cop vipers.

Most recent time, I was out hunting a specific target, found and engaged him, then the cops appeared and started shooting me. I managed to run away to the station only to get nuked as my docking computer was bringing me in for a landing.

I was not wanted at any time before the cops appeared, but once my turrents start shooting back (they were on fire at will), I get flagged.

Now I am avoiding combat missions.

Herik · Jul 17, 2015

Yomamas Fett said:
Anyone else getting this recently(I've only seen it these lasr few days)?

Caveat: I do have a 400K warrant on my head in Bunda (A Winters Control system, earned by undermining), and I do like to take the smuggling missions, although I've never been caught, so no fines and I often have "Report Crimes Against Me" turned off (unfortunately).

Last few days I've been getting plagued by Psycho Cops, no scan, no written warning (that I've spotted) Clean in my ALD home systems, they just chase after me (always Vipers) and start opening up.

Not wanted locally, Allied with local Empire factions and in my home ALD exploited systems...yet the cops do not scan, they just open up, and it's always a lone wolf Viper...so far.

I've been shot at on Outpost landing pads...twice. And once was engaging a wanted Anaconda and Vulture that I had interdicted when the Psycho Viper cop showed up and attacked me instantly. Outpost doesn't fire at Psycho Cop, even though he's firing in the no-fire zone. The Psycho Cop is always clean and from a faction I am Allied to.

Very wierd AI behaviour indeed.

Tsk tsk, definitely Psycho cop chops...

Udayana · Jul 17, 2015

Comrade Napoleon said:
This is indeed worrying

One of Sarah's minions have gone roque and is now indiscriminately killing and wrecking havoc and is disguised as a cop

MRS. SJA please fix this, we don want psykos in this game! ...... wait

MRS. SJA Forget about that, dont worry, please carry on

Cheers Cmdr's

All this post about how weak the AI in the game is made Sarah mad and turn into developing the first working AGI. Now it has gone rogue. Be afraid, be very afraid and forget the thargoids! we got much bigger problem now..