The shame! Slapped down by an NPC.

[dunkreid]

Not an elite Anaconda, or a scripted mission, but a random interdiction just cost me 3 million credits (2m cargo, 1m insurance) when it introduced my T7 to an npc Asp.

I didn't immediately boost off after submitting as I was interested to see how my 4 turreted pulse lasers behaved with a larger ship. That was poor judgment on my part. By the time I'd noticed the asp was sporting dual rail guns, my (A4) shields were offline and I was inevitably dust, being unable to maneuver out its sights with D grade thrusters.

I've read some posts recently on how the AI has improved, but I hadn't seen anything about NPCs having more lethal loadouts, and this Asp was certainly the most "exotic" I've seen. To be honest, I'd become complacent about being able to either out run or destroy interdicting ships, so was slovenly in my decision making.

Are we, at last, encountering the "danger" in relation to NPCs?

I'm not sure what I could have done differently to have avoided being owned by that asp (I was considering mirror armour prior to that encounter because most NPCs use lasers, but that would have been useless against the railguns).

Your thoughts? As a trader, have you changed your defensive strategy or tactics or loadout to recognise more potent NPCs? I play in Open btw, but rarely meet aggressive players.

Regards Cmdrs
Duncan

 

[Sim Maker]

Hold Tight....

Once "The Fix" is in, you wont even be able to boost away...........interdiction will mean death to new players......grab popcorn, the forums will melt down.........

 

[MilkyBarKid]

Yep NPC ships now have better AI with even more improvements to come apparently. I have also noticed better load outs.

I got a nasty surprise from a railed up Asp by being nonchalant initially but luckily was in my python so never got to hull damage. Not surprised you died. Spices the game up all for the better tho

Best to......"RUN FOREST RUN!!!!"

 

[Rubbernuke]

Once saw a dual plasma cannon and laser targeted Cobra at a nav point....scared the shell out of me.

 

[Cmdr Pli55ken]

I've read some posts recently on how the AI has improved, but I hadn't seen anything about NPCs having more lethal loadouts

Occasionally they had lethal loadouts even pre patch. Once I got my A-Grade Viper handed to me within 3 seconds after interdiction by what may have been an Asp or a Cobra (not enough time to be sure. All I saw was massive fire coming my way).
The AI is perfect at not being disoriented after a successfull interdiction. If they changed that one, small detail things might look a bit different.

 

[MegaGame]

herer is an idea, dont sumit to the interdiction, then you can get away.

 

[Elfman]

Got cocky at a nav point in my clipper vs an elite adder - I should have checked his load out the multi burst spitting plasma thingy and 2 rails left me with a 50k bounty from killing him but he managed to do 30% hull damage - 200k to fix was a duh moment that now I always check there load outs even if its a little Adder

 

[dunkreid]

Not surprised you died. Spices the game up all for the better tho

Best to......"RUN FOREST RUN!!!!"

I agree, but I'm not sure what I'd do differently to escape this scenario in future. Superior thrusters is about the only thing that would make a difference, I think. And I'm not sure whether that difference would be significant enough. I should be able to mitigate against this increased threat, but I'm not sure the game allows me to do so. Where are the old school energy bombs as a last resort?!

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herer is an idea, dont sumit to the interdiction, then you can get away.

Try that in a T7.

 

[EddyRockSteady]

No disrespect intended, but the T-7 is an absolute disaster as far as combat or any type of offensive capability is concerned. It's absolute rubbish! Little wonder you got beaten like a red-headed stepchild going up against an Asp.

 

[dunkreid]

Got cocky at a nav point in my clipper vs an elite adder - I should have checked his load out the multi burst spitting plasma thingy and 2 rails left me with a 50k bounty from killing him but he managed to do 30% hull damage - 200k to fix was a duh moment that now I always check there load outs even if its a little Adder

Yeah, I scrolled down his load out. 2 pulse lasers...some shields...no bother...oh, 2 rails...boom! Haha! Don't get me wrong, I'm up for this, it's just an unannounced change of gear (pardon the pun).

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No disrespect intended, but the T-7 is an absolute disaster as far as combat or any type of offensive capability is concerned. It's absolute rubbish! Little wonder you got beaten like a red-headed stepchild going up against an Asp.

I know this, and have no illusions about its offensive capability. What I wished to try out was its defensive capability. And I (or it, or both) was rotten at even basic defensive stuff against a modestly lethal Asp load out. And I didn't go up against it. I was trying to run. Got rails up my a r s e to prove it!

 

[MaraJade]

I would say Chaff's make a big difference. I've been bounty hunting in my T-7 lately as I've been trying my set up. It's worked great so far. With 1.1 the number of interdiction has gone up two fold, so I figured I'd be ready for them. Most for me happen just before my station, but last night I was attacked in an Anarchy system by an Asp. I ended up getting that rat down to 2% hull remaining as I boosted to chase, the then they Jumped out and was gone. Chasing is not a strong point of the T-7

The other thing to keep them in your sights is to take off flight assist. Other tricks I use is full reverse (keeps them in my sights longer).

Anyway here is a pic of my load out and a 2 battles I was in. This load out seems to work really well for me. I have 2 turret weapons and I have chaffs on a button 2. As they get close, I chaff away.

View attachment 15548View attachment 15549

 

[Dogthinker]

I'm not sure what I could have done differently to have avoided being owned by that asp (I was considering mirror armour prior to that encounter because most NPCs use lasers, but that would have been useless against the railguns).

I think you're supposed to dump some cargo to distract him, then run. If it's a pirate NPC, that should be all it takes. That said, I'm not sure if that strategy still works once you open fire (or before it, I've never been interdicted in anything that couldn't fight back.)

 

[OldSalt]

I was seeing far more tooled up NPC's yesterday while bounty hunting, the Eagles with a Rail gun on the top mount were enough to make you sit up and take notice (so damn accurate) but the bigger ships with serious weaponry were to be treated with respect if you wanted to avoid big bills when you put back in to port. Seeing those blue firebolts zipping past t he canopy certainly focuses the mind !!

 

[dunkreid]

I've been bounty hunting in my T-7 lately

Ha, you are mental!

And rep for that!

 

[Scoob]

The C1 Turreted weapons are so very inaccurate, that's their weakness. I fitted a couple of Pulse Laser turrets to my Type 6 and even with careful manoeuvring they missed more than they hit, I'd say 4:1 miss ratio at least. I switched to one C1 Beam Laser Turret plus a C1 Cannon Turret and the Cannon emptied a full clip at a Cobra and didn't hit once, the Beam laser didn't do much better.

Of course the Type 6 also has very limited coverage with just the two lower hard points, manoeuvring gives them the best possible chance, but they're just too inaccurate to be useful really. Considering the cost of the C1 Beams they should be VERY accurate and less easily spoofed by Chaff than a Gimballed laser.

But yeah, a well equipped Asp should own even the best T7. So there's no shame in your defeat I'm flying an Asp currently and have had Expert pilots in Cobras kiting around me like pros, all the while pummelling me with heavy weapons.

AI's can be very very good indeed, which does make me worry if being interdicted = forced combat in the future. If you're in a heavy trade ship, you'd be unlike to out manoeuvre a more nimble craft, so will loose the mini-game. If you're then forced into combat you're basically stuffed! I hope they allow us to placate NPC's by dropping some cargo...assuming you're carrying any! I'd hope a T6/7 with half way decent thrusters and a good distributor will at least have a chance of boosting away while the FSD cools. I also hope they don't put an artificial cool-down penalty on the FSD either, just use the standard cool-down mechanic.

Scoob.

 

[dunkreid]

I think you're supposed to dump some cargo to distract him, then run. If it's a pirate NPC, that should be all it takes. That said, I'm not sure if that strategy still works once you open fire (or before it, I've never been interdicted in anything that couldn't fight back.)

Hmm, no demands were forthcoming. Not a gentlemanly transaction as with Tigga or such like. I was just shot up.

 

[MaraJade]

Ha, you are mental!

And rep for that!

Thank you my good man.

I'll most likely be streaming in a bit if you want to watch.

 

[Deleted member 38366]

-- Deleted --

 

[dunkreid]

Uhh...

You found out the hard way that Turrets cease to be of any use after no more than 5sec of sustained fire.

You may not even have noticed it - but Turrets suffer from a progressing loss of accuracy when firing continously.
That means they'll still deplete your precious Capacitor Energy to no end - but literally won't hit anything anymore. And I mean not anything.

Their aim then wanders all over the place, as if the Target was permanently tossing out hughe Chaff clouds you couldn't possibly manually achieve, not even with 4 Chaff launchers firing simultaneously.

The only solution :
Fit offensive Weapons (Gimbals) into your Ships. Forget turrets completely (until the issue is acknowledged and fixed - which AFAIK so far isn't even remotely the case).

Workaround :
Ensure your Turrets leave their firing envelope every 2-3 Seconds. And I mean that : every 2-3 seconds.
Either maneuver your Ship (i.e. reversing max. speed in FA off and playing with Pitch) or permanently roll it, so that any top and bottom turrets only fire for that brief period of time.

Alternatively (haven't tested that Option), repeatedly switch Firing Mode from Target Only/Fire at will to Forward Fire and back. Every 2-3 Seconds.

It's your only chance to achieve and repeatedly regain the normal accuracy and Weapon effectiveness of Turrets.
Anytime they lose firing Envelope (even for a split second, that's enough) and regain it - their accuracy is magically and instantly restored. For those mere 2-3 seconds.

Although I don't use them anymore for their myriad of issues and failures - I used to do that Pitch Up, Down, Up, Down game (FA off) and enjoyed even tiny Class 1 turrets firing with pinpoint accuracy even over 2km Range (that initial level of extreme accuracy lasts only less than 1sec).

Thanks for the turret advice. The only reason I had them fitted was so that I didn't have to run away from stock sidewinders. I really have no appetite to fight anything in a T7 but was interested in whether the turrets were any use at all. I would contend that they're mostly useless, even as a last resort defensive weapon. Gimbals on a T7 with D thrusters are probably useless too. But I'll keep this advice in mind, thank you.

 

[Scoob]

I did notice that both my Beam and Pulse C1 turrets were only accurate at extreme close range, so under 500m and better at 300m. The Cannon couldn't hit crap if I was parked on it lol

Scoob.