Uniformity of Rules for PC / NPC

[shadragon]

I'd like to request uniform rules be applied between PC and NPC. Basically, if I can't do it then NPC's shouldn't be able to either.

I've noticed several inequities lately. Feel free to add more if you've seen some.

1) NPC (Notably Sidewinder / Eagle opponents) who can recharge their shields at least 3-5 times faster than me when I have A-rated shields/PP/Distributor and 4 pips to SYS.

2) Ability for NPC Wings to form with more than 4 members.

Spoiler

3) NPC's who blow chaff can negate my scans until the cloud wears off. If I use chaff when scanned, nothing of substance happens and it completes. Personally, I'd like this feature to work if I'm being scanned by a security ship with illict goodies on board.

4) NPC's who use silent running to stop my scans and break my target lock, but when I use silent running their scans can complete and they have no trouble targeting me with gimbals and turrets.

The rule base and game mechanics should apply to all equally IMHO. Then everyone knows where they stand, how the universe works and can detect bugs / errors easier.

 

[Riedquat]

I disagree with point #2, I think it's more fun to have larger Npc wings.

I saw a wing once that was around 12-13 ships, it reminded me of the old games when I used to get swarmed by Kraits.

Alas, my ship wasnt good enough for the challenge.

 

[Bertrand Du Guesclin]

1) It could be that those NPCs have very small shields : a class 2 D shield will come back up a lot quicker than a class 3 A for example.

2) Most i've seen recently is a wing of 8. I'm okay with it, if they are all wanted it ads to the challenge of killing them all.

3) Yes, that would indeed be nice

4) hm I think technically Silent Running only reduces greatly the distance at which your ship can be detected/targeted/scanned. If the NPC scanning you is close enough, going silent won't stop his scan. The same should apply to you scanning NPCs.

 

[LittleJP]

NPCs still ignore mass lock when low waking.

 

[Janichsan]

1) NPC (Notably Sidewinder / Eagle opponents) who can recharge their shields at least 3-5 times faster than me when I have A-rated shields/PP/Distributor and 4 pips to SYS.

The ships that do this have smaller shields. They recharge faster but are significantly weaker.

 

[Para Handy]

NPCs still ignore mass lock when low waking.

This is absolutely infuriating, the number of times a NPC pirate viper, eagle or adder has low-waked away from my python is disgusting, makes you feel like not wasting the time to KWS them before blowing them away.

 

[KaizoMK]

I'd like to request uniform rules be applied between PC and NPC. Basically, if I can't do it then NPC's shouldn't be able to either.

I've noticed several inequities lately. Feel free to add more if you've seen some.

1) NPC (Notably Sidewinder / Eagle opponents) who can recharge their shields at least 3-5 times faster than me when I have A-rated shields/PP/Distributor and 4 pips to SYS.

2) Ability for NPC Wings to form with more than 4 members.

Spoiler

View attachment 49201

3) NPC's who blow chaff can negate my scans until the cloud wears off. If I use chaff when scanned, nothing of substance happens and it completes. Personally, I'd like this feature to work if I'm being scanned by a security ship with illict goodies on board.

4) NPC's who use silent running to stop my scans and break my target lock, but when I use silent running their scans can complete and they have no trouble targeting me with gimbals and turrets.

The rule base and game mechanics should apply to all equally IMHO. Then everyone knows where they stand, how the universe works and can detect bugs / errors easier.

Let's see...

1) smaller shields recharge faster. They also deplete super fast. This is the same no matter who you look at.

2) This is an npc perk I'm okay with, although a wing of 8 would be nice for pc's.

3) this has been noted by the devs and they're going to look into it....likely will stop chaff from implementing this effect.

4) distance is a factor here - you can still detect if you're really close.


Frankly, I'm okay with having npc's having little perks like full wings as well as ships and weapons not released yet. They need that edge until their AI gets tuned to the flavor of crazy.

 

[HurstLlama]

... it reminded me of the old games when I used to get swarmed by Kraits....

Ah, but in the old days one could mount a rearward firing military laser and then run away just fast enough to drop them one by one as they chased you.

 

[Han_Zen]

Let's see...

1) smaller shields recharge faster. They also deplete super fast. This is the same no matter who you look at.

2) This is an npc perk I'm okay with, although a wing of 8 would be nice for pc's.

3) this has been noted by the devs and they're going to look into it....likely will stop chaff from implementing this effect.

4) distance is a factor here - you can still detect if you're really close.


Frankly, I'm okay with having npc's having little perks like full wings as well as ships and weapons not released yet. They need that edge until their AI gets tuned to the flavor of crazy.

4) Heat signature is a big factor as well. Small ships will drop from scanner more easily. Popping a heat sink as you enter silent running will make almost anyone invincible.

 

[Vasious]

The ships that do this have smaller shields. They recharge faster but are significantly weaker.

Yeah check out the recharge time for the Federal Condor or Imperial Fighter, very quick, but not much to it either

 

[HectorW]

Invisible interdictions - sometimes when on the mission and dont want to be interdicted I actively avoid ships in SC.
All for nothing as usually near the station, nothing on the scanner ...bam! interdiction.
I dont complain really, one can play minigame or submit and fight or run obviously.
But it is really annoying and fits this topic I belive - NPCs are using some magic we cant.
I say - make them tougher, more intelligent (those Eagles pulling Anaconda from SC - really ?)
but remove those silly magic advantages.

 

[Frank]

Ah, but in the old days one could mount a rearward firing military laser and then run away just fast enough to drop them one by one as they chased you.

That tactic still works, only this time you've slammed your ship into reverse and you're using your front guns.

 

[vanrael]

Lets not make it only "I want what NPC's can do!" and give them what we can do too, dont you think ? It would be really "cool" to see NPC's spaming SCB xD

 

[Coolgroove]

1) Lower grade/class shields...

2) No problem here - the more the better for assasination missions (;

3) It would be great if PC chaff could slow down scans

4) donno about that

NPCs still ignore mass lock when low waking.

And this one is the most annoying!

 

[shadragon]

All I'm after is consistency at the end of the day. The game mechanics should be like gravity; the effects are felt by everyone equally.

Large Wings are exciting until you have to take down 12 ships by yourself to complete a time sensitive mission. I had a Wing of two hand me my Asp last night in a NAV point. A Wing of twelve is moronic with SJA's new enhanced AI.

In the Total War game series the computer controlled army opposing me has the same weapon and movement limitations as myself. Beating them requires an understanding of those limits and an application of tactics to take advantage of them. In E: D our opponents have access to tools and tricks that we don't. That's both unrealistic and immersion breaking.

 

[RingoD123]

Yeah unfortunately the NPC's are rubbish, which is why FD have to make them cheat so obviously (all NPC's in any game generally "cheat" under the hood), but you're not supposed to SEE the NPC's obviously cheating to "match your skill", just typical poor design which I have more than come to expect from Frontier.
The problem being that it is so obvious it completely kills any immersion of being part of the galaxy, instead you feel like you've been dropped into the NPC's galaxy, who visibly play by different rules to the player, this isn't OUR galaxy any more, its the NPC's.
oh and I find "enhanced AI" rather laughable, they havnt been enhanced at all, they have just been giving faster thrusters, more powerful weapons, better shields etc, its a joke.

 

[lysan]

The NPCs are still not up to it. Some need a better AI and not fudged mechanics. Probably it's not that easy to code the AI so that the NPCs seems like real players.

 

[n13L5]

I disagree with point #2, I think it's more fun to have larger Npc wings.

I saw a wing once that was around 12-13 ships, it reminded me of the old games when I used to get swarmed by Kraits.

Alas, my ship wasnt good enough for the challenge.

I liked that with the larger wings... One time had 12 pirate ships in a strong signal source, and they all turned red on me at once. I used a lot of shield cells and probably still would have had to run away after a few kills if not 4 system security ships showed up a couple of minutes into the fight.

I'm a mediocre combat pilot in Elite, but that was still doable and fun in a Python. I think in my FurryLance though, I would have had to run before the security ships even showed up.

Maybe I'm just not flying it right, but trying to boost away and so only having to fight the fastest ships at first never really worked out.

 

[Arindor]

NPCs hurtling towards stations and disengaging SC at higher speeds (or so it appears from my PoV). Hurtling towards stars and able to stay in SC within the gravity well. Basically, NPCs should only be able to do what we do. Love the difficulty increase though.

 

[FuzzySpider]

3) NPC's who blow chaff can negate my scans until the cloud wears off. If I use chaff when scanned, nothing of substance happens and it completes. Personally, I'd like this feature to work if I'm being scanned by a security ship with illict goodies on board.

4) NPC's who use silent running to stop my scans and break my target lock, but when I use silent running their scans can complete and they have no trouble targeting me with gimbals and turrets.

Are you using class A or class D scanners?