VIDEO Hardest 1on1 NPC battle yet (Fed Dropship "Expert" NPC vs. mostly-stock Eagle)

Tim Wheatley · Nov 24, 2014

Federal Dropship (Expert NPC) versus a largely stock Eagle (which I am new to, and have only so far altered weapons on). This was a pretty epic struggle that lasted just over ten minutes. Probably my hardest one-on-one NPC battle to-date. Seeing the NPC actually change weapon selection, etc, was very cool. Plus the constant need to evade his defense turrets made things very interesting!

The bounty was 14,849 CR. The fire, smoke, and cracks in my canopy didn't worry me one bit... No...

[video=youtube;6R5bDAUJbns]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R5bDAUJbns[/video]

As soon as he blew up I logged out for the night. Always good to end on a high note... lol Though it might be time for a few ship upgrades! And it's quite fun to step out of the Sidewinder, ok, I admit it.

Cmdr Cheese Wedge · Nov 24, 2014

O_0 That was totally mad! thanks Tim made my night, Shaun Sharples was one tough cookie. even his destroyed hulk wanted to take you out!

gamecat · Nov 24, 2014

Good fight Sir. That boost near the end must have scrapped paint off of your ship.

Tim Wheatley · Nov 24, 2014

gamecat said:
Good fight Sir. That boost near the end must have scrapped paint off of your ship.

Yeah, that was CLOSE. But I think the Track IR helps a bit to give you spacial awareness.

I didn't think I was as close as I was though!

Morbad · Nov 24, 2014

Looks like he had a blind spot on the bottom, might have gone better if you tried to stay in it rather than joust so much. Still, you got him in the end and that's what counts.

McCloud · Nov 24, 2014

That was fun to watch! I hope I'll be able to maneuver like that someday. Well done!

Tim Wheatley · Nov 24, 2014

Morbad said:
Looks like he had a blind spot on the bottom, might have gone better if you tried to stay in it rather than joust so much. Still, you got him in the end and that's what counts.

I was trying to do that pretty hard, but it seemed (could be me placing behaviours on the NPC) he was doing eveything he could to protect the bottom...

Morbad · Nov 24, 2014

Tim Wheatley said:
I was trying to do that pretty hard, but it seemed (could be me placing behaviours on the NPC) he was doing eveything he could to protect the bottom...

The higher rank ones definitely try to maneuver so their guns and turrets can hit you. Need a lot of lateral and vertical thruster work to stay in a blind spot for any length of time, especially if nothing else is around to distract them.

Kernel Kwatz! · Nov 24, 2014

Good to see the NPCs put on their big boy pants. I got obliterated by a sidewinder yesterday. It the first time in a good while that such a thing has happened and I aint no great shakes at combat.

adoredtv · Nov 24, 2014

I had an Imperial Clipper interdict me yesterday while I was faffing around in a single-lasered Sidewinder. Got it to about 71% (it had no shields) but I was just being worn down by the odd big hit so I decided to leg it. No video sadly as I wasn't running the software at the time and had I attempted to do so while playing I'd probably have been 1-shotted.

Tim Wheatley · Nov 24, 2014

Kernel Kwatz! said:
Good to see the NPCs put on their big boy pants. I got obliterated by a sidewinder yesterday. It the first time in a good while that such a thing has happened and I aint no grate shakes at combat.

Yeah, these are the changes I have looked for in every release notes thread. Just what they might have done to up the game with the NPCs. Both 3.5 and 3.9 saw some changes that really have made this game fun whether player or NPCs.

Yabba Addict · Nov 24, 2014

If you're going up against a much bigger ship try targeting the power plant, I've had a conda go boom at 70% armour before. Good vid though

Kernel Kwatz! · Nov 25, 2014

I am enjoying the combat more these days. I don't wish to be destroy haulers who have a tragic violation. I want to dole out old fashioned retributive justice on killers and slave traders alike. It's all the more satisfying when the put up decent fight. Since gamma I'm getting more of this.

Now if only my actions had some game changing consequences for me.

Sounder Deeps · Nov 25, 2014

Awesome fight! Not meant in a mean manner but why didn't you target a subsystem? That kind of battle that could have made it much easier considering the weapons you were using and the hull HP of a FD

. Is that not working in gamma?

Tim Wheatley · Nov 25, 2014

Sounder Deeps said:
Awesome fight! Not meant in a mean manner but why didn't you target a subsystem? That kind of battle that could have made it much easier considering the weapons you were using and the hull HP of a FD . Is that not working in gamma?

It's working AFAIK, I just never remember to do it. My brain is a couple of builds behind Frontier's development progress.

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Kernel Kwatz! said:
I am enjoying the combat more these days. I don't wish to be destroy haulers who have a tragic violation. I want to dole out old fashioned retributive justice on killers and slave traders alike. It's all the more satisfying when the put up decent fight. Since gamma I'm getting more of this.

Now if only my actions had some game changing consequences for me.

They will, eventually. I think with higher combat rating and trust in certain areas you'll end up being asked to kill mafia bosses and the like... It seems a long way away, but the game would feel old too quickly if it was too easy/fast getting where you want.