Why am I getting insta-pwnd now?

[Ralph Vargr]

In my opinion a combat rank reset is a last resort. What happens when you get to your current rank again?

Buy NMS on Steam sale.

 

[[DOOK] Droogie]

Buy NMS on Steam sale.

It would have to be a good sale. I already got a refund on it.

 

[StiTch]

Come on OP - this is just a game, right? Learn and adapt. It is not reasonable to spend that amount of time away and expect that nothing will have changed when you come back. It can be done. I was Combat Elite when all the changes arrived and it was a shock to be sure. But I learned what I did wrong from each and every thrashing I received.

Some issues were fixed by simply waiting - heavily engineer-modified NPC's for example. Then I learned how to sit around in a RES - of any flavour - without being accosted so that I could pick my target. Then I learned how to get the initiative and do much damage on the alpha strike so as to shorten the amount of time they could shoot back. Then I learned how to stay on the tail of the bigger and slower ships so they couldn't bring their guns to bear. Then I learned to check certain ships for what weapons they had on board (hint: stay away from ships with railguns - they never miss!). Then I learned how to manage pips on a moment by moment basis - sys when they are landing hits, weapons when they aren't and I am, engines when I want to stay close and on their tail. Then I learned about loadouts suitable for purpose. And so on.

Mate - you just gotta accept that the game is way more fun when you master all these things and have a good battle, than it is when you are just shooting fish in a barrel. And as much as I hate having to be one of those irritating people who say "get gud" - I'm afraid that is the only answer for you - get gud! There is a learning curve but trust me when I tell you - it is worth it - in spades!

Don't cop out and get your rank lowered - learn how to run away and then learn when in a battle you should do that. Then you can try things out and escape when you need to. Generally the NPC won't boost after you - they will just go at their normal max speed and so you can usually outrun them if you can survive long enough.

You can do it! I did and believe me, I am no hotshot. I'm 67 years old and my reflexes aren't what they used to be but I am having a ball.

Top notch bloke. Some genuinely realistic but helpful advice topped off with a little humour and misuse of "git gud" for extra brownie points. Would rep twice if I could.

 

[sqzbox1]

Well spotted! I reckon most would have missed that. And thank you for the rep!

 

[Siranui]

It would have to be a good sale. I already got a refund on it.

That bad? Care to expand?

 

[Deleted member 115407]

You need a proper combat ship for combat. The Keelback is not that ship. The Cobra isn't even really good at it. The Vulture is your best bet at the lower end, but if you can't afford that yet, go with a Diamond Scout.....

get an Eagle and practice against the new AI.

Also neither the Cobra nor the Keelback are fighters....

You're going to find a lot of advice on which ships to run. What's important is to fly what works for you. The advice to buy an Eagle is good advice -- it can;t take nearly as many hits, but the maneuverability will help to keep you alive if you practice with it. On top of that, you can A-rate it and still come out with a rebuy somewhere around 100k

I enjoy great success using my Cobra III as a dogfighter, interceptor. As a CZ fighter, she's top-notch. Even better with some level 1 mods.

Never flown a Vulture, but I can imagine with two class III multicannons on it, she could be quite a hull-smasher.

 

[StiTch]

Never flown a Vulture, but I can imagine with two class III multicannons on it, she could be quite a hull-smasher.

Put incendiary rounds on, make it both shield and hull smasher

 

[Codger]

I would like to point out that missions have changed also. Before 2.1, you could not take a mission that was above your rank. Now you can. There is a bit of text in red that warns you about it, but nothing stops you from taking it, and if you're not reading carefully you can easily miss the warning.

This matters because the NPCs that come after you during a mission are assigned ranks based on the mission, not just on your rank, so you can get tougher NPCs than you get from random interdictions.

And if you take more than one of these missions, you can end up with multiple high-ranked NPCs after you.

So be aware. You still have to play smart.

 

[Deleted member 115407]

Put incendiary rounds on, make it both shield and hull smasher

Sounds like a plan. When I get around to picking one up, I'll give it a shot.

 

[[DOOK] Droogie]

That bad? Care to expand?

Indie game sold at AAA price with very little variation. If you thought ED was grindy and repetitive...

Land on a planet to collect minerals that allow you to go to another planet that looks almost exactly the same to collect minerals so you can go to another planet that looks almost exactly the same to collect minerals so you can go to another planet that looks almost exactly the same...

Not to mention horribly ported to PC. The reviews speak for themselves, though. I was getting horrible frames with a GTX 1070.

This is way off topic though. I can take it to PM's if you want.

 

[xaisis]

I used to bounty hunt a lot so I'm guessing it's not the lowest 1 or 2.

I'm reading forum and subreddit threads about all of this now. I was going to buy Horizons on the weekend, but not if I can't even survive a single battle without the help of the system police (I don't know what they're called!)

So how are the player numbers since this change? I'd love to see the results of a global player-base survey regarding people's opinions of the changes...

Not playing ATM.

But that is not cos of AI, i like the new ai. but due to the added grind and no storage.

When or if that comes, il be right back. : )

----


As for the new ai: some tips.

If you are in powerplay you will be hunted be other power npc´s. meaning random attacks on you at pretty much any place and time. so better leave powerplay.

4pips in shields will do wonders for how much damage your shields can take before they go down.

Add some shield boosters. and check your shield gen.

Check out builds.

Have a plan for if / when you are at a disadvantage in combat. (retreat, pips, low/high wake)

GL!



Lots of ppl here that would like to help with advice xD

 

[Siranui]

This is way off topic though. I can take it to PM's if you want.

No matter; I wasn't planning on buying the front cover of 70s sci-fi novel simulator. If I'm honest, it was only so I could give a mental 'Ha!' to everyone who has been saying for 6 months how NMS will leave Elite in the dust.

 

[NavyBee]

Now if only Exploration and Trade were as difficult as Combat. Then we could tell all the people complaining about it to reset their ranks there too!

This is what annoys me the most about the AI difficulty hike. Earning potential as a combat pilot with a high rank has taken a nose-dive, yet for other occupations, it's pretty much remained the same.
If the difficulty is to remain, the rewards MUST be increased.

I respectfully disagree with this observation. Have you tried simple non-Ceos/Sothis/etc. bulk trading post-2.1?

- Demand and supply fluctuate more, influenced by the BGS. This affects route scouting and transit times.
- Overall, supply of valuable trade goods (Imp Slaves, precious metals) is down. Routes last for hours up to a day, rarely longer.
- NPC pirate interdictions affect traders as well as combat pilots.
The improvements do not outweigh this.

+ Improved system security offers more help.
+ Trade missions are more profitable.
+ The range of profitable goods is wider post-2.1, depending on the BGS (system states).


P.S.: Do not get me started about PowerPlay. If any in-game "profession" got hit *really* hard... :-D

 

[JerryLove]

SORRY your taking the OP at his word how come most people whining have just come back for 9-12 months from the game ? or were killed in 5 seconds i would wager in reality he not just come back nor did it take 5 seconds to kill his ship i would say hes saying that so he doesnt come accross as a player thats learned nothing about the game since he started playing ! but then i dont beiieve what anyone says on here without video evidence to support it

Then ignore the thread!

 

[Drelthar]

I used to bounty hunt a lot so I'm guessing it's not the lowest 1 or 2.

I'm reading forum and subreddit threads about all of this now. I was going to buy Horizons on the weekend, but not if I can't even survive a single battle without the help of the system police (I don't know what they're called!)

So how are the player numbers since this change? I'd love to see the results of a global player-base survey regarding people's opinions of the changes...

Seems fine to me, seeing as many people as always (quite a lot) and know of several new players enjoying the game.

Rank of ships actually means something now. Avoid rail guns is my advice, and learn when to run like hell.

 

[Nazgutek]

SORRY your taking the OP at his word how come most people whining have just come back for 9-12 months from the game ? or were killed in 5 seconds i would wager in reality he not just come back nor did it take 5 seconds to kill his ship i would say hes saying that so he doesnt come accross as a player thats learned nothing about the game since he started playing ! but then i dont beiieve what anyone says on here without video evidence to support it

That's one excellent faith-based discussion point right there. Counterpoint: you're being just as dishonest as you accuse the OP of being, and you provide nothing to back up your claim that everyone should believe you and not the OP.

Also, twin-railgun master ranked eagle will shred shields in seconds, having seen it myself, so the NPCs are out there doing what the OP described.