(04-22-2018, 01:34 PM)Skorak Wrote: I'm all up for more ideas. I think the amount of enemy npc's needs to be reduced too. Especially the strong ones. But for that we need to find a solution where not everyone and their mother unites.
What about Generic Pirate PvE NPCs? Everyone in the galaxy seems to want to team up against the "Evil Cultist Super Menace," but if you instead offered up a set of fellow ransacking individuals coming together to loot and pillage, odds are some of the local pirates might want to support them (If only to go "Okay, yeah, you're on our turf. Share and share alike, 'ya dig?).
Then what you could do is thus: Players wanting to shoot the pirates get Sci-Data drops as per usual; kill and tractor in loot. But, if players instead opt to help the pirates, any who assist would receive a lump sum of Sci-Data from an Admin-controlled ship once the event concludes, if the pirates win.
This way, you offer two methods of obtaining Sci-Data for an event, with the more appealing one (The lump sum) being offered to the bad guys, which seem to be sorely needed during PvE events.
Also, please, pleaseplease set up some PvE events that cater to those not in Europe. I am desperate for an event that doesn't take place while I'm sleeping or at work!
As for what ships these Pirate NPCs could use, I would recommend possibly either the now-recycled LWB or RoS ships and weapons for fighters/bombers, or perhaps even both to give them a rag-tag feel. Mix in some Rheinland Pirate Cruisers and Montantes for good measure. Perhaps a uniquely-pirate-skinned, stolen battleship or battlecruiser would make for a good Admin-controlled NPC event ship instead of using a Bustard? You know, to make it feel different from the Cultists.
Or even an Osiris could work - Those things are old and have been in multiple faction hands and seen a lot of combat. I wouldn't be surprised to see a bunch of pirates make their way into Omicron Minor to tow off the hull of the Isis and patch it up into workable usability. . .
Maybe give them Pelicans sporting Charons and Firestalkers. Or Voyagers toting LWB Destroyers and Hades Pulse Cannons.