' Wrote:I disagree. In fact, I'd move that NPCs should become -stronger-, especially in the vicinity of their own bases, around patrol paths, and in the various guard systems. Reason being to force players to respect the base perimiters and patrol paths for what they are: Guarded zones. This applies to both lawful and unlawful factions, of course. A 5K spawnzone for Liberty Bombers around Baltimore is just as logical as a 5K spawnzone for Barghests around Buffalo.
1: If you're assaulting an enemy base area, you're not going to be shooting off the declaration of independance. Both you and your opponent know what you're there for. The only crafts that will be irritated by NPCs are bombers and smallers. Turning in a circle with those makes you practically immune to the NPC attacks. If you're that irritated by them, blow them up.
2: NPCs pirating can be annoying, yes. Especially BHG demanding pirate pilots from lawful players, even lawkeepers. However, LPI NPCs demanding your Cardamine or Artifacts, or a pack of Hessians demanding your load of Engine Components is quite logical. Especially smuggling (both unlawful smuggling and lawful smuggling through unlawful territory) is affected, and I believe, balanced, this way. X number of times you'll get tagged and have to run because your destination is suddenly glowing a nice shade of crimson. This warrants adjustment to the cargo types that specific factions will demand, not abolishment of it entirely.
Also: NPCs are needed as fragfood for missions (which some people enjoy to be a good challenge), and as a source of cargo for unlawful factions that intend to be doing cargo piracy.
The current situation is that thousands of NPCs camp enemy bases.
NPCs..NPCs...they hurt in some places, like Alpha, when 20 of them swarm you and do more damage than players can do, but then again..it's a hostile home system, no problem there.
But there's one problem, with NPCs..that frustate -everyone-
caps. to be more specific, when the player is using a capital ship, and in a fight with players, even the most lowest level of NPCs' fire shakes the screen like hell, that shaking is -very- frustrating in PvP fights and can change the course of the battle, especially when going against smaller player targets.
Example, just 2 days ago, was strollin' around Dublin in my Nammu, and then picked a fight with two fighters (players) and they managed to take down my shield, of course that took time since I was firing my turrets like mad at one and then the other so they kept on swerving to the sides and couldn't keep a constant stream of fire.
So even when they did hit my hull and my screen shook, it wasn't much of a problem, they weren't really hitting all the time...
and then...out of no where, pop comes a group of noob NPC patrols, pop, another group, suddenly I have 6-8 of them firing on me like mad, my screening is shaking the whole time and it got pretty damn hard to aim at the players, or anything. So I had to waste precious time, firepower and energy on the NPCs to get a clear shot at the players.
This is just one example, happens to all caps, it's annoying, very annoying.
NPC counts will be reduced, and in return, most NPCs will be stronger than they are currently (again, check Okinawa).
Weak or not it's annoying to see 432423423 NPCs shooting at me before I can finish undocking. Especially hordes of FA and Hogosha shooting anything non-Kusari in front of lawful Kusari bases. So much for being semi-lawful and covert. Or even thousands of Hackers that daily suicide at Pueblo Station, Bounty Hunters right outside of Mactan and so on.
' Wrote:All non-guard NPCs already lost their CDs in 4.86 - so you can flee at will.
Oh happy days!
' Wrote:Those of you concerned about the difficulty of NPCs in the upcoming version, please go to the Okinawa system and test the NPCs you find there.
Yo Dab, I'm really happy for your work on the mod and I'mma let you finish, but Kusari blocked Ageira's access to Okinawa for all time!
For all time! (Derp.)
Re: OP; SpaceTime, I agree that NPCs are annoying in some places, but Dab has made some valid points. I'll hold my judgement on the value of NPCs until we get to see them in 4.86.
I find some of the worst NPCs are actually the clumsy allied low-level ones which block my shots and eat my CDs, turning that lovely allied base deathly-red.
' Wrote:caps. to be more specific, when the player is using a capital ship, and in a fight with players, even the most lowest level of NPCs' fire shakes the screen like hell, that shaking is -very- frustrating in PvP fights and can change the course of the battle, especially when going against smaller player targets.
This is preventable if you install the newest dscae.dll. If you are in a cap you would see there is no longer this shaking effect. And I guess there is something similiar in .86.
But in my opinion it's good that there will be more, stronger NPC's. Like already mentioned here would it be much harder for intruders to operate in hostile environment. So why not?
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