[Karash]

Ok so we know ND is going to upgrade the AI to fill economic needs for a faction. This can be trading and mining primarily I presume. As a combat player (mainly), these AI bots should not give me a penalty to shoot down or otherwise destroy in certain sectors...and I assume the AI would go to the more dangerous sectors to fill the orders more quickly.

Combat pilots could also 'Herd' AI ships on economic activity that is providing for their faction. During lean times, I imagine the AI would be doing MOST of the activity to keep the stations up and humming...so a combat pilot could escort and defend these AI (mission maybe?) against other PC attacks.

The idea is pretty thin and on the blackboard...anyone have ideas to flesh it out?

[Karash]

Additional thought: I think ND wants to put out that PCs are the "elite of the elite" in this new Jumpgate Evolution world. Why not be able to actually 'hire' AI drones/ships to do economic or trading activity for us or for the squad? That way we have something to 'fight over' if need be, and allows players from other playstyles to accomplish the same goals in different ways.

For example, a hardcore trader MACK pilot could hire some escort drones on his trip...by the same token a combat pilot could 'escort' (ie herd) trader drones to accomplish the same task.

Combat PCs could even hire some drones to augment their PVP fights (?) Oh noes!!

Thoughts?

[Dragonar]

Yeah, I'd imagine that PCs would be considered the 'elite', sort of.

I would really love the idea of there being some economic activity by NPCs. Just imagine the immersion factor alone: Suddenly, the competition increases by several magnitudes, you have to fight for your credit, perhaps even literally, and hire someone to take out competition to increase your margin, or to artificially increase prices by creating a shortage and make a huge profit as a result. You could argue that this was abusing the system, but I'd disagree - it's up to the players to stop this, and I figure some people wouldn't even mind having the reputation of a cut-throat trader who doesn't stop short of killing to make a killing! Give NPC traders escorts, and you could even have a war between corporations on your hands. Awesome, I think.

Also, I imagine that the people behind the scenes would love the powers that an NPC economy would give them to influence the game as GMs. Create a little shortage here or there, or a glut here or there, plummeting or rocketing prices, the rise to wealth and power of entrepreneurs who bought and sold the right things at the right time, players actually taking a real interest in market development, whole websites devoted to monitoring prices and stocks, that's the potential inherent in this.

I would dislike it if the NPCs were just cannon fodder, and I would hope that the same penalties apply for shooting down a civilian NPC in TRI space that apply for shooting down a PC ship. Make escorts HG, and stealing cargo de facto pirating, and all is well. And obviously, in unreg, everything goes.

[Wild_Bill]

Good ideas Karash and Dragonar. I definitely think the NPC's should have the same "protections" as PC's regarding penalties for downing them. It beats the heck out of imaginary Amananthies or Hyperians for play IMO.

[Radi]

The more I read about AI's, I'm convinced that they are mainly to run economy when there are not enough players in game.