[Chaser]

I didnt see this anywhere, if I missed it sorry. I would like to see AI with some intelligence, not just random spawns when someone enters a system or guys leaving there spawns to kill all the miners present. I would like to see actual patrols of flux, maybe 2-3 in beginner sectors and maybe 4-5 later on in unreg space. Not random spawns, but actual military type movements. Maybe a capitol ship guarding an important sector while the flux attack a base there. Or patrols traveling in and out of sectors on a regular basis. If mining is being reworked then the chanse of being attacked should be able to be figured in advance depending on the sector your in, some will have many more patrols than others. Some will have smaller level flux than others, etc. This will help people to deside where to hunt and where to mine. But definately NOT gate spawns that cause hard feelings when dropped on someone. A patrol is NO ONES fault but the flux.

[Jonboy]

I completely agree. ND have posted that they will have a separate server to host non-player ships on. I assume that includes flux and other monsters.

More NPC behavior types would be good.

[Badger]

Brilliant! I love this idea. It also would encourage more player-player communication.

"Just avoided Flux patrol, they're headed your way so head for cover"
"There's been a lot of heavy patrols in this area recently, I wonder if they're gearing up for something."
"I don't know. Someone said they saw some unusual Flux ships on the outer reaches of the sector...maybe there's something going on."
"Want to check it out once I finish my burrito?"
"Nah...my cat needs its glands expressed. Maybe tomorrow."

Seriously, though, I think it's really cool. This would definitely make for a more immersive universe. My only concern is that, if you remove all the randomness, then players will just share schedules of Flux patrols, and then they can coast through knowing they won't be bothered. Probably a little bit of both would be the best solution.

[TexMurphy]

If I understand it correctly AI will be scripts/bots that can do anything not just spawn and target a player.

They have said that NPCs will be able to do the same tasks as PCs in the game. So I guess you will see hauler NPCs, escort NPCs, pirate NPCs, miner NPCs and fighter NPCs.

Since they will be able to do the exact same things as PCs I assume that the consequences to shooting a NPC will be the same as to shooting a PC. At least so I hope. Because else there will be problems like pirates farming NPC merchants for stuff to steal. NPCs transports beeing wasted left and right and alot of ore, commods and equipment just destroyed without any reason or any controll.

I wouldnt be suppriced if we see new type of Flux as well. Especially miners and transports. Because if the AI can do it for the PC factions then they should be able to do it for the NPC factions. Would be very interesting to see flux acually having to stock and produce their equipment. That way we could actually fight the flux into the ground. Would also give more strategical tasks to fluxers. Killing miners and transports inorder to hurt supply lanes.

Also will be interesting to see if the NPC factions of Hyperial and Amanth actually show up in space ships due to this new AI.

Tex

[netburnr]

I agree that the Flux AI will need to be reworked in the new game, and from what I understand, NetDevil is already looking into all that.

I like the idea of random patrols, to keep people from learning the system. I think it would add a lot of depth to the flux RP and allow a lot more danger.

I also would like to see the flux using the "gate camp" method more, so that when a "swarm" comes into a sector and sees people to attack, it uses some resources to try and keep people from running, while using others as attack dogs. Maybe the bigger and slower flux will gate camp, while the faster flux try to chase people down.

[Eraser55]

I hope I can find a pirate NPC that will fly with me so he can take the shots.

[Badger]

NPC gate camping? On the one hand, I love the idea for its realism. On the other hand, that would be pretty rough on a pilot caught out there alone.

I think a decent compromise would be to avoid having "spawn points" right at the gates. It might make sense for the flux to fly in from some other point in the system, right? Then it would be okay if some of them flew towards the gate. That way, if you were in a quick ship, you could still outrun them, despite their tactics.

[netburnr]

That sounds fine. They can spawn random, or at the anomalies and then head towards the gate giving you some time.

I'm not saying that the gate camping flux will be uber flux that you can't get through, I'm just saying they should be strong enough to at least make you think twice if they are already there before you can get out.

Also, they probably won't have enough flux to cover every gate in most cases, so you will probably still have a few options for running.

[ELPIRATA]

It would be awesome if a conflux were to behave like in the Scar episode of BSG... season 2 I believe. The nasty thing roided and had a 'teammate drone' fly around to attract viper targets...

ELP

[netburnr]

Exactly, smart playing like that. Scar was smart, he learned, and it would be hella cool if the flux could learn too. Especially if it could learn on a player level.

Flux sees me, it knows I run novas and want to strafe, it. It dodges, turns before I even pass, and gets right on my ass. Me with Novas, I have no choice but to fleeee because I can't target that close.

Stuff like that is what will really make the AI enemies hard to deal with.

Of coarse, I'm talking the highest and smartest flux, not the "easy stuff"

[Chaser]

well good ideas here I see. I didnt mean to completely script paths for flux to follow, I meant to have groups fly together and do patrols instead of just popping up at gates. It would also add realizm if they could act more organized, like the patrol splitting up with the faster flux giving chase while the bigger, slower flux protect the gates. I agree with that, if thats the way it would work, not just a patrol coming through one gate as his buddys cut you off from another. Flux need to exist and travel through sectors from some unknown base, not just spawn from anomalys or gates. Heck, lets give them a few bases to live in , maybe in deep space away from the sector centers.

[netburnr]

Well, I think the flux should jump in at the anomalies personally, that is their "gate" so to speak.


Doesn't mean there can't be more anomalies around the sector though, or that the anomalies have to be static, perhaps they can appear a couple seconds in advance (with your target computer switching to them, or an alert of some sort)

Also, I didnt mean that the flux should always gate camp and have faster flux chase, because that would not be "smart"

But if someone is heading towards a gate, and the flux think they can get their first, maybe then they will try. Then if you turn towards another gate, they would head that way, just like real pilots do.

Also, instead of flux heading "straight" at you like they currently do, have them be smart like a real pilot and pick a point in front of your path to shorten the trip and get to you faster instead of playing constant catch up like slow flux currently do.