Limit NPC Empire sight

[MacThule]

Anyone else bothered by the fact that if you admin warp a prototype into trader space to test weapons on their ships, then admin warp like 50 systems away into intergalactic voidspace or even into the next galaxy, somehow their faction goonsquad still eventually catches up with you and they send wave after wave to bother you?

How are they finding you?

My nemesis could jump into the heart of my territory and all I get is notice that a hostile signal is in the system somewhere.

I think the devs need to find a way to fix the NPC empire code so that they can't "see" characters outside of their zone of control unless spotted by a trade fleet or the like (at which point, send out the goonsquad). It would make piracy and warfare against NPCs more viable without requiring a titan that can just shrug off wave after wave after wave forever.

 

[aceface]

I think their ability to find players is good because it adds a level of seriousness to the npc empires. they are empires after all they probably have contacts everywhere. What i think we need are better ways for us players to track other players down.

 

[MacThule]

I think their ability to find players is good because it adds a level of seriousness to the npc empires. they are empires after all they probably have contacts everywhere. What i think we need are better ways for us players to track other players down.

This is true, and it is the other side of the coin. If the NPC empires can track people, we need the same ability...

And I do like the idea of a more threatening empire, but being unable to hide anywhere?

It seems extreme and kind of 1-dimensional. If I go into deep, intergalactic voidspace under cloak, shouldn't be anyone following me. Otherwise what's the point of that space? Or cloak? I think that maybe when NPC factions have an enemy, they should be sending out scouts on systematic patrols to scan for them (and I think we should be able to order similar fleet patrols where a fleet of 50 scouts is ordered to constantly search an a spherical radius from a given point and report any player contacts or specific checked entity types to you.)

Or there are probably simpler ways... maybe a vision radius around claimed sectors or something. Players should be able to hide though. Somehow. Universally omniscient foes would discourage people from ever fighting or attacking NPCs... more. It would discourage them even more. If that's possible.

So something in between then? Nerf AI omni-vision, and give both AI and players some better options for tracking individuals and expanding their sphere of intelligence both inside and around their territory?

 

[Lone_Puppy]

How are they finding you?

Yeah, that aspect has bothered me in the past to. Although, I did use it to my advantage on a public server for farming. Quite handy.

I would prefer they only attack when you are detected in their territory. And only outside it if you are within scanner range of one of their ships. That way you can lure them away... into the darkness of the void.. to never be seen again.... moo ha ha ha...! ;-)

 

[MacThule]

Yeah, that aspect has bothered me in the past to. Although, I did use it to my advantage on a public server for farming. Quite handy.

I would prefer they only attack when you are detected in their territory. And only outside it if you are within scanner range of one of their ships. That way you can lure them away... into the darkness of the void.. to never be seen again.... moo ha ha ha...! ;-)

Exactly. Good fun in it!

And maybe there's no reason they couldn't be tricked into waving your farm station repeatedly by, say, luring one of their fleets to a pre-deployed battlestation that they would then be aware of and want to take out?

 

[Dire Venom]

Could just have a Faction strength modifier, which determines how far from one of their territories they are willing to venture.
You anger a faction with Systems all over the galaxy, then prepare to wipe some of them out or find a new one :P

 

[MacThule]

Could just have a Faction strength modifier, which determines how far from one of their territories they are willing to venture.
You anger a faction with Systems all over the galaxy, then prepare to wipe some of them out or find a new one :P

Would bring an edge to FP! I'd be interested in that.

 

[Lone_Puppy]

Exactly. Good fun in it!

And maybe there's no reason they couldn't be tricked into waving your farm station repeatedly by, say, luring one of their fleets to a pre-deployed battlestation that they would then be aware of and want to take out?

That's sneaky. Who would do such a thing? ;-)

 

[Edymnion]

And maybe there's no reason they couldn't be tricked into waving your farm station repeatedly by, say, luring one of their fleets to a pre-deployed battlestation that they would then be aware of and want to take out?

I'd love to see a comms jammer that would prevent NPCs from radioing back in that they've been attacked.

Let you snipe targets without raising an alarm.

 

[MacThule]

I'd love to see a comms jammer that would prevent NPCs from radioing back in that they've been attacked.

Let you snipe targets without raising an alarm.

Yes!
Of course this goes back to us all wanting a more comprehensive system of communication in general; comm arrays, long range antennae, system ranges, interference zones ("all right, we're passing by the star now so comms going black for a bit"), and of course interference technology like jammers. I was hoping we'd see some of this in the new cloak/jam, but seeing as nothing near that happened, I'm guessing the devs don't seem to think such a complex system for in-game comms and sensor meta-transmission is a reasonable goal. And I can't blame them - it's a bit of a tangent for a "sandbox space shooter." It would definitely add value and be great fun though...

 

[Edymnion]

Yeah, it would be great for use against NPCs, but it would be worthless against players.

Players would just yell over open or faction chat that they'd been attacked and give their coordinates, and all the jamming tech in the universe wouldn't stop it. Only other option would be to have it completely squelch in-game chat unless you had the right hardware built in game, which rather defeats the purpose of playing online IMO.

Although come to think of it, a comm jammer that prevents you from issuing fleet orders could be a thing...

I'm gonna make a thread just for that idea!

 

[aceface]

This is true, and it is the other side of the coin. If the NPC empires can track people, we need the same ability...

And I do like the idea of a more threatening empire, but being unable to hide anywhere?

It seems extreme and kind of 1-dimensional. If I go into deep, intergalactic voidspace under cloak, shouldn't be anyone following me. Otherwise what's the point of that space? Or cloak? I think that maybe when NPC factions have an enemy, they should be sending out scouts on systematic patrols to scan for them (and I think we should be able to order similar fleet patrols where a fleet of 50 scouts is ordered to constantly search an a spherical radius from a given point and report any player contacts or specific checked entity types to you.)

Or there are probably simpler ways... maybe a vision radius around claimed sectors or something. Players should be able to hide though. Somehow. Universally omniscient foes would discourage people from ever fighting or attacking NPCs... more. It would discourage them even more. If that's possible.

So something in between then? Nerf AI omni-vision, and give both AI and players some better options for tracking individuals and expanding their sphere of intelligence both inside and around their territory?

yea vision radius sounds good, say ships in void space cant be tracked (the place in between galaxies). that could be a good brewing ground for outlaws :D

 

[Edymnion]

yea vision radius sounds good, say ships in void space cant be tracked (the place in between galaxies). that could be a good brewing ground for outlaws :D

Well they have said that they intend to make intergalactic space MUCH more dangerous...

 

[MacThule]

Well they have said that they intend to make intergalactic space MUCH more dangerous...

I really hope they fill it with horrible leviathans that can each slurp up 10m shields a second... something terrifyingly OP so that only parties are able to reliably survive a intergalactic expeditions (then set up a gate highway with heavily armed way-gates in the voidspace so others can pass more easily).