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Griefing Unbots

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Jul 30, 2006 mr_spuck link
cause those were the coolest?

hmm ... I picked up 3 types of cargo dropped one type and they left me alone. gotta check again.
Jul 30, 2006 momerath42 link
Pork: As I said, I was just having fun. I'm sure we'll put more realistic dialog in soon. For me, it was a toss up between the Cornish-style I used and p1r8 l337 5p34k; would that have been better? ;)
Jul 30, 2006 tumblemonster link
Thanks for the response Momerath. I apologize if my tone in the first post was a little obnoxious. I was feeling very frustrated. My major concern is that the bots seem to be replacing player pirates in gray, because the pirates can't keep up, there just aren't enough of us.

One last suggestion: What if there were only a certain number of NPC character pirates? Right now, at peak there are maybe 10 player pirates online at a time, what if a similar limit were placed on unbot pirates? Perhaps create 20-40 NPC unbot characters that haunt gray like the player pirates do. When they die, they respawn in their own home station sector whatever that happens to be, and fly back to where ever they happen to be pirating. To me this would be more realistic, would keep gray dangerous, but there'd be less chance of them completely taking over, as they now have. It would also have the advantage of creating the first NPC known characters. Everyone would know who "*nebocus atrocious" was, because the same NPC pirates all over the place.
Jul 30, 2006 LostCommander link
Thank you very much for the detailed explanation and I [we] are sorry if it sounded like complaining - just trying to help...

don't pay ... next sector ... additional pursuer -- Yes, that seems like reasonable behavior.
they stop spawning altogether for 2 hours! -- That sounds awesome! :)
Pirate-talk -- It is cool and fun, but is a little odd after a while.
Corvus is a corporation, not a pirate guild. -- Oh... Um, thanks for clearing that up.
Liberation Mission for a Free Pass -- How about disallowing the player leaving the pirating area (i.e. mission failure if the player leaves grey space)? I'm not entirely sure I like this idea myself, but it is an idea.

Again, thank you very much.
Jul 30, 2006 Snax_12 link
Oh man, go with the 1337 5p34k Mom! At least every once in a while... it would be cool if every 1000th pirate hail was like that (or maybe 5000th once the player base gets up there, something so it only happens once a month or so for each player), just to throw in a bit of "huh? wtf? these are real people! OMGZLOLZ!!" for the newbs.
Jul 30, 2006 momerath42 link
So I've fixed some of the bugs and changed some behavior in response to player frustration.

The respawning and limit-per-sector stuff now works. If anything, I think it's a bit too easy to clear them out now.

They will no longer follow you into station sectors at all since that seems to be what most players wanted. Actually what should happen is that the first chaser to get to that sector with you will say "we'll get you next time" and then leave.

Hopefully that takes care of most of the issues that were really bugging people. Post again if there's anything still going on that kills the fun for you.
Jul 30, 2006 mr_spuck link
you're weak!
Jul 30, 2006 momerath42 link
Geez- damned if I do...
Jul 30, 2006 drdoak007 link
the frustration has gotten to a breaking point.

personally, the 15 per sector (max) is still too unrealistic for the VO universe.

being that i came in this morning and ther were 30+ unbots in each side of the bractus-odia wormhole, i was completely blown out of the water in seeing the error.


if the amount of unbots in game could represent a percentage of the actual current players online, it would be a better representation of what it's like to play this game and not try to sound "cool" or "macho" by saying "15 is good for botting, i can take them".

when was the last time you saw 15 players in the same sector without an event going on? and that includes B-8 because pvp focused in that sector, IS AN EVENT!

it's unrealistic for that many ratbots to be ingame together.. take both sides of Sedina-Latos (2x15), Odia-Sedina (2x15), Bractus-Odia (2x15) and then Bractus-Pelatus (2x15)

120 bots; and the highest amount of players we've had online at one time since x-mas? c'mon.
Jul 30, 2006 incarnate link
If there were 30 pirates in one place, it's probably a bug. Michael is working on a whole lot of new code for this "interesting pirates" project, so bugs are going to happen. I believe he's said that they should be limited to smaller numbers than that.

It's a work in progress..
Jul 30, 2006 JestatisBess link
Thanks momerath42 for the good work. we all do realy apriatate it :)
Jul 30, 2006 Quirc link
Wow, i was mentioned as a primary complainer. :D

mom, reason I was in such a crappy mood last night was that the unbot that followed me into UIT space/station camped it, so when I undocked and it attacked the SG/SF didn't care. When I finally gave up and tried to defend myself, they did care and ganked me.

Oh, and this morning I was out doin hive queen hunting when myself/doak/newbie PA pilot happened upon an unbot at the Dau/Nyrius wormhole. But apparently that part is all fixed up now so yay.

Sorry for ranting in 100 so much, but losing a moth full of cargo because i was defending myself from aggression in UIT space as part of a PA convoy gig (hence it wasn't my cargo), then getting swamped by hordes of them in Odia/Sedina/Bractus (resulting in PA having to form a huge strike force just to clear one wormhole. One. -.-

But again, probly fixed now. Yay.
Jul 30, 2006 Klabbath link
Okay, I've read the whole thread, and now I'm ready to respond.

Number one, above all else, and before you read another word: Momerath, you've been busting your ass on this. We acknowledge and appreciate it. Guild needs to give you a raise.

Number two, I think these pirates needed more time on the test server before going live. Several of the problems that were brought up by folks with access to the test server are still in game, like the weird amounts of ransom and the rapid respawning. Those were brought up by posts last Wednesday and Thursday.

Number three, I think it's my fault that the pirates turn tail and run when they get damaged to a certain point. I mentioned that to Momerath several weeks ago because I think it's more realistic. When buccaneers of the 1600-1800s sustained massive battle damage, they did not hang around. They were (and still are) predaters and parasites, which is why they attacked in superior numbers and only when they had a tactical advantage of some kind (such as greater speed or more guns). (modern pirates use go-fast boats with mounted .50 cal weapons and tend to attack unarmed pleasure craft. Even a cruise ship was able to fight off five of them last year, if you recall.) So blame ME, not Momerath for the rats turning and running. I still think it's realistic.

Number four, I can't even imagine what hassles in programming this sort of thing requires, but as a project manager for curriculum design I have to point to PRIORITIZING. Correcting grammatical mistakes in mission text is not a priority. Fixing the buried code that allows a bot to kill for free in nation space IS. One affects game play drastically and negatively for the players. The other is barely noticed by players unless they are anal retentive (and this is coming from a copyeditor).

Number five, let me close with what I started with, there's a lot of bitching going on. Please PLEASE understand WHY we are bitching. If we hated VO, we'd pack up and move to another game. We are complaining because we want to make this game BETTER. No one here that I've read has anything but the deepest respect and admiration for the Devs. It sucks that every change for the better brings about ten quirks that catch all the flies of comment.

When was the last time someone commented on the graphics? (Stellar.) The artwork? (amazing!) The ability to directly voice our opinions to the Devs? (Unheard of!) The stability of the game (Not one crash that I've noticed in my month of play. Wow!) These are things we all appreciate, but they seem to get lost behind minor things that raise all the notice.

Now fix the goddamn rats! :)

~D.
"Nigel"
Jul 30, 2006 Spellcast link
momerath, i paid pirate bots last night because i was flying around checking out the new trade goods. that was the last interaction i had with them before this afternoon, when i logged in entered a sector with pirates and planned to pay them because i was dtill investigating the new goods. The first thing that happened was one of them messaged me with a threat and came right in shooting. no 45 seconds, no amount to pay.

Attempting to run while paying failed because i couldnt get the givemoney command, and the pirates name typed before i died.
Jul 30, 2006 drdoak007 link
nigel you are right.

the devs deserve and command our utmost respect. thank you guys, thank you for the countless hours in front of a screen making your eyes bleed so that VO could exist.

my deepest appologies for any comment that has caused the slightest wound. it was not my intention.

in my anger towards AI [yeah, i'm fighting a non-existant being] and comments from those who are to thick-skulled and close-minded to understand my point, had made me lash out.

VO is great. the sense of community, and the rich visual effects lead me to a world that i can spend endless hours in.

i only ask that these "unfinished I-can't-believe-it's-not-butter" projects have more testing time before entering the VO galaxy. if the devs relinquish control of the game itself [focus on the atmosphere], to let the players make the game; this MMO will far exceed the competing ones.
Jul 30, 2006 Spellcast link
ok, the pirates are letting me pay them again, not sure what the deal was earlier, however i ran across a fairly humorus bug momerath.

I paid off a pirate in the sedina-odia WH area (then killed him when he turned around and wasnt looking, just because),

[07/30/06 20:04:26] **Borona Dostra* 20 seconds
[07/30/06 20:04:33] Initiating transfer of 9700 credits to *Borona Dostra...
[07/30/06 20:04:33] 9700 credits successfully transferred.
[07/30/06 20:04:33] **Borona Dostra* That'll do. Now begone w' ye
[07/30/06 20:04:33] 9700 credits deducted


then i flew on to B-8 in sedina. While there i ran over a couple of crates of cargo, and jettisoned them using the jettison all command.

i got the following messages

[07/30/06 20:11:40] **Zerakta Destra* Nice doin' business with ye.
[07/30/06 20:11:40] **Zerakta Destra* That'll do. Now begone w' ye


I never saw Zerakta Destra in game during this session. as a matter of fact the ONLY pirate i saw was Borona Dostra, and he was dead by the time i jettisoned the cargo. :)