Forums » General
NPCs in ion storms
Do bots shoot at NPC traders caught in ion storms?
I saw several NPCs tonight in ion storms that didn't really look like they were trying to evade the bots, and it didn't look like the bots were attacking them. I didn't really stick around long enough to find out for sure though.
I saw several NPCs tonight in ion storms that didn't really look like they were trying to evade the bots, and it didn't look like the bots were attacking them. I didn't really stick around long enough to find out for sure though.
Short answer... No.
One would think that they would be a viable target but the bots only go after PCs, not NPCs.
One would think that they would be a viable target but the bots only go after PCs, not NPCs.
I have screen shots of a group of about 10 npc's in an Ion storm. I was expecting a massive shoot out, but none materialized. I think that it would be so cool to get caught in an Ion storm and come across a NPC convoy fighting it out with the bots and trying to escape. At the very least they should be drawing some fire.
Personally, I think there is a huge possibility for NPC's to add a lot of depth to the game, that unfortunatly probobly won't be addressed by the developers for a long time (not bitching, just imagining the possibilities and realizing the impracticalities).
Personally, I think there is a huge possibility for NPC's to add a lot of depth to the game, that unfortunatly probobly won't be addressed by the developers for a long time (not bitching, just imagining the possibilities and realizing the impracticalities).
I'm not sure about the Trader NPC's but the Bots know an exploit and don't have to jump through the Ion Storm exit to get out of the sector (to return their full loads to the Queen)
I had finally got caught in an Ion storm that had only low level Bots that I can kill in it. So I waited for awhile at the exit point to ambush them before I realised they had this sploit!
/me sighs
I had finally got caught in an Ion storm that had only low level Bots that I can kill in it. So I waited for awhile at the exit point to ambush them before I realised they had this sploit!
/me sighs
It's not so much an exploit as it is the fact that the storm exit point is not the same for everyone.
as far as the bots fighting each other... since the trade bots dont know how to go around ion storms, they would just constantly die. besides, bots fighting bots generates lag due to an increased number of "shot" data packets that have to be transmitted to the client of every player in the sector at the time so that they can be displayed graphicaly.
In addition way way way way back in the begginning of alpha, the bots did fight each other, and then a1k0n changed the code so the bots actually dodged fire, and all the bots ended up flying in nifty little circles around each other, missing happily for hours on end. Fun to watch, but pretty much pointless.
In addition way way way way back in the begginning of alpha, the bots did fight each other, and then a1k0n changed the code so the bots actually dodged fire, and all the bots ended up flying in nifty little circles around each other, missing happily for hours on end. Fun to watch, but pretty much pointless.
a1k0n told us a few months ago (when I made a thread like this) that if the "skill" of each bot was the same, they'd dance about each other forever. If you change the skill values so that one is better, that one will win. I think bots are of higher skills then traders.
Spell, if bots killing NPC traders generated enough lag to be significant, how the heck would the game survive with 600 players logged in and no NPCs? I mean, if the game is designed to handle thousands of players logged in, I think it can handle NPC traders getting their butts kicked constantly. Plus, by your own statement, that only applies to the people in a sector, and in the rare case where there are twenty NPC traders in a sector the "wow" factor would outmatch whatever minor lag was created.
Or you could just let trader bots turbo like we do, cutting down their losses dramatically and removing whatever massive NPC dieoff problems might come up.
Spell, if bots killing NPC traders generated enough lag to be significant, how the heck would the game survive with 600 players logged in and no NPCs? I mean, if the game is designed to handle thousands of players logged in, I think it can handle NPC traders getting their butts kicked constantly. Plus, by your own statement, that only applies to the people in a sector, and in the rare case where there are twenty NPC traders in a sector the "wow" factor would outmatch whatever minor lag was created.
Or you could just let trader bots turbo like we do, cutting down their losses dramatically and removing whatever massive NPC dieoff problems might come up.
Therein lies the solution: Make the traderbots turbo like n00bs out of hell.
More often than not, the trader NPCs are just coasting on standard thrust and only boost if you get them below a certain percentage (i think it's about 75-50%), so they are easy prey for any player or bot. if they used turbo, then they would be harder for bots to catch and then we could implement this a bit easier.
I'd like to see hive bots treating trader bots like players. It would add a great deal of realism to the game.
More often than not, the trader NPCs are just coasting on standard thrust and only boost if you get them below a certain percentage (i think it's about 75-50%), so they are easy prey for any player or bot. if they used turbo, then they would be harder for bots to catch and then we could implement this a bit easier.
I'd like to see hive bots treating trader bots like players. It would add a great deal of realism to the game.
This makes sense, let bots attack NPCs, and some different lvls of AI, since it will make NPCs more important to the game, not just a lot of stupid targets. When NPCs become part of missions and maybe player-owned it will be important to protect them against those nasty bots, i hope this is a thing the devs will implement if it's possible lag-wise
starfisher, because all 600 players are not likely to be in the same sector.... each sector is segmented somehow.
even so, you are correct. the lag it would generate would probably not be significant for those here in the USA. but for our european players who allready have some marginal pings, every additional bit of lag counts.
As to the bots having different AI levels, that is probably true, which brings us right back to the point about the NPC's all dying in ion storms because they cant go around them.
even so, you are correct. the lag it would generate would probably not be significant for those here in the USA. but for our european players who allready have some marginal pings, every additional bit of lag counts.
As to the bots having different AI levels, that is probably true, which brings us right back to the point about the NPC's all dying in ion storms because they cant go around them.
... And if we let them turbo?
I've never seen more than fifteen NPC bots in a single sector before. I don't see how you'd ever get 600 NPCs in one sector.
Even assuming you had fifteen bots in one sector, that would be the same as having fifteen players in a sector. Less, actually, because instead of fifteen connections from wildly different geographical areas to manage you would only have the player and then a bunch of bots being run directly on the server. The number of shot packets would increase, yes, but then how do you expect the game to work when more people sign up? The capship battle could easily draw thirty people total, or maybe even thirty from each side, in which case by your model european players are doomed.
I've never seen more than fifteen NPC bots in a single sector before. I don't see how you'd ever get 600 NPCs in one sector.
Even assuming you had fifteen bots in one sector, that would be the same as having fifteen players in a sector. Less, actually, because instead of fifteen connections from wildly different geographical areas to manage you would only have the player and then a bunch of bots being run directly on the server. The number of shot packets would increase, yes, but then how do you expect the game to work when more people sign up? The capship battle could easily draw thirty people total, or maybe even thirty from each side, in which case by your model european players are doomed.
well, since some of the european players allready have trouble with the CtC thats a given, its an unfortunate fact of internet life given that vendetta only has one server location.
The point isnt that it would cause massive lag, maybe not even noticable lag. but it does take additional bandwidth, creating the potential for lag, which given the twitch based nature of vendetta is something that you would want to avoid as much as possible (IMO)
Bots shooting at each other would be interesting the first few times it occured, but after that most players would ignore it. Is the added "wow" that you get a couple of times worth adding to bandwidth amounts, however small that increase is?
The point isnt that it would cause massive lag, maybe not even noticable lag. but it does take additional bandwidth, creating the potential for lag, which given the twitch based nature of vendetta is something that you would want to avoid as much as possible (IMO)
Bots shooting at each other would be interesting the first few times it occured, but after that most players would ignore it. Is the added "wow" that you get a couple of times worth adding to bandwidth amounts, however small that increase is?
This is the sort of wow that would fade into the background, but never completely from conciousness. It makes the universe feel more alive, and one of the characteristics of life is that much of what you don't notice is what gives it the appearance of life.
I don't see how this would add significant bandwidth problems at all, so I think we're differing on some basic assumption. Adding this in would give some much needed life to the universe, and even though bots shooting bots would follow patterns it would be different each time you came upon it in a storm. (Or, as has been suggested in the past, when you come upon *real* pirate bots attacking an NPC trader at a wormhole)
Yeah, you've seen it before, but not quite like this particular time. That subtle variation is what makes the universe feel less static and more vibrant, even if it isn't something that grabs your attention every time.
I don't see how this would add significant bandwidth problems at all, so I think we're differing on some basic assumption. Adding this in would give some much needed life to the universe, and even though bots shooting bots would follow patterns it would be different each time you came upon it in a storm. (Or, as has been suggested in the past, when you come upon *real* pirate bots attacking an NPC trader at a wormhole)
Yeah, you've seen it before, but not quite like this particular time. That subtle variation is what makes the universe feel less static and more vibrant, even if it isn't something that grabs your attention every time.