NPCs getting really tough now

[JohnLuke]

And as to JL dying, I blame myself Had I been a bit faster I think we probably could've saved him, but because his attacker didn't flag as hostile, by the time we noticed it he was already mass locked, and I was too slow to catch up :/ (Downside of the Anaconda...)

I think I know what happened, after visiting a regular Nav Beacon yesterday.

Apparently, larger NPC ships will use a KWS on you. Since I do a fair amount of undermining in PP, I frequently have one or more bounties on my head in far away systems. I assume that the ship in question KW scanned me, and found that my bounty is substantial so he opened fire.

I faced the same 'clean ship firing on me' scenario on Sunday while in two systems. I was trying to fulfill BB missions to kill pirates and thought I'd check the Nav Beacon rather than interdicting. (no RES in the systems). I was fine hunting in the Nav beacon until a larger ship spawned and scanned. Then it was open season on JL. The bounties from PP are the only thing that make sense to me to trigger the attacks.

[Xebeth]

I think I know what happened, after visiting a regular Nav Beacon yesterday.

Apparently, larger NPC ships will use a KWS on you. Since I do a fair amount of undermining in PP, I frequently have one or more bounties on my head in far away systems. I assume that the ship in question KW scanned me, and found that my bounty is substantial so he opened fire.

I faced the same 'clean ship firing on me' scenario on Sunday while in two systems. I was trying to fulfill BB missions to kill pirates and thought I'd check the Nav Beacon rather than interdicting. (no RES in the systems). I was fine hunting in the Nav beacon until a larger ship spawned and scanned. Then it was open season on JL. The bounties from PP are the only thing that make sense to me to trigger the attacks.

Yep, this seems to be the way of things now, I often get scanned followed by comments like "I thought you had a bounty on you" or "I'll be watching you". I've also recently noticed that when dropping into USS to hunt pirates an FDL with a couple of wing mates will turn up, they are always clean, always scan me and always have some pithy comment about "bounties" or "keeping my nose clean".

It seems NPC Bounty Hunters are out in force, and in big ships. Whether this is a flavour thing, or a reaction to groups like the CODE remains to be seen, but FD certainly seem to be punishing people who carry bounties now.

[Loriath]

Yep, this seems to be the way of things now, I often get scanned followed by comments like "I thought you had a bounty on you" or "I'll be watching you". I've also recently noticed that when dropping into USS to hunt pirates an FDL with a couple of wing mates will turn up, they are always clean, always scan me and always have some pithy comment about "bounties" or "keeping my nose clean".

It seems NPC Bounty Hunters are out in force, and in big ships. Whether this is a flavour thing, or a reaction to groups like the CODE remains to be seen, but FD certainly seem to be punishing people who carry bounties now.

I have a bounty on my head and was scanned several times at a Nav Beacon last night with no detection. It is dormant, so maybe that means it will only pop in the system I am wanted in.

[Xebeth]

Yep, this seems to be the way of things now, I often get scanned followed by comments like "I thought you had a bounty on you" or "I'll be watching you". I've also recently noticed that when dropping into USS to hunt pirates an FDL with a couple of wing mates will turn up, they are always clean, always scan me and always have some pithy comment about "bounties" or "keeping my nose clean".

It seems NPC Bounty Hunters are out in force, and in big ships. Whether this is a flavour thing, or a reaction to groups like the CODE remains to be seen, but FD certainly seem to be punishing people who carry bounties now.

I have a bounty on my head and was scanned several times at a Nav Beacon last night with no detection. It is dormant, so maybe that means it will only pop in the system I am wanted in.

Yes, dormant bounties can only be reactivated

if the player is scanned by an NPC from the jurisdiction that issued the dormant bounty, or if the player commits a further crime in the jurisdiction that issued the dormant bounty

according to the wiki.

So basically you are safe with dormant bounties, but not with active ones.

[uvelius]

Was attacked by a wing of Vultures in a HazRez; I had only dormant bounties on my head BUT also Crime Reports for A L-D, wonder whether that tempted them to attack.
BUT at the first orange-ship attack on me at a CompNav was before I had any bounties on my head ... that attack was the reason I "earned" the bounty, since I destroyed the attacker and the system thought it was "clean".

[JohnLuke]

It seems NPC Bounty Hunters are out in force, and in big ships. Whether this is a flavour thing, or a reaction to groups like the CODE remains to be seen, but FD certainly seem to be punishing people who carry bounties now.

Humm..... I'm starting to wonder if my level of involvement in PP is worth the additional aggrivation. I am used to the frequent interdictions, but being shot at by clean ships that are unprovoked is a whole different beast. I could do PP merit grinds other than undermining, but it's my favorite.

It also adds a new dimension to taking BB assassination missions, which I'm a fan of.

Damn.

[TorTorden]

Hmm, dunno what's up but the last few npc's I have shot (a master vulture and a dangerous python) and all they have done when I started firing on them was turn around, stop, rotate to give me a clear shot at PP and just sit there...

[Xebeth]

Hmm, dunno what's up but the last few npc's I have shot (a master vulture and a dangerous python) and all they have done when I started firing on them was turn around, stop, rotate to give me a clear shot at PP and just sit there...

Seen this a few times, I have a bit of a theory (which is probably wrong).

When you attack from behind and just above they dive down, when you attack from behind and just below they dive up (might have these reversed), if you attack from behind and dead(ish) centre they don't seem to know what to do and just spin on the spot, if you stop shooting they'll move away.

I get the feeling that there is a sweet spot that confuses the AI and it doesn't know which way to turn.

[Roger Wilco Jr]

I haven't flown combat since 1.4, but it sounds like NPCs are tougher. That sounds like a good thing because they were pathetic before. But I don't like where this may be heading for traders. I'd rather they keep the competency level down in-between the stars and in regular RES, CZ and NAV sites, but maybe ramp it up in the tougher versions of those sites.

It seems to me that if you are flying around with a bounty then you are provoking NPCs. If they scan you and see a big bounty, they want it. Most NPCs I kill in a RES don't directly provoke me, but a wanted tag and a scanned bounty will have me attacking them just as well as calling me a worthless dreg. Now, if they are attacking for no reason (no bounty, no cargo), then that just turns them into the griefers that FD loves so much. Maybe FD feels that everybody should get to enjoy the experience whether they play in open or not.

[IridiumSkies]

I recently did some RES hunting in my gunship and ended up losing shields and about 20% hull against an NPC wing because a pesky Eagle was hitting me with railguns. I've definitely noticed that chaff is less effective too; normally I can run rings around anacondas, pythons and clippers by using dual chaff, but now they're hitting me a lot more often.