Travel encounters
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*sam* Posted Jun 9, 2009, 3:38 pm |
Just to let you know I have reduced the number of travel encounters you're likely to get, and reduced the total CR of NPC squads that you'll encounter.
Both of these are in response to the increased difficulty due to recent AI and NPC vehicle-choice changes. Be assured that I'm constantly watching my daily reports on wilderness wins/losses and will tweak where I see necessary to get the difficulty level right. Much better to have a challenging AI with less cars rather than a huge mass of cannon fodder against you. |
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jeansberg Posted Jun 9, 2009, 3:59 pm |
I fully agree. It must feel nice to be able to dial back the number of opponents due to AI improvements. 
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Jety Posted Jun 9, 2009, 4:10 pm |
One rather gross inequity I feel I've been noticing is the wall of rockets. Rockets have a particularly deadly effect in that they are able to completely halt a car's forward movement. When you have ten rocket launchers being fired at you at once (can cite several event IDs), it doesn't feel like the AI is at all improved, it just feels like the NPCs are playing in cheat mode. I don't mind the change in behavior or chassis makeup, but I feel that the change in accompanying weapons isn't necesarily reasonable or even realistic.
As a minor side note, it's a fairly well documented fact that disputable whether players can even hit a darn thing with rocket launchers, so it's not like we can even retaliate in kind. [edit] Citations: S116283 - 6 rocket launchers and 2 mmgs spwawn 50m from the center of my circle. Truce it or it would have been pretty certain death. S115939 - Rocket Insanity S117134 - More rockets |
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Whiskey Posted Jun 9, 2009, 4:56 pm |
Jety, I feel your pain. Lost a box van a few days ago (right after the encounter change implemented) when I got hit with like 20 rocket hits in the first 4 turns of the encounter. Spawned right in the middle of an ambush and every thing facing me had rocket launchers.
Personally, I would like to see more variation in encounters. Maybe some gangs hit you with only a few high CR vehicles while others come at you with hordes of low CR vehicles such as Desert Sirens and Raccoons. |
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Jester Posted Jun 9, 2009, 5:09 pm |
Can't say that I agree, I use rocket launchers and have success with it. |
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Whiskey Posted Jun 9, 2009, 5:12 pm |
Likewise. My favorite combo is becoming a RL/HMG. Althoug you really do need a fairly high skill Rocketeer specialist for maximum effect. |
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*Longo* Posted Jun 9, 2009, 6:29 pm |
I gave up on RL long ago. I had a 200 gunner with Rocketeer spec, and another at 150. Neither of em could hit the broad side of a barn. |
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Whiskey Posted Jun 9, 2009, 7:42 pm |
Wow. I have a 78 gunner with Rocketeer, Moving Targets, and Sniper. (He is over 50 skill in both Lg.Guns and Ballistics.) He regularly makes hits at 70m plus and sometimes slams one in on his first shot. His next specs will be Rapid Reload and then Rapid Shot. |
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*sam* Posted Jun 10, 2009, 1:51 am |
RLs have always been an interesting topic. Their large recoil to the target, plus their heavy penalties when firing at cars that are travelling fast perpendicular to you make them powerful but hard to use right. To avoid RLs, weaving left and right as fast as possible would probably help. | ||||||||
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4saken Posted Jun 10, 2009, 4:45 am |
As far as NPCs cheating it's the CGL that bothers me the most. Sometimes they never miss with it. Had once where both of us were going 70+ and he hit me physically with the round every shot at 100m. Only reason I lived is that he chose another target after the 7th round or so.
I checked the character against the NPC gang. He had a 20 skill. And he was driving. |
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*Longo* Posted Jun 10, 2009, 4:50 am |
hitting at 70m is too close for me |
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Manx Bartlet Posted Jun 10, 2009, 5:14 am |
Wow, Note to self to check the forums. I thought I was having a string of incredibly bad luck / was cursed. Things are much harder out there in the wilderness. Not sure if I like it or not. I've always been a 'causual player' not much interested in getting the cool weapons, etc. But very much a fan of the solo scouts / transport runs. So either I have to adjust my expectations or build up my characters more. As a way of feedback i am finding it much more difficult in the past weeks to succeed at either scouting or transport. I was running a squad of 4-5 vehicles between Gateway and Elmsfield, but it just got too hard and time consuming. I'll admit to getting lazy with my tactics in solo scouting though. Used to be I did not have to split the pirates up as much. Now if I don't split them its over. So in summary, better AI is always good. I will try to start up the merchant runs again and see how it works. Your mileage may vary. |
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*sam* Posted Jun 10, 2009, 9:02 am |
They don't cheat. |
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Serephe Posted Jun 10, 2009, 11:25 am |
Players cheat by shooting at things with guns. | ||||||||
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Dr Mathias Posted Jun 10, 2009, 4:17 pm |
I first encountered a Trebuchet last night, and I wondered what the heck it was. When the CGL started popping I got a little concerned, but out of ten shots it only damaged me once, and that was splash damage. The target was a 4L Phoenix going about 50mph if that makes a difference. I think its luck of the draw honestly. Sometimes npc rockets hit, sometimes they miss... its when they hit you tend to remember them. |
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Joel Autobaun Posted Jun 10, 2009, 8:54 pm |
Well I just about lost my scout group(that has never lost a battle) in Sars to a CGL pickup - STUCK in a DITCH lol.
He was about to score blue(and thats' When I often will give up, being kinda chicken), when I finally got close enough he started missing. |
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metrocube Posted Jun 12, 2009, 7:48 pm |
Well, I lost a 4L buccaneer and a 4L phoenix this morning in ambushes. I'll keep you posted about the Sars/BL box van. :-) | ||||||||
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Joel Autobaun Posted Jun 12, 2009, 10:52 pm |
I've noticed travels encounters are down(1/3 to 1/2) with a good scout.
Fewer "nasty" chasers like pegasus and bullets...though they do still occasionally show up for a heartattack. Seems like a better balance than when the first changes happened and what was before. You still don't want to do unarmed traveling now IMO. |
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metrocube Posted Jun 15, 2009, 2:30 am |
My Sarsfield - Badlands journeys seem to get 2 travel encounters now. That's down from 3 before, for a total of 4 (exit, travel, travel, arrival) instead of 5.
My Badlands - Gateway journey seem to get 1 travel encounter now, for a total of 3 encounters. Last month, I would have to process 4. Of course, I'm still pooping my pants regularly even with armed cars, but the pucker factor is almost manageable now. Whew. Thanks, Sam. |
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*Longo* Posted Jun 15, 2009, 2:32 am |
I lost an exposed 3.2 PU today at Gates of Elms...Ambush of 2 cars....bah! | ||||||||
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Jester Posted Jun 15, 2009, 3:17 am |
I'd be miserable
I feel lucky when I hit at 80m
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Joel Autobaun Posted Jun 16, 2009, 11:52 pm |
Bah! Lost 1 Lorry, 2 Boxers, all A armor camp running down in sars now. Prolly about 800K in a the hole if I kept close track of it. |
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*goat starer* Posted Jun 21, 2009, 3:26 am |
well i have a 198 rocketeer 3 and she regularly hits at 150m+ |
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Fealty Lost Posted Sep 8, 2009, 4:41 pm |
Rockets...argh.
They are the bane of my scouting losses. Either it's one vehicle taking 6-12 rocket hits a turn (from 30 or lower no rocketeer skilled bad guys) no matter how I'm running...60+ up and over dunes or whatever. The worst I ever saw was four rocket-mobiles pull up in a line next to each other on a ridge and started pummelling me non-stop while the remainder of their gang kept me tied up in close. Nasty. I couldn't hit a thing with rockets until I got a guy over 100 skill with rocketeer and moving targets...but suffered the whole time from unerring hits from no-skilled bad guys...even the ones flipping upside down through the air. I hate rockets. |
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metrocube Posted Sep 10, 2009, 8:39 pm |
I had 5 double-rocket cars spawn behind me and lob their ordinance in my general direction. None of them hit. |
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ISHOULDCOCO Posted Sep 10, 2009, 10:06 pm |
when running from rockets my rules are -
always turn away from the rocket strike ( never into it) - gains you speed and offers a new side of armour zig zag away from then never run straight away from a rocket - speed is good - lateral speed to enemy better. Better to take an RL square on, if you must - if you are going in, go in fast and perpendicular to that dirty stinking mother hubbard Also HB and a RL strike can do weird things - if on a ridge could lose you arc or multiple rounds - verses RLs I prefer to be rolling in or rolling out or pref. faster COCO |
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*sam* Posted Sep 10, 2009, 10:44 pm |
The difference is actually noticeable? Cool. |
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*goat starer* Posted Sep 10, 2009, 11:07 pm |
very noticable.. but not as noticable as with ballistics.. if you are crossing a CGL car it keeps dropping behind you until it narrows the angle | ||||||||
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windmouse Posted Sep 10, 2009, 11:25 pm |
you really know your game, I like that
I'll surely subcribe for a year after my first 3 months expire |
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Cade Posted Sep 13, 2009, 1:17 am |
I have a box van which I run back and forth between SS and GW. A buggy escorts it to help avoid encounters and, worst-case scenario, to draw enemy fire away from the truck. Also, buggies are damn cool and no matter how bad they may be, I'm going to find a use for them!
Anyway, I had an Apache in GW that I wanted to transport up North. Fuel tank was too small and, as you know, fuel cans have become extremely scarce lately. I decided to have it follow my van. Oh, and the Apache was completely unarmed, by the by. Well, I had an encounter. 6 cars ambushed us in a circle. Four were rocket cars. On the very first turn rockets were everywhere. The box van gunned the engine, smashed into a Symphony, and blew it apart, killing both occupants. And that was without a ram. I was quite impressed. The Apache nailed another car out of the way while the buggy made a 180 and charged right into the enemy's midst. The truck continued flying down the road while the Apache led the bulk of the enemies on a zig-zag trail through ruined buildings and fences. Long story short, the Apache and box van escaped without even a breach to show for it. The buggy was less successful, though the driver managed to escape with minimal injuries. He also managed to beat his squad to SS on foot by an hour. His new nickname is Road Runner. |
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Serephe Posted Sep 13, 2009, 1:19 am |
What a badass. Get him a nice car to drive and give him an SMG for self defense! |