2.5 Should the AI be targetting bailed ships?

[Scoob]

Hey all,

So, this is frustrating... I've just started a new game in 2.5 and I spent a while attacking an SCA Disco and made it bail. Fantastic, quite the upgrade from the Elite. However, I'm just approaching the ship to claim it, when an argon fighter comes in and blows it apart. Surely this cannot be intended behaviour?

I've done a fair bit of ship capturing during the early part of my games, yet I've never had an AI ship blow a bailed vessel up before - perhaps I've just been lucky?

Regardless, this is VERY annoying after putting in a fair bit of effort for this capture - I'm a little out of practise and playing with a Mouse (urgh!) so I felt quite a sense of achievement snagging this Disco.

Just wonder what others experiences are, and what they think about this? Why would an AI pilot relentlessly attack a neutral ship? Said ship had been neutral for a couple of minutes, and the fighter made several passes to blow it up. Though one time I reloaded it took it out in one go.

I'm wondering if I can get to the ship quickly I can claim it and stop the attack, but I've not been able to do so thus far.

Edit: I did eventually manage to take over the Disco before the ship destroyed it. Thankfully the AI does break off the moment the player takes control - which is good - though I still don't get why it targets a bailed ship. It'd make more sense if they shot, or picked up, the escape pod.

Scoob.

[radcapricorn]

2.50 seems to have introduced a few issues with bailed ships, that could be just one more of them. That said, I know I did see in the past how friendlies blew up freshly made neutrals, but that always was within seconds after bail. I assumed it was due to orders not updating in a timely manner. But I never saw them actually specifically target a bailed ship.

[Scoob]

2.50 seems to have introduced a few issues with bailed ships, that could be just one more of them. That said, I know I did see in the past how friendlies blew up freshly made neutrals, but that always was within seconds after bail. I assumed it was due to orders not updating in a timely manner. But I never saw them actually specifically target a bailed ship.

Thanks for the reply. Ok, so we think it is a 2.5 issue then for the most part? I think when shots are already on the way then a ship bails that's fine. Same for missiles of course. However, for the trigger to be pulled (in effect) after the bail is something I'd not seen before.

I just had it happen again, this time I got a Falcon to bail, but the tougher hull of the Falcon allowed it to take a couple of hits, then I captured it. I seem to be remembering my old skill at parking near the bail, jumping into the Spacesuit, Scanning and repairing quickly now...exhausting though.

Thought: I wonder how this impacts non-player triggered bails? In prior games I'd end up with a Wing of (usually) Kestrels and I'd see them gang up on an enemy (usually SCA after I've revealed them) and I'd sometimes see them cause a bail. They'd stop firing instantly after doing so, so I never lost a ship that way - that I noticed. Still, it was pretty rare for my ships to cause a bail in this way, but I fear they might now just destroy the target outright.

Scoob.

[radcapricorn]

No, as I said, I did see them actually attack a bailed ship (not just leftover shots), but only in the moments immediately after bail. What you described though I have never seen (i.e. the "Said ship had been neutral for a couple of minutes, and the fighter made several passes to blow it up").

As for bails, AFAIK there are no non-player-triggered bails. There weren't in previous games either, at least unmodded ones.

[Socratatus]

Edit: I did eventually manage to take over the Disco before the ship destroyed it. Thankfully the AI does break off the moment the player takes control - which is good - though I still don't get why it targets a bailed ship. It'd make more sense if they shot, or picked up, the escape pod.

I am of the camp that believes a good AI will do some `strange` things every now then without a direct reason why to the Player. This is because it makes it more Human. Or sentient if non-Human. Humans do stuff like this all the time and we don`t always know why. A Human might destroy it out of emotional anger, or just to test new weapons- or just for the sheer hell of it. Maybe he doesn`t need to capture sell that ship as he has plenty of cash, can`t be bothered, or maybe he doesn`t want anyone else getting it- whatever. The reasons can be many.

So I hope this remains even if it happens only rarely, which hopefully is the case.

[radcapricorn]

So I hope this remains even if it happens only rarely, which hopefully is the case.

Sure, if it's indeed intended, I'm all for it as well. But if it's a symptom of a weird script postponing or something like that, I'd rather see the cause fixed. Random aggression better be implemented as such, not as a side effect of a bug.

[Scoob]

As for bails, AFAIK there are no non-player-triggered bails. There weren't in previous games either, at least unmodded ones.

You can imagine how surprised I was when it occurred for the first time! I generally ride on my ships, not fly them, so there's no chance it was me. However, I've had ships bail while I watch my piloted ships attack them. That said, I've not seen this occur again since those first couple of times - I think that may have been pre v2.0 - and I was not modded at the time, not that any of the mods I've subsequently used have listed NPC Bailing as one of their features.

Scoob.

[Scoob]

I am of the camp that believes a good AI will do some `strange` things every now then without a direct reason why to the Player. This is because it makes it more Human. Or sentient if non-Human. Humans do stuff like this all the time and we don`t always know why. A Human might destroy it out of emotional anger, or just to test new weapons- or just for the sheer hell of it. Maybe he doesn`t need to capture sell that ship as he has plenty of cash, can`t be bothered, or maybe he doesn`t want anyone else getting it- whatever. The reasons can be many.

So I hope this remains even if it happens only rarely, which hopefully is the case.

Heh, I know *I've* done that from time to time

Scoob.

[Scoob]

An update:

I just had another encounter, this time I was well aware that local Argon forces were actively shooting the same SCA dude as me. However, the very second he bailed, the streams of fire stopped.

So, my thought is that this is perhaps the intended behaviour, it's certainly preferable behaviour!

Hoping the Argon security forces don't change their minds...going to grab my new ship now.

Scoob.

[Warnoise]

Edit: I did eventually manage to take over the Disco before the ship destroyed it. Thankfully the AI does break off the moment the player takes control - which is good - though I still don't get why it targets a bailed ship. It'd make more sense if they shot, or picked up, the escape pod.

I am of the camp that believes a good AI will do some `strange` things every now then without a direct reason why to the Player. This is because it makes it more Human. Or sentient if non-Human. Humans do stuff like this all the time and we don`t always know why. A Human might destroy it out of emotional anger, or just to test new weapons- or just for the sheer hell of it. Maybe he doesn`t need to capture sell that ship as he has plenty of cash, can`t be bothered, or maybe he doesn`t want anyone else getting it- whatever. The reasons can be many.

So I hope this remains even if it happens only rarely, which hopefully is the case.