Better AI response to aggression

[Falcrack]

Going on the rampage recently in Argon space has made it clear to me that the AI is woefully inadequate in responding to threats in an effective or timely manner.

One big reason, I think, for the lack of effectiveness, is that when an AI ship gets and attack order, it fast travels to where the threat was, not where it is now. It does not seem to update its travel in real time.

Wouldn't it be cool, however, if the AI ships, while fast travelling, would change direction in order to better intercept the target? Even cooler, wouldn't it be awesome if AI controlled ships were capable of making intercepts of enemy ships that are in travel mode? I know that as a player, I've intercepted many an enemy ship in travel mode, chasing down ships and shooting them even at very high speeds, forcing them to drop out of travel mode. A more nimble and responsive AI would go a long ways towards making travel in enemy sectors feel a lot more challenging. As it stands, for the player using travel mode through any enemy sector, it is almost entirely risk-free. You do not need to worry about sector patrols, because by the time they get to where you were, you have long since moved on.

The combat AI in X4, I'm sorry to say, needs a lot of work in order to be more enjoyable and more challenging. I hope that Egosoft is both willing to address AI combat shortfalls, and up to the task of making meaningful improvements. Perhaps the path finding algorithms that seek to avoid collisions are getting in the way of AI ships maneuvering aggressively enough to make effective intercepts?

What I would like to see happen, is if I am in an enemy sector and causing trouble, sector patrol ships from all over would begin to converge on my position. As I begin to flee, they change course to match mine, while still in travel drive, pursuing me and perhaps overtaking me, getting off some shots on me while I attempt to flee in travel drive. With my travel drive down, I am forced to fight, but the longer I fight, the more sector patrol ships arrive, making me actually regret my decision to enter their sector. Because right now, I feel no worry whatsoever when entering an enemy sector, because I know that travel drive is a free pass to freedom, which I can engage at will to escape retribution.

[Novia Star]

Im still early in the game but it seems like sector defense fleets can't even deal with Xenon N and KHK Hive guard ships. If something big came in there goes the sector.

I do like in EVE online the NPC defense force shows up quick and makes you dead. Need a standby squad in storage in the sector Def platforms and such.

I could do a whole game I guess where I basically am the sector defense force...

There is a fast travel mode the NPCs should use it and bum rush you and other hostiles. then Return to the home base.

Argon 1 jumps in launches fighters and makes you dead!

[Novia Star]

Need this for hostile NPCs like Xenon ships. I just scrapped a Xenon K in a Minotaur raider using MK2 basic guns. This should not happen. I did face hug it and it decided to come to a full stop and go into repair mode.

[radcapricorn]

I just scrapped a Xenon K in a Minotaur raider using MK2 basic guns. This should not happen.

Minotaur Raider? I'm routinely disassembling a couple Ks every time I visit Ianamus Zura. In a Discoverer. Takes a while, but what do you do if the teladi carrier group is AWOL, and the lone Phoenix prefers to chase Ns around the map?

Yes, it's obviously because I'm a crack pilot. There can be absolutely no other reason for this to be possible. Right?..