De-dumbing EVE AI

CCP Incognito has posted a pretty interesting dev blog about the upcoming AI changes for NPCs you will find in Apocrypha’s wormholes.

One of goals we have worked towards is making PvE combat more like PvP combat.  This has a few benefits. First, new players get a taste of what PvP is like while still doing PvE encounters. Second, they will have ship fittings that are more suited towards PvP, which means that when the victi… um, player gets jumped by another player he has a fitting that will allow him to fight back effectively, or at least run away. Lastly, it will make for more engaging combat that is both dynamic and feels alive.

Excellent.  As a long time player of EVE, I’ve always wanted the NPC AI to be something different than other MMOs.  Right now, as the dev blog goes into in more details, it’s not.  With the new expansion at least some of those NPCs will start acting a bit more like actual players.

Imagine if they started changing the routines of ALL NPCs rather than just the ones in the new expansion?  A lot of people complain that mission running is boring, so what if the NPCs fought back in a more realistic fashion?  Sure the people who currently just afk mission after mission might complain, but … so?

Side note: a new podcast was recorded, and edited by me to avoid Urbanlag.  No, I’m not joking around here.

Source: Dev Blog

Michael Lastucka

Also known as Winterblink in-game. Warp Drive Active's overlord.