NPCs are damn too strong.

[bloogaL]

Couldn't agree more with the OP. Can't imagine what was going through the developers' minds when they thought this kind of buff was at all necessary.

And while we're at it, let's put gate weapons back to a reasonable level of strength again. Cruiser DPS coming out of those when you're trying to pirate is irritating and really not needed. Your piracy victim jumps through the gate? Say goodbye to a portion of your hull by default once you're through as you wait to actually be allowed to move your ship out of the firing line of the gate.

And now a little more off topic, the moving of lane ring hitboxes. Nobody wanted NPCs to shoot lanes out by themselves, I'm fairly sure. Try pirating at a gate, any unlawful NPCs that spawn will shoot the closest lane ring out, stopping traders before they actually reach you, giving them plenty of time to turn and run. Need to run from an overwhelming force of lawfuls.? Sorry, NPCs shot the lane out again. Friendly NPCs shot the lane out again.

Pirating in core systems should not be easy at all - if NPCs have no impact, three pirates when there are insufficient lawfuls online can shut down any and all trading through a system - which makes the traders log off, which leaves the pirates whinging about low server activity and the traders begging to nerf pirates.

It's possible for a trader to log a different character, you know, one that can shoot the pirates. It's also possible to go trade somewhere else, or go and play another completely different character somewhere else.

NPCs can be given a armor mult which'll give them some time to live.
Their guns must be dealing close to no damage.
They should not have bots or bats on board so shooting them down to take regens issue is removed.
Not more then 2 encounters spawning at a time.
Not more then 3 ships per encounter. (BS + 2 Cruisers, VHF + 2 HFs, HF + 2 LFs, Transport + 2 Fighters, Freighter + 2 fighters, etc)

NPC capital ships must follow this trend. Strong hitpoints but crap cosmetic guns.
Crap cosmetic guns must apply to the stationed objects as well.

Just do this, devs.