NPCs are damn too strong.

[GrnRaptor]

I do think that the sheer number and power of NPCs needs adjustment.

Having flown on a lawful side trying to take down a hostile, NPCs, especially friendly ones, get in the way quite a bit. We all know how annoying it was earlier when NPCs went hostile because you CDed your opponenent and they were in range and then went hostile. Now imagine a half dozen plus of these with standard HFs or VHFs and Class 7 guns shooting you while you're trying to take your opponent on, and how annoying it is for said "friendlies" to eat the mines/missiles/etc. you meant to put on your opponent.

Having flown on the unlawful side, the overwhelming swarms of hostiles you can aggro just by flying is obnoxious. I recall trying to pirate some trade vessels in the Sigmas not too long ago. I was fine with shooting them in my VHF when they failed to pay up until I aggroed a dozen plus hostile NPCs; NPCs that weren't even allies of the trade vessels in question. This completely ruined my interaction with the players and any chance I had striking one down and/or getting them to pay up to avoid further damage from my guns.

tl; dr

Cut NPC numbers significantly, reduce damage potential by a bit.

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