NPCs are damn too strong.

[Syrus]

If you were able to somehow avoid NPCs like in other MMOs, it'd make sense to have them stronger. In Freelancer on the other hand, the NPCs cannot be avoided, they spawn and screw with you as they like until you get rid of them. And let me tell you, an "AU 8 Sabre" (it seems Rapier NPCs for example have the same base armor as if it had an AU8) with top equip does a lot of damage while not going down easily at all.

You cannot sit around, writing in chat (-> RPing) when there're NPCs around who kill you in seconds. Of course, one shouldn't do that anyway if there's enemies around, but obviously you don't always "RP with enemies only". Even transport shields ... and hell, even GB shields, go down easy with that NPC fire power now. The game is about interactive with other players, NPCs are just decoration in most places, something to make the place feel alive. Sure they shouldn't be harmless at all, but they should also not go around wrecking players like crazy. I do agree on main systems (capital systems + guard systems + iRP strongly defended systems) to have harder NPCs around. At least at major junctions. Overall NPCs should not have Debs for example...

I like having many NPCs around when few players are there. But I don't like them slaughtering even heavy armored ships easily...

Pretty happy that they will be reworked. Hopefully not too strong, but also not too weak this time.
Now I just wish the cap NPCs of missions didn't have massive dmg guns with their unlimited cores.
And that there should be missions with "low lvl" snubs.

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