fewer low level ships in harder difficulties

[baldielocks]

Playing through on insane mode, level 25.  About half the ships that go aggressive on me are level 10 or lower. Way too easy. 

Same thing for commissions.  Most of the capture or execute commissions are 3 shots because they are so low level. 

[baldielocks]

I am level 34 on insane. The highest ship level I have seen is 22. With battle skills at 34, even the level 22 boats go down in two hits.
To make the game more of a challenge, could npc ships always be player level plus navy rank.

each level of rank in a navy would allow you to extract 20 silver per level per victory.
BUT, your rank level would be added to npc leve.


My pirate game (50 years) has sunk 700ish. Ships. 360 per ship. 250k ish.
This would tie in well with my idea of multiplying the silver requirements for harder difficulties for the story lines.

[Lt. Hathaway]

I see your point, but it seems like it calls for more high level enemies rather than altering the number of normal small traders.

[athios]

Jul 30, 2013 1:53:00 GMT -5 baldielocks said:

I am level 34 on insane. The highest ship level I have seen is 22.

Hmm, that's odd. I am getting the opposite. I'm playing on Crazy, and even when I was Level 10, the average encounter was around Level 12, and upwards of Level 18. I'm finding combat much more difficult than Crazy in ST. Now I'm Level 14, and frequently see ships that are in the Twenties.

Perhaps it has to do your ship flag? Or where you are sailing? Maybe you only get high-level hostiles when there are wars going on against your faction?

I'm using a Pirate Sloop flying a Corsair flag (I'm ranked with Ruesland).

[baldielocks]

Also, the difficulty description says there will be more encounters. Comparing my game files, I'm not Seeing that. If anything, my image game is seeing fewer than I did in normal.

[baldielocks]

Jul 30, 2013 2:25:53 GMT -5 athios said:

Jul 30, 2013 1:53:00 GMT -5 baldielocks said:

I am level 34 on insane. The highest ship level I have seen is 22.

Hmm, that's odd. I am getting the opposite. I'm playing on Crazy, and even when I was Level 10, the average encounter was around Level 12, and upwards of Level 18. I'm finding combat much more difficult than Crazy in ST. Now I'm Level 14, and frequently see ships that are in the Twenties.

Perhaps it has to do your ship flag? Or where you are sailing? Maybe you only get high-level hostiles when there are wars going on against your faction?

I'm using a Pirate Sloop flying a Corsair flag (I'm ranked with Ruesland).

You probably won't see any ship higher than 22. Not a 

challenge once you pass the cap.

At first,  combat was difficult, but I only died once.  I planned my build around navigation for defense. 

I am not clear on the flag aspect.  How do you fly a flag? 

[baldielocks]

Jul 30, 2013 2:00:48 GMT -5 Lt. Hathaway said:

I see your point, but it seems like it calls for more high level enemies rather than altering the number of normal small traders.

In the first 15 years, life was exciting. Kraken, corsairs, and ice demons can reduce you to flotsam very quickly.  But those are the only "natural "enemies. I have not encountered a kraken or ice demon in 15 years. I see about 3 corsairs per trading leg. 
They go down in two shots. 

As you run commissions, your rep plummets.  it seems reasonable to me that you will encounter assassins from these negative factions that are quite a bit tougher than the average trader.  The more factions you are negative with, the  more assassin encounters you could see.  The more negative you are, they stronger they should be.  

Here are my current political affiliations.  I kill every ship I see, except Rheusland and Caldari. You can't get very negative with cirsairs. No commissions against them.  They are always hostile, so you don't lose rep. 

Not sure why the privateers are so low.  I kill them all, aggressive or not.  

Notice that gao is not present.  I really encounter them though.  Maybe 12 times total? 

Attachments:

[athios]

I will pay attention to the ship levels I see and report back.

[Cory Trese]

Same here. Logged #1911 to track

[athios]

You were right, the highest level I see is level 23.

[baldielocks]

Started a new game in insane. The ship levels encountered do not change no matter what level you are. Could the encounter system be adjusted around player level? Way too hard beginning game, way too easy late game.