Is NPC v NPC bailing in the game?

[EastAtlantaSanta]

Hi -- long time fan of the series and made an account here to ask this question...

I saw in the 4.0 thread that build 432831 added the possibility for npc ships to bail out in fights with other npcs. That was essentially the only feature I was truly waiting on, because I've always had the most fun playing as a sort of scavenger and finding ships to eventually kit out and build fleets out of. However, I found a couple of other people claiming that this feature never made it into the final release of 4.0 (https://steamcommunity.com/app/392160/d ... 429302410/ and https://www.reddit.com/r/X4Foundations/ ... ?context=3). Can anyone confirm if this is true? I took a look at the changelogs and didn't see anything that would indicate that, but I could've overlooked it. I'm also interested if it is something that could be added via a mod.

Thank you.

[LandogarX4]

Hi -- long time fan of the series and made an account here to ask this question...

I saw in the 4.0 thread that build 432831 added the possibility for npc ships to bail out in fights with other npcs. That was essentially the only feature I was truly waiting on, because I've always had the most fun playing as a sort of scavenger and finding ships to eventually kit out and build fleets out of. However, I found a couple of other people claiming that this feature never made it into the final release of 4.0 (https://steamcommunity.com/app/392160/d ... 429302410/ and https://www.reddit.com/r/X4Foundations/ ... ?context=3). Can anyone confirm if this is true? I took a look at the changelogs and didn't see anything that would indicate that, but I could've overlooked it. I'm also interested if it is something that could be added via a mod.

Thank you.

I vaguely recall a thread in the beta forum where a dev explained that NPC ships can only bail if hit at least once by the player. I.e. after you hit a ship, NPCs who fire on that particular ship can get it to bail.

[Midnitewolf]

Hi -- long time fan of the series and made an account here to ask this question...

I saw in the 4.0 thread that build 432831 added the possibility for npc ships to bail out in fights with other npcs. That was essentially the only feature I was truly waiting on, because I've always had the most fun playing as a sort of scavenger and finding ships to eventually kit out and build fleets out of. However, I found a couple of other people claiming that this feature never made it into the final release of 4.0 (https://steamcommunity.com/app/392160/d ... 429302410/ and https://www.reddit.com/r/X4Foundations/ ... ?context=3). Can anyone confirm if this is true? I took a look at the changelogs and didn't see anything that would indicate that, but I could've overlooked it. I'm also interested if it is something that could be added via a mod.

Thank you.

This would have been a nice feature. I also wish that bigger ships also had a chance for the crew to bail out. It would have to be balanced so that it was very rare to happen but it would be nice to be able to scavenge a few random wrecks above and beyond those scripted into the game and always in the same place.

[Imperial Good]

Yes this should happen now. However I think NPCs that cause ships to bail will try to claim them as well, so do not expect to stumble across abandoned ships left over from battle fields frequently. This also applies to the player's ships so you can lose service crew or even entire ships to bailing. As always, non player ship induced bailing is a lot less frequent making occurrence rare.

[Ezarkal]

I have found a few damaged NPC ships in my current game, that are probably the results of NPC fightings.
However, they are very very rare. I got like 5 of them over 60 hours.

[Alan Phipps]

What the dev actually said was that entirely non-player NPC vs NPC combat can cause some crew-members to bail (not pilots/captains). It requires fire from a player-owned ship to cause the pilot/captain to bail (unless in a specified situation in a plot/mission).

[Midnitewolf]

What the dev actually said was that entirely non-player NPC vs NPC combat can cause some crew-members to bail (not pilots/captains). It requires fire from a player-owned ship to cause the pilot/captain to bail (unless in a specified situation in a plot/mission).

That's too bad. It would have been great to see if could happen occasionally without player intervention. The world feels more alive that way.

[EastAtlantaSanta]

Thank you all for your help and insights. Fingers crossed that npc v npc bailing is fully fleshed out and added someday...it was one of my favorite features in x3 (albeit one added with mods).

[grapedog]

Ive probably capped 10 dragon raiders, 6 balaurs, and 3 asps, in the last 2 days from NPC v NPC combat.

My fleet that is camping a shipyard where FAF pirate ships ate built messages me every 2-4 hours letting me know there is an abandoned ship at their location. I pop over, fly to it, cap it, and fly it home.

I get randomly messaged about other ships, but much more rarely.

[paraskous]

No, I don't think so. You need to shoot yourself.

[CBJ]

Phrasing! I nearly moderated your post there, until I realised what you meant.

[Axeface]

I thought it does happen (completely independent of the player) because I keep seeing the Yaki flying all sorts of ships back to their base, I assume to recycle. I also was fairly certain ive seen some ships bailed that were nothing to do with me or my fleets.
Re-reading the patch notes, im not sure anymore. Can we get some clarification?

Oh, and a new related behavior I definately witnessed in person was fraction ships blowing up their own bailed ships. I was getting antigone novas and eclipses to bail in a big fight, there were a lot of bails and i didnt start capping right away, after about 10 minutes I saw antigone eclipses shooting at and blowing up bailed eclipses (which was annoying because one of them I was just jumping out my ship to cap). Some kind of clean up script?

[EastAtlantaSanta]

No, I don't think so. You need to shoot yourself.

Phrasing! I nearly moderated your post there, until I realised what you meant.

So if me shooting is a requirement for bailing, do you happen to know if one of my own ai controlled ships can force an npc to bail? I'm really trying to force this whole space scavenger storyline, aren't I...

[paraskous]

Phrasing! I nearly moderated your post there, until I realised what you meant.

Is the German in me. We shoot (by) ourselves.