[X3AP] Stay on Target!

[jlehtone]

Standard day in standard war. A quest in Circle of Labour. First some scouting, then take what you can .. give nothing back.


A Red Yokohama took interest on me and started hot pursuit (if 100m/s can be called "hot"). I was just happy about that. Lets pull up, away from the others for some one on one quality time. All was fine until there was an unexpected sight on the rear mirror: Yoko did break chase and turned to other endeavours! How dare they? I was only 50 klicks ahead. Surely you can hold a lock?


Later I had two Yokos and Tokyo on my tail. By now I had some green ships in the far heights and a plan to take a long roundabout to draw the fastest of the red apart from the rest. Again, the same thing occurs, the slower Yoko and the Tokyo did fall behind and "forgot" me. Me! Worse yet, they were clearly beelining towards the location well beyond their scanners, towards my ships.


Please, Stay on Target (me) and you will be dealt with shortly. If you don't, then you will be dealt with.



In other news:
A privately owned Valhalla was spotted on its maiden flight in Xenon 437. All witness telemetry confirms that the ship had only PSP's onboard and no escorts. The barge could barely hit 30m/s. As expected, Xenon fighters surrounded the toothless giant. Probably by mistake, the Captain of Valhalla did shout on open comm channel: "Ramming Speed!!".

Our rocket engineers are still clueless about what did terminate the Xenon fighters. Valhalla ramming anything should be physically impossible.

Breaking news update: A connection has been found between the owner of Valhalla and a Captain of Teladi Phoenix, who was renowned for ramming small ships ...

[RAVEN.myst]

I found that if I stay not too far ahead of the ship/s I'm luring, they don't get distracted (as much - I *think* but am not sure that I may still have had a couple of isolated incidents to the contrary) - the range I maintain depends on the weapons on the ship I'm drawing out, basically I stay just out of firing range, and match velocity.

[zazie]

Consider the general NPC-AI-behaviour: If there is a second attack pointing at a NPC-ship (or on the target of an escort-mission), the attacked ship/the escorting ship will change the target of its own counter-attack.

I think every player knows the situation: one of his assets is attacked by a superior enemy-ship. To protect the target indirectly, the player attacks the enemy-ship as long as neccessery to turn its 'attention' to the player-ship, allowing to lure it away from the original target and thus saving the freighter's life (e.g.).

So I see a fair chance that one of your other ships IS attacked the Yoko with missiles.

[jlehtone]

Consider the general NPC-AI-behaviour: If there is a second attack pointing at a NPC-ship (or on the target of an escort-mission), the attacked ship/the escorting ship will change the target of its own counter-attack.

Yes, that. It was very clear in X3R.

• If a ship gets attacked, it will interrupt (pause) its current activity and counterattack.
• Not only the ship counterattacks, but it signals its escorts too. At least the escorts that run "protect leader" will join the counterattack. The escorts on "attack target of leader" will join too, unless they are already occupied by other targets.
• If the attacked ship is escorting someone, that formation leader will be signaled. It is quite likely to that an attack against an escort is retaliated by the entire formation.

I did see that expected behaviour during the operation:

• There was Osaka escorted by Yokohama, some Katanas and fighters. I did kill those lesser ships and merely scanned the two larger ones. Both did start to chase me. That was either reaction to attack against their formation, or their normal "attack enemies" war routine.
• There was Valhalla and Aegir. Non-moving. Couple Typhoons at the Aegir from max Triplex Scanner range did not create any reaction. Missile attack repeated from under 10 klick distance did wake the Aegir up and it did chase me at full speed. The Valhalla, presumed formation leader, did start a chase too.

The first Yoko that broke off chase in OP was that escort of Osaka. There were no other green ships in the sector. There might have been some Commonwealth traders (although all Stations were in Terran control), but definitely no Commonwealth military. The chance of Yoko/Osaka being interrupted by a TS turret is quite low, but not impossible.

The second Yoko and Tokyo were a formation. Yes, they were distracted while my ships were in the same sector, but my ships were on Standby, probably 50+ clicks away and their missile turrets are not on "attack all" orders. Neither side should have "seen" the other. No spetted explosions, no unaccounted ordnance.

Side question, what do those missile turret commands do anyway? Up to now I have had those turrets on None and explicitly called the Aux Missile barrage command on each ship. I think I saw somewhere a statement that Missile Defence on a missile turret protects entire formation.


I'm not so sure about the general AI with the Terrans in X3AP. Our Commonwealth gerbils are of the notorious stock, but the poor Terrans have their AGI-anxieties.

What I do know is that I have turned several Valhalla/Kyoto/Odin into spacedust before their sizeable escort fleets so much as flinch. After the death of their beloved leader they eventually make their move (and admittedly I have then found quick escape the better part of valour). Back in X3R formations were quicker to (re)act, IIRC.


I don't say that broken were not due to distractions, but I cannot call the chance "fair".


The "attack target" routine has a "follow to other sectors" flag. The X2/X3R Xenon Taxi Mission had the Xenon follow you to other sectors and the X3TC/AP "failed" Return Ship missions have the police do the same. Regular attacks end when you "leave" the sector (by death / jump out / dock).


It could be that the interrupting reaction is not "attack until the target is gone", but "too far" is sufficient.


The Terran fleet in X3R had such "defend position" orders. You could not lure them far from the Gate. I have disliked them ever since ...