COG target priority#112

When cogs spawn they currently target players. I would like to suggest that the target player should be a list of things based on a random generation on spawn the cog will then target that item and when they are all gone they will move to the next thing in the list. They will also pick the closest, distant, or alternating distance from the cog. This would make the movment harder to predict.

Things to randomize for target.

Player
Turret
T1 refinery
T1 production
….. all the way to t3. ( they can be out of order when listed )

Doors
Cargo
Empty wall locations
Stations / hubs
Storage boxes
Control seats
Dive levers
Control levers
2nd level
Player placed walls
ladders
And more you could even do banners to try and diversify the targeting more. The area of targeting can be to the scale of 3 or 4 drill sites so even if a player is inside a cog drill ship the cogs will leave the ship to attack the players ship.

I personally like the fact that COGs target the player in priority. I don’t know if it’s the best way to do it objectively, but it’s fine by me

Then who would you do it because as it is cogs dont go to your ship unless your there, they dont damage more than 1 module and thats only if your inside the ship and they can get to it. This suggestion would get cogs to target systems and players both. If you really dont mind complex calculations you could set up a weighted priority index for the target system and go from that but i know from your past comments you dont like complex systems. Then if you are really up for a complex system you could release MP, have a setting to allow player movement to be recorded and sent back to the deves to create a neural network AI based of the players own fighting in MP.

My first suggestion would only need to add a few lines of code. Cogs get a number assined at spawn, the number then gets passed to a method that will relate to an arry of objects to be targeted. The index is reurned to the cogs targeting line. If it finds no targets the number is incressed by +1 and set to % ( mod ) the length of the array . ( this simplified version is based off java coding )

They do go to your ship even if you’re not insdie of it, that’s the whole point of turrets. It’s just that they don’t seek it expressively, they just happen to find it on a patrol route. I’d say that the thing to improve is their ability to detect you and your ship., and passing on the info. But the priority, in my opinion, shoud stay Player > everything else

The problem with them focusing players is there is no real threat to the ship. If they would sometimes target systems it would make leaving your ship on the surface alot more of a risk. As of now the chance of a patrol finding your ship when your attacking a drill ship since they are focusing the player. However, if groups would target the drill ship and ignore the player this would give the player a discussion to make, let the ship defend ( hope it can ) abandon raid, or abandon what work is being done and send it underground. This would even be useful when co OP comes out as it could causr players to split their groups to defend the ship and to raid.

COGs don’t target the player from anywhere on the map, they target your ship if they only spotted the ship and not you. If you’re inside, they won’t try to come in, they’ll shoot at the first module they see. And if you come out and they see you, they’ll change target. I feel like that’s okay since even if they don’t change targets, they’ll get destroyed in about 2 seconds.

Thats just supports my idea. A cog that will focus a turret will ignore the player and take down ship defenses. And others will do what they can to stop players from fixing the ship ( makeing repair kits ) this would make a player abandon a site to move to a safe location. Its what real players will do once pvp is here thus this would be a more realistic experience for all players

How does it support your idea ? at best it’s just 1 extra shot on your ship… Talk about making a player abandon a location

How do you expect its going to work in PVP when players are cogs? If im a playable cog i will target your turrets and ignore you running to my ship or a mine of some type. While other members can chace you or defended the ship.

Yes ? sure, but I mean how does that have anything to do with the discussion above ? That’s quite literally how the game already works sooo

The suggestion above would improve the current system and set SOME NOT ALL cogs to ignore the player to focuse the players drill ship vrs defending their ship. It could make players abandon a raid if conditions were met. A risk vrs reward for raiding and defending
The. The list of targets will allow cogs to change to diffrent systems one the one if gone ie turrets then seap to power